Chioma Aso: Systems Thinking for Building Influence and High-Performing Leadership Teams - 024

In this episode, Adaeze Iloeje-Udeogalanya⁠ talks with Chioma Aso, a systems engineer, entrepreneur, and founder of the nonprofit STEAM Divas. Chioma shares her unique perspective on how our diverse backgrounds, including cultural knowledge, are invaluable assets in the world of technology and AI!She introduces the concept of "systems thinking"—a holistic approach to problem-solving that considers how different parts of a system are interconnected. This mindset, she explains, has been the key to her successful career across multiple industries, from manufacturing and aerospace to gaming.Chioma also discusses her passion project, STEAM Divas, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering young girls by integrating the arts into STEM education. She believes that cutting off the artistic side of ourselves limits our potential and that true innovation comes from blending creativity with technical skills. Through hands-on activities like building with electronics and learning the chemistry behind everyday products, she watches young girls transform from curious participants into confident innovators. The conversation also delves into Chioma's upcoming book on "Productivity Personalities," a framework for understanding how different people contribute to projects. She identifies three key types: Early Starters who thrive on new projects, Deep Divers who specialize and go deep on one area, and Final Finishers who take projects across the finish line. Understanding these personalities, she argues, is essential for building stronger teams and preventing burnout.Key Takeaways:Embrace Your Unique Background: Your cultural knowledge and life experiences are valuable assets that can bring a unique perspective to any field.Adopt a Systems Thinking Mindset: Think holistically about how different parts of a system are interconnected to find innovative solutions.Integrate Arts with STEM (STEAM): Don't neglect your creative side. Blending arts and technology leads to more well-rounded and innovative outcomes.Understand Productivity Personalities: Recognize that people have different strengths and work styles (Early Starters, Deep Divers, Final Finishers) to build balanced and effective teams.Memorable Quotes:"When you bring in diverse talents, you are basically learning in a much broader field." [02:15]"The whole world itself is the systems, and everything we do is systems." [05:37]"I call myself the gateway drug to STEM. I'm hoping that I can trick them into looking at STEM differently." [53:05]Timestamps:[00:04] The value of cultural knowledge in tech.[04:30] Introduction to systems thinking.[11:00] The mission of STEAM Divas.[30:00] The Productivity Personalities framework.[40:00] Intellectual property: when to protect and when to share your ideas.[52:00] Chioma's vision for the next generation of women in STEAM.[61:00] Transitioning from corporate to entrepreneurship.FAQs:What is systems thinking? A holistic approach to problem-solving that considers how all parts of a system are interconnected.What are the three Productivity Personalities? Early Starters (ideators), Deep Divers (specialists), and Final Finishers (implementers).What is STEAM Divas? A nonprofit empowering young girls by integrating arts into STEM education through hands-on workshops and events.Connect with Chioma:Guest: Chioma Aso, Founder of STEAM Divas & Polymatrix EngineeringWebsite: steamdivas.orgSocial: @steamdivas on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook