Alder recounted a startling moment during a corporate event when a director approached him, not to network, but to openly promote Satanism. “He didn’t believe my knowledge or insights were just natural,” Alder said. “He assumed I had accessed some kind of power. So he tried to recruit me right there. It was disturbing and revealed how deeply some people are entrenched in dark systems.” This experience, he explains, is a reminder that cults and dark spiritual influences often exist openly, not hidden away as many assume.

YOU CAN ALSO READ: From Classroom to Boardroom: Taopheek Babayeju Returns to LASU, Launches Project1500, ₦15M Endowment

Despite this, Alder describes his own connection to God as straightforward and accessible. “I don’t do all the stereotypical things, climbing mountains, fasting endlessly. But I have clarity, a spiritual connection. The Bible never says you must fast and pray before succeeding in business. What God demands is productivity and accountability.” He refers to the parable of the talents, emphasizing that spiritual success is about responsible stewardship and delivering results.

Alder also shared the harrowing experience of battling prostate cancer during the COVID lockdown. He only grasped the severity of his condition when he overheard his doctor praying fervently for him early one morning. “He didn’t want to tell me how serious it was, but when I heard him crying out to God, I knew I was in deep trouble.” He credits his wife and community’s unwavering support for helping him through what he describes as “hell.”

In one defining moment, while in extreme pain en route to a speaking engagement, Alder prayed for strength to deliver his lecture before returning to the hospital and he did. This episode crystallized his outlook on life: “I live a maximised life now. When you face death, you realize you own absolutely nothing, not your health, not even your designer clothes. They mean nothing when you’re on your back.”

Describing life as a journey on a predetermined track, Alder explained, “I feel guided—like I’m on a divine schedule. The track is always in the present, heading toward the future. I can’t afford to look sideways or behind—just the windscreen. That’s how I live. I trust the programme, and as long as I stay on it, I feel okay.”

Challenging conventional business wisdom about vision, Alder said, “Vision isn’t just a poster on the wall with KPIs and deadlines. That works for corporations, but for individuals, vision must come from within. It’s a deep inner compass, not an external checklist.”

On envy, a frequent personal and professional trap, he was blunt: “Envy is cancerous. It leads to destruction. It’s rooted in insecurity. I avoid envious people like a plague. Envy isn’t petty—it’s deadly. It starts like a seed that grows unchecked.” He shared his personal method for managing envy: “Everyone feels envy, but you must master it. When someone gets what I want, I talk myself through it. You can’t have another man’s blessing. You can only receive yours.”

Alder was also frank about marriage, addressing cultural tensions and theological complexities. “My ex-wife was four years older, which in a Yoruba setting is a big deal. We clashed because while I was avant-garde, she was more traditional. Handling that requires deep inner resolve.” He criticized rigid scriptural interpretations that oppose remarriage, saying, “That’s a narrow interpretation. Mercy triumphs over judgment. If someone is dying emotionally or mentally in a marriage, what marriage is that? God isn’t cruel. People should not die in marriages just to satisfy doctrine.”

On why marriage grows more complicated with age, Alder observed, “By 35 or 40, if you haven’t sorted yourself out—mentally, emotionally, not just financially—then something’s off. Many men fear marriage because of what they’ve witnessed. Their parents stayed in unhappy marriages for culture or children, but today’s generation won’t do that. They fear the emotional and economic risks.”

He also addressed income dynamics in marriage: “In a true marriage, there’s no ‘me’ or ‘you,’ only ‘us.’ If your wife earns more and there’s true love and friendship, it doesn’t matter. Mutual respect is key. We don’t keep score.”

Above all, Alder emphasized love as the foundation of marriage, not romantic infatuation but deep, enduring friendship. “Romance won’t sustain you. What sustains a marriage is friendship. Life tests that friendship through health, finances, family challenges. Without that deep connection, marriage becomes synthetic.”

Reflecting on trials, Alder offered encouragement: “Trials refine you for your future, they don’t destroy you. There’s always a way of escape, but you must have resilience and a fighting spirit. Sometimes, you don’t know where you are or where you’re going. That confusion isn’t failure; it’s part of the journey.”

He also shared a striking line from his book On Purpose: “The life of a flailing young man is devoid of logic. I couldn’t afford my master’s fees, yet I had faith for marriage. That’s illogical. But it’s what it means to be young and desperate. Raw faith mixed with youthful haste.”

Leke Alder’s openness reveals a profound journey where faith, hardship, and hope intersect, a story of grappling with life’s darkest moments and emerging with grace, resilience, and purpose.

Leke Alder is the Founder and Principal of Alder Consulting, Nigeria’s premier creative intelligence firm with offices in Lagos and London. Credited with pioneering branding as a formal discipline in Nigeria, he has consulted on policy, politics, and business at the highest levels locally and internationally. He authored Nigeria’s image management blueprint, the Heart of Africa project, and served as Chief Consultant to the Federal Government on the initiative.

YOU CAN ALSO READ:  From Mustang Moves to Fintech Mastery – Tosin Eniolorunda’s Journey Through Crisis, Risk, and Revolution

His leadership roles include serving on the Board of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), where he chaired key committees, and contributing to the World Economic Forum on Africa as Chairman of the Media, Host Broadcasting, and Advertising Sub-Committee. Alder has participated in the Nigeria Economic Summit Group and served on the Board of Trustees of Day Waterman College.

A sought-after speaker and educator, he has appeared at Harvard, Wharton, and Kellogg business conferences, as well as major African leadership forums. He has lectured at Pan Atlantic University and spoken at forums including the Nigerian Bar Association and Women in Management & Business (WimBiz).

Alder is an accomplished author and hosted the weekly radio business programme Minding Your Business with Leke Alder on Lagos’s 92.3 Inspiration FM. Beyond business, he is a lawyer, polymath, and philanthropist. His photography and furniture design have raised millions for nine orphanages through the Leke Alder Foundation, which has impacted over 120,000 lives.

Disclaimer: EnterpriseCEO is not the rightful owner of the original content or conversation. This feature article is a transcription and editorial adaptation based on an exclusive episode of the “Deep Dive” podcast hosted by Teju Babyface. All insights and quotes are attributed to Mr. Leke Alder as shared during the interview. Full credit goes to Teju Babyface and the “Deep Dive” podcast team.