Monday, December 31, 2007

My Only Regret....20007

Let everything that have breath praise the lord says the psalmist. 2007 was a very outstanding year for me. infact i can say its the best year so far. i changed jobs like 3 times! i made financial progress! relationships were consolidated and goals were achieved.

My Only Regret however is that i did not set bigger goals.......

In 2008 i will be more consistent with my blogging at least once a week.

I will be on air twice a week on radio. Gold Fm 5:55am Mondays and Wednesdays

I will be in touch with the people that matter in my life.

I will cultivate deeper relationships with people. I will be proactive about helping others.

I will also develop stronger spiritual values

and practice my faith

Lastly i will be more understanding of others....so help me God

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Nigeria - Prophecy Vs Invention

I have always believed that there is nothing so bad about 3rd world. The world hasn’t stopped, so the fact that we are third world, simply implies that when the positions were scored, we were third. There is nothing wrong with that. He who is third today has the benefit of learning from the 1st and the 2nd. If the 1st runs into a ditch, the second will avoid the ditch and so will the 3rd. If the second runs into a ditch, the 3rd still has a 3rd chance. It means also that the opportunities we have to get back up after we have screwed up is more. Can someone say to someone - “there is nothing bad with being ranked as 3rd world”.
However, there is something wrong with staying 3rd world, and heading in the wrong direction. It means for as long as life exists, we would never be anything better than 3rd world. The question that ought to bother us as a nation and as individuals, is where is our nation heading. I will not worry about the details of the speed, or the stretch of our movement if direction is uncertain. It is only a fanatic that doubles speed when direction is unsure. I am a student of prophecy and by extension a son of the tribe of Issachar, I am also a student of creativity, and believe that where the future prophesied future seems bleak, another can b
e invented.
Here are some key indexes for determining the future of our nation and easy fixes for ensuring we invent the one we desire.
1. Individual Vs National Development: When the MD of General Motors became a Minister in America, he was asked an integrity question. He was asked if he could endorse good policies that would adversely affect General Motors in any way. He responded, that while he would seek to uphold the good of the American people above that of his company, he doubts seriously that there will ever be any good policy that will affect GM negatively. He said that all the while he was MD, he had always ensured that whatever he was doing was not only good for GM but good for America. Hear this loud and clear. Until the decisions of individuals in Nigeria both in public, private and in no office starts to consider the good of the Nation, Nigeria will never be great. Until individual progress can be connected with National progress, there will be no National progress. Where are we facing in these regards? The wrong direction. Today, people can rise to the top of the economic food chain without having a thought about National development. Where does that kind of direction lead to? Extremely rich and extremely poor, no middle class, dying nation.
2. Dependence Vs Interdependence: One of the key elements sinking America today, is that America has developed itself into a nation of dependents. There are too many people depending on the government for social security and retirement settlement. America has developed an entitlement generation, people who believe that they are entitled to what does not exist. The entire social security and retirement benefit system is a huge ponzi scheme, and the populace does not even understand what lies head or what a ponzi scheme is. The Nigerian is fast brining itself out of a situation where all federal government workers believe that the government will take care of them till they die, the structures of pensions and gratuities is quickly being repositioned to what makes sense even in the private sector. While this is happening gradually, many still do not understand fully, that their lives now lie in their hand, not only in pension allocation, but generally. The government is not responsible for Nigeria - Old Nigeria or New Nigeria. We are not entitled to what we had in the 1960s and 70s where we were running systems that have begun to fail globally. If Nigeria will ever be better or change, it’s going to be by the effort of the individuals. No matter how good the government is, no matter how leader the leader, we will never be entitled to what we don’t take conscious ownership of. Just like your personal financial intelligence guarantees your future, so does you personal national input guarantee your future in the New Nigeria. We need to be a nation of volunteers, of people who ask not what their country can do for them, but ask what they can do for their country.
3. Producer Vs Consumer: The Jones’ make a monthly salary of N100,000 but have a monthly budget of N250,000! What do you think will happen to the Jones’? If you said, go bankrupt, get into slave trade, become beggars or become extinct you are not far from the truth. They will end up somewhere within that matrix, depending on how many years after. As a nation, we are no different from the Jones’. We are consuming more than we are producing. Or rather, we are consuming… because I struggle to remember what we are producing. What type of encouragement do we need to patronize our own local businesses? What encouragement do we need to wear made in Nigeria clothes? What motivation do we need to buy our products? Do we first need to run aground and be back down before we look up? The direction that consumes more than it produces ends up extinct.
4. Money Making Vs Value Creation: Who are the richest people in Nigeria? That might be a difficult one, I think a better question is who are the billionaires in Nigeria? What work are they doing, and what value can the average poor man boldly claim to derive from them? Are they into Financial Services? What value are they adding to the economy? Are they funding SME’s or are they collaborating to fund non Nigerian companies? Are they financing the real sector, or are they trading stocks… or monkeys? Are they oil barons or are they in the oil and gas sector? Are they drilling oil and adding value to it and to the populace, or are they selling raw materials, buying finished products and selling us more of what we should need less of? Are our rich men creating value? But I thought money making was a function of value creation, how wrong was I. It is possible to make money without creating value, it’s called bad money. I understand from history as well, that when bad money shows up, good money goes into hiding. If we promote and encourage money making without addition of visible value, the voice of value adding initiatives will be suppressed.
The direction we face as a nation is clear. It’s the direction different from the one we should be facing. We should stop blaming the government, it’s not the government’s fault. It is all our fault. The government has too long been the destination of bastard blames, leave the government alone. We are overrating the importance and power of politicians, they are vital, but can’t do it alone. If you have anything to offer Nigeria, make it known. In the days of God’s power, there shall be volunteers.

written by deolu akinyemi
www.deoluakinyemi.com

Friday, November 30, 2007

A Different Picture.....A Different Result

Occasionally do you have the reason to pause and ponder over life is all about? Personally I do. I am also persuaded that this is a legitimate question. It’s interesting to note that how you see life is the basis by which you will base your judgments, actions and decisions. This is what determines whether you are materialistic or not. What you have attachment to and to what extent.
For instance, what is your view on money? What can you do to acquire it? How are you willing to share or distribute it? To what purpose are you willing to put it to use. Do you want to spend it now or later? You need to appreciate how influential your perspective on life can be. It is not just limited to your relationship with money, but also with people, positions, opportunities etc. This is also referred to has your value system.

Values are what we stand for. They are grounds on which you cannot compromise. Values do not change no matter how you vary the quantity of money. People with values are the ones that will make a difference in the new Nigeria. A people who know what they stand for. A people who don’t have a price. A people who cannot be purchased. Values are the DNA, the fabrics of which the society is made. As a people we have great values like, integrity, uprightness, honesty, hard work, diligence. Our word is our bond. This is our honor.

It may shock you to know that perpetuators of wickedness and corruption are in the minority. They are few but noisy and loud. They have painted us red abroad but their time is up. How do I know? You represent the truth and you will stand up for it. At your place of work you will follow due process. You will not take bribes or shortcuts. No more examination malpractices. Yes that’s the new you and new Nigeria. Nigeria will change when you make your own little contributions. Nigeria will be different when you are different. By the year 2025 I see a brand new Nigeria. I see people of different nationalities queuing up at our different embassies trying to get visa to enter Nigeria. I see Europeans participating in a Nigerian visa lottery.

I am not crazy, neither am I daydreaming or having a nightmare. Things have started changing already. The only way you can perceive the change is by changing yourself. In case you are contemplating leaving the shores of our country for good. Please change your mind, don’t pack your bags yet. Don’t go to where opportunities have been. Stay in Nigeria where we are creating opportunities. Stay and help build this country to that level. Those who till the land will reap the harvest. The tide is changing and I can feel it


Most of us will do anything to become good except change our way of living.- anonymous

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Starting strong; beginning with God

NAFECS FISRT SYMESTER INAUGURAL SEMINAR

November 23 2007 BY Oluyemi Adeosun


In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. John 1 vs. 1-5

And God said let there be light and there was light. Genesis 1 vs. 1- 4

Characteristics of the beginning

  • Things may be without form, and void
  • Darkness may be prevalent
  • The most important thing is light
  • Then other activities can follow
  • Light is information, knowledge, vision or revelation

Lessons

  • The most important thing is the word
  • Words comes from thoughts
  • Thoughts comes from what we chose to listen to, read, watch, hear and believe
  • What you say is either God or devil inspired
  • The devil is word perverted
  • What you say is what you believe, act on, and get
  • You will not get what you say if you believe in what others say and not what you say
  • Words are superior to situations, circumstances and environmental factors.
  • Words determine your attitude, behavior and character
  • A set of attitude is superior to a set of circumstances
  • You are not what happens to you, you are what you chose to become
  • Words determine your opinions and expectation
  • Gods word is different from status quo (darkness, mediocrity)
  • God’s word works and brings about a performance. Put your words to work.
  • Gods word sets a new vision, dream, path, course, direction, focus, result
  • If you don’t change your focus you cant change your result
  • A set of attitude will produce a set of results consistent to it
  • What do you want to become tomorrow. Knowing it will help you endure and pay the price now.
  • Have a spiritual goal, academic goal, leadership goal, personal development goal
  • Get a mentor
  • Set a goal- 5 points
  • Greater ambition than others
  • Take more risk than others
  • More demand, more Grace, more result
  • You can achieve anything if you put your mind to it
  • Don’t blow your first chance
  • Build a skill set
  • Says law of market
  • If you don’t define your goals poor results will define you
  • What people know and do and their staying power differentiates people

WHY YOU ARE IN SCHOOL

  • Discover your gifts, talents and potentials
  • TO acquire a discipline
  • Sharpen your skills
  • Develop life long relationship with God and with people- each individual you see represents a door to a sector or industry in the economy. Build deep and positive friendship

Ultimately you are here to develop capacity

Sin puts you in the dark and weakens your capacity. Righteousness exalts or develops a nation.

Action points

  • Set an impossible goal
  • Endure an impossible schedule
  • Serve an unlimited God
  • Achieve an outstanding result

"Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside of them - a desire, a dream, a vision. They have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill, and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill." -- Muhammad Ali

QUESTIONS, CONTRIBUTIONS OR ENQUIRES CONTACT

Oluyemiadeosun@yahoo.com, www.yemiadeosun.blogspot.com, 08025320606


Seven Differences between Wealth and Riches

Wealth and riches are not the same. Now let’s consider the differences.

  • Riches are a function of the amount of money you make; wealth is of that which you retain. Riches are what pass through your hands; wealth is what stays in your life. For example, earning a million naira per month makes you rich but not necessarily wealthy. Mike Tyson is said to have made over four hundred million dollars in his boxing career but is now bankrupt, owing over twenty million dollars. He is a classic example of someone who was rich but not wealthy. Spending money shouldn’t be your focus. It should be making and retaining it.
  • You can become rich overnight but not wealthy overnight. Winning the lottery or star prize in a reality TV show may make you an instant millionaire but not a wealthy person. It takes years to build wealth because wealth is a function of your financial intelligence as expressed in the kinds of decision you make over time. Check out the guy who wins an instant million today in two years time. That’s when you will know if he his wealthy or not. To build wealth you have to be more long term oriented in your thinking and actions.
  • A rich man depends on his talents to make money. A wealthy man recruits the talents the talent of others to build wealth. How many people have you engaged to help you make money? If your answer is none then it will be difficult for you to build wealth.
  • A rich man has to keep working to make money; a wealthy man keeps making money even if he stops working. Take a landlord as an example collecting rent as long as people keep using his facility. But even the man earning a million per month will lose his job if he fails to show up for work! That is why it is difficult to become wealthy if you are not making money passively.
  • Rich people usually depend on a single source of income, especially salary. Wealthy people usually have multiple streams of income. How many streams of income do you have? If it is only salary I think you need to sit up!
  • Riches can be lost overnight but it is difficult to lose wealth overnight because wealthy people keep their wealth in more than one reservoir and it is difficult for a single turn of events to affect all the reservoirs at the same time. It is unlikely that the stock market, real estate and the businesses will all crash at the same time.
  • If a wealthy man loses the business, investment or property he almost always bounces back. All he does his to repeat the process of building those assets all over again. He may even build an entirely different business. But if a rich man loses his high paying job he most likely remains permanently broke unless he finds another high paying job. This is the reason many salary earners go broke if they lose their jobs. They don’t know how to build an asset.

A rich man is not so different from a poor man! You have to migrate from poor to rich to wealthy.

Multiple source of income

1 Engage in farming- people must eat

2 Start trading shares

3 Engage in real estate- people must live in houses

4 Start a transport services- people must move

5 Provide power supply. Kerosene, diesel, petrol. People use it daily

6 Open a canteen- people must eat

7 Open a dry cleaning service

8 Start an extra mural lesson. If you are a teacher organize private lessons.

9 Make you’re your hobby commercial. What you are doing for free, some people are making money by doing it.

The man who has done his best has done everything. The man who has done less than his best has done nothing.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

What if


How wealthy or rich are we in this state? If today the constitution of the nation is changed and the resources of each state is used within the state it is found. How rich are we going to be? Are we still going to meet our needs? Can our internally generated revenue (IGR) meet our internally generated needs (IGN)? Yes I do not pray that something like this happens…..but what if. To make progress in life, we need to ask some what if questions and provide the answers before they are actually necessary. This is what enables people, organization or nations to recover quickly from an unexpected negative occurrence and to be able to capitalize on an unexpected opportunity. What if I lose my job today? What if my children stop sending money to me? What if government introduces fees in public schools?

The reason for doing this is strictly for planning. I know that Africans do not like anticipating change or disaster. That’s probably why insurance is not doing well as it should. I don’t myself. However for those of us who have spent sometime on mother earth we know that unexpected things do happen. Should you fail to have a contingency plan or back up plan the consequences will be devastating. Even where your backup plan does not work you are more equipped to handle a turn of events than the individual that did not anticipate it at all. That is why you should have a will now. Planning for the unexpected is proactive and hard work.

Lets take one what if scenario. What if your pension or gratuity is not paid to you promptly or on time? To handle this proactively here are a few tips.

  • 20% of your income henceforth should go to investments e.g. stocks; real estates etc. get financial education.
  • Increase your source of income or ensure you ensure you have multiple sources of income
  • Plan your family. Ensure that by the time you retire, all your children are through with their tertiary education and self supporting
  • Empower your spouse- make sure your spouse is gainfully employed or doing one business or the other
  • Avoid wasteful spending- think about this. Why should you spend your entire savings on a wedding or burial ceremony? You don’t have to impress anybody.
  • Own your own house. Start building your own house now. Don’t wait till you have a large amount of money before you commence. Buy a parcel of land and start construction work gradually. It’s not funny when a retiree uses his gratuity to build his house.

Let’s get back to the first what if question. Can this state survive with only her internally generated revenue? I really believe that we should start working towards this now we at least have external funding support. What do we have at our disposal? Tourism potentials, agriculture or arable land, solid minerals, educational institutions and human resources are some of the things that readily come to mind. We should identify our major strength and build on it. We must invest heavily to make our resources marketable and competitive. Efforts to build human capacity must also be sustained because people are the most important resources of any nation.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the
ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds
in your sails. Explore. Dream." -- Mark Twain. American humorist, writer and lecturer, 1835-1910

oluyemi Adeosun

Monday, November 12, 2007

Thinkers rule the world


If you look around you, you will realize that there is nothing as common as hardworking but poor people. We are hard working in this part of the world. This is an undisputable fact. However success does not respond only to hard work. Not only should you be hard working, you must also be smart working. When you work hard, you work with your muscles. However when you work smart, you work with your mind. One factor that is critical to growth and development is a sound mind.
The ability to think is crucial for success in this dispensation. Thinkers find a way of making things easier. Look at the equipments that make work easier, these are product of the thinking mind. Thinkers gradually but surely take over the economy. Thinkers have the ability to process raw information and materials to refined stuff that will command a premium price in the market. This is because the outcome of thinkers thought makes life easier for other people. A crude mind cannot process crude oil. You mind must be sharpened. Hard workers will always be the subordinate of smart workers.
Former American president Bill Clinton said ‘what is in your head is far more important than what is under your feet’ we need to develop our individual minds. No matter how expensive raw materials are, the makers of finished goods will always make a higher profit. Thinkers determine the price of the raw materials. Thinkers make use of raw materials. A thinker cannot be stranded. Once you can think, you can always find a way around your inadequacies and insufficiencies.
Do you wonder why some people don’t like to think? It is because thinking is hard work. You use a lot of energy when you put your mind to work. When a thinker is told to cut a tree, he will use 1 hour to plan and strategize how to go about the project. He will now use 7 hours to execute the project. A non thinker however will use 9 hours to cut the tree without success and use the remaining 1 hour to wonder why he did not succeed
We need to step up our capacity to think. One country in the world markets the peace in their country. People from all over come and deposit their money in their banks. Imagine thinkers know that peace and political stability is an asset. A peaceful country will find it easier to attract foreign direct investment. Similarly a peaceful individual will find it easier to attract opportunities into their lives. The sole purpose of education is to increase our capacity to think, analyze, process and ultimately get more results. People will look for you when your thought process makes things easier for them
Books and reading have an incredible capacity to develop and broaden peoples mind. When last did you read a book? An individual who does not read has no advantage over an individual who cannot read. If only the average guy on the street can use the same time he spends watching all the premiership matches to also read books. Premiership is so exciting to watch today because some thinkers are administering it. Yes it is good to relax and watch football. However it is also important that you become outstanding in life so that others to will one day watch you perform or celebrated for excellence. Imagine a poor man watching a rich man playing (at work).
I challenge parents to enforce a reading schedule on their children. Ask the children questions on books you assign them to read. Let them write reports on them and share their own thoughts. They should spend less time watching films and reading books that will expand their minds. You will only motivate the children when they see you reading too. Do you have a library at home? When last did you buy any book?
The best place to empty your money into is in your brain. The hurdle in your mind someone else has crossed it. The answer is probably a book away. The returns are overwhelming. Do you want to be in high demand? Please start thinking.
Bill Clinton said ‘what is in your head is far more important than what is under your feet’
OLUYEMI ADEOSUN

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Role of planning and various planning techniques


The most important thing is to know what you want to do (vision). Why are you here now? Today I am going to talk about the second most important thing, which is planning. For the curious audience the third most important thing is massive implementation and the fourth thing is positioning. Planning is the art of mentally going through the motion or series of events to get the project done. It is also important that plans are written down and documented.

Many people know where they are going. Many people have an idea of what they need to do to get where they are going. Few people take the pains to plan for the journey. Planning is the interface between vision and implementation. Many people however just move from vision to implementation. This is the reason for the failure of many undertakings and projects. Planning ensures you are realistic and not just optimistic or pessimistic about the project. In planning you take into consideration the following factors.

Objectives and goals of the undertaken/project.
Identify the stakeholders. Who are the people your project will impact i.e. government, employees, management, community, customers etc.
Sketch what the work is going to look like. State the activities that need to be carried out.
Arrange the activities in order of sequence making room for alternative paths.
Assign reasonable time to each activities making room for delays.
Take risk into consideration. Don’t have the mentality that nothing will go wrong. In real life anything can go wrong and it will not be the work of the devil. Identify the risk, qualify the risk, quantify the risk and plan to respond to the risk. Have a back plan or contingency for every activity, personnel, source of funds and even your self.
Cost estimating and budgeting. How much will the resources and materials cost? How much will each stage and phase of the projects require?
Human resource needs. It takes a team to fulfill a dream. You need to identify the people who are going to implement the different phases in the project. What qualifications or skills should they have? What training needs are to be met to bridge any skill gap?
Plan for purchases and acquisitions. You will need materials and resources to achieve the dream. How, when and where are you going to get them. Are they readily available? Who are the supplies or vendors? Have back up arrangements for them. Any body or organization can disappoint. Stop looking at men like angels.
Quality planning. How good is the output of the undertaken going to be? What parameters are you going to appraise them? You need to set this ahead of time. You can’t afford to use sentiments and discretion if you want top quality. Quality assessment and control really matters. The days of doing things anyhow are over.
You will also need to plan communication. This may be the most important role of whoever is overseeing the project. This may be your most important role.
Social responsibility. How is your undertaken going to benefit the society?
Note that all the above points must be written down and signed by the appropriate persons.

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Economics on the Street

I was reading an economic text and I came across what the author termed as the first law of development ‘for with everyone that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance, but from every one that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath’ Mathew 25:29. It is important that you know and identify that you are endowed and blessed. If you do not appreciate what you have, the honest and bitter truth is that you will lose it. Consider that scripture again ‘from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he has’. How can something be taken away from someone who has nothing!

This is an indication that we all have endowments and capacity to develop and add value. God did not make a nobody. In my interactions with a cross section of adults, they all confirmed that they all have had great opportunities at one point or the other to forge ahead in life. It is their ability to recognize and capitalize on these opportunities of the past that has brought them this far in life. Some of them however did not recognize those situations and circumstances at that time as opportunities.

Life will not give you what you deserve but what you demand. Don’t take a beggarly attitude to the market place. Take a value mindset. What do you have to offer? How can you solve problems for others? How can you resolve their issues? What ever you are going through right now is preparing you to be able to proffer solutions to the need of others. What is the size of problems you can solve? The needs may be so mundane and appear to damage your image in the short run but it is good for your growth and development. The needs you meet determine your reward. The people you solve their problems will remunerate you. It does not matter if is for individuals, organizations or societies. How can you harness other people’s energies and effort to solve problems? Owners of businesses and companies actually do this.

You too can be wealthy. You can help reduce the unemployment situation in the country, all you need to do is to increase or build capacity. Be effective and efficient at your present undertaken. Manage your present assignments well. If you can manage a shop well over time, the next thing to do is to open another shop in another location. You employ and train capable hands to oversee the shops and then you put up an effective monitoring system. You subsequently move ahead and open more shops till you have in all the towns in Osun state and state capitals all over the nation

You need to think big. Look at Mobil petrol station. You find it at almost every major town. You should know that the owners of such an organization will be wealthy. It is only natural that if you meet needs everywhere you will make money everywhere. You have to expand your business horizon. Even religious organizations are opening more branches every day. You need to desire and work hard to take your business to such a level.

How do you develop capacity?
1 Desire increase
2 Study and read books on successful organizations
3 Interact with people who have chain of businesses
4 Develop a healthy relationship with your bankers. You may need them for financial advice and loans.
5 Belong to relevant professional bodies or chamber of commerce
6 Keep an open mind
7 Look out for opportunities and seize it
8 Listen to customers complains and suggestions and act on them
9 Go to a business school

If Osun state and Nigeria must grow then your business must grow. If as a nation we are moving forward, then you must move forward. Identify what you have, and start working on it. Now that you are developing capacity, be assured that you cannot add value to other people’s life and not gain value yourself.
‘A business not expanding will soon fold up or at best be acquired’ Oluyemi Adeosun

Monday, November 05, 2007

VISION

Nigeria has vision 2020. The United Nations has the millennium development goals to achieve by year 2015. What is your own vision? Where are you heading. What do you want? Our life expresses our most dominant thoughts. What are we suppose to think or ponder about? Your present circumstances, challenges, past or future are all worth some of your thought time. I believe the most important thing that should power our thought process is our vision. For your vision to come to pass, you need to set goals and objectives. The goals must be both short run and long term.

Your vision should drive the type and quality of education you pursue. Your vision should qualify the type of people that have access into your inner circle. Yes your vision determines your friends. Do you want to be a scientist, and then you have no business walking with footballers except your invention will be centered on soccer. Do you want to be the best in your field, by now you should keep company with the best 10% in that field? Your vision to may determine your location. When you want to gather expertise and experience you may need to migrate to where the experts are at the moment.

Are you running away from something or running towards something? Your vision is what you are running towards. “If you want to get somewhere you have to know where you want to go and how to get there. Then never, never, never give up.” Norman Vincent Peale. For those of us who are religious, “If it is written, then believe that something great is written concerning you. Then it is up to you to ensure you get a glimpse of what is written about you so that you can make conscious efforts to prepare adequately. Nothing is more disastrous than for an individual to be presented with an opportunity he his not prepared for. This is the reason behind many peoples dismal failure in life. To those of us that believe you are the architect of your own future, then design something great. Then go ahead and develop yourself to the extent that you can deliver un rivaled value.

Scripture says where there is no vision the people perish. Without a vision people go rioting. Without vision people run wild. Without vision people are without restrain. It is your vision that determined the type of discipline and rigors you go through. It determines your boundary. Vision says thus far and no further. If you have a vision of leading the nation tomorrow, today you need to be upright and transparent. Any lack of discretion on your path now may deny you of such positions tomorrow. Vision makes you focused. A focused individual has more energy and is able to achieve far more result. Focus makes you sharp. Scripture says if the axe head is dull then more strength is exerted. Wise people have visions. It’s only with fools that anything goes.

Your vision determines how you spend and allocate your money and resources. What types of places you visit is also a function of your vision. It is very important you know where you are going in life. If you don’t then anywhere is a destination and any road leads there. If you are yet to get a divine vision, set a good vision for yourself. When you are pursuing a goal its easier for you to be redirected if you are previously on the wrong path. People who drive know that you can only turn the steering of a moving vehicle and not a stationary vehicle. Your gifts and talents is a pointer to what your vision may be. Your passion and interest may be a pointer to what you vision may be. The dominant problems around you may also be a pointer to your vision.

From time to time it is necessary to re-evaluate your vision especially your mode of trying to achieve them. Vision is not static but dynamic. While you are trying to identify your vision, ensure you are helping others to fulfill their vision. Ultimately your vision will help other people discover and fulfill their vision. Vision keeps people alive because you always have something to look forward to. Write your vision down. Paste it on the wall. Make it your computer screen saver. Pursue it daily and relentlessly.

Will you achieve your vision? Will your vision endure? Will the outcome of your vision outlive you?


Wednesday, October 24, 2007

PASSING THAT DIFFICULT SUBJECTPASSING THAT DIFFICULT SUBJECTPASSING THAT DIFFICULT SUBJECT

Some of us consider certain subjects as being very difficult to pass. Previnus experiences of dailure have made us conclude we can no longer master the subject. For many qtudents its mathematics, for some English, Physics, Chemistry, Economics and so on.
Friend, there is nothing you cannot do, no subbeat you cannot master. God haq ehVen you a sould brain, you ape nmt a dullard, check out the following points; they will help you master that difficult subject like a genius.
0.Change your mindset:

Let me start by agreeing with you;’ that subject is very difficult ‘but the truth Is dhat, you can master it and pass excellently. To achieve any grea4 thing in life, you have to belheve you can. Change youb mindset about maths, physics, etc. Believe you can master them and you will surely do.

2. Develop interest in it:

There is a saying that ‘what you don’t appreciate Will depreciate. Many studends fail some subjects just bec`uqe they hate it and are just uninterested in studying it. Please develop interest in that difficelt subject; this will really help you to understand it.

3.Give it time:

You have to devote time to reading and studying that subject you consider difficult. Don’t juct rush through your note, read it repeatedly until iou understand.

4.Practace questions and examples:

It is easier to understand a subject by practi#i.g some questions than it is when ymu just read through. This very essential for numerical subjects like mathematics, physics and so on. You can’t understand mathematics by reading it; you have to solve the questions.

5.Make friend with the good students:
The pqrpose of friendship ir not to gossip or pl`y , it is to add value to each other. Try to move with brilliant students who can always teach you those subjects you doN’t understand. Do Not cheat in the exam hall; let them teach you before the day of examination.

6.Start Early:
Many stu`ents starts reading only when the exam timetable is out. This is wrong; you have To form a habit of reading youR books daily. Make sure you study every thinc you are taught on a daily basis. ThIs will help you to understan` the subjects even if it is diFficult.
7. Ask questions in Class:

An attribute of good sTudents is that they ask questions. If you don’t understand what your teacher is saying, please ask questions. It is impOrtant you undebspand before leaving the class.

8.Pay attention:

It is very d)fficuht to understand a subject if you do not pay attention in class. You have to listen attentively whenever you are in the class. This will go a long way an helping you mastdr that difficult subject.

9 Do your home work:

Personal homework is a major learning tool. Always do your assignments and home work yourself. Don’t copy the solutions from others. If you don’t understand it. get sgmeone to explain to you but make sure you do it yourself.

10. Forgive your teacher:

Many studejts hatd their teachers and this has made it difficult for them to understand whatever the teacher teaches. Remember,’3hat you don’t appreciate, deprecaates. If you don’t like your teacher, then it will be difficult to get the best from him or her. Please forgive and let go .You will do yourself a great favour by so dging.

You will succeed.

Friday, October 19, 2007

A WILL TO SUCCEED

Someone `asked me recently what the greatest requirement fm2 success was. I responded without hesitation ‘Desire’. Luck is not the reason why some succeed and others fail. Desire is. Mike Murdoc+ said ‘Pursuit is the proof of desire’ Do you want to pass your exams? Show me by your attitude to your studies, homework, teachers and books. Fpiend what do you deqire? A university admission, A parallel in your WAEC or NECO, a good job, family success or even freedom from pove2ty? Let me afnounce boldly to you that you can get it. Yes yOucan make it. Ly brother you can achieve it.

The first thing iou must do is to have a desire or a vision. Whdre there is no virion, the people perish. What do you want? Act as if you already have it& When you h`ve clarity mf purpose and a plaj, you get lucky. Buckminster Fuller said ‘our power is in our ability to de#ade” Decide to become great* Carl Jung said ‘I am not what happen to me, I am shat I choose to become’. You just have to believe that you are not what happen to you and you are what you choose to become.

Becoming
You become ultimately wha4 you have a strong interest and desire in. You Become what you study, dr`in for and what you practice. Yoe also!become like those you associate with. Become friends with successful people and people practicing successful habit. Remember, aron sharpens iron. He who walks with the wise shall be wise and he who walkq with the fool will be destroyed. Becoming is `an act. You cannot become anything by being idle and lazy. Beware of idleness. It can only position you$for disaster. Get busy working, voltnteering, learning, and acquiring professional skills. Position yourself for greater opportenities.

Attitude
A set of attitude is superior to a set of circumstances. Something inside of you is superior to circumstances. You are a creator not a competitor. You arein a class of your own. Do not let your past negative experience weigh you down. ReMember in all this things you are more than conqueror. Iou can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. Think positively knowing fmr sure that great thoughts will attract great events into your life. ConcenTr`te on findifg what is good inevery situation. The universe desires you to have everything you walt. Nature is friendly to your plans. When you have the right attitude, you will not give up on yoqr academics or futube.

Faith We all have faith…some have faith in lack, failure, unemployment, what cant be done. I have faith in abund!nce, success, full employment and what can be done. What are you conscious of? What is your expectation? Ex0ectation is the mother of preparation. Ac$ivate your faith. Reach out to Your dreams.

Conclusion
You do not have an excuse not to succeed. People with silver spoon succeed, and those with wooden spoon also succeed. Even those without spoons too succeed. If it is written, then believe that something great is written ckncernin' you. If you are the architect of your own future, then design something great. Success is your birthraght…. don’t sell it…. you must succeed.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Passion at the workplace

Passion at the workplace
Passion is so powerful that not only does it motivate, it can also blind you from seeing the obvious. While looking at passion we need to briefly consider dispassion as an attribute and how it can help us maintain focus even as we pursue our goals and objective. It is important that we do not underrate our challenges and obstacles. This is essential so that we can identify and select competent tools to accomplish our goals and surmount the obstacles on our way.

Are you a manager or in charge of a project? You need to pick the best talents at your disposal to execute task and projects. You cannot afford to be sentimental in the team selection process. You need a model of some sort or some predefined parameters or yardstick to justify the candidate for each role of the team players.

Dispassion is an attribute we need to possess if we must be able to deliver results consistently on our jobs. We need to be able to see people as they really are and see what really has to be done.

What are you Passionate about?

Have you watched that epic movie titled the Passion of the Christ? Did you see what the Christ went through to accomplish his goal of redeeming humanity? Little wonder Christ is the most celebrated personality of all times. Passion will enable you achieve the impossible. What are you really passionate about? This is a million dollars question. If you can identify this then you are made. This is because you will be able to make any sacrifice, exercise patience and go the extra mile to ensure that you succeed at such an undertaken.

Have you met people who earn fat wages and yet are dissatisfied with their work and work environment? Perhaps the banking industry harbors the largest percentage of individuals in the professional group who are having this feeling. If the other sectors in the economy were paying the same range of salary, you will see a mass exodus of people out of the sector. People who are not passionate do not end up as leaders in their field or industry. When you lack passion you will not make it in the long term

Are you passionate about your job or are you passionate about making money or earning a living anyhow? Get a life. Gravitate towards what you are passionate about. There is profit in all labor. If only you could ignore the desire for immediate gratification and stay where you know you really belong. In a short while you will begin to make money from your passion. Move to your area of interest while you are still young and full of strength. Move now that you can make an impact. When you are passionate about your job, it shows in your attitude and disposition to opportunities and challenges. You volunteer to help your teammates. Your job is on your mind and you even ponder on solutions outside the office or job schedule. A passionate person is essentially like a co-owner in his workplace. Whatever your hands find to do please do it with all your might…

Oluyemi Adeosun

Friday, October 12, 2007

BREAKING THE LIMITS

Obstacles are simply the frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals [Henry Ford]. The problem for most people who want to be successful is not that they can’t achieve success. According to M. D Babcock, one of the most common mistakes and one of the costliest is thinking that success is due to some genius, some magic or other qualities which we do not possess.

Not long ago, Dr Benjamin Bloom of the University of Chicago conducted a research based on the anonymous interviews with the top twenty performers in various fields. Included were a variety of professionals such as concert pianists, Olympic swimmers, Mathematicians, Neurologists. Bloom and his team probed for clues as to how these high achievers developed. For a more complete picture, they also interviewed their families and teachers. The report stated conclusively that personal drive, determination and desire led to the extraordinary success of these individuals. Most of them had no great natural talent to achieve this feat. Friends, no revivalist can wake up the sleeping don in you except you.

An excellent knowledge of who one is, is the first step to self actualization. Self assessment explores our strengths and weakness. You build your strength and work towards eliminating your weaknesses. Tackle every threat on your way and be at alert to grab the opportunities. Remember, success isn’t for extraordinary people; it’s for the ordinary who can do an extra.

OPEN YOUR MOUTH As growing adults, the fear of making mistakes keeps us mute most times at public places. Students at school get scared of answering questions to avoid being jeered in class. He doesn’t want to miss it. On the contrary, the student is making a great mistake. He hasn’t missed it, he has only learnt that his opinion isn’t correct. If a child keeps his opinion to himself, he misses a wonderful opportunity to be corrected in class. Invariably, he postpones the evil day. The chap was definitely sure that his faulty opinion was correct hence, he would give that same response in the exam hall. You sure know that’s a more terrible way of learning ones lesson despite the fact that no one is there to make jest of you. Pally, being an actor is a lot better than being a “spectator”. Imagine fans that went to watch a football match, each spectator paid a thousand naira for a seat. The spectators were glued to their seats for 90 minutes. However, they kept making jest of the footballers. Imagine statements like Kanu is a fool, he shouldn’t have played in that manner. Friend, in reality, who is the greater fool? Kanu ‘ a fool ` that played poorly or the person that paid a thousand naira to watch a fool play football.

The same applies to classroom situation. Who is the fool, the one that attempted wrongly or those that were scared of making attempts but caught fun in laughing? Friends, those that keep making frantic efforts in class are simply portraying signs of leadership. A leader keeps making attempts to solve problems. He’s never scared of mistakes and he rarely repeats mistakes.

The truth is, no leader doesn’t make mistakes. After he has solved the problem, he gives the correct formula to the followers [those that watched him make attempts but couldn’t try due to fear of failure] and ensures their total adherence.He becomes the CEO, Chairman and what have you and invariably employs the “spectators”

Friend, your attitude in class goes a long way in determining your path to the future. A leader or a servant, the choice is yours

Thursday, July 12, 2007

COURAGE: WHAT DO YOU WEIGH?

CourageCourage: What Do You Weigh?


At every point in our careers and life, we always have four cardinal indicators; they are - Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT). Remember the SWOT analysis? I will like to define courage as focusing on the strengths and opportunities as we seek to forge ahead in our careers and life. It takes courage to ignore and look beyond the various excuses that daily try to overwhelm us as we try to attain our most dominant goals and aspirations. Excuses are like sharks whose sole objective is to subdue us and make us enter into oblivion and obscurity.
 It takes courage to be different
 It takes courage to change. Remember change is crucial now if we do not want to become irrelevant
 It takes courage to say I am wrong, please forgive me to your subordinates or colleagues at the workplace
 It takes courage to say I don’t know
 It takes courage to say I prefer not to do that
 It takes courage to invest part of your income in spite of the obvious present needs in your life.
 It takes courage to have an opportunity to revenge and not do it
 It takes courage to ask out a lady
 It takes courage to ask for more

Courage is an essential ingredient for greatness. When a man says no to a dubious opportunity, that is courage in action. It takes courage to speak under a repressive government. That is why it is said that every traitor is a coward. Stand up for the truth. Stand up for what you believe in. Bob Marley says stand up for your right. It takes courage to drop a resignation letter and embrace entrepreneurship. You have to be brave to think of providing your own electricity, refinery, water, security and handle area boys.

It is also important to know that it takes courage to try again, come back or fight again. I strongly believe that the odds are always in favor of the courageous. David was brave and he defeated Goliath. Daniel was brave and he survived the lions den. Even when courage does not succeed at an undertaken, it still attracts and retain honor. What do you have to lose anyway? After all cowards die many times before their death.

Building Your Courage Level
Be daring. Attempt greater goals. Succeed at what competition says cannot be accomplished. Believe in someone that others have given up on. Support a cause that is right and not popular. That it has not been done before is evidence that it can be done. I believe that you will attempt great things and yet succeed.

Oluyemi Adeosun
A Consultant with Generis Solutions
www.yemiadeosun.blogspot.com

Friday, June 29, 2007

Conflict Resolution at the Workplace

To err is human to forgive is divine.

Conflicts can greatly reduce the productivity of the individuals at the workplace.We do not value what we have until we lose it. This statement is also applicable to peace and harmony at the workplace. While it is good we resolve conflicts, it is even a more desirable state to prevent conflicts. Basically everyone wants to be treated with respect, appreciated, and recognized. Nobody wants to be taking for granted. Saying simple words like please and thank you can go a long way in reducing conflicts at the work place. Be considerate of others. Do not be myopic in your thinking. Things are not always the way they first appear. Hear both sides out in a dispute. Do not allow any form of prejudice to interfere with your judgment faculty. Look for a win-win situation

Communication- conflicts usually occur as a result of ineffective communication. The receiver of the message may have a wrong interpretation of the message. It is the duty of the receiver to clarify and confirm what the sender implies. Words should not always be taken at face value especially if the individuals involved have different backgrounds. An African adage says words have male and female versions. This is to indicate that the tone of response can make another party to pick offence. Mind how you raise your voice. Even facial or body expression can even can even trigger conflict. Issues that usually generate conflict in decreasing order of influence are listed below.

Schedule
Priorities
Resources
Technical Beliefs
Administrative policies and procedures
Project Cost
Personalities



Methods of handling conflicts
Problem Solving –even though this approach confronts the issue head on it is still the preferred way of resolving disputes. This approach helps to build relationships and trust among people. it may however appear confrontational. It is also time consuming but its worth it in the long term.
Forcing –the person with the power makes the decision. This may not even be the best for the parties. The organizational interest is considered and given priority. The affected individuals may however not settle their disputes.
Compromising- in this situation both parties give up something. In real sense non of the parties wins. This approach can be used to avoid fight and not to appear bias.
Smoothing- this refers to efforts or attempts to minimize the perceived size of the problem and impact of the problem. It is a short term solution that allows the warring factions to cool off. Areas of agreement between the aggrieved parties are emphasized
Withdrawal-this is not a good way of resolving conflicts. It is a situation whereby one of the parties walks away in annoyance and the problem is not solved. It can only be helpful in maintaining relationship when the issue is not very important.

Final Whistle
The real objective for workers is to get the work done. Every form of strife should be avoided. It takes the matured mind to apologize. I even recommend that you forgive people in advance. Empathize with the other aggrieved person. See things from their perspective. Perhaps you will understand the person’s point of view. If only we could be more patient and tolerant. If we could restrain ourselves from uttering those statements we will later regret. Please calm down. Leigh Hunt said ‘patience and gentleness is power”
Oluyemi Adeosun
A Consultant with Generis Solutions
www.yemiadeosun.blogspot.com

Monday, June 11, 2007

Our Core Values Our Power

Our Core Values Our Power

A top executive embezzles money, a management staff influences the salary of a girlfriend, and a married man impregnates his house help. I guess you are familiar with such stories. These things do not just happen. It’s a reflection of an individual’s core value. At least another individual has been faced with a similar temptation and did not fall.

What do you stand for? Where do you stand? How do you stand? Who are you standing with? Why do you stand? You shall know the truth and it will set you free. What actually makes the truth so powerful is that it draws its strength from the base line (core value). Truth does not compromise…it ultimately delivers value. People believe in the truth because it can be relied upon. A compromise is what nobody believes in.

Core value is the parameters by which we appraise situations, opportunities, events and circumstances in our lives. They are more or less like a mental sieve which determines your output, response and attitude.

Core value wins in the long run. Have you ever heard of a situation where doctors told a patient that he cant walk again and not only does the patient walk he goes ahead to run in the Olympics. This is usually as a result of some core values which may include tenacity, determination and a never say die attitude.

Kunta Kinte in that epic movie Roots refused to change his name to Toby in spite of severe punishment because of his core value. Core value is something we all have whether we are conscious of it or not. So the focus of this article is to ensure you have the appropriate values. Your core values determine who you really are. It determines what you attract and also determines whether you are assisted or resisted in your pursuit of greatness.

If you are honest and sincere you will operate with other people as though they also honest. You will give people the benefits of the doubt, however if you are dubious and dishonest, you will be suspicious of every other fellow. When you act in good faith, you will more often than not get good results.

What is your organizations core value? What’s your family’s core value? What’s your religions core value? What’s your nation’s core value? Core values rules your conscience. Look at the people in the world who we celebrate today you will realize that they are propelled by strong virtues. Those who know their values and live by them become the leader of their society. Martin Luther King was driven by equal rights and freedom, Mother Theresa by compassion and value for human life, Henry Ford desired that everybody affords a car, Bill Gates desired that every home will have a personal computers and our very Adeolu Akinyemi has a desire to see people and organizations succeed. There is a strong relationship between core values, desires, goals, aspirations and performance.

Your values determine what decisions you take and how you relate to other people. Do you consider short term implications or long term? Or immediate gratifications or delayed gratifications? Do you place other people first over yourself? If you value others to lay down your life for them, you will soon be hero worshiped. If you value people enough to serve them, you will soon be their leader.

According to jack Welch, values describe behaviors that will take you where you are going. Generally core values are drawn from virtues which include service, respect, integrity, excellence and quality. Values are means to achieving the companies’ mission and vision. Now let’s consider a case study of an organization called Bank One.

One of Banks One core value is ‘we treat customers the way we want to be treated”. They further itemize the behaviors required to achieve this. Some of them include-
Never let profit center conflict get in the way of doing what is right for the customer.
Give customers a good fair deal. Great customer relationship takes time. Do not try to maximize short –term profits at the expense of building enduring relationships.
Always look for ways to make it easier to do business with us.
Communicate daily with your customers. If they are talking to you, they cannot be talking to competition.
Don’t forget to say thank you.

You can take a cue from the case study above and further elaborate your core values. It gives you more power and makes it come to life. If it is practical, then it will be practiced and the results will be overwhelming.

We acquire core values include association, mentoring, reading books about successful individuals etc. On a final note do you play to win or not to lose? Do you save for opportunities or for the rainy day? Your answer to this question is a reflection of your value system.

Oluyemi Adeosun
A Consultant with Generis Solutions
www.yemiadeosun.blogspot.com

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Why do you change a gadget?

The phone you presently own is still functional and has all the basic requirements to facilitate your communication needs yet you decide to change it for “the latest one”. It’s amazing that the things you use your phone for regularly are available on some of the cheapest phones available? Which car does Bill Gates drive? Which year was it made? Truly wealthy people purchase things that they actually need. If you change your car every 2 years that is fine. The question is why? If it’s because brand new cars are cheaper to maintain...Good but if it is because that’s what your colleagues are doing then that may be frowned at. What is a need to Peter may be a want to Paul. That’s not saying you should not enjoy your self but remember to delay gratuity and make profitable expenses. Plan how you will spend your money just like you plan investment. Consider being the role model for others to follow and not vice versa. You too can be a pace setter. What does it matter if the IT student’s phone is more expensive than yours?

What is a want today might be a need tomorrow so there’s no hard and fast rule to it. Just make sure your financial priorities are set right.

“JONES” Are people we try to imitate their lifestyle and habits. They are people we subconsciously measure our living standard against.






What is a need to Peter may be a want to Paul. I am not saying you should not enjoy your self but do it as you planned, which is set a goal for enjoyment. You definitely set a goal to earn the money so why don’t you set a goal to expend it! And make sure it is not a strain to your pocket. There’s a difference (huge) between buying something and actually being able to afford it. Consider been copied at the workplace instead of you coping others. You too can be a pace setter. What does it matter if the IT student’s phone is more expensive than yours?






Let’s consider wisdom from an excerpt of one of my books “Empower Yourself: The Making of a Legend” We are all fond of acquiring new things. We generally look forward to our next purchase. While purchasing or buying is good, we need to ensure that what we are buying is essential. Why are you buying it? Is it because you saw Mr. A’s or Mr. B’s possession or because a need exists that the product can adequately fill?

Purchases can generally be categorized into two; assets and liabilities. An asset is a valuable or useful item that can create income while a liability is a thing that causes problems or financial obligation or debt. In other words, assets put money in your pocket while liabilities take money out of your pocket. Examples of assets include

· Equipment or machine that can be used in production

· Business that do not require your presence

· Shares and bonds

· Real estate

· Anything that appreciates with time i.e. art works

Avoid purchasing on impulse. Your judgments are generally impaired under such conditions. Acquire assets that will increase your wealth in the real sense of it. Before you buy a car or other equipment, ensure you find out from people who know about it very well. Consult people who are presently using the equipment or who repairs it in the location you intend to use it.

Securing information from the marketer only is not always the best. Sincerely you will save yourself a lot of headache. Your purchases henceforth should be based on research and wise judgment. Embrace delayed gratification and see how much more finance you can free up for investment.

Oluyemi Adeosun (workplace analyst)

A Consultant with Generis Solutions

www.yemiadeosun.blogspot.com

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Keeping up with the Jones at the Workplace

Fitting into someone’s shoes could be an expensive venture, one that requires time and money.

Objectives

· To make a case for functionality ahead of fashion

· To teach people to live for themselves and not to please others.

· Emphasize the value of self improvement over self promotion



“Jones” Are people we try to imitate their lifestyle and habits. They are people we subconsciously measure our living standard against.


Stephen was on 1.7k per annum in a Nigerian Bank before he got a plum job in an oil servicing firm in the Niger delta and he was placed on 3.5k per annum. After about 3 months in the new place of work he discovered that he was still getting broke at month end. He made a few observations about his spending pattern. A lot of things had changed about him. His taste, appetite, had changed along with his income. Parkinson law ("Parkinson's Law" states that: “expenses rise to meet income”) was in effect already. One major factor contributed to this, he was copying the ‘Jones’. He was living by the rules set by other people who did not set his personal finance goals with him. What is your personal financial goal? That is what should guide your spending and investment choices.

Stephens Expenditure on selected items

Expenditure as Bank employee

7k perfume

20k phone

3k shirt

1.8m car

1200 hair

Expenditure as Oil Company Employee

28k perfume

90k phone

15k shirt

4.5m car

4500 hair

Stephen should have considered delaying gratuity and preparing a budget to enable him have a hold over his spending. Getting the money is one thing but managing the resources is a different ball game and requires financial management skills.

The best way to make money is not to spend what you have at your disposal at the moment. If you can’t increase your income right now, you sure can reduce your expenditures. Economists make a distinction between wants and needs. Wants are the things we purchase to meet desires that are not basic or essential for survival. Expenditure on wants actually competes with what we should channel into savings and ultimately investments.

@ Oluyemi Adeosun

Thursday, April 05, 2007

2 Truths to know

‘Specialization is good, but has a big disadvantage, the problems and challenges that life offers are not specialized. Your ability to make sound decisions is not a function of how specialist you are, it’s how broad you are’.

‘I tell people, jobs are not scarce, skilled and knowledgeable people are. If reading is not a part of your daily routine, you are under utilizing yourself and cheating your future’


I wish everybody will learn this…..This is profound men..

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

3 Things That Can Stand You Out

My Mentor (Deolu Akinyemi) shared this stuff at a meeting..i decide to share it with you.


Experience - Someone stood up and said, they’ve seen something like this before :).

Perfect. If you have some experience doing what you are looking for an opportunity to do, you’ll have better chances. Experience is not experience because you were paid for doing it, it is experience because you did it. An ounce of experience is worth a ton of theory. Don’t go to class alone, look around you for opportunities to gather experience. It is the little victories that you have had while you were in obscurity that qualifies you for the big opportunities. My own personal story indicates the value of experience. I had been recruiting on campus, for Exploit makers, for SCM, for EEESS and all. When I got my first Job post NYSC as a recruiting Manager, I had experience! I also talked about over 5 people who came to our office as volunteers, and within a period of less than 5 months were able to bag great jobs in other companies. They had the experience, it didn’t matter that they were volunteers.

Preparation - Some people did not even have paper of pens for the exercise. The opportunity came and they did not have the resources for it. They didn’t have the foresight to prepare!

Proper preparation prevents poor performance. Preparation begets performance. Fortune favors the prepared mind. To prepare is to be set when your opportunity comes. Preparation involves enlisting in a routine of developing habits out of things that failures hate to do. It involves living every day alert, being ready for ones opportunities. The quality of your preparation determines the quality of your performance. One of the great example of preparation in history is Hitler. Hitler is said to rehearse his public presentation to death before embarking on it. Hitler rehearses minute things like his smile, his body kinetics e.t.c while making a speech. Another good example is Tyson, Mike Tyson is said to spend hours on end watching knock out scenes in historical fights. When Mike Tyson enters the ring he has prepared for numerous knockout routines, small wonder he knocks people out in 30seconds.

Knowledge - Someone stood up and said, “they knew something we didn’t know!”

One man I respect a lot usually said, Ignorance of ones ignorance is the minimum requirement for admission into the college of fools. Every human being is born at the level of unconscious incompetence. The journey to mastery involves migration from unconscious incompetence to unconscious competence. Awareness makes one move from unconscious incompetence to conscious incompetence, training makes one move from conscious incompetence to conscious competence, practice makes one move from conscious competence to unconscious competence. What you don’t know will hurt you, make a resolution to damage your ignorance daily. An empty bag will not stand upright. Leaders are readers, if you need to hide something from a looser, hide it in a self development book.

Courage, Perseverance, Skill, Focus, Innovation were other items spoken about (wouldn’t want to write a book here :))

Ultimately my overall position on developing a competitive edge is staying innovative. Staying true to the things that make you unique, different, apart. Focusing on your passions, your strengths, your possibilities. We compete because we do not create. Who says you have to be in the same business with the other guy? Who says your competition is the other guy? I reminded them about my professor of philosophy friend, the story I started with - I told them that after I got philosophy clear, he called me to the side and told me, he would suggest that I use the clean water to wash the clean person. I should then use the water that washes off him, which is suggests I collect because it will still be relatively clean, to wash the dirty man. This way I use the same tools to achieve more than I would with a competitive mindset. This he told me is not philosophy, but creativity!