Bring leadership to table

Dear friend, it is important to know that in business, family and society everything rise and fall on the leader. In all of my business relationships, business observations, business related readings I have observed that the productivity of venture is proportional to the leaders’ personal productivity. Good performance in business does not go beyond the leader’s capability. Where the leader is blind to what matters the company suffers for it. Without qualitative leadership, business cannot render qualitative services. We are in a time that things change so fast but many business, which were profitable many years ago suddenly, lost relevance in the market because of slow responses to change. The environment is changing very fast but many business leaders are not changing at the same rate.

When industry trend change is moving at a speed that can be equate to 100change per hour and a company CEO in the same industry is leading the company change trend at about 15change per hour then it is inevitable that this company close shop or the CEO lose his job. It is important for a CEO to improve on leadership capability consistently, remain relevant in order for business to sustain relevance in the market. Leadership is an art and a privilege. For startup CEO, when you pitch for investors fund in such a way that they gave funds for the venture it means you have just influenced them and that is a trusted privilege given you. When a group of people who invested many years in university education or learning skills decided to accept your offer of employment to help you achieve your business dream faithfully they simply trusted you with their lives.

In addition, when customers walk into a shop and pick your product it means they are influence by your advertorial and it is a trusted privilege. Leadership is a trusted privilege and not a right. Leadership is an attitude that appreciates people and their gifts. The belief that people are valuable is the spirit of leadership. In any venture where spirit of leadership is scarce, there is a very high turnover of workers and irreconcilable crises. True leadership comes down to two personal leadership principles. The two personal leadership principles are “principles of personal manifestation” and “principle of movement”. In business, who you are is self-discovery and how you think is attitude. Many of the world most admired business leaders who have created great values place emphasis on attitude and not aptitude.

Attitude is about the belief and aptitude is about the education. This is the reasons that many biggest corporations such as Apple computer in USA, Daystar Christian centre in Nigeria, Google Inc. in USA, Virgin business in United Kingdom are either started and built by people without university degree or didn’t attend recognise schools. All leaders of these organisations mentioned are recognise for great attitude towards people who work with them. They have a strong belief about an idea and value for people who support to work on those ideas. Personal Leadership consists of two principles as I stated earlier and they are “Principle of personal manifestation” and “Principle of movement”.

The Principle of “Personal Manifestation” What do I mean by personal manifestation? It simply means self-discovery. Leadership is discovering and appreciating the gifts in you, your talent and dreams. This is personal manifestation. What does it mean to appreciate your business dream or gifts? Appreciation simply means placing value on something. In the same attitude, self-manifestation is placing values on yourself, and business dreams to the point it appreciates. It is how important you perceive, receive, and accept your talent or gift from God for the benefits of humanity. You have not accepted a gift until you appreciate it.

The same way that you may have dream for the enterprise but if you will not engage yourself, to live it, it will be lost. Why will it be lost? It is because you do not appreciate it. The second is “Principle of Movement” Leaders are movers and shakers. The principle of movement is about moving from the present to the future. Every entrepreneur must be able to see the future inside the present business and continue to move towards it every time. It is about moving from the place you are to where you have not been except in your mind. Leaders do not maintain things but expand things. The former American President, JF Kennedy, has been to the moon in his mind before he moved the scientists, engineers, and astronauts there. He refused to maintain status quo because he saw what is possible with Americans capability beyond the present.

Your managers are free to do business services maintenance but leaders move everybody to a possible future. What possible future do you see for that startup? Move everybody in that direction through your daily communication, training, and personal action. It may look challenging and long time but it is possible. Leaders challenge the tradition and always break the existing record. They break tradition and create new barrier that is to be broken by another leader. Leaders disturbed tradition. Dear entrepreneur, my understanding is that the better the business leaders in any city the more prosperous is the government, the people and the economy. You are very important to this generation and I believe that you will fulfill your purpose. Be courageous to lead and expand your services.