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Lucille Ossai        

Best-Selling Author, Communications Trainer & Advisor

Lucille Ossai is an international award-winning communications trainer, coach, advisor, keynote speaker, and multi-award-winning blogger.

She specialises in business communication. So she works with professionals, executives, entrepreneurs, and leaders to amplify their influence and get results. As the founder and chief communications trainer at Rethinking Business Communications Limited, she offers customised virtual, on-site, and hybrid communication programmes on nonverbal communication, public speaking, interpersonal communication, and business writing. Her clients include the Nigeria Stock Exchange, Nestlé Nigeria, the Society of Petroleum Engineers (Lagos Chapter), and Ischus Consulting. Clients benefit from her wealth of experience facilitating lectures, workshops, and executive seminars at the double-accredited, globally-ranked Lagos Business School.

Ms. Ossai’s Amazon bestselling book 'Influence and Thrive' is an evergreen business communication resource that educates, challenges, and empowers. It's backed by research, relatable scenarios, and interviews. It also unveils her original constructs, including the 'ABF Formula', the six-component 'Flexible Communication Strategy', and the 'Three Rules of Business Writing'. Her recommendations will heighten your communication skills so you thrive in business and your career.

Her expertise is globally recognised. In 2023, the International Association of Top Professionals (New York, USA) named Lucille Ossai the ‘Top Communications Trainer of the Year 2023’ in recognition of her “outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry”. Global Gurus, the prestigious research organisation, also ranked Lucille Ossai the #11 communication professional in the world. (She was the only African to appear in the communication category).

Ms Ossai’s work has been lauded by her alma maters. In 2021, the University of Leicester featured Ossai’s book and highlighted her work in their alumni #CitizensOfChange initiative. In May 2020, the London School of Economics & Political Science named her ‘Alum of the Month‘ for her profile and impact.

For over a decade, she has provided deep insights and practical techniques on effective communication in her multi-award-winning Rethinking Business Communications Blog. Since 2017, it has been the only African-based website to rank among the top 30 in Feedspot’s authoritative list of communication blogs.

Her thought leadership is also renowned. She’s profiled on Thinkers360 and the Case Centre (UK) has featured her technical note on business writing. Furthermore, her articles have appeared on renowned platforms, including BizCatalyst 360, Enterprising Africa, and BusinessDay Nigeria. Lucille Ossai also regularly shares her knowledge of business communication on international podcasts, interviews, and virtual events.

When this bestselling author doesn’t obsess about effective communication, she watches television to unwind. A huge fan of detective programmes, she fancies herself a bit of an expert in identifying the culprits. She also enjoys watching thrillers, (meaningful) action flicks, and dramas.

Ossai lives in Lagos, Nigeria, with her family.

Speech Topics

Female Leaders: Yes, You Can Be Assertive and Warm

Globally, women are still underrepresented higher up the career ladder. According to the Women in the Workplace 2019 report (LeanIn, McKinsey & Company, October 2019, p. 9), only 21% of all women were represented in the C-suite, 4% of whom were women of colour.

Therefore, as a top female executive or a female business leader from a minority group, you're faced with a difficult task: communicating assertively and inspiring people to produce results.

Audience takeaways:

  • Adopt 'open' and warm nonverbal behaviours to boost credibility and trigger trust.
  • Use storytelling and rhetorical tools to win hearts.
  • Disagree without being disagreeable in high-stakes scenarios.
  • Express strong emotions with tact and grace.
  • Tame the impostor syndrome by developing a strong sense of self and using persuasive language.

Build Powerful Teams to Drive Success

Great teamwork doesn’t just ‘happen’.

You can drive teammates to work together for successful outcomes. With effective communication, teams can create powerful bonds that outlast ego trips, eliminate disengagement, and guarantee goal attainment.

Audience takeaways:

  • Use three critical rules of engagement as a team member to drive the team's success.
  • Reduce interpersonal conflicts and increase collaboration with simple communication techniques.
  • Adjust your communication style for different team members.
  • Coax trust by being a 'servant' team leader.

Speak Persuasively to Win Hearts and Change Minds

The US National Institute of Mental Health revealed that 73% of the population suffer from glossophobia - the anxiety of speaking in public. Yet, public speaking is an incredible asset to influence people - if done the right way.

To succeed in today's global village, you must use your voice to win hearts, change minds, and generate massive support for your cause. But first, you must sharpen this tool and amplify it before releasing it to achieve incredible feats.

Audience takeaways:

  • Understand the root of the dread of public speaking and learn how to manage symptoms.
  • Incorporate Lucille Ossai's original A-B-F Formula in your speaking arsenal for maximum impact.
  • Use storytelling to form bonds with your audiences.
  • Adopt four techniques to speak persuasively in your skin.

Effective Cross-Cultural Communication in the Digital Age

The ongoing pandemic had accelerated alliances and increased culturally diverse teams. To spur cooperation, increase collaboration across borders, and get results, you'll need to navigate the nuances of communicating across regions.

Audience takeaways:

  • Connect with non-native English speakers verbally and create a haven for them to shine.
  • Use Lucille Ossai's original three beacons of effective communication to generate quicker results.
  • Discern cultural nuances in nonverbal cues to avoid alienating potential business partners.
  • Communicate openness to accommodate cultural differences.

News

London School of Economics Alum of the Month
London School of Economics' Alum of the Month is Lucille Ossai. The communication leader sat down for an interview on her tips for current business leaders and her memories of attending LSE.
University of Leicester Author Spotlight
University of Leicester shines a spotlight on alumna Lucille Ossai as she releases her new book ‘Influence and Thrive’, which focuses on effective non-verbal communications, public speaking, and business writing.
#11 Communication Guru 2023
Global Gurus ranked Lucille Ossai as the #11 communication professional for 2023. She is the only African and POC on the list.
Top Communications Trainer of the Year 2023 - International Association of Top Professionals (New York, USA)
International Association of Top Professionals named Lucille Ossai the top communications trainer of the year for 2023.
World's Top 30 Communication Professionals for 2022
Global Gurus named Lucille Ossai the #5 communication professional in the world for 2022. She's also the only African to feature in the communication category.
Tackling poor communication skills in Nigeria
As Nigerians, we are not in denial about many truths – endemic corruption in the public sector, epileptic power supply, and chronic youth unemployment. Yet, we are oblivious of our inability to communicate effectively. This fact is evident not only in the ridiculous speeches given by some of our leaders, but also in the error-ridden content often printed by our newspapers or visible in other media.
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LBS Communications Coach’s Blog Selected as Top 30 Communications Blog by Feedspot
LBS Communications Coach: Lucille Ossai’s Rethinking Business Communications Blog, was recognised as one of the top 30 communications blogs on the web by Feedspot. Feedspot is the content user built especially for power users who want to save time reading up on keeping up with top information.
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