Building Your Own Path: Lessons in Leadership from Shegun Otulana

 

What does it mean to be a leader? For our eighth graders, that question took on new meaning during a recent Leadership Speaker Series conversation with Shegun Otulana, serial entrepreneur, investor, and founder of Harmony Venture Labs.

Shegun shared his journey from a young student who loved building things to an entrepreneur who has spent his career building companies, developing people, and solving meaningful problems. His path was not without setbacks. His first company, launched while he was in college, failed within six months. Rather than allowing that experience to define him, he learned to navigate failure, adapt, and keep building. His third venture, TheraNest, went on to grow into a national platform serving mental and behavioral health providers.

His message to students was clear: Failure is not the end of the story. Learning how to manage it is part of the journey.

Throughout the conversation, Shegun emphasized 4 key principles that have shaped his approach to leadership:

1. Make others look good. Great leaders recognize the value in the people around them and create opportunities for others to succeed.

2. Responsibility comes before authority. Leadership begins with a willingness to take ownership, serve, and do the work.

3. Be willing to be wrong. Growth requires humility, curiosity, and the courage to acknowledge mistakes and apologize.

4. Build people, not just companies. The most meaningful work often comes from investing in others and creating something together.

Perhaps his most memorable advice was directed at the stage of life our eighth graders are entering. As they begin to hear more opinions about who they should be and what paths they should take, he encouraged them to be intentional about where they direct their focus and energy.

"Your life is going to be your own thing you can build."

Rather than allowing the expectations or doubts of others to dictate their futures, students were encouraged to stay focused on their dreams, remain curious, and take ownership of the lives they want to create.

Shegun also shared how books have helped him build his own personal counsel of mentors. Through biographies, autobiographies, and books on leadership and personal growth, he has learned from people whose experiences and wisdom might otherwise have been beyond his reach. He encouraged students to read broadly, including fiction, which can expand creativity and imagination.

His visit offered a powerful reminder that leadership is a lifelong practice. It is developed through curiosity, resilience, humility, and a commitment to serving others.

As our eighth graders continue their own leadership journeys, we hope they carry these lessons with them: take responsibility, keep learning, lift others up, and never be afraid to build a path of your own.