Dr Amo Raju OBE DL stepped down in September 2024 after 30 years as chief executive of Disability Direct, the Derby charity for disabled people and carers, in a tenure described at the time as the longest of any disability charity chief in the UK.
A disabled leader who has cerebral palsy, he won the Lifetime Achiever Award at the 2023 National Diversity Awards and was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Derbyshire the same year.
Through Amo Raju & Associates he now mentors leaders across the charity and voluntary sector, a direction shaped by his 2021 book, Walk Like A Man, co-authored with Mani Hayre. He tells Business Matters why the lessons that stayed with him came from a labourer rather than a leadership course, and why every hard decision should be tested against the founders’ mission.
What do you currently do at Amo Raju & Associates?
After more than 30 years as a CEO, I now spend a significant amount of my time doing something I genuinely enjoy: sharing what I have learned with the next generation of leaders, particularly within the charity and voluntary sector.
At present, I mentor seven managers, managing directors and CEOs from across the charity sector, who regularly book monthly one-to-one sessions with me. I share the lessons I have learned from both my successes and, perhaps more importantly, my failures.
There is little point having experience if you are not prepared to pass it on.
What was the inspiration behind your business?
Although Amo Raju & Associates was established around 2014, its direction really changed following the publication of my book, Walk Like A Man, in 2021.
The book tells the story of my journey from being an unskilled disabled man, who found himself thrown into unfamiliar territory, to sitting in the CEO’s chair within just three years.
Following its publication, I received numerous messages from people who had been inspired by my story and wanted advice, guidance and mentoring. What started as people simply asking, “How did you do it?” gradually developed into something much bigger.
I realised that perhaps my greatest contribution now is not what I can achieve myself, but what I can help others achieve.
Who do you admire?
I could give the obvious answers: Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi or perhaps entrepreneurs such as Sir Alan Sugar. But the person who has influenced me most was my father.
He spent his entire working life as a labourer and had absolutely no formal management qualifications. Yet he was a natural leader. He had an incredible ability to remain calm, see through a problem and offer a few words of wisdom when others were losing their heads.
Throughout my career I have attended management courses, leadership programmes and countless meetings. But when I look back, it is my father’s lessons that remain strongest in my memory.
He taught me something that no textbook ever could: you can be successful without ever forgetting to be human.
Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?
To answer that honestly, I would have to admit to having regrets. And, truthfully, I do not.
That does not mean I got everything right. Far from it. I made plenty of mistakes, took a few wrong turns and fell at more than a few hurdles. But those experiences gave me the battle scars that became some of my greatest teachers.
Today, I can look back with pride at the legacy I left in my previous role as CEO, knowing that I gave it everything I had.
I often think that any leader who reaches the end of their career claiming they made no mistakes probably has not got much to talk about in their farewell speech.
What defines your way of doing business?
For me, business is about more than making money. It is about having a purpose and making decisions you can defend ethically.
One piece of advice I give to every leader I mentor is this. Whenever you are faced with a difficult decision, particularly one involving risk, ask yourself whether the founders of the organisation would ethically agree with what you are proposing.
If the answer is no, you may have just identified the point where you are beginning to drift away from the organisation’s original mission.
Of course profit matters. Businesses and organisations need to be financially sustainable. But profit should never come at the expense of principles.
What advice would you give to someone starting out?
If I could give someone starting a business just one piece of advice, it would be this: do not be afraid to start small, but never think small.
I have made plenty of mistakes throughout my own journey, but every one taught me something. Believe in yourself, particularly when others do not. Do not allow rejection to knock you off course; sometimes a closed door simply means you need to find another way in.
Be honest. Work hard. Treat people fairly. Build relationships and never burn bridges unnecessarily. You never know when you might need someone’s help or when you will be in a position to help them.
And finally, remember that success is not measured solely by the size of your bank account or the title on your business card. Real success is about making a difference, creating opportunities for others and, importantly, enjoying the journey along the way.
