Leading beyond your Station

 

There are two types of leaders: those who lead by positional authority and those who lead by influence. It’s important to remember that although she was a queen, Esther’s role was not a position that included any positional authority. 

“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise for the Jews from elsewhere, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion? Then Esther told them to give this answer to Mordecai, Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast for me; and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. I also and my maids will fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.”- ‭‭Esther‬ ‭4:14-16‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Since she was not able to lead by virtue of her position, Esther chose to lead by virtue of her influence. Esther is a tremendous example of courageously leading up (leading and acting above your position in life) in both what she did and how she acted. Real passionate leaders will make a difference by any means neccesary irrespective of the constraints stacked against them. What kind are you?

aRe tHe bEst tHinGs in NiGeRia tRuLLy fRee?

They say the best things in Life are free! Being a Nigerian does bring a certain level of complexity to that statement. Coming from a Nation where everything is generally designed to keep the strong in power, the rich, richer and the poor, even poorer; it is hard to accept that statement. I stopped having blind optimism about our hopes on becoming a developed country, though this doesn't mean i stopped being patriotic. Why? well as long as i am not in the sphere of the powerful leaders yet and cannot even get a glimpse of their activities, i cannot continue to believe in the good will they so proclaim.

I have come to learn that nothing happens by accident in this country. Like the former CBN governor Malam Sanusi once said the issue of vested interests is our biggest challenge yet, but is it really not a problem even in the developed world? I tweeted yesterday that everything in life revolves around relationships, so at the end of the day words like 'Merit' are hardly in our vocabulary as a nation. As i have always said, nobody owes any one anything in this life not your parents (save for caring for you in your formative years and providing a good education), not your government (that is if it is not clear to you already that majority of the officials in our polity are not there for any one but themselves). 

In a country where the average Nigerian generates his own power, provides his own security, provides his own jobs, there is hardly ever any need for dependence on the government. But then again it is so hard to make any grand nationwide impact as a citizen without being in the above mentioned sphere.

I also understand that as a Leader it is hard to please everyone, but there will forever remain that middle ground of performance acceptance that both the governed and the government can agree on. I also think its only human nature to pick people or individuals you have established a relationship with over individuals on merit. That relationship is what creates that edge over people who truly deserve that job or position. We need to accept the fact that we are a peculiar Nation and those peculiarities need to be adapted to by any one willing to make a difference. So my advice to those looking to make any impact as far as the government is concerned is to build meaningful relationships in your chosen endeavor. Nothing good comes easy, nothing is ever free and there will always be a price to pay.

-- @gozzim

BiLL GatEs: LeSSoNs i LeArNed fRoM WaRReN buFFet

"I’m looking forward to sharing posts from time to time about things I’ve learned in my career atMicrosoft and the Gates Foundation. (I also post frequently on my blog.)

Last month, I went to Omaha for the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting. It’s always a lot of fun, and not just because of the ping-pong matches and the newspaper-throwing contest I have with Warren Buffett. It’s also fun because I get to learn from Warren and gain insight into how he thinks.

Here are three things I’ve learned from Warren over the years:

1. It’s not just about investing.

The first thing people learn from Warren, of course, is how to think about investing. That’s natural, given his amazing track record. Unfortunately, that’s where a lot of people stop, and they miss out on the fact that he has a whole framework for business thinking that is very powerful. For example, he talks about looking for a company’s moat—its competitive advantage—and whether the moat is shrinking or growing. He says a shareholder has to act as if he owns the entire business, looking at the future profit stream and deciding what it’s worth. And you have to be willing to ignore the market rather than follow it, because you want to take advantage of the market’s mistakes—the companies that have been underpriced.

I have to admit, when I first met Warren, the fact that he had this framework was a real surprise to me. I met him at a dinner my mother had put together. On my way there, I thought, “Why would I want to meet this guy who picks stocks?” I thought he just used various market-related things—like volume, or how the price had changed over time—to make his decisions. But when we started talking that day, he didn’t ask me about any of those things. Instead he started asking big questions about the fundamentals of our business. “Why can’t IBM do what Microsoft does? Why has Microsoft been so profitable?” That’s when I realized he thought about business in a much more profound way than I’d given him credit for.

2. Use your platform.

A lot of business leaders write letters to their shareholders, but Warren is justly famous for his. Partly that’s because his natural good humor shines through. Partly it’s because people think it will help them invest better (and they’re right). But it’s also because he’s been willing to speak frankly and criticize things like stock options and financial derivatives. He’s not afraid to take positions, like his stand on raising taxes on the rich, that run counter to his self-interest. Warren inspired me to start writing my own annual letter about the foundation’s work. I still have a ways to go before mine is as good as Warren’s, but it’s been helpful to sit down once a year and explain the results we’re seeing, both good and bad.

3. Know how valuable your time is.

No matter how much money you have, you can’t buy more time. There are only 24 hours in everyone’s day. Warren has a keen sense of this. He doesn’t let his calendar get filled up with useless meetings. On the other hand, he’s very generous with his time for the people he trusts. He gives his close advisers at Berkshire his phone number, and they can just call him up and he’ll answer the phone.

Although Warren makes a point of meeting with dozens of university classes every year, not many people get to ask him for advice on a regular basis. I feel very lucky in that regard: The dialogue has been invaluable to me, and not only at Microsoft. When Melinda and I started our foundation, I turned to him for advice. We talked a lot about the idea that philanthropy could be just as impactful in its own way as software had been. It turns out that Warren’s brilliant way of looking at the world is just as useful in attacking poverty and disease as it is in building a business. He’s one of a kind."

-Bill Gates

courtesy: Linked-in Leadership Channel

Photo: Bill Gates