Following your talent hastens success

By Bayo Ogunmupe Knowing and following your talent is crucial to your success in life. The people you surround yourself with in your organization make or break your success. No one succeeds alone. Those you hire, promote and trust with critical information; the professionals executing your company mission- are your greatest competitive advantage or the biggest drag. They’re the champions of your company or its substantial drain on time, money, resources and potential. Which is why, many times entrepreneurs recruit and develop leaders without realizing that their hiring choices are random, impulsive, and disconnected to their objectives and strategies. Their choices are not adding value to the organization. If you feel stumped by bad choices, you are not alone. As an owner, you might be thinking: “How can I turn this company around?” Yes you can. What you need is a working knowledge of your talent inventory across your enterprise. Knowledge of your talent allows you to align it with the best strategy. Businesses need creative people and you must have a working knowledge of your talent bench in order for your company to thrive and make profit. This column is your field guide to talent management, which is a platform to analyse, implement and improve yourself and your company. Strategic Talent Management puts you in a position to enhance value, optimize talent, prepare for growth, posture for sale, or transition to the next generation. Strategic Talent Management endows you with the know-how, intelligence and control to leverage your team. With the right mindset, and the talent to steer your team toward a win, the only variables should be external conditions. Strategic Talent Management prepares you for any extraneous factors, because you will have the team ready to compete in any environment. When a company prioritizes Strategic Talent Management, builds bench strength and goes to market with a healthy team, it will increase profitability, attract top talent, create a conducive work environment and bring value to the community. It will also keep the wealth engine in the family or owned by the employees. Thus, Strategic Talent Management provides a new way of managing a company. The Founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg is our case study today. He is one of the billionaire geniuses of the 21st century. His decisions on how he handles his company have come a long way. Our question is how he has managed to achieve this greatness so quickly. What are the secrets beyond his indomitable rise to fame? The answers are his early goal setting. He dropped out of school to set up his own unique company. He immediately focused on Facebook, and thinking of bigger things. He refused to sell Facebook because he didn’t want it subdued by larger corporations. He correctly envisioned Facebook as a global project. The lesson from Zuckerberg follows. Always start small but aim big. You must have confidence in yourself. Even as a kid Zuckerberg was considered as a genius in computer programming. Whatever success he achieved his self confidence never faltered. He focused on what he is good at. Part of being successful is the influx of interesting activities which could distract you from your main passion. Mark was able to withstand distractions. Zuckerberg’s love for programming outlasted his love for other things. He became so focused on his chosen field that he constantly fended off things that could hinder his progress. He chose not to finish his college education because he knew that his love for computers would suffer if he continued. He moved to a place where he considered a proper venue that could nurture, support and develop his talent. It is noteworthy that he moved to a new community conducive to the achievement of his aims.

Asserting Nigeria's Nativity Beyond Ethnicity

By Bayo Ogunmupe Titled: Thoughts on Asserting Nigerianess Beyond Ethnicism, this book is a compendium of essays by Victor Chiagozie Ariole, a professor of French Language at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. First published in 2013, this paperback volume was published in 2021 by Ecophile in Lagos Nigeria. In his opening remarks, Professor Ariole quoted the first Sultan of Sokoto, Mohammed Bello describing the migrations of the Fulani from Fuuta Tooro to Northern Nigeria. Bello said some of his ancestors migrated from as far back as 1500 AD, while others followed with the wars of the 1670s. In his Infaq al Maisuri, the first Sultan wrote in 1812: They, the Tukulor made war on the Fula till the latter split into three divisions. One stayed among the Tukulor and followed them, another returned to Falefa and Fuuta Jaalon and dwelled there. A third went East to meet the tribes of their father, the Arabs… they left the weak behind them in this land of the Hausa. “And to the rest of Nigerians and Africans, the land belongs to the Pigmies and we settled in as a function of adaptability and domination or natural selection. We are all migrants.” This historical link with which this book opens is the message of the book. That the Fulani started migrating to Nigeria as far back as 1500 AD, that the Fulani are Arabs. And that their intent in settling in Nigeria is to dominate or adapt as a function of the survival of the fittest according to the Law of natural Selection as espoused by the British naturalist, Sir Charles Darwin. Beyond Ethnicity has 120 essays, and 377 pages. In his preface to this edition, the author insists that Nigeria owing to its huge population and wealth, should be the conscience of the black race. “Nigeria must aim at being the salt of Africa, giving it the taste expected at any given time. That 525 local languages are spoken in Nigeria, as recently proven by Yakubu Gowon’s Bible Translation group, should not obviate the fact that there are ‘constants’ in the languages that crave for pillars in –Nigerianess—that can support the African continent in conjunction with other pillars yet to be identified. “This book is a cocktail of thoughts on Nigeria. The dates in some parts could have elapsed, however, the thoughts remain relevant.” Fuel crisis and leadership quality is the heading for one the great essays of this book. In it the author quotes a French proverb meaning spare the rod and spoil the child. However, its literary meaning serves best in he context of fuel crisis. A good leader must be a good lover of his people. He should not always rob Peter to pay Paul. He must show a greater degree of love for the people before the punishment he administers could be approved of. Ariole then compares Nigeria to a diabetic patient. According to physicians, a diabetic patient is someone with a very high sugar level in the bloodstream. It is either he is not making good use of the energy in his system and, so attracts slut. Or has damaged his pancreas as a result of overuse. All economic organs in Nigeria are either misused, overused or abused. Reversing the trend is what a good leader should occupy himself with. My last essay in review is Why Corruption Endures in Nigeria. The author says the theory of instant generation has been debunked by the great French physician and researcher, Louis Pasteur. So there nothing good or bad that appears without first forming its cloud. Thus, people don’t just wake up and indulge in corruption. They build a mind for it, they conceive it, nurture it and work hard to sustain it. They are the smart ones in our society. They’re the learned ex-convicts in our dog eat dog society. They are everywhere from the executive arm of government, through the legislative branch, down to the poorest Nigerian. The author refers to the Igbo adage which says: you do not process rotten palm fruits into oil by pounding them in a leaking mortar. The exercise will be futile. Nigerians are either rotten by their corrupt practices or by their wretchedness. Corruption and wretchedness are eating deep into Nigerians. And both are turning us to maggots if nothing is done to check them. The author, Victor Ariole is a professor of French literature at the university of Lagos. He has more than 14 books to his credit. An intense researcher in culture and politics, he speaks, hears, Igbo, Yoruba, Twi, Dyula, English and French. He holds MA in French, MBA in General Administration and PhD in French. He is an associate member of the Editorial Board of The Guardian newspapers. You will become better informed about the world reading this volume.

The President we want in 2023

By Bayo Ogunmupe In planning for a great future, you have to make the connection between the present and the future. For you to make changes in the direction you want, you must take certain steps for the Universe to manifest to you your desires. You cannot win the lottery if you don't buy a ticket. You cannot become an author if you don't publish that manuscript into a book. You can't get that job if you don't send in your curriculum vitae. Which is why we must declare to God and country the kind of President we want in 2023. Obviously, Nigeria is not satisfied with the Mohammed Buhari presidency. When we rejected Goodluck Jonathan it wasn't the current perdition we wanted. In a 2014 paper on leadership travails in Nigeria, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah declared that all of Nigeria's heads of state and presidents were 'accidental presidents.' That was because they did't prepare for the leadership roles thrusted on them. According to the respected bishop, the main reason Nigeria became the headquarters of poverty in the world is because "the average newcomer as president of Nigeria comes totally unprepared, with no knowledge of the environment, no experience in public life, no knowledge of the bureaucracy, no knowledge of politics and power derived from some years of loyal pupilage." Thus, as we now begin the process of recruiting the president for 2023, it is essential that the in-coming president must be versed in politicking, understand democracy, the rule of law and federalism. The new president must be fully prepared for the job. Unlike his predecessors who revelled in insincerity, the president we want must be painstakingly sincere. We should know this through his antecedents in governance and friendships. He must have workable answers to true federalism, cession brewing in the Southwest and Southeast. He must hate banditry and Boko Haram for he has to wipe them out by force of arms for peace to reign in Nigeria. As at the moment, 2023 is more crucial than 2015, since blights have not been resolved, Boko Haram has not been defeated, we're still dependent on oil, and government has not stopped subsidizing both oil and the bureaucracy. If we're to abate the circle of raised and dashed hopes, we must start examining the aspirants now. The process of selecting the flag bearers of the parties should begin now two years to the presidential election. In the aftermath of the jailing of a professor for rigging election, a prima facie case is thereby established for the creation of electoral offences tribunal, not electoral offences commission. The government is still supporting election rigging by its establishment of electoral offences commission. Like the Niger Delta Development Commission or the National Human Rights Commission, it will be ineffective. Government will be shielding its party's election riggers through the commission. Nigeria's Electoral Act is flawed on the official period for campaigns. At the moment. campaigns are to commence publicly, 90 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day. That short period does not give room for a thorough examination of a presidential aspirant. That is why campaigning has been by subterfuge: celebrating birthdays in far away Kano instead of Lagos; making donations to victims of disasters and hosting colloquiums around the country. With the exception of ending campaigns 24 hours to an election there shouldn't be any time limit as to when aspirants should start campaigns. With only three months into his first term in office, US President Joseph Biden declared publicly, his intention to run for second term in 2024 when speculations were rife that he would be too old then since he is 78 years old at present. On the idea of accidental presidents, it isn't correct that presidents are performing badly because they are unprepared. There is the party manifestos to go to when short of ideas. There is the Nigerian Bar Association to borrow ideas from. The Academic Staff Union of Universities, the highest body of intellectuals are there to advise any president aspiring to be a great president. Nigeria simply lacks great people. What with other areas of human endeavor? As at my last count, the eight million people of Israel have 14 Nobel prizewinners to 205 million Nigeria's only one. We had better examined the nutrition value of the foods we take, for nutrition determines our metabolism and the quality of our intellect. Where is our corona virus vaccine? The good quality of Israeli home made vaccine enabled Benjamin Netanyahu win a fourth term as premier despite having corruption charges on his neck. Let us diagnose Nigeria's ailments dispassionately. With current threats to Nigeria's unity, the police being killed in the East, police stations burned along with them, herdsmen being kidnapped in the Southwest, if the president is not zoned to the south, Nigeria might be ungovernable by 2024. Coming under the aegis of Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, staff of the state houses of assembly embarked on a strike on March 23, 2021 with the aim of enforcing the fiscal autonomy for the state assemblies. Also acting under the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria, staff of judicial arm of government went on a strike from April 6 pressing also for fiscal autonomy for the judicial arm. The common target of these actions remain state governors, who in wilful violation of the Nigerian Constitution, routinely expropriate funds meant for the other arms of government in the states. The net effect of this is arrested development of state legislatures and judiciary. Thus, this impunity by governors don't recommend governors as candidates for president. They're used to impunity and like former presidents will not be able to deliver the Nigeria of our dreams. The president we want is one who has the courage to create state police just as Bola Tinubu created 57 local governments in defiance of the president and going ahead to win in the Supreme Court. Only those with courage to do the needful, not those with PhD who don't understand federalism. The new president must have the courage to amend the constitution to assure true federalism and the creativity to assemble technocrats for good governance. His forbearance and ability to raise leaders, now competing with him for president, raises Tinubu above any other candidate for president in 2023.

Pantami As Alqaeeda Eye

By Bayo Ogunmupe “We have a problem and it’s a problem of human beings. Too many Nigerian children with bad upbringing now in their 50s. These children are now governors and leaders of many strong institutions we have built. But because of children without character, we are now here. “We put gas pipelines in place from our shared treasury, some stupid children go and burst it, and blame the police for not watching. We decided to fight corruption, these stupid children continued supporting the corrupt. We build roads to ensure easy movement for all, some of these stupid children dug holes in them so they can cause the rest to stumble. We decided it’s time to block leakages in government spending, the stupid children realized it means no more Italian shoes, so they raised hell. “To all who gave birth to children they cannot raise well, remember you are a culprit in the Nigerian madness. The almajiri and these stupid children were born and raised probably improperly. How else do you explain the inhumanity and disregard for social good they display?”----Former Emir of Kano, Mohammed Lamido Sanusi. The quotation above, is a pithy rendering of the Nigerian reality. This application of normative logic as an epistemological system of analytical reasoning and cognition will be upheld by historical omissions following hereunder. Considering the Biblical verse that “By their fruits, you shall know them,” the unsavory behavior of some of our state governors. Which was why for the past few weeks Nigeria had been subjected to unprecedented drama of syndicated strike actions by the staff two arms of government: the legislature and the judiciary. In a brazen violation of the Constitution, governors had hijacked their statutory finances in the manner of buccaneers. As Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, the staff of state houses of assembly embarked on a warning strike on March 23, 2021 to enforce the implementation of fiscal autonomy for state assemblies. Also under the aegis of the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria, the staff of the Courts in Nigeria went on strike from the 6th of this month. The association was pressing for the same financial autonomy from governors. Even up to the moment I am writing both associations have vowed to continue the strike until demands are met. Thus, these strike actions are a wake up call to address the cankerworm of impunity comprising the breach of the autonomy of the legislature and the judiciary as specified by the Constitution. Confirming the correctness of Emir Sanusi’s normative analysis of the Nigerian political environment, a pressure group, Concerned Nigerians Group, has dragged the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Dr Isa Pantami, to the Director-General, Department of State Security, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, for examination and prosecution. In the Group’s petition signed by its convener, Deji Adeyanju, it stated,”we write to bring to your notice, numerous publications showing Isa Pantami supported the major terrorist groups –Al Queda and the Taliban; describing Osama Bin Laden as a hero and a better muslim than himself.” The minister has been under fire since visual and video clips of his teachings for decades surfaced showing his alleged sympathies with terrorist groups. Pantami’s dark past as an apostle of terror and violence was confirmed by his sermons at several worship centres in the 2000s. If his 2004 speech where he expressed support for the Taliban and the Al Qaeda where he claimed “jihad is an obligation for every believer,” isn’t enough to sack him as a minister in a secular Nigeria, his 2006 speech where he mourned the death of the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Al-Zarqawi saying “May God have mercy on Ahmad Fadeel Al Khalayleh,” is beyond pardon. Indeed, in reacting to the backlash to his terrorist sympathies, Pantami claimed that his pro-terror views were made in the context of youthful exuberance. According to him, “Some of the comments I made some years ago …were based on my understanding of religious issues at the time, and I have changed several positions taken in the past based on new evidence and maturity.” However, there is no iota of evidence to support the claim that he has repented. In a newspaper interview, a Polytechnic lecturer claimed his son Sunday Achi was murdered while a 400 level student at Abubakar Tafawa balewa University, Bauchi. This, he claimed was as a result of the preaching of Pantami who was the Imam of the University mosque at the time. Sunday Achi was the leader of ECWA student Ministries then. That revelation contradicted Pantami’s repentance claim. “The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances,”--Gautama the Buddha. Therefore, it he who can see through appearances that can understand the current Nigerian reality.

Do whatever it takes to win

By Bayo Ogunmupe There are many excuses people give for being late: it is one of the classic jokes Comedians tell. What you might not realize is that every time you come up with some excuse, other people resent it. Whenever you are late, deep down inside most people think that you must feel your time is more valuable than theirs. And that perhaps your plans are more important. You can see how this can kill any chance of your building any successful personal and professional relationships. Being late is one of the reasons why people feel you aren’t deserving their trust or respect. You might believe being late is just how you are. Though there is no denying that being late is a choice. You allowed yourself to be late. However, the most successful people in all areas of life uphold punctuality above all else. They value time, and always plan to arrive ahead of time. Great people would rather be ten minutes early than five minutes late. Those who value punctuality are less stressed and therefore are more insightful, creative and decisive. Success starts anew everyday, ensuring that punctuality remains a key focus and a great way to achieve greatness. Entrepreneurs as risk takers both in life and in business, understand that to succeed, they have to take life altering steps to reap huge rewards. Bad risks result from thoughtless and impulsive actions. An example of bad risk is doing an illegal thing just to save money or cut corners that endanger other people’s lives just to make a bigger profit. When you take calculated risks, you would naturally require background checks, historical data and statistical analysis before making any move. Such information gives you insight into people’s buying patterns, potential gains and profit projections to help you make your decision. In calculated risks, you don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Instead, maintain the parts of your business that are making profit while taking the risk to move your company forward. Never go for every opportunity presenting itself to you. Study each one carefully before taking a decision. You might go into debt for trying to grab every opportunity coming your way. Take the opportunity that is worth doing now, others can be done later. One of the riskiest part of doing business is expanding operations. Many factors affect expansion that companies are hesitant in tackling. One such factor is that the surging demand for your product may wane abruptly before even finishing expansion. So to expand you must study customer surveys, relying on statistical data to back up the need for expansion. Developing a new product is another risky venture. To grow your company, you must be willing to adapt to the changing world. A new product might not be well received by the public. If that happens, the time, money and effort expended would come to nothing. But you can still do it because as an entrepreneur this is the best way to move your company forward. To take such a calculated risk, you must take on market research. And you must evaluate feedback that is either positive or negative. Positive feedback will tell you what you are doing right, while the negative will help you fix what it is that you did wrong. When faced with advice whether to take the risks, try to listen to what your gut is telling you. Meditate and be silent as you listen to your intuition and your inner being. Many times, the best advice comes from within you. Risks are always part of life. To make huge gains, you must take calculated risks. Don’t be afraid to make leaps of faith, just ensure that you have the data, the resources and the strength to face the future. You might not always get what you want. But you will never know success if you didn’t try at all. Take a risk based on valid supporting data, not just on impulse. Trust your gut, your team and trust yourself to make the r

Belema Scribbles Cup of Tea

By Bayo Ogunmupe Cup of Tea is the title of an anthology of poems written by Sandra Belema Ekine. She brings the entire collection of poems on Belema Scribbles. It is a beautiful paperback collection of 118 pages, 60 poems, and 15 paintings in pictures. The book was published in Nigeria in 2020 by Livingstream and Branches Publishing. The Foreword to the anthology is written by Kesiena Aiwemhenle. Among genres of literature, poetry is the most recondite and difficult to understand. It is written with various figures of speech. Other branches or genres of literature are: fiction, fantasy, science fiction, mystery biography, drama and non-fiction. I am one of a few literature students who likes poetry. This is because from an early age I used to speak in puns, metaphor, allegory, hyperbole and innuendos. Which is why I love reading poems at my leisure hours. In reading the Cup of Tea anthology, my love of literature was rekindled. What fascinated me in this author’s collection was the openness of the poems to varying interpretations. Beyond rhymes and lyrics, the poems ignited in the reader, new vistas of epistemological systems of analytical reasoning and cognition. The author, Sandra wrote these poems at various periods in her life. Thus, the book reflects moods, atmospheres and seasons. Competition for rewards in the use of words and images sponsored by various media and business organizations in their hunt for talents in the episodes such as BB Niger and Who Wants To Be A millionaire television contests has exposed money hunters to the reading of literature. According to the author, this anthology is a collection of poems written randomly in her journal. For that, I enjoin you also to keep a daily journal of events in your life. I keep a journal too. Two of her quotations justifying the title given the book will regale you in as much as poetry was created to entertain the intellectual nobility: “In my own hands I hold a bowl of tea; I see all of nature represented in its green colour. Closing my eyes, I find green mountains and pure water within my own heart. Silently sitting alone and drinking tea, I feel these become a part of me-“- Sen Soshitsu. Another follows: “If man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty.”—a Japanese proverb. Unholy matrimony is the title of the first of her poems that catch my fancy. As a woman poet she brings her female orientation to the song on marriage. The man should ask what the lady wants while the inamorata shall enquire what the suitor needs. She writes him an epistle while he sings her a psalm. He provides her all she needs and she avails him all the comfort. The lady hides all the gifts in her purse while the suitor buries his soul in her bosom. Though pseudo is her first name, grabby is his surname. When they’re joined together in holy matrimony, they bring forth offspring of empty promises and extant hypocrisy. “Ask them what they are doing!! Ask them what they will do! “And like ostriches Their heads bury in the sand Their buttocks hang loose in the air Like they just don’t care.” Sandra Belema Ekine is from Rivers State of Nigeria. Born in 1990 in Lagos; moved with her family to live in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. She spent her formative years as well as her basic tutorial and tertiary education there. She presently lives in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja where she works in the administration of the realm. The life of Sandra’s dream is to immortalize her name, touch more lives and make a difference in the world. Cup of Tea is the first anthology of her poems.

Exercise makes vaccines more effective

By Bayo Ogunmupe In 2008 a study found that physical inactivity is responsible for more than five million premature deaths every year. A new study has found that you are 50 percent more likely to have higher antibodies after being vaccinated if you are active, than somebody who is inactive. The study by Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland, also found that 30 minutes of activity 5 days a week decreases the risk of falling ill and dying of infectious diseases by 37 percent. These findings present important implications to future pandemic responses, as the study author, Professor Sebastien Chastin, explains. The availability of vaccines has brought hope for the end of the pandemic. Yet, Covid deaths and cases are still surging around the world particularly in India. As we try to immunize the world, the most likely scenario for the next few years is that Covid19 will be like other infectious diseases, such as flu, that we will need to continuously manage and protect ourselves against. One of the best ways to tackle Covid19 is by being physically active. We already know that physical activity is one of the most effective ways to prevent chronic diseases, along with diet and quitting smoking. Since 2008, a study had shown that physical inactivity is responsible for more than five million premature deaths every year. Now, a new systematic review of evidence by the World Economic Forum shows that regular physical activity strengthens the human immune system, reduces risk of falling ill and dying from infectious disease by more than a third and significantly increases the effectiveness of vaccination campaigns. This has important implications for pandemic responses. In a study by the World Economic Forum they reviewed all available evidence relating to the effect of physical activity on the risk of falling ill and dying from infectious diseases such as pneumonia- a frequent cause of death from Covid19 itself, but the findings are highly relevant to the current pandemic response. They found consistent and compelling evidence across six studies involving more than a half million participants that meeting the recommended guidelines for physical activity- 30 minutes of activity, five days a week- reduces the risk of falling ill and dying of infectious diseases by 37 percent. This adds to the results of another new study conducted in the United States specifically on Covid19. The effect is at least as strong as if not more so than the effect reported for other risk factors of Covid19 such as age or having a preexisting condition such as diabetes. They also found that regular physical activity strengthens the human immune system. Across 35 independent trials – the gold standard for scientific evidence – regular physical activity resulted in elevated levels of the antibody immunoglobulin IgA. This antibody coats the mucosal membrane of our lungs and other parts of our body where viruses and bacteria can enter. Regular physical activity also increases the number of CD4+T cells which are responsible for alerting the immune system of an attack and regulate its response. Finally, in the randomized controlled trials studied, vaccines appear more effective if they are administered after a programme of physical activity. A person who is active is 50 percent more likely to have a higher antibody count after vaccination than somebody who isn’t active. This is a cost-effective and easy way of boosting vaccination campaigns. Considering difficulties in the supply chains, this could be a wise move during each vaccination exercise. How does physical activity ward off disease? There are three mechanisms that make physical activity an effective medicine against infectious diseases. First, it protects against risk factors of severe and fatal infection. Physically active people are less likely to develop obesity, diabetes, respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. Epidemiological studies have shown that Covid19 and other respiratory infections are more severe for people who have these conditions. Physical activity also reduces stress and chronic inflammation, in turn reducing other diverse and fatal infections. Most Covid19 and pneumonia fatalities have been as a result of uncontrolled inflammatory response. Finally, our immune system is stronger if we’re physically active. Which is why we need to get moving. We must be on the go at all times. Physical activity is an important way to make populations less vulnerable to infectious diseases, future epidemics and pandemics. It should be used more urgently and effectively in fighting the current pandemic but also as a long term investment to prevent the devastating social and economic impact this pandemic has had on society. Governments should encourage people to stay active in order to cope with the pandemic. Instead, there are an apparent decrease in physical activity in the past year. This a dangerous trend that could make the population more vulnerable to infectious and chronic diseases in the short term. Left unchecked it will also leave a damaging long-term legacy and increase the burden of disease and its associated social and economic costs. Underestimating the impact of physical inactivity could also exacerbate the unsustainable and unacceptable health inequalities highlighted by the pandemic. It is now more important than ever for governments to galvanize all sectors of society to promote physical activity. Every move counts in fighting this pandemic and managing infectious diseases in the future.