Post by UgoK Christ (@UgoK)

I normally don’t jump on trending topics, but I have two cents on the Mr. Tony Elumelu conversation.

To me, this is less about whether calling him “Tony” was technically right or wrong.

It is about reading the room.

Different workplaces have different cultures. Some organizations are strictly first-name basis. Others place more emphasis on titles, age, seniority, or traditional forms of respect.

And when you are entering a room, especially professionally, one of the most valuable skills you can develop is social awareness.

You may have the confidence to speak.

But do you also have the wisdom to understand the environment you are speaking in?

Personally, if I were meeting someone significantly older or senior to me for the first time, I would naturally lean toward the more respectful form of address until they invited me to do otherwise.

Not because I think titles make anyone more important.
But because respect costs nothing.
At the same time, I also believe leadership requires grace. Younger generations are growing up in a much more informal, global workplace culture, so sometimes what one generation interprets as disrespect may simply be normal communication to another.

Maybe the bigger lesson is this:

Confidence is important.
Respect is important.
But knowing how to read the room is a superpower.

What do you think—Tony, Mr Elumelu, TOE, or Chairman? 😄

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