Insights for Leading

Last week, I facilitated an insightful session on leadership for a crop of next-generation leaders and one of the remarkable things I told them is that “ confidence is not a derivative of your competence or status but the knowledge of your value .” If confidence was dependent on competence, then the most talented and skilful people would be the most confident. But we have seen very skilful people who are shy even when it comes to unbundling their potential before others. There are even people with natural endowments like facial beauty and attractive features who are nervous in the company of other people. On the other hand, some people are less endowed with facial beauty and abilities who are confident of expressing themselves anywhere. Some other people are confident despite their low economic and social status. No wonder, it is not the best guy that gets promoted – it is the guy who confidently forms significant relationships that walks himself into the corridors of po

“ This guy on TV ” “ You mean Professor Pat? ” “ Oh, he is now a Prof.? ” “ Yes, that is Professor Pat Utomi. So, what were you trying to say? ” “ Enh Pat Utomi was my classmate. We used to play in class together! ” “ Okay??? ” Oftentimes, we hear someone beside us say that he knows a popular figure personally. He goes on to say that they have been known to each other from way back. But now, you cannot trace any connection between both people. They are simply worlds apart. So, what happened? First, the essence of the ‘mate’ word is merely assumed and indeed fallacious . Age mate, flatmate, roommate, classmate, office mate, and whatever ‘mate’ you know – none of these is a true reflection of equality. And when we try to make everyone equal in our sight, we blind ourselves to the advantages that they might have over us. To evaluate people based on where they are coming from or where they presently are is a bad mistake. You have to even recognize

Skilful men who are consistent at their craft eventually attract powerful men into their lives. That is what it means for kings to come to the brightness of your rising. And this is the summary of my last piece titled, “ Favour is to men of skill . ” In this piece, I want to examine how strategic relationships are formed. A few years ago, I heard one of my business mentors of inestimable worth, Niyi Adesanya, say that “success is based on your relationships.” If you have good relationships with powerful people, you too will become powerful! To fulfil purpose, you need to be a problem-solver; you need to have a solution and a platform to execute your solution. You need a lamp and a lampstand. Solutions are rooted in skills. The magnitude and intensity of the problems that your skills solve, as well as the scarcity of that skill, determine your extrinsic value. So, while there are many skills that you can learn, you should choose to master one that solves real problems of hug