On Monday, 16 February 2026, the Chairman of Blue Horizon Schools Kaduna, Major General Ibrahim Manu Yusuf (Retired) delivered a lecture titled ‘Operational Level Leadership in a Multi-dimensional Environment’ to the participants of Naval Warfare Course (NWC) 10 of the Naval War College Nigeria (NWCN). The lecture held at the College Auditorium was part of the Leadership and Management Studies Module for the Course. The purpose of the lecture was to discuss his experiences as an operational-level leader during Operation DEEP PUNCH with a view to drawing lessons for the participants of NWC 10.
Major General IM Yusuf (Retired) underscored the relevance of leadership and character traits assessment, noting that this assessment helps in identifying priority areas for training and development of character, as well as allows for monitoring and evaluation of character traits during training. Others include revealing the potential performance of a commander, and assisting in determining suitability of an officer for command appointment in operations especially during critical moments. He thereafter stated that competence, leadership and character are keys to a successful command, while integrity, humility and patience remain core attributes for effective operational-level leadership.
Drawing from his personal experience, the seasoned guest speaker reiterated that leadership competencies required the ability to think critically, the ability to communicate clearly, and the ability to create accountability. Others include the ability to inspire subordinates, the ability to build relationships, and the ability to drive change. He further discussed the factors that influences military leadership challenges, some of which include nature of the operating environment, absence of a structured mechanism for sharing lessons learnt for joint management of operation, implementing directives with ethical and legal implication, and the application of mission command philosophy in an environment of scarce resources. He concluded his lecture by highlighting leadership lessons from his personal experience as an operational-level leader during Operation DEEP PUNCH.
The Commandant NWCN, Rear Admiral Mohammed Muye appreciated the Guest Speaker for sparing time from his busy schedule to deliver the lecture. He thereafter described the lecture as ‘insightful’, adding that it had equipped the participants of NWC 10 with relevant knowledge on operational-level leadership. The Commandant concluded his remarks by encouraging the participants to note the lessons drawn from the lecture for future applications as operational-level commanders.
