Posts in category: Leaders Connect

There is a massive power in the mind and in thoughts. Your mind is the invisible starting point for any kind of tangible achievement. The world’s best inventions today started with a thought. That Tesla, that microwave, that cruise ship, existed in the mind of the inventor before it became something tangible that everyone can see.

Napoleon Hill in one of his quotes said whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve. Conception precedes faith, as you cannot believe in what does not exist in your mind.

The bridge that connects achieving and achieving is believing. How? Your faith propels you to act, makes you proactive. Your faith in that idea is what makes you not give up even when no one is cheering you on. Your faith serves as strength to swim against the tides, despite all odds! You must believe in what your mind has conceived.

A lot of times, many people try to jump the believe part, thinking they could go from conceiving to achieving. They have this big idea but do nothing about it. Where is the faith? Where is the action? Faced a challenge halfway? You do not give up! This is the evidence of your faith.

So it all begins with the mind. This is why you must protect and invest in your mind. Even the greatest of ideas can be aborted when the mind is saturated with the wrong information. Fear creeps in, weakening the desire to keep going, and consequentially tampering with the flow of efforts.

Your mind is powerful, that’s where ideas come from, and that’s where your faith lies.

People want different things out of life Some want to explore everything there is to be explored, making memories of the several exciting voyages and adventures they venture into. While some want a quiet, small but contented life. Whichever your decision is, the most important element that should not be missing is impact.

Woodrow Wilson established this when he said; you are not here merely to make a living. You are here to make the world live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of achievement. You should make the most out of life. Desire to do more than merely living. No matter how small, help the world live better.

It’s important to know that without vision and a spirit of achievement, you cannot do this. Vision will help you take deliberate conscious efforts to impact. You’d think beyond yourself when taking decisions and planning, and the spirit of achievement will help make you set goals and actively work towards getting them accomplished.

Woodrow Wilson said, “You are here to enrich the world and you improverish yourself if you forget the errand. You have so much value in you, let it out. You reduce your own quality when you live a life short of impact, when you forget the errand of enriching the lives of people and making the world live more amply.

So do more, be more because you’re made for so much more.

The current state of an individual, group of people or an organization is essentially a reflection of the past decisions made, and how the outcomes of these decisions were handled. Regardless of your position or role in life, you will be faced with times when you’ll have to take tough decisions.
Most times, the burden is usually heavier when you realize the weight of the decisions and the impact of their outcomes. It is imperative that during these times you do not lose your composure as that could make you take the wrong step or even make the wrong decision.

Theodore Roosevelt in his quote said that in any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing. This is a great template. Theodore’s quote does not encourage making wrong decisions, he encourages calculated risks, in-depth research that will influence taking quality decisions. He, however, in the same quote encourages being bold enough to not let the fear of wrong decision stop you as it is the next best decision you can make after the right one.

Why? You get to learn, you become stronger, tougher. You see things from a different perspective.
The worst thing to do is nothing. What if it works? What If it doesn’t? All these you never get to find out until you make a decision.
Don’t let fear stop you.

Outsourcing, for a very smart person, can be a real struggle. Knowing you can’t do it all yourself, you have to outsource. You really don’t have to break your back trying to get everything done yourself. With outsourcing, you can get more jobs done at almost the same efficiency level. The challenges with outsourcing has been summarized in Theodore Roosevelt’s quote

He said, “The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what has to be done, and self-restraint enough to not meddle. So, two things; pick the best people and don’t meddle.

Picking the best people to get a job done is as important as the job itself. You can’t do it all, but when you pick the wrong people the workload becomes more because the cost of redoing a job badly done is usually on the high side. So make your selection criterion very thorough. People who will do the job as good as you would or even better.

You must also be careful. Most executives have an obsession for perfection, hence they cannot let people do their jobs. You did the selection, right? So trust yourself that you picked the right people. Don’t check in all the time, correcting them every moment and basically suffocating their workspace, and affecting their overall productivity and performance. Do your job and let them do theirs.
With this, more results will definitely be generated

Leadership is a lot. It’s more about the other people, your followers or the people that work under you. Being a leader means, although you don’t have your life figured out, you’re stable enough to shoulder the responsibility of not just one person, but two-three or more.

This is why as a leader you cannot be struggling with validation. You cannot be seeking approval from others to feel like you’re good enough. You cannot be the one who lets the things other people say be the basis of your self-worth.
This is because as a leader, it is you who will boost the esteem of your followers and constantly put them, to the best of your effort in the right frame of mind for the job.

Sam Walton is an American businessman and the owner of the popular Wal-Mart Inc, and he says that outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. You keep reminding them how much they can accomplish. Remind them that they’re capable. You don’t talk down on your staff because you need to massage your ego and feel good, because you have a sense of self-worth that is internal and not based on what other people say or feel.

So yes, you’re a leader and you must encourage your personnel and be there for them.

If you would make a list of the world’s problems now, the coronavirus pandemic would be the first. Then, we have religious problems still causing disunity among humans. Then there are terminal diseases, poverty, mental sicknesses, mourning, and grief because people lose their loved ones every day. There’s heartbreak, friends, family, and lovers betraying each other, government bodies using the lives of the people to play politics, nature degenerating, and so many problems.

Then there’s you, probably struggling with grades, finances, health, kids and still trying to make someone else’s life better. It’s a lot, but one cannot face this life without some sort of inner strength.

As Michelle Obama said, you may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world’s problems. This is true. The world is large with a lot of problems and pressures. But you’re not lost in it. You can find yourself. You are important, despite all of these. You may not be able to solve it all at once but you can make a difference.

Michelle Obama also said that you should never underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown that courage can be contagious. You can make a change. You can live such a selfless inspiring life that many can emulate. You can make a difference in a life, that life can make a difference in another’s life, and the chain goes on, because of you.

Be confident.

It’s very important to be very diligent in carrying out the responsibilities of the jobs assigned to us or the job we have accepted to do. Every good leader is a servant, a teacher and a very good team leader who should keep his or her ego away from the job to be done. Yet, one should not forget to balance his or her ego strength to achieve excellent results in his or her job.

Every assignment or job comes with unique challenges, styles of execution and you need to have an open mind to expect some difficulties as you progress through the next level or phase. When you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them, but bend them with gentleness, application of wisdom, calmness, smartness, and effective time management skills at this point is very important. With gentleness, kindness and humour, you cannot go far wrong, you will be able to iterate to doing right when you identify a wrong and when faced with difficult times, difficult team members in doing your job.

Like Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala said, “When it comes to doing my job, i keep my ego in my handbag.” Ego can’t get the job done, but your skills, competence, humility and experience will get it done. Though, ego strength is very important.

Ego strength helps us maintain emotional stability and cope with internal and external stress in carrying out our job responsibilities and in our COEXISTENCE with others.

When it comes to mental well-being, ego strength is often used to describe an individual’s ability to maintain their identity and sense of self in the face of pain, distress, and conflict.

Exceptional Women leaders are great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate, and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand, accept and utilize.

Just like Michelle Bachelet said, “When women are empowered and can claim their rights and access to land, leadership, quality education, opportunities and choices, economies grow, food security is enhanced and prospects are improved for current and future generations.”

Throughout history, the central role of women in the society has ensured the stability, progress, and long-term development of nations. Globally, women comprise 43 percent of the world’s agricultural labor force – rising to 70 percent in some countries. For instance, across Africa, 80 percent of the agricultural production comes from small farmers, most of whom are rural women. It’s widely accepted that agriculture can be the engine of growth and poverty reduction in developing nations. Women, notably mothers, play the largest role in decision-making about family meal planning and diet. And, women self-report more often their initiative in preserving child health and nutrition.

Women also play a very big role as Caretakers. Women are the primary caretakers of children and elders in every country of the world. International studies demonstrate that when the economy and political organization of a society change, women take the lead in helping the family adjust to new realities and challenges. They are likely to be the prime initiator of outside assistance and play an important role in facilitating (or hindering) changes in family life.

“Rural women play a key role in supporting their households and communities in achieving food and nutrition security, generating income, and improving rural livelihoods and overall well-being.”
– UN Women watch Organization

Women also play a very important role as educators. The contribution of women to a society’s transition from pre-literate to literate likewise is undeniable. Basic education is key to a nation’s ability to develop and achieve sustainability targets. Research has shown that education can improve agricultural productivity, enhance the status of girls and women, reduce population growth rates through sexuality, reproductive health, and rights education, enhance environmental protection, and widely raise the standard of living. It is the mother in the family who most often urges children of both genders to attend – and stay – in school. The role of women is at the front end of the chain of improvements leading to the family’s, the community’s long-term capacity. Many successful leaders were raised by strong women.

The role of women in the workforce cannot be overlooked. Today, the median female share of the global workforce is 45.4 percent. Women’s formal and informal labor can transform a community from a relatively autonomous society to a participant in the national economy. Despite significant obstacles, women’s small businesses in rural developing communities not only can be an extended family’s lifeline but can form a networked economic foundation for future generations. The role of women in the urban and rural workforce has expanded exponentially in recent decades.

We sincerely thank the global volunteer organization for their research work and contribution to better the lives of girls and women around the world.

Are you a young woman who has great dreams and goals to become very successful in life but you find yourself in a very difficult situation or you live in a place where you feel like there’s no hope for you to achieve greatness? This is a VOICE OF NATURE for you to know that there’s hope and help is on the way. Wenetly Leaders Connect are working tirelessly with TUFF Young Visionaries YoVi to help you live your purpose and make your dream come true.

If Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, the DG, World Trade Organization, Madam Kamala Harris, the Vice President of the United States of America and so many other women who have been through so many challenges of life and against all odds are successful today, listen to the voice of nature and don’t ever think of giving up. Press on, keep moving forward.

“Nobody is perfect ” however cliché this sounds, it’s the bedrock of progress. The moment you start to think and believe you’ve got it all right, and you don’t need to get better, you start to regress. Success and perfection are more of a journey than a destination. The progress, the details, the advancement all counts.

However, whatever solution you’re offering, be it product or services, it’s not for yourself. It’s for people, others. So to get the best information on what is needed to get better, you ask the people. They’re the ones receiving your solutions.

One of the most influential men on earth currently, Elon Musk affirmed that it is very important to have a feedback loop, where you’re constantly thinking about how you can do better. Of course, it’s good to be confident in yourself, but you cannot know it all. How will you know where, and where to make relevant changes if you don’t get feedback? Unless you’re not interested in making progress.

So create that loop for feedback and let it be very active. Feedback from your employees and people using your solution.
Remember, never come to the point where you think you don’t need to know how to get better. Does this mean you should beat yourself up that you aren’t doing enough? No. Celebrate your wins, but know that it can get better.

What you’re doing may be good, but it can get better. And what you need to know to get better can be gotten by creating a feedback loop

Dr. Sandra C. Duru

There was a time television and electrical gadgets were referred to as demonic by some people. But look at the millions of people who now use it?

In Nigeria, there is a high record of maternity death for several reasons. Currently, there are still certain people who don’t receive blood transfusions or agree to a cesarean section, for some traditional or religious reasons. This is a setback for any country. It is imperative that every leader try to educate its citizens for growth and development.

The responsibility of managing the country’s resources falls on the leaders, but lasting growth can only come from educating the citizens.

According to Nelson Mandela, no country can really develop unless its citizens are truly educated. This is true. The government can set up laws, but when the citizens are ignorant there will be a regression. The citizens need to be educated on why they should pay tax because the money generated is used to progress the economy and bring infrastructural development to the communities. They need to be educated on why they should embrace mechanized farming. Mechanized farming increases the production capacity of any agricultural setup, increasing the sales, income and consequentially progressing the economy; thereby reducing poverty and hunger.

The government alone cannot make inventions. The citizens need to be educated, so there can be new inventions and even better ways to use tech, increasing the number of digital solutions we have.

As important that citizens are educated about everything because only then can a country experience true progress, and growth. The people need to have Knowledge that gives Power and power brings and transforms Knowledge and Power into Wealth.

Dr. Sandra C. Duru