Naike Moshi is a strong, energetic and passionate leader. She is the country director of CVPeople Tanzania and award-winning founder and CEO of Women in Management Africa (WIMA), an NGO that aims to increase visibility for women leaders and celebrates their achievements.
Born in 1983, Naike spent most of her school years in Dar es Salaam then moved to the USA at the age of 18 to join her cousin, who was doing well and making a name for herself.
“I was inspired to join her and continue learning from her unsurmountable experience on a diverse range of issues,” Naike told The Weight She Carries.
Initially, her parents hesitated. She was too young, they believed. The USA was a completely different world with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds. How would she handle that, they wondered.
“The fear of the USA was not just for my parents because I was scared too,” she said. “The USA was a fast-paced environment for me. People were always working and trying to make ends meet. After discerning with my parents, I was given a green light to go.”
Naike attended Tennessee Weslyan University and graduated with a degree in human resource management and business management.
Seven years later, with her education and some professional experience under her belt, Naike decided she had learned enough and it was time go back home.
“When I came back, I knew that there were a lot of things that needed to change within my community. One of the gaps I saw was lack of opportunities, access to information and spaces where women can create networks,” she said. “This gap continued the disparities between women and men’s access to opportunities.”
Naike founded Women in Management (WIMA) to help women get leadership opportunities and create a database with information based on women.
“I want to scale this initiative in different African countries so that women can be heard,” she said.
As an influential African woman CEO, Naike wears many hats and does it well. So I asked her just how she does it.
How do you manage being a leader, mentor, businesswoman and mother?
They say life does not come with a manual; it comes with a mother. I think me being a mother is something that gives me wings and power to multitask and do all that I’m seen doing. Frankly, it is not easy. It is tough being all this at once.
Women are multitaskers, and balance is crucial in every woman’s life. I should know my role as a leader, as a mother, and as a mentor, to mention a few. If that is not all, I must be a leader at home and at the same time work in my community. As for business, I believe I must ensure that my business is successful and continues to move forward. Nonetheless, as you grow as a leader, you must pass on your knowledge to others as well.
Mentorship, training and coaching have a huge role in building the younger generation, especially with regards to career development. The mentorship helps young people in several things, such as time management, managing opportunities and work/life balance, to mention a few. Personally, I have benefited a lot from mentorship, and I believe this is what has made me who I am today.
What are some of your awards?
I have won a number of awards so far, including those I won when I was in school. Some of the awards include Who is Who and the African American Excellence Awards.
Other awards are as a result of CV People, which has won the best professional service in Tanzania because we have a strong system in searching for talent, and I was nominated for The Best CEO a month ago. Further, I received an award for The Most Visionary Female CEO.
How have these awards had an impact on your ladder to success and people who look up to you?
The awards have had an impact on both me and the community in many ways. First, they have enhanced my visibility to showcase my skills. So, in terms of impact, it has shown people that I am an achiever, a go-getter, and I am result-oriented.
There are other nominations which were not successful, but even nominations have given me courage and [a] platform to continue learning and building my brand. Through sharing my stories with women, I encourage them to always share their positive side and their achievements as well.
Tell us about She Leads TV Show.
She Leads TV Show was a result of the 2019 Women Leaders profiling 50 women leaders in Tanzania. We thought we couldn’t just write about them…we had to hear from them, their journey, and see how we might tap into their experiences and learn from them and their challenges.
What challenges did you face in your career journey?
One of the biggest challenges is work/life balance. As a mother of two boys, it can be a challenge to balance work and family as well. I believe this is one of the biggest hindrances women face in their career ladder.
COVID-19 has affected our business facet as is the case with most companies that were affected. Hence, it had dire consequences on our recruitment processes. But giving up is not an option.
I love the title of this magazine, The Weight She Carries. A lot of women are carrying a lot of weight, and sometimes it can be too much – from family responsibilities, community, and office responsibilities. But at the end of the day, we manage.
What were your fears when starting up?
- Fear of failure. I believe this hinders most people from starting something, but we have to normalize failure because it’s part of success. It is OK to fail, make mistakes, and we learn from there.
- Fear of rejection. I was afraid of being rejected, probably because of lack of strong network and exposure. We have to embrace our fears and make them part of our life process.
What do you consider to be your keys to success?
- I believe being a risk-taker is a plus for me. Whenever I have an idea, I go for it.
- I am very professional.
- I have a positive mindset in everything I do.
- I believe in personal development. One has to constantly work on their growth because the income follows one’s personal growth. We must become the better versions of ourselves. I always take time to read, listen to different speakers and podcasters and learn every day.
- I want to build a community, a network of women leaders and executives.
- I believe in people and destiny helpers. You become successful through other people.
- I believe in God.
What is some advice to other women?
- Pursue your passion and follow your path.
- Do not listen to all [the] negative talks.
- Chase the vision, and money will follow you.
- Perseverance is key. Success is a process; it does not happen overnight.
