Ruth Zubairu on Growth, Legacy and the Inner Work of Success After Reading Making It Big

At a time when many professionals are chasing speed, scale and visibility, growth strategist and visibility expert Ruth Zubairu found herself searching for something different: alignment.

Not another motivational quote.
Not another success highlight.
But clarity — the kind that helps a person remember why they started and how to continue growing without losing themselves in the process.

That search led her to Making It Big: Lessons from a Life in Business by Nigerian businessman Femi Otedola. But Ruth did not approach the book as a study of wealth. She read it as a builder, a mother, and a strategist balancing multiple visions while learning to stay grounded as responsibilities expand.

What remained with her was not simply the story of success, but the thinking behind it.

According to Ruth, the book moves beyond financial achievement to something deeper: personal responsibility for growth. She describes it as a reminder that meaningful outcomes are rarely accidental. They are built in unseen moments, through discipline when motivation is low, resilience when reputation is tested, and humility when success finally arrives.

She also notes the importance of the book’s honesty. It does not present the journey as smooth or perfectly structured. Instead, it acknowledges failure, reinvention, and the emotional cost of building something that matters — a reality Ruth says resonates strongly within Nigeria’s entrepreneurial and leadership landscape, where progress is rarely linear.

From her reflection, six key personal development themes stood out.

First is the role of discomfort. Ruth explains that growth often feels unsettling, but discomfort can signal expansion rather than danger. New levels, she says, require new versions of the self.

Second is reputation. Drawing from her background in PR and visibility strategy, she reinforces that reputation is not branding but consistency over time, how individuals respond to setbacks, treat people, and show up when recognition fades.

Third is reinvention. Ruth challenges the idea that change signals instability. In her view, evolution reflects responsiveness to growth, and refinement of purpose rather than abandonment of it.

Fourth is forgiveness. She highlights the book’s emphasis on choosing not to live in bitterness, jealousy or resentment. For Ruth, this is a leadership strength; mastering emotions rather than allowing them to dictate direction.

Fifth is discipline. She stresses that lasting success is often built on quiet habits, structure, patience and long seasons of unseen effort.

Finally, she speaks about legacy. The book’s focus on impact beyond personal gain aligns with her belief that success should open doors, build values, and create possibilities for others.

The book has drawn praise from global and African leaders, including Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina and Aliko Dangote, who have all noted its value for current and future generations of business leaders.

Yet for Ruth, the most important takeaway is deeply personal.

The book did not make her want to be richer, she says. It made her want to be wiser, more intentional, more disciplined, more emotionally intelligent, and more responsible with influence.

In her view, success is not only about what one achieves, but who one becomes while achieving it.

For her, Making It Big is not a story about arrival.
It is a story about preparation; of mind, character, spirit and legacy.

And that, she believes, is where real personal development begins.