Heart Of A Champion

So, I delivered the following as a talk at a school assembly on 20th May 2013 (St. Andrews School Turi). The main aim of the talk was to motivate the (mostly youthful) audience into becoming resilient people in achieving their dreams. I've taken out some names for confidentiality reasons and replaced with their respective roles but the rest is all there. Here goes-

Heart of a Champion

Beethoven was told by his music teacher that as a composer, he was hopeless.

Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper because he had “no good ideas”.

Thomas Edison was told by his teacher that he was too stupid to learn anything.

Albert Einstein was four years old before he spoke. He stuttered until he was nine. He was advised to drop out of high school and was told by his teachers that he would never amount to much.

Henry Ford’s first 2 automobile businesses failed.

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team!

Stephen Spielburg dropped out of high school. He was persuaded to come back and was placed in a learning disabled class.

Ray Krok (who is that?) he failed as a real estate salesperson before discovering the idea for McDonald’s.

These may not be new stories to you but they form the basis of what I would like to speak about this morning- THE HEART OF A CHAMPION. These are just but a few examples of champions in their various fields. So when Winston Churchill commented that “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts” his words reflected the champion’s spirit.

So maybe you have not mastered the courage to ask (the Headmaster) to give you a sample of his personal, embarrassing and hidden setbacks, but I am sure if he were to list some of his setbacks in life, many of us here would be very encouraged (at his expense of course).

But while we may entertain the thought of (the Headmaster) falling flat on his face, we need to take with us the one fact that he has moved on from those setbacks to become the person he is today- a Headmaster. A leader.  “Comebacks” or “underdog” stories are my favourite- that’s why I support Chelsea FC. To see how people overcome various challenges through struggle and perseverance then later emerge as heroes or heroines or celebrities of their time. I am sure we all have, at one point or the other, admired something in such people and even imagined ourselves living that glorious life of a champion. But what does it take to become this champion…to achieve greatness? I would like to suggest to you THREE things this morning that, in my opinion, form the backbone of a champion.

First, is the ability to dream. We have heard the old adage “A journey of a thousand miles, begins with…” (wait for responses). Well I suggest to you that “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a dream”. Orville and Wilbur Wright, otherwise known as the Wright brothers, knew this quite well. Their journey was initiated by a dream. A dream common to little boys, and myself. The desire to fly. Wilbur Wright described the birth of their dream this way.

“Our personal interest in it (aviation) dates from our childhood days. Late in the autumn of 1878, our father came into the house one evening with some object partly concealed in his hands, and before we could see what it was, he tossed it into the air.

Instead of falling to the floor, as we expected, it flew across the room until it struck the ceiling, where it fluttered awhile, and finally sank to the floor. It was a little toy, known to scientists as a ‘helicoptere’, but which we, with sublime disregard for science, at once dubbed a ‘bat’.”[1]

Dreaming sometimes means being able to see things just as the Wright brothers saw a bat. Also dreaming can be quite an exciting experience and it is the time we go wild in our imagination, believing that anything is possible. The only limit is ourselves.

Dreaming is easy; in fact I see some of you doing it in my LAMDA lessons, yet some people do manage to lack the courage to dream.

(The Headboy) here pointed out on Speech Day that, and I quote “Aerodynamically speaking, a bumble bee should not fly, but it does not know this, so it flies anyway”. This does not mean that in our capability to dream, we should go jump off a cliff. “Besides, the bumble bee does it, so why shouldn’t I try?”

“Because of gravity- that’s why.”

To me this quote means that we should be able to SEE IT in our minds and then SEIZE IT with commitment, which leads me to my next point.

The second thing that makes a champion is the ability to take action or seizing it. “Success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration”. In order to win the prize, you have to take part in the race. It does not pay to only dream and do nothing, you have to show commitment to your dream by acting on it. The Bible offers a word of caution to people who simply crave but do nothing, it says

“The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.”[2] Many of the people in the list I mentioned earlier, made a decision to act on the desire or dream that they had. The average person will do nothing about their dreams, but a champion will almost always take action. However, sometimes misfortune visits us even after dreaming and working really hard, and this is the point where many abandon their hopes of achieving their dreams. This leads to the final thing that makes a champion- the ability to bounce back from challenges.

The ability to bounce back, otherwise known as determination, is what I suspect the scientist, Professor Utonium, in ‘The Power Puff Girls’ later found to be Chemical X. Or maybe not. In the words of Napolion Hill, ‘Before success comes in any man's life, he's sure to meet with much temporary defeat and, perhaps some failures. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and the most logical thing to do is to quit. That's exactly what the majority of men do.’ We need the humility to admit that we may not win every time, maybe because we were wrong to begin with. Failure or disappointments are bound to come your way, sooner or later, and it will be the determination to see your dream fulfilled that will keep you going again. The odds are usually against you in many instances.

So, I will ask you some questions. Do you have a dream? (No pun intended) Can you act on your dream? And finally, will you fight for your dream? Did Beethoven give up when he was told he was hopeless? Did Walt Disney’s lack of a job, keep him from building one of the most successful showbiz careers? Did two prior business failures keep Henry Ford from building an automobile empire, known to this day? Did missing a spot in the basketball team keep Michael Jordan from becoming one of the greatest sportsmen of all time? You may have the dream, and you may have the ability to act. But at the heart of every champion is a determination to succeed against all odds.

I’d like to close this assembly with a poem titled-

I WONT QUIT, I’LL FIGHT by Kundan Panday

Fighting with my every breath,

Knowing not when will it end,

Neither submissions nor escapism,

It’s all going to the end,

Desolated, deserted and shattered,

Down to dust,

Kissing the ground

I won’t quit

I’ll fight

I can see thee, my cherished goal,

Quite a distance apart,

With hope as my friend,

I would conquer thee,

You may go far away,

You may increase the gap,

Still, I’ll chase you, for you are my destiny,

Down and out,

Frightened and alone,

Still, I won’t quit

I will fight

In achieving you I may be worse hit,

Break my ribs, punch me down,

Break the body, how will you break the spirit?

With every pain and punch, it will steadily grow,

Difficulties can only cut the wings,

How will they destroy my desire to fly?

I’ll fly to my sky,

I won’t quit,

I’ll fight

Illusions, distractions and obstacles,

Only remind me of thee,

Sailing to you,

With all my might,

Rowing the boat against winds of time,

Searching the shore, looking for light,

Burning all bridges,

Nowhere to return,

Nowhere to hide,

It’s all going till the end,

I won’t quit,

I’ll fight

You are the journey,

You are the destination,

Just wait for me, I’ll be there,

Living once and last,

And only for you,

At the end it doesn’t matter,

I get you or not,

But one thing I’m sure about,

I won’t quit,

I’ll fight

Thank you!

---

[1] An excerpt from ‘Visioneering’ by Andy Stanley, page 7

[2] Proverbs 13:4

Leading Alone!

Lately, I have been pondering upon the common saying that many leaders quote- "It is lonely at the top" which makes me wonder, why so? On one hand, I agree with this point as a matter of truth (and experience) while on the other hand, I feel it is not meant to be that way. The three main questions in my mind are; Where is everyone else?, What are they doing (at the bottom)? and Why don't they 'visit' the top? Many would imagine that as a leader, they would be around so many people- engaging in lots of chat and relating at high levels. Let us consider-

Where is everybody else?

In a practical sense, water will always flow from a point of high pressure to a point of low pressure, as observed in a pipe. Naturally, the high pressure from a tap will push the water through the pipe towards the open end which is a point of release. Likewise, I view leadership as being an intense point caused by the desire to succeed, and 'non-leaders' will tend to move away from such 'pressure points' (because of the strain it places on them) to 'release points'. At the point of release, or at the bottom, they can focus more on other matters that may be of personal interest/concern and maybe also require little effort. Many cannot withstand the intensity of leadership hence the reason why it can be lonely at the top. Having recently been a director for a theater production, it dawned on me how much, as a leader, I demanded performance and commitment from the acting company. In as much as I depended on their abilities (and energy), I still expected quality performance, hence the pressure to deliver. I have gradually learnt that it is only when the leader motivates the group (steps back and ensures others shine) and reminds them about the goal or point of success that the rest will follow nearer and have a closer working relationship.

What are they doing?

For the theatre production above, I decided to delegate duties and explain the objective of each role as best as I could. This gave me room to think only about what was necessary for my role as well as interact with others. I observed that people wanted to be associated with success and accepted the challenge to work towards this goal. In other words, the rest of the team is busy wondering when you (the leader) will ask for their opinion and try their methods. Without the opportunity to be part of the success story, no one would really want to associate themselves with the leader. They would instead engage in other more fulfilling activities on the side to bring them personal satisfaction and success. Most likely, such activities will bring a conflict due to low productivity due to under-utilization of potential. It is important therefore to clearly share the objectives at the beginning and invite contributions from the rest of the team as to how to achieve them. Simply following instructions without any meaningful contribution is a short term strategy and can be quite boring. If meaning is not part of the process, it could get the rest of the group easily sidetracked.

Why don't they 'visit' the top?

I believe that humans are relational beings and we seek acceptance and affirmation of some kind from others, especially from leaders or influential people. Often, leaders get so goal/task oriented that they forget this fundamental part of the human psyche. This does not mean that as a leader there is no place for exercising firmness on issues however, we need to discern when it's most necessary. This usually calls for tact and an objective mind on the part of the leader. I usually use a model I learnt from a lecturer friend of mine that I apply in a conflict situation. It simply suggests that you can either choose to;
(1) force your opinion on others or
(2) avoid the conflict altogether or
(3) accommodate the other person's view (usually opposing) or
(4) collaborate by including all sides/views in a conflict
The middle ground is compromise. This is illustrated in the diagram below.

Conflict & Transformation chart

There is a place and time for each of the various situations though a leader ought to consider focusing more on a collaborative approach with his/her team. From my experience, in employing this approach you are more likely to receive many more visits at the top.

In conclusion, I have found that in many instances, the people I have led are more gifted than I am in a particular skill set, though they somehow need a leader to bring harmony and eliminate chaos. As I appreciate my limitations as one individual and the differing circumstances, I am fully aware how leadership can be lonesome. This therefore calls for a willingness and readiness to work alone in some cases. Leading alone is for the most part inevitable, though it can be mitigated by giving people a challenge rather than pressurizing the team, giving meaning to their work and encouraging collaboration with one another.

Transport Outsourcing Proposal

Introduction

This post is for those who are seeking an investment opportunity in transport outsourcing for a small yet growing East African tour firm- Excite Safaris Ltd. Please note that it is not a tendering notice but a business model proposal with the aim of (a) identifying like-minded partners who would like to invest in an outsourcing business and/or (b) selling the compiled information to other independent individuals and businesses. Just to give you a taste of what to expect, you may sample the summary and contents of the document below.

Summary-  Commuter transportation and mobility is becoming an ever more important and core concern for people and businesses within Nairobi, Kenya & its environs. This coupled with the pressure on parking space has birthed the idea to provide a reliable, convenient and affordable transfer service for a specific market. The concept is taken from a proven model where convenience and cost are the key factors. We look at the factors that will affect the success of the investment under our management and ensure good return on investment. The business case is straightforward and discusses the structure & operation, marketing plan and compensation of the venture. This proposal is mainly for mid-term investors (2-3years) with promising returns.
 

Contents of the Proposal

BACKGROUND
-Objective

-Scope

-Constraints- gives the amount of initial investment required

-Deliverables

-Assumptions
BUSINESS CASE

-Benefits 
-Options
-Costs and timescales
-Cost-benefit analysis
-Risk analysis
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
-Organization structure
-Main responsibilities
INITIAL PLAN
-Assignments
-Schedule
-Human Resources
-Evaluation
-Quality Control

-Marketing Strategy


In case you want the full document (6 pages) which includes a simplified marketing plan, you will be required to pay a one time (copyrights) fee of US$39. Just click on the Buy Now button below to go to a secure PayPal payment page. A PDF copy will be emailed to you within 24hrs of payment confirmation together with the company's profile. In any case, thanks for visiting my blog and taking time to read through this article, and I hope you will find the information useful.

Communication Challenges & How to Become an Expert

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone who left you feeling frustrated and annoyed? Maybe they were negative or repelling, and you just couldn't understand why everyone has to have an opinion. If you can relate, you'll understand what I'm talking about.

This experience taught me something interesting about communication, especially the things we say or do that disconnect us from others. In my case, it is all in the subtext that gets to me. Communication happens all the time, even when we don't realize it. It's not just about what we say or write, it's also about the more subtle things like tone, choice of words, and environment. As I reflected on this, I realized that communication flaws cut across every field of life, from work and politics to school and business. Just like any other human being, I have communication flaws that need improvement. If we communicate well, we'll save time and energy in pushing people around to get things done.

In a workshop discussion, we identified several barriers to effective communication, also known as noise:

• Difference in Language: Language here means the actual coding and encoding of the spoken or written message. If someone uses slang in the wrong context or jargon with laypeople or foreign language on natives, they won't be understood. Also, the choice of words plays a great deal in communication, even when the language is understood. A clear construction of words needs to precede knowledge.
• Difference in Age: Young people have a way of saying things that have so much meaning and significance to their peers but will not register in a similar way to the older generation and vice versa. It is important to acknowledge the audience's age before speaking to appeal to their emotions as well as their intellect. However, age does not necessarily indicate maturity, and some people may be an exception to this rule.
• Difference in Values: Values are the core things we embrace dearly and are willing to hold on to even at high costs, such as religion, sports teams, etc. If there is no common value between communicating with people, it would be tough to get any understanding of what the other person is saying.
• Channel: The channel of communication is also critical. Email works well for some, while others prefer a phone call or text message. Even with our daily communication, many people do not respond to a text message as much as they would to a phone call. Little wonder why there have been major strides in technology to improve long-distance communication, such as video conferencing, internet calling, etc.
• Discomfort: This can be either physical or emotional discomfort. If someone is ill and probably hospitalized, it is quite difficult to have any discussion with such a person without first acknowledging their state. Empathy is required in this case rather than a list of other problems.
• Stereotyping: Stereotyping is still a vice in today's society where people have preconceived notions about people and things. It is important to avoid stereotyping as it limits communication.

By understanding these barriers to effective communication, we can take steps to improve our communication skills and connect better with others. Now that we have identified the barriers to effective communication, it's time to focus on practical solutions. Here are some tips that can help you overcome communication barriers:

1. Be clear and concise: Use simple language and avoid jargon or slang. Avoid using ambiguous words and phrases that can be interpreted in different ways. Speak or write in a calm and clear tone. By all means, do not be unnecessarily long or loud!
2. Listen actively: If in active conversation, pay attention to what the other person is saying and show that you are interested in what they have to say. Avoid interrupting them and wait until they have finished speaking before responding.
3. Ask questions: Very important if you are unsure about something, then ask questions to clarify. This will show that you are interested in understanding the other person's point of view even if you hold a conflicting truth. A guide would be to use one of Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, that is, the 5th habit: ‘Seek first to understand, then to be understood.’
4. Use the right communication channel: Choose the best communication channel for the message you want to convey. For example, use email for formal messages, phone calls for urgent matters, and video conferencing for remote meetings.
5. Show empathy: Try to put yourself in the other person's shoes and understand their perspective. This will help you to communicate more effectively and build better relationships.
6. Respect differences: I cannot emphasise more that recognising and respecting differences in age, culture, values, and beliefs is very important. Avoid the temptation of sounding patronising, or worse, condescending. This will help you to avoid misunderstandings and build trust.
7. Provide some feedback: Give feedback to the other person about how you perceived their message. It is always a plus, to keep things positive- it always helps to seek for the ‘intention’ rather than ‘method’. This will help to ensure that the message was received and understood.

By using these practical solutions, you can overcome communication barriers and improve your communication skills. Remember that effective communication is a key success factor in all areas of life.

Seeing it from afar aka Vision

This is my first blog post EVER, just thought I should mention. Hope you enjoy anyway…

As a boy, I dreamt of being an airline pilot, working for a prestigious company and later starting my own airline company with my fleet. Sounds pretty lofty, huh? Well, I have since studied Mechanical Engineering, been a professional stage actor, was employed as a teacher in a prestigious school and now I’m a tour operator organizing and selling trips.

Now, how does this happen? I’m sure many of us are asking the same question. My answer is simple: I’m not a pilot, yet! I’m sure many reading this were told to aim high but to expect reality. Wow! How discouraging. I will have you know that each step informed the next.

After completing my high school education in the late 90’s and was ready to join flying school, my parents counselled me to first enroll in university and get a degree before studying for my pilot’s license. This was slightly disappointing as it meant postponing the realization of my dream. I went on to study Mechanical Engineering at a local university and it was here during my campus years that I got involved in theatre productions as a hobby, and was later cast in a few professional plays that elevated my profile further. Slowly my passion for theatre began growing and later got involved in more productions. It was quite fulfilling getting paid for a hobby. Shortly after completing my undergraduate degree, I was called for a teaching job at a prestigious school within the drama department. It amazed me how much little effort it took me to get to this point, given my theatre history. I thought back and realized that I had thought about training in theatre techniques before. The job came with a good salary and several attached benefits. However, my flying dream kept me restless, and I felt it was worth fighting for. My parents at the time were no longer in employment and needed some support. I nonetheless left the comfort of my teaching job to invest in another passion- tours and adventure. I established a tour company with part of my savings to facilitate raising my fee for flying school. It has been growing two-fold every year and the best part is it’s still growing.

There have been failures along the way. However, these have also been a great source of learning for me. It starts with vision then goes on to planning for achievement. I have achieved much more than I realized I was capable of in this way. Most opportunities do not come screaming and are only perceived by those who prepare for them. I’m not yet there but I’m way ahead of where I used to be.

Point of reflection:

• Visualise: Project where you want to be
• Analyze: Check your motives and research which way is the best to reach your goal
• Actualize: Once you’ve analyzed do not wait too long to start

Always remember, even a big vision usually starts small!