On Point

 
Several titles ran through my mind in opting for the name of my blog. "On point", "Leadership Tips", and many others were considered before I settled for “Winning Concept” which has now been updated to “Leadership GOT BORN” recently. The choice of “Winning Concept” must have been impressed on me as a result of the “WIN BIG” leadership concept that I propounded around 2013. "WIN BIG" is based on “Question and Answer Approach” to framing leadership direction. After-all, if a team must win, it’s a lot rewarding if the members do so in grand style – winning big! All lovers of sporting activities especially the round leader game know that counting points in a league system or group stage of a competition add colour to their game(s) in one way or the other.

The first (and the only) article written on my obsolete/extinct blog in October 2011 was titled - "The power in Power-point". Hardly can anyone communicate publicly without the aid of this powerful visual presentation tool. However, its power is diminished when the presenter crowds the slide with "wordy" or textual excerpts and then reads the full texts out verbatim to the audience. My point here is that a powerful presentation holds the audience spellbound only when the presenter is "on point". Similarly, a writer, author or blogger have the burden of being on point in delivery.

What’s the point if you are not on point? Answer to that question is the reason great communicators shape how they show up in conversations.  It’s also the reason why actors/actresses and entertainers deliver exceptional acts to the delight of their audience. In fact, the question old sway in all ramifications of life and most especially in the school of leadership. In all your endeavours, “begin with the end in mind” so says Stephen Covey in “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”. When you do this, you give yourself fair chance(s) of being “on point” in what you do. The primary reward for being on point is internal satisfaction and the supplementary ones are special recognition(s), awards, accolades and monetary reward. 

Aside aspiring to be on point in outlook, appearance or dressing, another important attribute to being on point is subscription to life-long learning. Brown Romano – a veteran of Process Automation and Control System and current director of Technology at Arthur G. Russell Company in Bristol - recently penned down an important advice on life-long learning. He says, “Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow……don’t forget about personal learning”.   The essence of life-long learning is to keep you fresh, refreshed and ‘up-to-date’ with knowledge. In your leadership journey and as you subscribe to life-long learning, don't dignify poor performance. Don't celebrate mediocrity. Be on point always (at least strive to be).

Leadership GOT BORN (101 to 110)

It's indeed a pleasure to be featured by Lois Oni - LLB, MBA in her recent LinkedIn Post dated 12th October 2021. Hence, she's worthy of mention here for her gracious act as one good turn deserves another. The reason for Leadership G.O.T B.O.R.N is to inspire or bless someone out there in need of motivation or inspiration. 

G.O.T B.O.R.N is the acronym for Group Of Ten Blocks Of Refreshing Nuggets. 

Please enjoy under-listed ten (10) nuggets for your delight. Your gift of feedback in the appropriate form on this blog below would be highly appreciated (N/B - You need to sign-in to Google Account to be able to leave your comments directly on the blog). Otherwise, you can respond with comments when posted on LinkedIn. Have a great day!

1. No one can complete the work expected of him in a lifetime. It grows as a whale because Work Happens According to Learning Execution (W.H.A.L.E). #nugget101

2. Give or Take: The quest for questioning is to nail and nor burst it. Yet, we often fail to get it. #nugget102

3. Man cannot see well sustainably with another man's lamp. Self enlightenment empowers beyond measure. #nugget103

4. It is better to ride on a donkey than enter the train to nowhere. Be fact based. #nugget104

5. The mentor is not a tormentor. He or she Meaningfully Engages Natural Talents on Own Responsibilities - M.E.N.T.O.R. #nugget105

6. 'Critical Questioning' belongs to the tripod of leadership's critical acts. Others are 'Critical Reasoning' and 'Critical Thinking'. #nugget106

7. This world is like a stage. Act the 'scenes' as a man or woman of conscience. Act well, don't act 'mirage'. #nugget107

8. Housefly doesn't intend to die inside sweet drinks. Likewise, unethical 'enjoyment' kills surreptitiously. #nugget108

9. Envision what a "better you" looks like. Understand what it takes, brace-up and work at it. Be committed. #nugget109

10. Few (if any) will join your battle or victory. The world moves on with or without you and I. #nugget110

Paradoxical Leadership

In the global village where free will offer - supposedly - the most conducive atmosphere for innovation and trans-generational advancements, the place of "commandments" cannot be trivialized. We must be guided by some forms of principles, rules, tenets or laws to create enabling environment for mutual understanding and 'breed' peaceful co-existence. There has to be checks and balances to avoid free-for-all descent to chaotic disorder. In addition, leaders must relate with their associates empathetically. This is where J.C Maxwell's recommendation in his book titled "Relationship 101 - what every leader needs to know" finds relevance. In 1968, Kent Keith penned "Paradoxical Commandments of Leadership" which J.C Maxwell re-echoed as follows:

- Quote -

1. People are often illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered - love them anyway
2. If you do good, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives - do good anyway 
3. If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies - succeed anyway
4. The good you do today will perhaps be forgotten tomorrow - do good anyway
5. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable - be honest and frank anyway
6. The biggest man with the biggest ideas may be shot down by the smallest man with the smallest mind - think big anyway
7. People favour underdogs but follow only hot dogs - fight for a few underdogs anyway
8. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight - build anyway
9. People really need help but may attack you if you help them - help them anyway
10. Give the world the best that you have and you will get kicked in the teeth - give the world the best you have anyway

- Unquote -

On the first day of this month, Nigeria celebrated her 61st independence anniversary. To some, she remain a "laboratory of potential greatness" and to some others she's "struggling to breath" in critical realms of life. Optimistic perspective will see the cup as half-full rather than half-empty. I am a patriot hence will always see through the optimistic lens. I agree with the notion that forthright leadership at all levels will position the nation in her rightful place in the comity of nations. This is true of any nation that desire sustainable progress. It also holds true at individual or corporate level. The world will be a better place if all and sundry would imbibe the culture of valuing one another's differences whilst leveraging on similarities towards common purpose(s). Being at "cross-purposes" operationally is the bane of elegant progress. Perhaps it is high time we mandated "Paradoxical Commandments of Leadership" for all leaders (or aspiring) at all levels.