Posts in category: Leaders Connect

If you are a good leader, you can’t afford to be unstable, easily tossed and turned by every wave of what people say or do. You’ve got to be able to find your own drive. Many people will say a lot of things and do a lot of things, and if you’re not rooted you’d be destabilised.

Your followers will probably be of different race, age, family backgrounds and values, mindsets, political affiliations, religious beliefs, academic/educational status, gender, culture, tribe with their own human imperfections. You need the stamina to be able to contain and manage all these. And this stamina can only come from a place of an organized internal cognition that only you have the real ability to define yourself. Beyond knowing, you are deeply convinced of everything good that you are.

Ginni Rometty says, she thinks of herself as a steward of a great institution. Emphasis on “think of herself”. She is convinced beyond all measures and doubts, after thorough introspection, that she is a steward of a great institution. She said that it’s imperative that a leader never let anyone define them. She didn’t say people won’t try to, of course, they will. They will try to define you, and control you, or make you get ideas about yourself that isn’t the truth. But you must not let all those get into you or define you.

Find your stance, and hold on tight to it!

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.

Many university graduates attest to experiencing post-graduation depression. Post-graduation depression is the terrible feeling graduates experience when things aren’t working after graduation the way they pictured or expected.

It’s not fair to undermine this feeling, but it’s still important to say that some of them had the wrong picture of life after school. They think that a college degree is the only challenge they have to face. They think once they graduate, everything is going to be rosy, but only to graduate and find out that they haven’t even started. They face lots of challenges they aren’t even prepared for.

Nelson Mandela said after climbing one hill, one only finds out that there are more hills to climb. Couldn’t have been better said!

Success is more of a journey. We go from one phase to another. The knowledge of this is imperative for two reasons :

First, to be prepared. Whatever stage you’re in right now, and there’s another level you’re aspiring to, know that it’s not the end. Whether you want to get married, or have kids, host a conference or a world summit, or earn seven digits, know that it’s not the end. When you accomplish this you’ll be faced with the next level. And if you’re not prepared it could lead to a mental health dip.

Another reason this is important is so that you’ll learn to find happiness along the way. Don’t postpone your happiness. So enjoy the process of climbing each hill. Make progress and memory along the way. Don’t say when you get married you’ll be happy, or when you get that 8 digits job, you will be fine. Find happiness along the way. Mandela said you’ll find out there are more hills at the end of one, so enjoy the climb!.

Dr. Sandra C. Duru

Keep pressing on and even at your weakest moments, don’t ever have the thought of giving up or giving in.

Don’t ever lose focus or entertain any form of fear or discouragement in the midst of your troubles or trial moments. That’s not the time to complain or stay feeling sorry for yourself, just keep pressing on, and no time to throw pity parties.

When you feel like you want to give up, remember that the future or life rewards only those who fight back smartly, strongly, doggedly, strategically, intelligently and fearlessly. When you have this honest reality in mind, newness can come over you and your inner strength will be renewed to conquer. Something inside you won’t allow you to give up. You are not a quitter, don’t give up. Life is the survival of the fittest and you deserve to be counted among the unique survivors.

If Barrack Obama made it, you can make it. Connect to your impactful and exceptional leaders who against all odds are successful.

Press On.

Dr. Sandra C. Duru