I get very uncomfortable when I meet someone who has convinced himself that the challenge before him won’t work because of the fear that it could go wrong and the ‘whole’ world will blame him for it; or an individual who has stayed in a particular position for a long time and is gradually convincing herself that, that’s all she can offer the world. Look closely at those who are great at blaming others but themselves for everything, they have very low self-esteem and never truly find joy in themselves. Some of us reading this right now, may be in either of these places or may have been in this situation before or know someone who is in this situation now.
What I have found out in my experience is that most of us are living less than 30% of our potential because we have not taken the time to discover who we are, while others have not been privileged to work under the leadership of someone who was committed to ensuring you grow and not remain stagnant.
Now two major experiences have clearly defined these earlier described moments for me; A few years ago while working for a technology Company as Head of Marketing & Strategy, a customer had called me feeling very bad that the issue with his equipment which we supplied to him and serviced could not be resolved by our Support Engineer. I got up from my chair and went straight to have a discussion with the Engineer. It was the very first time I was to have a closed-up conversation with him and I was shocked at his response to the customer issue; ‘Oga(like we say in Nigeria) I do not think I will be able to resolve this issue because I have never done it before. I am also afraid that if I try something, everyone will blame me if it damages something else’. I was shocked but as usual calm to listen more to the challenge with not just the equipment but most importantly and clearly too, himself. I knew that if I could help me with solving the issue with himself, the customer’s product will be resolved and that was what happened. I knew I had to help him rebuild his confidence and committed to sharing the responsibility with him. The next day, very early in the morning he went straight to the customer site, resolved the issue and created a happy customer and a renewed confidence in himself and he got to embrace a potential he never knew he had right there in him.
Once again I had the opportunity of supervising a gentleman who had been a driver in the organisation for over 11 years. I soon discovered he wasn’t just a great driver, but he had the potential to BE MORE and to evolve into a more rewarding Profession that would help him evolve professionally as a human being. I took interest in his history and listened to what he’s held deep in his heart for a long time. He wanted more; knew he could be more; and knew he deserved more; but did not know how to go about it. Together we worked out a plan that would see him begin to go to school on part time basis while still working. Today he is a University graduate with honours; eager and ready to transit into the corporate world. So just in case you’re in Lagos and you need a gentleman with administrative skills and a stellar character, I believe I have the guy for you.
Now, at the centre of this piece is a reminder that Leadership not ‘rulership’ or ‘managership’; is about three basic things:
Inspiration to achieve and be more
Service to everyone under our care
Unlocking hidden potentials for the benefit of everyone
I am confident that we build a Leadership brand that is reflective of these, we will create more impactful and profitable organisations and a world where everyone is driven to care for one another; create more personal and professional fulfilment and committed to transforming the world one person at a time.
I believe we can do this. Let’s work together!
