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MADIBA: HOW HE BECAME IMMORTAL

The Boston Sunday Globe said of his Long Walk to Freedom, ‘’should be read by every person alive.’’ Were he a Catholic, million faithfuls the world over would have scrambled without prompting to initiate a cause for his canonization as a saint as they did for Mother Theresa. More heads of state and governments will attend his funeral than attended the UNs special General Assembly to vote on the next line of action after Syria crossed Obama’s red line. He has been out of government since 1998, yet anywhere he visited he was received as royalty.

Typically in my leadership seminars, I would project the iconic portraits of Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa, Lee Kuan Yew and others on the screen and ask the participants to say what one attribute they thought makes one a great leader. One word always rises to the top of the pile: selflessness. In effect, selfless service is the one true tester for great leadership. No matter how adroit journalists tried to force on him the toga of achievement, he always gently corrected them: it was not me, but us: me and my comrades. 

Madiba was never extreme on any matter, except on the one thing that mattered, the struggle.  The struggle defined him. As he said, ‘’the struggle is my life’’, and when once the goal of that struggle was achieved, he was no more than an ordinary South African, concerned with taking good care of his family. He dedicated his Long Walk to Freedom to his six children (mentioning each by name), twenty one grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren who according to him, ‘’give me great pleasure’’. He never forgot his bigger constituency. He dedicated his autobiography also to all his comrades, friends, and fellow South Africans whom according to him, ‘’I serve and whose courage, determination, and patriotism remain my source of inspiration.’’

Madiba had largeness of heart. In short, he was forgiving.  Though he never once spoke it out that way, to him, vengeance was of the Lord’s.  What was paramount for him was not taking away from those who had, but making the playing field equal for all South Africans: Blacks, Indians and Whites. For forgiving his enemies without an iota of bitterness, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, shared with the representative of his former tormentors, ex-president F. W. de Clerk. According to the co-honoree, de Clerk, Madiba deserves the image as ‘’one of the greatest men on earth.’’

He was not rapacious. Despite the extreme poverty he was born into (he regularly went without food; trekked for miles to conserve the little money he had; wore patched suites) he never set out to acquire as much as he could when he eventually had the opportunity. He didn’t seize the ANC (African National Congress) apparatus and install his cronies and comrades as movers and shakers. To him, the party was supreme. He didn’t elevate his children to ministerial positions, or insisted the party did so to compensate for the 27 years he was incarcerated. He indeed didn’t seek special privileges for anyone; all he sought was equality for all. He was patriotic through and through.

Madiba’s 95 years of extraordinary life can be distilled to three defining traits: faith, fire, and focus. Faith, which stands for the believe that good will always triumph over evil. Fire, which stands for the passion to pursue one’s goal with messianic zeal ready to pay the supreme price if need be. And finally focus, which stands for the prescience of mind to discern the bigger picture no matter how much you are buffeted by innumerable other forces. All truly great leaders exhibit these three traits but Madiba possessed them in far greater abundance than any other person in living memory. 

Darkness did not fall on the face of the earth when Madiba gave up the ghost. He neither instituted any sagely teachings nor issued any manifestos. No green or red book espouses his philosophy. He lived what he believed in, because it is easy to lie with words, but far more difficult to lie with our actions. Tributes upon tributes eulogize and will continue to eulogize him, reaching a crescendo on the day he will be laid to a final rest in Qunu, his ancestral home, from whence he came to demonstrate to the world a model in selfless leadership. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela has slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God as he becomes immortal.  Madiba adieu!

THINK, DREAM AND ACT BIG

It’s that simple! If you want to be big, think BIG! According to Trump, the real estate billionaire, ‘’when it comes to thinking big, you are your own worst enemy’’. How true!

I used to reason that to think big was to be greedy! The mentality that says: Can you drive two cars at the same time? Can you sleep in two beds at the same time? Can you live in two houses at the same time? You can’t! But secretly, you’d like to rent a limo or a friend's more ‘’sleek’’, say ‘’sweeter’’, car for your wedding day.  Why reserve good times for special days when you can have it all days of your life?   Remember: ASK! And you will get! KNOCK!! And it will open!  SEEK: And you will find!!! This wisdom is from antiquity, and they still apply today.

I never thought I could have the good times. As a banker, I was taught, be a professional, dress well but be careful with money - remember you are dealing with other people’s money, they said.  Never aspire for big money, but the bank will pay you enough ‘’to be comfortable’’, they drummed into me. Comfortable I was but I never dared to dream! In fact, I sold my dream instead. Sad mistake. Remember, your dream is not for sale.

Many lies will hold you back. These are some that held me back for years. How will I fuel my car? How will I feed my family? How will I survive? I forgot the basic precept that says when life throws you a lemon, make lemonade out of it. It was like that for years until that fateful day on Table Mountain, near Cape Town.  As I stood aloft the mountain marvelling as the waters of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans embraced each other but refused to kiss, I purposed in my heart to become a ‘’BUSINESS MOGUL’’, make money and tour the world.    Get out of your comfort zone and start thinking, dreaming and acting big. Go do it, and one day soon, you'll be BIG.

On Shamsuddeen Usman

They say little minds discuss people, average minds discuss events, while great minds discuss issues. Well today we’re going to display little mind as we’re going to discuss Dr. Shamsuddeen Usman. Dr. Usman has operated at the highest levels of government since 1989, some 23 solid years. He has presided over the then NIDB (now BOI), NEXIM, BPE, CBN, NPC. If you look at Wikipedia, the greatest achievement attributed to Dr. Usman is that he is the only man that ever declared his assets before joining government.  Good achievement in a country ‘’noted for its high levels of corruption’’ according to Wikipedia. The issue is, what is Dr. Usman still doing in government? What has Dr. Usman really been planning over these years? With everything crumbling around us: no motorable roads, no electricity, no water, no functioning textile industry, motor assembly, refineries, universities, and hospitals, dilapidated airports, you name it, would it not have been more honourable for him to step aside and say, I came, I saw, I could not conquer? Really, Dr. Usman should throw in the towel. It’s the only honourable thing to do. What's your take?

SILVERBIRD MAN OF THE YEAR

Do you watch ‘’CNN HEROES’’ annual event? If you have not been watching start to.  The annual event is sub-titled Everyday People Changing the World.  The captivating event documents the lives of ordinary people who go out of their way to make a difference in the lives of the powerless. No Nigerian has won so far. Way back at home, who do Silverbird nominate as their MAN OF THE YEAR?  Look closely you’ll see the movers and shakers - ex-army generals who participated and killed in coups,  government ministers noted for nothing but corruption, businessmen, etc. How is THE MAN OF THE YEAR chosen? By texting; just send SMS naming your candidate. So you just go to the computer village, hire a crowed and they send 100,000 text messages saying you’re the man, and you win.  As usual, the highest bidder will win. Was Silverbird playing to the gallery? Rate the SILVERBIRD MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD:  a) Great     b) Mediocre

LIVE LIFE LOUD!

It’s the greatest secret of all! In life, enthusiasm triumphs over everything else. W. Clement Stone once said, ‘no matter how carefully you plan your goals they will never be more than pipe dreams unless you pursue them with gusto.’ Emerson in pursuing the argument in similar vein, affirmed W. Clement Stone’s keen observation, saying, ‘every great movement in the annals of history is the triumph of enthusiasm’. Father John O’Brien, Research Professor of Theology at Notre Dame University observed, ‘’the first ingredient, which I believe is absolutely necessary, for a successful, efficient, and competent individual is enthusiasm’’.

Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States who lived to the ripe age of 96, was the quintessential optimist and never lost his zest for life till the very end. Reagan dotted on Nancy, his dear wife, and never forgot the wise words of W. Clement Stone who counseled, ‘enthusiasm is one of the most important factors necessary for success in life.’ As he was being wheeled to the operating theater following the assassination attempt on his life by John Hinckley Jr., just 69 days into his Presidency, Reagan turned to Nancy, his wife, and joked, ‘sorry honey, I forgot to duck’. Reagan was a great actor but this time it was for real: he had just escaped being the fifth assassinated president of the United States and was joking about it.

A wise man once said, ‘the worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but who we are. You are special – don’t ever forget it.’ Live life loud! Live life with enthusiasm! Don’t pursue success, but pursue happiness. Mother Theresa once said, ‘’Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.’’ Life is like music, it has melody, harmony, rhythm, tempo, and dynamics. Mama Cass Elliot, a singer, advised, ‘’Make your own kind of music. Sing your own special song. Make your own kind of music, even if nobody else sings along. Learn to appreciate life more, to view each day as a blessing it is, and to celebrate each day to the fullest.’’

Learn when to be loud enough to be heard and soft enough to hear others. An unknown author once said, ‘A good way to live is to care more than others think wise, risk more than others think safe, dream more than others think practical, expect more than others think possible.’’ Are you weighed down by life? As Napoleon Hill would say, wake up and live! Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald’s, quoting Calvin Coolidge, in one of his most memorable interviews when asked how he became so successful quipped, ‘’Press on, nothing in the world can take the place of perseverance. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.’’ And if I may add, nothing fires your persistence and determination as enthusiasm.

As we head for our home stretch, let’s borrow two of Optimists’ Club Promises. ‘Promise: to wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile’. ‘Promise to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.’ Hilary Cooper enthused, ‘’Life is not measured by the number of breaths that we take, but the moments that take our breath away.’’ Ride on my friend, be happy. On your life’s journey, take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints!