A while ago, I attended a personal development/effectiveness seminar. I quite vividly recollect how the speaker emphasized the importance of networks and relationships in actualising your dreams. I also remember how surprised I was when I heard my pastor say “you are four people away from anybody in the world”. i.e. I know someone that knows someone, that knows someone-else, that knows another person that knows Bill Clinton (just an example, ‘cause I know Clinton directly, and please don’t ask me for his number!)
Some other people think its six people, but the point I think, has been made. Whatever plans or dreams we have can only come to fruition when the right people subscribe to the idea and get involved.
You and I would quite agree that dreams, visions, desires…(whatever you choose to call it!) are meaningful when they are not just meant to feed and fulfil selfish and narcissistic desires. It’s quite simple. A relevant dream seeks to impact people positively, and also requires people for its fulfilment.
For those of us that desire to make it to the world’s billionaire rankings, it’s about time we asked ourselves WHY???
I think I have a pretty good reason, but I’m not sure you do, and if you think you do, send me an e-mail – bamtayo@gmail.com – and we would reason together.
Back to the main point – networks and relationships are crucial and central. Even in business, the most revolutionary ideas do not see the light of day if the critical mass of people do not subscribe to it.
I was scanning one of my favourite blogs when I encountered some phenomenal information – “the inventions and ideas we regard as revolutionary today, were not the best ideas conceived. They were the lucky ideas that received the critical support, persistence and faith needed for their actualization”. That just hit me!
You see, we’ve all got great ideas and prospects, but fact remains that not all would become a reality.
All of these made me wonder and I asked myself, what do I need to do in order to enlist the strategic support and arsenal needed to force my way through obscurity?
The obvious answer wasn’t far fetched. Simply get the right people to believe in it!
A few years ago, I remember observing a picture of the former CEO of UBA and some of his middle-eastern friends, all Harvard fellows.
A few years later, a business consortium from the middle-east signified interest in Nigeria’s gold-mine telecommunications industry. They thereafter obtained a license, and guess the key Nigerian figure at the centre of the deal? The same guy!!!
Lesson learnt! Ever since, I’ve made it top priority to properly acquaint myself with important, relevant and serious-minded people that matter, whenever there’s such opportunity. I also deliberately go to places where I can meet such people. I use a simple formula – exchange pleasantries, arouse their interest by discussing relevant issues, store their contact information in a SAFE and DRY place and DON’T forget to maintain the relationships!
It’s about two months now that I and about twenty other newbies got transferred to the production facility of our organization down-south Nigeria, very close to the Atlantic. In the spirit of work-life balance (an elusive dream for many!) we all participate in one form of sporting activity or the other. We have facilities for practically every kind of sport you could think of (except for ice-skating….but we’re working on it!).
We’re all doing a great job and have met quite a host of folks around here, but I wanted more. I thought to myself, how do I link up with the top-dogs around? The answer beheld me right in the face. There was one particular sport none of us (and I dare say many Nigerian folk too) had not even thought about engaging in.
Think about it, what is that sporting event that’s the exclusive preserve of the big boys…..you guessed right – GOLF!!
We all innocently walk past the lush green golf course and no one seemed to have any interests……except me of course!
I decided to take the bull by the horn and went on a voyage of the course with the intent of just watching the pros play. At the end of my sojourn, I had made FIVE new friends, three white and two black. One of the white folks, without me asking (but obviously detecting that I had limited knowledge of the rules) offered free tutoring and advice.
They were surprised, especially the white folks who were not used to young Nigerian guys coming to experience the highly mature and technique-driven game.
I got more than I bargained for, as I’ve also been scheduled for training without having to purchase a personal kit. (See the power of networks!)
A serious golfer can’t escape having to eventually purchase the quite expensive kit, but considering the potential rewards (such as all round recreation, and especially the future multi-million dollar investment deals that would be sealed on courses like this one), it’s certainly a worthy investment.
And who says I can’t go professional, join the PGA and compete internationally? Just wait and see!
PGA 2012 Rankings – No 3 – Adetayo Bamiduro………….yes o!
Yours in network expansion, I remain Trinitech the golfer!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Friday, March 07, 2008
TOP 3 LANGUAGES A NIGERIAN MUST LEARN!!! become lee-kov mohammed
IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER:
RUSSIAN (we have massive natural gas reserves in common)
The spread of global wealth to emerging markets (of which Nigeria is one) is being substantiated in Moscow’s status as the world’s new billionaire centre.
With 87 super-rich people living there, it is home to more billionaires than New York. They also have a rapidly expanding middle class. Believe it or not, there’s more than enough cash to be drained from there, as long as you don't puck-nose into their political affairs, or you might end up like Kodorkovsky, the Yukos man that went from GRACE TO PRISON (not just grass).
The main driver of this super-wealth is of course their oil with new emphasis on their natural gas reserves. Guy's, I believe we know that Nigeria is certainly establishing some form of collaboration with Russia. Wouldn't be a bad idea to add the prefix 'kov' to your name after learning the language in order to enhance acceptability, (e.g. tayokov!)
ARABIC (we have fairly massive petroleum reserves in common)
Saudi Arabia has over 250 bbrls (billion barrels) of proven reserves, Iraq and Iran have more than 100 bbrls each. UAE, Quatar, Kuwait..e.t.c have about as much too . (Nigeria has less than 40 bbrls of proven reserves). Believe me, these guys have more than enough money to throw around. Their case is too much money and too little space and people to consume it, so they need you!
That explains why these countries have engaged in super-extraordinary development projects. I believe we know that many top business men in Nigeria have strategic investment partners in these countries. (you can ask hakeem bello-osagie).
to enhance acceptability, just add 'Mohammed' to your name. (Fact has it that it's the most common name in the world!)
CHINESE (you guessed right! we have massive peoplesssss in common!!!)
Speak this language, and you can be sure that you can communicate with at least 1/6 of the world's population! wow!!!
These guys have a lot of people (like us); are really using their heads well (maybe not yet like us, but we'll get there!); have a super-fast growing economy and intense demand for all kinds of services and resources especially energy and metals.
However, you need to be very careful with these ones! Their goal is to develop a car that uses 2 litres of fuel for 1 million kilomitres, therefore they can hurt us badly. But not to worry, that time won't come soon. That's why their president is falling in love with Africa, TRYING to secure their energy and metal needs for both present and future. Believe me, all you need is one good service/product. You will discover that money will roll in like kalo-kalo (classic money doubling machine)!!!
SO HERE WE GO: YOUR NEW NAMES ARE LEE + KOV + MOHAMMED = LEE-KOV MOHAMMED. THAT'S SPLENDID!!!
(FRENCH: For those of you that think that French should have been included, think again! Their president is busy divorcing his wife of so many years, running around with his girlfriend and walking out on interviewers; when others are busy looking for ways to take their economies to the next level! On second thought, it won't be a bad idea considering that you can use it to communicate with biz partners in Togo, Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Mali, Senegal....e.t.c. abi?)
RUSSIAN (we have massive natural gas reserves in common)
The spread of global wealth to emerging markets (of which Nigeria is one) is being substantiated in Moscow’s status as the world’s new billionaire centre.
With 87 super-rich people living there, it is home to more billionaires than New York. They also have a rapidly expanding middle class. Believe it or not, there’s more than enough cash to be drained from there, as long as you don't puck-nose into their political affairs, or you might end up like Kodorkovsky, the Yukos man that went from GRACE TO PRISON (not just grass).
The main driver of this super-wealth is of course their oil with new emphasis on their natural gas reserves. Guy's, I believe we know that Nigeria is certainly establishing some form of collaboration with Russia. Wouldn't be a bad idea to add the prefix 'kov' to your name after learning the language in order to enhance acceptability, (e.g. tayokov!)
ARABIC (we have fairly massive petroleum reserves in common)
Saudi Arabia has over 250 bbrls (billion barrels) of proven reserves, Iraq and Iran have more than 100 bbrls each. UAE, Quatar, Kuwait..e.t.c have about as much too . (Nigeria has less than 40 bbrls of proven reserves). Believe me, these guys have more than enough money to throw around. Their case is too much money and too little space and people to consume it, so they need you!
That explains why these countries have engaged in super-extraordinary development projects. I believe we know that many top business men in Nigeria have strategic investment partners in these countries. (you can ask hakeem bello-osagie).
to enhance acceptability, just add 'Mohammed' to your name. (Fact has it that it's the most common name in the world!)
CHINESE (you guessed right! we have massive peoplesssss in common!!!)
Speak this language, and you can be sure that you can communicate with at least 1/6 of the world's population! wow!!!
These guys have a lot of people (like us); are really using their heads well (maybe not yet like us, but we'll get there!); have a super-fast growing economy and intense demand for all kinds of services and resources especially energy and metals.
However, you need to be very careful with these ones! Their goal is to develop a car that uses 2 litres of fuel for 1 million kilomitres, therefore they can hurt us badly. But not to worry, that time won't come soon. That's why their president is falling in love with Africa, TRYING to secure their energy and metal needs for both present and future. Believe me, all you need is one good service/product. You will discover that money will roll in like kalo-kalo (classic money doubling machine)!!!
SO HERE WE GO: YOUR NEW NAMES ARE LEE + KOV + MOHAMMED = LEE-KOV MOHAMMED. THAT'S SPLENDID!!!
(FRENCH: For those of you that think that French should have been included, think again! Their president is busy divorcing his wife of so many years, running around with his girlfriend and walking out on interviewers; when others are busy looking for ways to take their economies to the next level! On second thought, it won't be a bad idea considering that you can use it to communicate with biz partners in Togo, Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Mali, Senegal....e.t.c. abi?)
Thursday, March 06, 2008
A Determined quest to conquer hydrophobia
I guess some folks might laugh at my extraordinary achievement (yeah! That’s how I see it!), but believe me, after twenty something years, I’m proud to have finally learnt how to survive in the aquatic dimension.
Though there were many opportunities when I was growing up, such as in the river near our previous house, the swimming (and fishing) pool in a neighbour’s house, the dam at the university I attended (greatest Uites!!!) and the U.I. Olympic size swimming pool, but I guess I never had sufficient drive and courage to pursue this dream all these previous years.
All along, I felt swimming was child’s play and that by merely watching athletes on T.V, I could reproduce what they did the moment I stepped into water.
My initial practice attempts at submerging my head in a drum (and sometimes a big bowl of water) earned poor results. I couldn’t fathom the possibility of opening one’s eyes underwater.
……Fast forward.
Then I got a new employer and was transferred into the Atlantic Ocean. (Really! This island called Bonny is not part of the Nigerian map we are familiar with.)
On a particular day, I went to dinner with my colleagues at the club-house and as we were leaving, I took notice of a piece of art. It was a very long canoe fitted with wooden men and women numbering several hundreds and paddling with all their strength in order to move the manual water vehicle. It seemed like they were trying to escape some imminent attack and disaster.
In attempting to unravel the inspiration behind this Davinci-like artistry, bingo! I realised it possibly was a piece of art reminiscent of those in the T.V series, Heroes.
It dawned on me that it might be some kind of prediction. I married this discovery with the violence and rampant militant attacks in the Niger-Delta and I couldn’t help, but deduce that all the passengers in the canoe were staff of my company trying to escape a severe militant attack (or something like that) in some titanic-like canoe (that’s probably hidden somewhere by management at the moment till judgement day when the mighty escape-canoe would be deployed)
In essence, this new intelligence informed my decision to QUICKLY learn aquatic skills that I ought to have acquired way back in time, but its never too late folks!
Before I could blink, I found out most of my colleagues could swim, or were already good swimmers. Wow! The die was cast and I knew this had to be my time!
Day 1: I raced to the pool and informed the life-guard that I was a newbie (just to ensure proper risk management practice; my life hasn’t got backup copies!), but in my mind, I believed I could do it on my own. First mistake: I climbed into the pool facing it (as if I was entering into a molue)
Second (painful) error: I just moved into the water and ‘started swimming’. You need not wonder what happened (I successfully drank several litres of chlorinated water and gasped efficiently). I had learned the hard way. I became as gentle as sheep and humbly asked the trainer to take me through the learning process step by step.
I had read the blog of one of colleagues who was determined and learned rather fast. With this at the back of my mind and against all odds, I determined to press forward (and still continued to drink and smoke additional litres of water) but like magic, I started to learn the techniques and my instructor was at the least, impressed.
Today, I can proudly float, hold my breath for extended periods, swim a few metres and look around underwater.
I’m certain some cynics out there are murmuring “what’s so special in that?” but me knows that’s really special.
I believe it takes a lot of determination to conquer your worst fears and press on. Like they say, courage is not the absence, but the mastery of fear. Hydrophobia of so many years has now become a thing of the past, and has been replaced by ‘hydro-friendly’.
Dear friends, old things have passed away and I’ve become a new creature that can live both on land and in water (at least for a few seconds!)
We all have things that we’ve always wanted to achieve, and though we may have ignored many opportunities in the past, there’s still hope. All we have to do is be determined, seize the next opportunity, and give it all we’ve got!
The dreams and desires of yesterday are not gone. Opportunities do not come only once in life. They keep coming everyday, just that people no longer recognise them.
Take hold of that opportunity today and move on to the next level.
All the best folks!
Though there were many opportunities when I was growing up, such as in the river near our previous house, the swimming (and fishing) pool in a neighbour’s house, the dam at the university I attended (greatest Uites!!!) and the U.I. Olympic size swimming pool, but I guess I never had sufficient drive and courage to pursue this dream all these previous years.
All along, I felt swimming was child’s play and that by merely watching athletes on T.V, I could reproduce what they did the moment I stepped into water.
My initial practice attempts at submerging my head in a drum (and sometimes a big bowl of water) earned poor results. I couldn’t fathom the possibility of opening one’s eyes underwater.
……Fast forward.
Then I got a new employer and was transferred into the Atlantic Ocean. (Really! This island called Bonny is not part of the Nigerian map we are familiar with.)
On a particular day, I went to dinner with my colleagues at the club-house and as we were leaving, I took notice of a piece of art. It was a very long canoe fitted with wooden men and women numbering several hundreds and paddling with all their strength in order to move the manual water vehicle. It seemed like they were trying to escape some imminent attack and disaster.
In attempting to unravel the inspiration behind this Davinci-like artistry, bingo! I realised it possibly was a piece of art reminiscent of those in the T.V series, Heroes.
It dawned on me that it might be some kind of prediction. I married this discovery with the violence and rampant militant attacks in the Niger-Delta and I couldn’t help, but deduce that all the passengers in the canoe were staff of my company trying to escape a severe militant attack (or something like that) in some titanic-like canoe (that’s probably hidden somewhere by management at the moment till judgement day when the mighty escape-canoe would be deployed)
In essence, this new intelligence informed my decision to QUICKLY learn aquatic skills that I ought to have acquired way back in time, but its never too late folks!
Before I could blink, I found out most of my colleagues could swim, or were already good swimmers. Wow! The die was cast and I knew this had to be my time!
Day 1: I raced to the pool and informed the life-guard that I was a newbie (just to ensure proper risk management practice; my life hasn’t got backup copies!), but in my mind, I believed I could do it on my own. First mistake: I climbed into the pool facing it (as if I was entering into a molue)
Second (painful) error: I just moved into the water and ‘started swimming’. You need not wonder what happened (I successfully drank several litres of chlorinated water and gasped efficiently). I had learned the hard way. I became as gentle as sheep and humbly asked the trainer to take me through the learning process step by step.
I had read the blog of one of colleagues who was determined and learned rather fast. With this at the back of my mind and against all odds, I determined to press forward (and still continued to drink and smoke additional litres of water) but like magic, I started to learn the techniques and my instructor was at the least, impressed.
Today, I can proudly float, hold my breath for extended periods, swim a few metres and look around underwater.
I’m certain some cynics out there are murmuring “what’s so special in that?” but me knows that’s really special.
I believe it takes a lot of determination to conquer your worst fears and press on. Like they say, courage is not the absence, but the mastery of fear. Hydrophobia of so many years has now become a thing of the past, and has been replaced by ‘hydro-friendly’.
Dear friends, old things have passed away and I’ve become a new creature that can live both on land and in water (at least for a few seconds!)
We all have things that we’ve always wanted to achieve, and though we may have ignored many opportunities in the past, there’s still hope. All we have to do is be determined, seize the next opportunity, and give it all we’ve got!
The dreams and desires of yesterday are not gone. Opportunities do not come only once in life. They keep coming everyday, just that people no longer recognise them.
Take hold of that opportunity today and move on to the next level.
All the best folks!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Prince Harry in Afghanistan! Classic Leadership / MBWA example
Tom Peters, alumnus of the management consulting firm of McKinsey & Company and one of today's best known and highest paid management gurus, first came to prominence in 1982 with his ‘knock-out’ book; In Search of Excellence. This thought-provoking classic provided us with many valuable lessons from America's Best-Run Companies.
In his first book, Peters introduced us to the key concept of MBWA (Management By Wandering Around). MBWA does not mean leaving your responsibilities behind as you stroll through the nearest shopping mall. According to him, to "wander" with customers and vendors and our own people, is to be in touch with the first vibrations of the new. Pretty self explanatory!
To illustrate: in our highly digitised natural gas processing plant where I work, we have sensors that are connected to and closely monitor all plant conditions (pressure, temperature…e.t.c) and give instant feedback to enable instant response in emergencies. (Our plants are multi-billion dollar metals that deserve world-class monitoring and protection)
A key characteristic of effective leadership is its ability to detect changes in the eco-system and execute a seamless transition program that responds appropriately.
The nexus between MBWA and Prince Harry should be quite clear now. What on earth would a Royal and possible heir to the throne (King of England) be doing in war front you might ask (and I asked too!), particularly in a country notorious for insurgency, a drug-based economy and base for international terrorism??? Harry has spent about 10 weeks there now, and seems to be enjoying the experience of rendering service to his nation.
No pun intended, but you and I would quite agree that this isn’t a frequent occurrence in Nigeria, and by extension Africa (Where so-called leaders live in fortresses, and claim to defend the plight of the poor by ruling from those same palaces).
Harry has often been portrayed as the black sheep of the family, but his recent accomplishments speak volumes. The decision of the Royal family to allow their son to pursue his dreams also deserves applaud.
I believe Leadership largely involves experiencing and possessing the ability to relate to what every other person feels. If I can’t empathize with you, and relate with you on your level, why should I qualify to lead you?
Rick Warren in his classic “purpose driven life” talks about the strategy adopted by Saddleback, His Church. He says people who have had terrible experiences in the past, but overcame them (by God’s help of course!) are commissioned to lead and coordinate ministry arms that reach out to youths and others experiencing the same pain. In essence, the fact that you experienced and overcame a particular challenge puts you in a much better position to rescue those having similar experiences.
It’s not cast in stone that you must be an ex-evil (or have had a terrible experience) to help others, but the truth is adversity fortifies and places one in better stead to help others overcome. (I guess if Christ himself had to shed eternal glory momentarily and endure unimaginable pain to save us, then any serious minded leader must be willing to identify with his constituency)
And one more example: Barack Obama – I’m not exactly a fan, but I believe his life experiences, humble beginnings and past voluntary work have significantly aided his campaign. People are naturally drawn to those they view as having the ability to understand their needs and view points. God help Hillary as the Obama Machine seems to have stockpiles of ammo and WMDs that could keep up with the annihilation.
From a business perspective, David Packard had this to say about MBWA:
In his first book, Peters introduced us to the key concept of MBWA (Management By Wandering Around). MBWA does not mean leaving your responsibilities behind as you stroll through the nearest shopping mall. According to him, to "wander" with customers and vendors and our own people, is to be in touch with the first vibrations of the new. Pretty self explanatory!
To illustrate: in our highly digitised natural gas processing plant where I work, we have sensors that are connected to and closely monitor all plant conditions (pressure, temperature…e.t.c) and give instant feedback to enable instant response in emergencies. (Our plants are multi-billion dollar metals that deserve world-class monitoring and protection)
A key characteristic of effective leadership is its ability to detect changes in the eco-system and execute a seamless transition program that responds appropriately.
The nexus between MBWA and Prince Harry should be quite clear now. What on earth would a Royal and possible heir to the throne (King of England) be doing in war front you might ask (and I asked too!), particularly in a country notorious for insurgency, a drug-based economy and base for international terrorism??? Harry has spent about 10 weeks there now, and seems to be enjoying the experience of rendering service to his nation.
No pun intended, but you and I would quite agree that this isn’t a frequent occurrence in Nigeria, and by extension Africa (Where so-called leaders live in fortresses, and claim to defend the plight of the poor by ruling from those same palaces).
Harry has often been portrayed as the black sheep of the family, but his recent accomplishments speak volumes. The decision of the Royal family to allow their son to pursue his dreams also deserves applaud.
I believe Leadership largely involves experiencing and possessing the ability to relate to what every other person feels. If I can’t empathize with you, and relate with you on your level, why should I qualify to lead you?
Rick Warren in his classic “purpose driven life” talks about the strategy adopted by Saddleback, His Church. He says people who have had terrible experiences in the past, but overcame them (by God’s help of course!) are commissioned to lead and coordinate ministry arms that reach out to youths and others experiencing the same pain. In essence, the fact that you experienced and overcame a particular challenge puts you in a much better position to rescue those having similar experiences.
It’s not cast in stone that you must be an ex-evil (or have had a terrible experience) to help others, but the truth is adversity fortifies and places one in better stead to help others overcome. (I guess if Christ himself had to shed eternal glory momentarily and endure unimaginable pain to save us, then any serious minded leader must be willing to identify with his constituency)
And one more example: Barack Obama – I’m not exactly a fan, but I believe his life experiences, humble beginnings and past voluntary work have significantly aided his campaign. People are naturally drawn to those they view as having the ability to understand their needs and view points. God help Hillary as the Obama Machine seems to have stockpiles of ammo and WMDs that could keep up with the annihilation.
From a business perspective, David Packard had this to say about MBWA:
Straightforward as it sounds, there are some subtleties and requirements that go with MBWA...if it's done reluctantly or infrequently, it just won't work. It needs to be frequent, friendly, unfocused, and unscheduled—but far from pointless.
Here are some tips on how to practice MBWA:
- Include affected employees / team members in goal setting.
- Give frequent and meaningful recognition for a job well done.
- Interact with employees on an informal basis.
- Go to staff's work area. Meet them on their own turf.
- Ask for staff's opinions and listen with an open mind.
- Share non-confidential information with staff.
- Offset demoralizing actions and events by emphasizing what went well
- Listen 80% of the time and talk 20%.
MBWA works best when you are genuinely interested in people / employees and in their work and when they see you as being there to listen.
Time to add some credentials to our names folks! Check this out:
Adetayo Bamiduro, MBWA (Pretty cool! or what do you think???)
Monday, February 25, 2008
Business Minds; the criticality of relevant, optimistic and intelligent thinking
Business Minds; that’s the label of one of the most instigating books I’ve read about conducting business in the 21st century. This unique material is a profound compilation of thoughts and view-points of renowned entrepreneurs, professors and leading consultants globally. (I strongly recommend you get this text)
I extracted a few landmark pronouncements by some of these thought leaders and put them here (though some are paraphrased)
• Warren Bennis: intellectual capital (know-how, skills and innovation) has supplanted capital (traditional resource-based assets) as the critical success factor….
• Peter Cohan: the few firms that persist and ultimately achieve integrated transactions (ERP/ERM and enterprise-wide intelligence) are likely to enjoy a sustainable advantage over those that give up.
• Arie de Gaus: long lived organizations were sensitive to their environment, cohesive with a strong sense of identity, tolerant and financially conservative. What you find out today is that the wisdom of the past has largely been reengineered away rather than appreciated and intelligently referenced.
• Peter Drucker: today, you have to be a partner, not a boss! It’s a democratic relationship.
• Daniel Goleman (The EQ Master): all effective leaders learn to manage their emotions, especially anger, anxiety and sadness. Pontificating and hypothesis, rather than hard data have been the currency of many leadership theorists.
Referencing data from The Hay Group on over 300 executives showed 6 separate leadership styles in use by business executives. They are:
• Coercive: usually demand immediate compliance with procedures
• Authoritative: mobilise people towards a compelling vision
• Affiliating: create emotional bonds in the workplace
• Democratic: aim to build consensus
• Pacesetting: expect excellence all the way
• Coaching: develop people for the future
Leaders who have mastered 4 or more of these styles especially the authoritative, democratic, affiliating and coaching strategies have been shown to have the best climate and business performance. (Seems like a bit of everything is important for success)
Leadership however certainly requires a balanced mix of pragmatism and mental agility.
Another sharp business mind, Dr. Oren Harari in the field of strategy quite accurately remarked that a truly competitive business strategy is:
Coherent: i.e. clear and makes sense to all parties
Deliverable: i.e. execution. It’s practical and can be carried out
Ever evolving: i.e. not rigid. It’s flexible and responds appropriately to internal and external changes in its business eco-system.
After studying the field of competition for a long time, he discovered that:
• Winners do strategy on the run. (i.e. adaptability, responsiveness and flexibility)
• Intangibles are more important than tangibles (brains are more than bricks)
• It’s got to be fun. Strategy should involve informality, humour, celebration and shenanigans at work. After all, we’re humans.
These next two statements I have kept at heart, as they have proven invaluable in every type of business I’ve engaged in.
Companies that catapult over conventional wisdom in order to carve out new value propositions or create new markets are the ones that create sustained competitive advantage.
In business, don’t try to make people share your values, find those who already do!
The following have been identified as major pitfalls to growth in businesses, particularly for the big and global ones. The companies in braces have been negatively impacted at one time or the other by these identified pitfalls:
Lack of a clear mission (ITT)
Underestimating your core business (Medtronic)
Depending on a single product line (Cisco)
Failure to recognise technology and market changes (Compaq)
Changing strategy without changing culture (GM)
Going outside your core-competence (Xerox and IBM)
Counting on acquisitions for growth (WorldCom and Sprint $160b merger)
Our very own business mind, Fela Durotoye (CEO, VIP Consulting) addressed some fundamental business and related issues at a meeting we had in his house.
In Fela’s words:
Your talent and the business of your talent are different things.
You need to get into the business of meeting needs, not pushing products on people.
Consulting (selling information, expertise and know-how) has proven to be the easiest way to start a business in an industry where you could eventually end up becoming a major player.
A great way to connect to people and potential clients and customers is to say and do things that make them appreciate you, and in essence say ‘thank you’.
Learn to do things to perfection, blast your tasks to pieces!
He had this to say about weaknesses. Well, we all have them, or don’t you?
Your weaknesses will not limit you until you refuse to acknowledge, respect, restrict and submit them into the hands of someone who can manage them for you.
Finally, he had these to say about attaining leadership:
• Right Intention: constitutes the justification and bias for undertaking any tasks.
• Excellence: You ought to build the reputation of being the best at something (especially in a highly specialised area i.e. finding a niche). Many times, it’s easier to make impact as a small growing company. Though you may not boast of size, you could certainly emphasize growth rates.
• Celebrate Milestones: Your little achievements count and you should learn to tell success stories regularly to your staff and team members.
• Expertise: Realise that passion is not a substitute for knowledge, wisdom (strategy), understanding (underlying principles), expertise, genius and skill
Remember that you are the custodian of your own future. Birthing and actualising a desired future requires breaking free of controlling forces, and believe me, these forces are every where, even in the most subtle and unexpected of forms and places. This concept of controlling forces constitutes a subject on its own. Robert Liardon wrote a whole book on this. He was very candid, performed some root-cause diagnostic and approached it from a more fundamental (and Spiritual) perspective.
Many highly talented folks have been held back from venturing into the wild and attaining their full potential largely because of the demands (i.e. shackles and restraints) placed on them by loved ones to live up to certain expectations. It requires appreciable strength, determination, awareness of the bigger picture, and many times divine enablement to break free from the myriad of psychological, physiological, cultural, emotional and sometimes unexplainable impediments that attempt to inhibit the process of harnessing our potential and maximising everyday opportunities.
Nevertheless, we have a choice to escape from gravity and ascend into an unthreaded stratosphere of possibilities.
Have a good week folks!
I extracted a few landmark pronouncements by some of these thought leaders and put them here (though some are paraphrased)
• Warren Bennis: intellectual capital (know-how, skills and innovation) has supplanted capital (traditional resource-based assets) as the critical success factor….
• Peter Cohan: the few firms that persist and ultimately achieve integrated transactions (ERP/ERM and enterprise-wide intelligence) are likely to enjoy a sustainable advantage over those that give up.
• Arie de Gaus: long lived organizations were sensitive to their environment, cohesive with a strong sense of identity, tolerant and financially conservative. What you find out today is that the wisdom of the past has largely been reengineered away rather than appreciated and intelligently referenced.
• Peter Drucker: today, you have to be a partner, not a boss! It’s a democratic relationship.
• Daniel Goleman (The EQ Master): all effective leaders learn to manage their emotions, especially anger, anxiety and sadness. Pontificating and hypothesis, rather than hard data have been the currency of many leadership theorists.
Referencing data from The Hay Group on over 300 executives showed 6 separate leadership styles in use by business executives. They are:
• Coercive: usually demand immediate compliance with procedures
• Authoritative: mobilise people towards a compelling vision
• Affiliating: create emotional bonds in the workplace
• Democratic: aim to build consensus
• Pacesetting: expect excellence all the way
• Coaching: develop people for the future
Leaders who have mastered 4 or more of these styles especially the authoritative, democratic, affiliating and coaching strategies have been shown to have the best climate and business performance. (Seems like a bit of everything is important for success)
Leadership however certainly requires a balanced mix of pragmatism and mental agility.
Another sharp business mind, Dr. Oren Harari in the field of strategy quite accurately remarked that a truly competitive business strategy is:
Coherent: i.e. clear and makes sense to all parties
Deliverable: i.e. execution. It’s practical and can be carried out
Ever evolving: i.e. not rigid. It’s flexible and responds appropriately to internal and external changes in its business eco-system.
After studying the field of competition for a long time, he discovered that:
• Winners do strategy on the run. (i.e. adaptability, responsiveness and flexibility)
• Intangibles are more important than tangibles (brains are more than bricks)
• It’s got to be fun. Strategy should involve informality, humour, celebration and shenanigans at work. After all, we’re humans.
These next two statements I have kept at heart, as they have proven invaluable in every type of business I’ve engaged in.
Companies that catapult over conventional wisdom in order to carve out new value propositions or create new markets are the ones that create sustained competitive advantage.
In business, don’t try to make people share your values, find those who already do!
The following have been identified as major pitfalls to growth in businesses, particularly for the big and global ones. The companies in braces have been negatively impacted at one time or the other by these identified pitfalls:
Lack of a clear mission (ITT)
Underestimating your core business (Medtronic)
Depending on a single product line (Cisco)
Failure to recognise technology and market changes (Compaq)
Changing strategy without changing culture (GM)
Going outside your core-competence (Xerox and IBM)
Counting on acquisitions for growth (WorldCom and Sprint $160b merger)
Our very own business mind, Fela Durotoye (CEO, VIP Consulting) addressed some fundamental business and related issues at a meeting we had in his house.
In Fela’s words:
Your talent and the business of your talent are different things.
You need to get into the business of meeting needs, not pushing products on people.
Consulting (selling information, expertise and know-how) has proven to be the easiest way to start a business in an industry where you could eventually end up becoming a major player.
A great way to connect to people and potential clients and customers is to say and do things that make them appreciate you, and in essence say ‘thank you’.
Learn to do things to perfection, blast your tasks to pieces!
He had this to say about weaknesses. Well, we all have them, or don’t you?
Your weaknesses will not limit you until you refuse to acknowledge, respect, restrict and submit them into the hands of someone who can manage them for you.
Finally, he had these to say about attaining leadership:
• Right Intention: constitutes the justification and bias for undertaking any tasks.
• Excellence: You ought to build the reputation of being the best at something (especially in a highly specialised area i.e. finding a niche). Many times, it’s easier to make impact as a small growing company. Though you may not boast of size, you could certainly emphasize growth rates.
• Celebrate Milestones: Your little achievements count and you should learn to tell success stories regularly to your staff and team members.
• Expertise: Realise that passion is not a substitute for knowledge, wisdom (strategy), understanding (underlying principles), expertise, genius and skill
Remember that you are the custodian of your own future. Birthing and actualising a desired future requires breaking free of controlling forces, and believe me, these forces are every where, even in the most subtle and unexpected of forms and places. This concept of controlling forces constitutes a subject on its own. Robert Liardon wrote a whole book on this. He was very candid, performed some root-cause diagnostic and approached it from a more fundamental (and Spiritual) perspective.
Many highly talented folks have been held back from venturing into the wild and attaining their full potential largely because of the demands (i.e. shackles and restraints) placed on them by loved ones to live up to certain expectations. It requires appreciable strength, determination, awareness of the bigger picture, and many times divine enablement to break free from the myriad of psychological, physiological, cultural, emotional and sometimes unexplainable impediments that attempt to inhibit the process of harnessing our potential and maximising everyday opportunities.
Nevertheless, we have a choice to escape from gravity and ascend into an unthreaded stratosphere of possibilities.
Have a good week folks!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)