How To Be Resourceful In A Slow Growth Economy

This week, let's focus on another resource that's essential to making lasting change; courage. It's the ability to carry on with a task in the midst of fear, uncertainty or even death, UNTIL something happens - you might not even be able to finish the task, but the effort is what counts. Someone with integrity would say, 'I will follow through, because I've committed myself already', but it might take courage to make good on that promise, because not all tasks will be routine. Courage Is Necessary All the great landmarks in history took courage. To make lasting change in your life, will require courage as well. And the earlier you build courage, the better, because life only gets tougher. You don't want to look back on your life, and regret not taking certain steps. What It Takes To Succeed It's only the courageous that make it in life, because they don't cower, when the circumstances they want don't exist. Rather, they go ahead and create it; p

Carrying on from last week, when I revealed the power of experiences, I alluded to the definition of success, by saying that we need to hold onto what is necessary from our PAST and focus on what's important NOW, to have any chance of an enviable FUTURE. Because everything affects everything else - Jim Rohn. Everything Is Useful There's nothing in life which is not useful, no matter how insignificant or appalling it is. When it relates to us as human beings, we need to give the needed attention to every area of our lives, because everything counts in the BIG PICTURE. And that picture can be one of lasting success or failure, true happiness or regret; it all depends on YOU. What Is Success Success is not one big unexpected event, it's a compounding effect of small and expanding disciplines . For someone who is fit and healthy, it all started from their unwillingness to neglect taking that first bite of a vegetable, which led to them wanting to take that first step out

Hello friends!! I'm back again to stress the point, that as a leader you should focus on what really matters . To help me in the discussion this week, I will be highlighting the vision of Alibaba; one of the foremost e-commerce companies in the world. The Genesis Of Alibaba Alibaba started with a MISSION to solve social problems; particularly the problem of supporting SME's, who prior to Alibaba's advent were struggling to support themselves like large corporations. Alibaba helped bridge the gap between an SME and its suppliers, manufacturers and vendors. The success of their vision helped improve the economy of China. And now we know of how, they are attempting to replicate their success in other economies. A Culture Invested In The Youth But their vision didn't stop there. It included treating their home country with the same attention as their customers, by providing China's YOUNG population with a great opportunity to spear head their vision. They also belie

If it wasn't obvious in the last post, being resourceful is the key to getting anything in life. But this week, I want to focus on another underlying truth people neglect; one which their lives consist of, and that is,  experiences , and the treasures they hold. What Does Life Consist Of? Life is the combination of experiences. To live a full life, you need to fill it up with experiences. How many you may ask? As many as you possibly can. What kind? Ones that have learning opportunities. NOTE, don't confuse gratification for a learning experience; gratification is temporal, and if not checked could hold you back, but what you learn can live on forever. Just as there is benefit in experiencing new things, there is also loss, if you stop experiencing new things; you might as well be dead. We all know death is inevitable, but with a healthy obsession for growth, you have a good chance of keeping it at bay. More Than Meets The Eye Now, what is there in our experiences to glea

When we last met, I talked about an untapped resource that exists in Nigeria. Although many may consider it as an intangible, it's valuable nonetheless. This week let's move unto another intangible; INTEGRITY, which goes hand in hand with trust. What Will They Say About You? When you meet a contact for the first time, and you make a claim, are you able to follow through on it? Remember, trust is always non-existent on first meet, but coupled with integrity, it slowly builds up. People NEVER want to hear, 'I'm sorry, but I can't meet up', because it doesn't change the outcome. It might seem like the right thing to do, but whatever footing you had, has been lost in the eyes of your contact; you might never be able to build trust with them again. Saying, 'I'm sorry', in this instance, is what you call misplaced honesty. It doesn't make you better, it just makes you more complacent in your future dealings. It's always better to clarify y

Last, we talked about clearly defining roles for every team member, and the 20-80 rule. So this week, let's digg deeper into the rule. What Really Matters Some might think this is just talk, but don't be deceived, success is not by accident, it's planned. To build a thriving business you need to plan for it. Now, the 20% effort every team/business leader should be focusing on is not based on allocated activities; that will never yield 80% of the desired result. What I mean is that, they shouldn't be focused on taking 20% of the work; in fact that's even worse, because the team will see it as not pulling your weight. Rather the 20% effort is ensuring that every team member has BOUGHT INTO THE VISION. The Power Of One Voice When there is unison in a team, it is equivalent to an immense amount of energy that can break down a boulder. Unity in vision is what really matters. That's what ensures your team members remain vigilant and accountable even when you

Whatever you need to get what you want isn't always obvious. Some might think that the solution to them always feeling sick is taking the medicine prescribed for that ailment, but what they really need is a new diet, new routines and new rituals. The list goes on, and the strategy employed by people remains the same. But, it takes one who is resourceful to see beyond the obvious, into what's real and lasting. The Nigerian Dream The average Nigerian wants to be well off; being able to provide for their family while having enough to enjoy life. And there's nothing bad about that life goal, though it could be improved. So the first thing they do is look for a job; that's what's obvious but that's not what they really need. Why? Because a job doesn't always give you enough time to work on yourself. You need to spend more time working on yourself than you do on your job - Jim Rohn. Work To Learn Now if you can find a job that gives you enough time to wor

Oh, there is so much desperation in Nigeria; so much perceived poverty, but WAIT! Does that mean we should treat ourselves like animals, with no regard or care, even to the point of killing one another!? There is NEVER a justification for that. The Truth Now most Nigerians may be desperate, but NONE is poor. This blog is all about being resourceful - using what you have to get what you want. And everybody is resourceful, in one way or another. Today I will be shedding light on one resource in Nigeria, that if FULLY utilised, will yield immense returns. Diamond In The Rough TRUST!! How if Nigerians knew that trust has value, and such value can become profitable for them. But people are so blinded by immediate returns, that they are missing out on IMMENSE returns. In whatever you do, if there is no trust between you and whomever you are reaching out to or in contact with, It won't be sustained. Trust is the one resource people cherish, and if they can find a trustworthy soul, Oh, how

Having a business, doesn't mean being busy. It doesn't mean being self employed; being self employed means you are working for yourself. Rather it means you are working with a team. A Business Is A Pot Of Unique Spices When you are working with a team, each part plays a role, that is unique; no two roles are the same, and should be the same, else there will be conflict. Every team member needs to feel important, and recognised, for a business to thrive. If each role is not fully defined in the context of the team, growth will be stunted, because it will lead to one or two members just being busy without making progress. Progress can only be measured if the target is defined. And if a member doesn't feel like he/she is contributing it will lead to a diminishing passion for the work, and eventually they become new problems you have to deal with. The Job Of A Leader You want to limit problems that arise as a team/business leader, so you can focus on applying yourself to what r