Imbibing the Traits of Creative Leaders

                By Bayo Ogunmupe

      Becoming a leader takes courage and creativity. But creativity takes practice. Being a leader is difficult too. That is why most of us take direction as employees rather than self employed entrepreneurs. However, due to technology and recession the ranks of the self employed are swelling. Indeed, becoming a leader, if even leading oneself is something anyone committed to innovation must practice. There is no inborn quality that leaders possess. They are ordinary people who decide to do extraordinary things.

      Therefore, becoming a leader doesn't take just courage, it demands creativity, the kind you need to actively  nurture and practice. I am a literary critic, so I like to think of leadership as an art form. And I have found that in order to become a leader, you need to develop the traits of champions. You must tap into your  creative intelligence in order to keep ahead of the crowd, stay nimble and inspire those around you. Here are some traits most creativity driven leaders possess.

      One, they rattle cages, meaning they are unpredictable. They change constantly. In the world of business and politics, nothing stays the same. Some people wait until they are propelled into leadership by forces of nature. But great leaders from Joan of Arc through Martin Luther King Jnr to Steve Jobs: first provoke themselves into action. They are constantly imagining new possibilities. They instigate the change that they envision even when others are unaware. They predict the future by creating change.

      To rise to your true leadership potential, you need to rattle cages, starting from yourself. Thus, the main difference between great leaders and ordinary people  is that they are willing to act rather than allow circumstances dictate life for them. That means they shake-up long-standing beliefs and institutions which is often never well received. That is what makes them great.

      Two, they listen to their intuition. There are things we know to be true and  things we feel to be true. Due to education, we tend to lean on existing knowledge to solve problems and make decisions. But great  leaders realize that things they sense - the possibilities that lie beyond the realm of the known, hold special value too. Listening to intuition is how real breakthroughs happen.

      Often, we have problems balancing logic with intuition. The truth is that both faculties aren't opposed to one another. In fact, the best is to get them  working together, if you are truly to become a creative leader. Intellect without intuition is the hallmark of the smart guy without impact. Intuition without intellect makes the spontaneous person without direction. The great leader marries intuition with intellect to produce innovation.

      Three, creative leaders move fast to produce results. The biggest stumbling block for anyone trying to  accomplish something is perfectionism- the need to get it exactly right before taking the next step. However, great leaders realize that perfection is impossible. And often the pursuit of perfection stands in the way of progress. Leadership requires making consistent strides, no matter how big. And the quicker the stride the greater the progress.

      Never buy into the notion that you can take a giant leap if you spend enough time carefully mapping it out. By the time you get done planning, others would have lapped you twice and take the leap you spent months mulling over. Instead, just go and let the sparks fly. You will make mistakes but you will learn quickly by moving- refining your skills and igniting new levels of creativity you didn't know you had.

      Four, creative leaders have ideological convictions and stick to them. There is something compelling about a person with conviction. But conviction is rare because we often look outside ourselves for direction when we should look inside. Conviction can be cultivated but it starts with you individually. The key is to find something that you  feel you are meant to do, and give yourself to it.

      Finally, they don't only do what5 is expected of them, they have the ability of coming up with new ideas, as their defining characteristic. They step out with  new possibilities that set the course for others to follow. In order to free your own originality, you must be willing to stop doing only  what is required and expected of you and start doing the things that only you can do. Ultimately, the real difference between you and creative leaders who inspire is action.

Personal Discipline Essential for Riches

                  By Bayo Ogunmupe

        In order to do God's will, Moses had to leave his comfort zone. Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He thought it was better to  suffer than to own all the treasures of Egypt. He was looking ahead to his great reward from Jehovah.

      To fulfill the mission that God gave him, Moses had to give up two things: One, Moses had to leave the ease and comfort of Pharaoh's palace. Ease is a greater danger to your progress than hardship. After leaving the palace, Moses spent his next forty years in the desert tending sheep. He married one of Jethro's daughters; managed her father's business and enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle. 

      Can you imagine leaving all that to face Pharaoh? God's plan for your life will bless and reward you, but never expect it to be easy: 'Along familiar paths I will guide them that dote upon the Lord' Isaiah 42:16. Two, Security: When Jehovah called him, Moses had many doubts and questions: 'Who am I that I should go?' Exodus 3:11. 'What shall I say to them?'Exodus 3:13. 'Suppose they will not believe me?' Exodus 4:1. 'But I am slow of speech', Exodus' Exodus 4:10. Finally, Moses told God, 'Send someone else', Exodus 4:13.

      Have you been doing that in God's plan to make you the messiah to rescue Nigeria from poverty? Fortunately, God would not take no for an answer and Moses eventually did the one thing that works when you are uncertain about the future. He obeyed God entrusting the details of the future to Him. In doing that Moses agreed to hearken to Jehovah's call by leaving his comfort zone and returning to Egypt. As a result the children of Israel were delivered  from slavery; and Moses' name became immortal. When are you leaving your comfort zone to deliver Nigeria from the shackles of depression?

      Three, It is never easy to leave your comfort zone. Moses probably didn't relish leaving the luxury of Pharaoh's palace or the security of his new family in Midian. Yet if he hadn't, he would have failed to fulfill God's call. Just because you don't feel like doing something does not mean you should not. The  greater the assignment, the greater the sacrifice. Four, real progress begins as soon as you leave your comfort zone.

      For forty years, Moses benefited from everything Egypt had to offer. But only after he left Egypt for the first time did he begin to learn what was really important, namely, God's purposes. It took him another forty years in the desert to discover how God intended to use him. By then, he had been humbled, rendered old, infirm and sagacious by experience. The bottom line is that before you become successful you have grow in wisdom and experience.

      Five, staying in your comfort zone robs you of your greatest moments and memories. Your life story is told by risks- those you took and those you avoided. Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed about the risks you did not take than the ones you did. The way to pre-empt tomorrow's regret is by moving forward today into the faith zone. You say, But there is so much I don't know or understand. That may be true but here is a promise you can stand on: "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them.....turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These things I will do, I will not forsake them," Isaiah 42:16. What more assurance for God's blessings do you need? For you to become great, you must leave home and your comfort zone to gather experience, wisdom and courage.

Getting Nigeria out of recession

              

                By Bayo Ogunmupe

      With the decline in the price of oil and the subsequent decline in revenues accruable to the federal government; there have been strident calls for the Nigerian economy to be diversified. And both President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have agreed to take urgent steps to diversify the Nigerian economy. But these are mistaken views; because our economy is well diversified.

      According to the World Bank, in 2014, after the rebasing of our economy it was discovered that the Nigerian economy was more diversified than previously documented. Though we can diversify further, diversification isn't our priority. Our problem lies in oil and gas which accounted for 11 percent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP); and this oil accounts for 90 percent of our foreign exchange income. Moreover, oil accounts for 80 percent of our yearly revenue.

      This means we have for too long relied too much on revenues from oil. We have neglected other sources of revenue. However, now that oil revenue has plunged down to its lowest ever, Nigeria must of necessity sink deeper into recession. Let us therefore seek ways to pull Nigeria out of recession. One of our faults is pride or ignorance; a refusal to change in the face of imminent danger. We also hate to imitate good policies elsewhere. We are a federation but our leaders chose to run Nigeria as a unitary state which makes governance very expensive.

      To bail Nigeria out of recession, we must look for how they extricated themselves from recession elsewhere and imitate them. It is as simple as that. To foolishly persist in wrongdoing is to continue to wallow in poverty. For the second time in eight years, Greece came out of recession recently. With a bail out from the International Monetary Fund, Greece had to fulfill some harsh austerity measures. These measures included a cut in the salaries of public office holders, workers including civil servants and pensioners. That led to street protests and strikes by workers. These austerity measures led to the privatization of airports, highways and government housing estates.

      Apart from the reduction of the staff strength, austerity also led to higher taxes and cuts in allowances. Subsequently, Greece got out of recession. Before we offer solutions rather than palliatives, let us examine our confused monetary policies. In the third quarter of 2014, the Central Bank monetary policy committee increased interest rate to 13 percent and stayed there till November 2015. Thereafter it was cut to 11 percent. In March 2016, this rate was raised to 12 percent and then in July, it was raised again to 14 percent.

      However, between May 2015 and November 2016, inflation doubled from 8 percent to 17.7 percent. This inconsistency in policy should stop. Since we have opted for a fixed exchange rate, we either have monetary autonomy or capital mobility. Thus, the first step is to float the naira continuously. Then we can negotiate foreign loans as standby facility in the event of a crash. That $30 billion federal government planned to borrow might have this policy somersault in my mind.

      Under these circumstances, the naira will depreciate as it had been doing. Going for loans elicits a range of policy options in a developing economy like Nigeria. We have to abide with the terms of our lenders. Continuing our current policy will result in high inflation, low investment and high unemployment. These short term pains are inevitable. We must pay the price in hunger for not saving for the rainy day. Such a new policy option will be followed by higher investment and a sustained period of low inflation with higher growth.

      However, to boost employment, we would need the enthronement of a National Full Employment Plan with special funds to prosecute it. To make it a proper palliative, NAFEP loans should be collateral free,interest free and used mainly for import substitution enterprises. In these dire circumstances, the Buhari administration must push forth aggressive initiatives. Recently, the African Development Bank approved $56 billion to scale up industrial development in Nigeria. In the medium term, industrialization must be the catalyst of the job creation category of the Nigerian development effort. The government must support this effort with a favourable business environment , access to the capital market and competitive entrepreneurship.

      In effect, Nigeria must jump start cooperation with China, as reflected by our official visits to Beijing. Cooperation with China provides the potential for substantial project financing at low interest rates. The efforts to accelerate the development of our infrastructure through Buhari's state visit to China last April are commendable. A key project is the modernization of the Nigerian railways. This has the potential of unifying fragmented markets and boosting national cohesion.

      Moreover, efforts to rehabilitate Boko Haram ravaged North East and the proposed Export Processing Zones will attract Chinese investors bent on displacing Anglo American armada in Nigeria. In 2017, Buhari must protect fiscal sustainability at all costs, even as this might exacerbate external imbalances. Government must also reinforce the resiliency of the banks. Most importantly, Nigeria must execute structural reforms for sustained and inclusive growth.

      For clarity,for our leaders are hard of hearing, structural reforms mean the merging of states to reduce expenditure; reduction of staff strength of the civil services of the states and that of the civil service of the federation. The National Youth Service Corps should be scrapped. It serves no useful purpose in a depression. We can no longer finance it. The refineries should sold with a maximum government equity of 30 percent. Ever heard of a government owned refinery in the United States? As the global economy continues to deteriorate, the time to accelerate policy responses is now. The worst is yet to come in the aftermath of Donald Trump's self interest economic outlook.

Things you must know about yourself

                   By Bayo Ogunmupe

      Here are truths you must understand that will make you excel. One, there is a life-force within your soul which is a spark from the Supreme Intelligence. You might have been taught from childhood to look outside of yourself for salvation. However, from that divine spark within, you can gain all the answers needed for a life more abundant. So, always seek inside of you for solutions. Two, you know more than you think. Your heart and soul are a lot wiser than you think. This is so because they have been alive here from time immemorial. They know everything about you, your path in life and about all the wonderful things you are capable of being, doing and having.

      And if you could just cultivate the habit of conversing with your soul via meditation; listening, trusting and following the guidance of your heart and the wisdom of your intuition. You will discover that the answers you were once seeking were within yourself. Three, you were not created to live in a box. Your nature is gregarious, flexible, fluid and expansive. Your perception is greater than reality. You are more precious and valuable than all the labels heaped on you until now and all the labels that may be placed on you in the future.

      When you define yourself, you put yourself in a box to conform to elicit ideas of who you are and how you should live. You deny yourself the right to realize your full human potential. You deny yourself the right to become all you  can be. Four, but you are not a finished product. You are constantly changing, growing and evolving; taking new forms and shapes: becoming something new each day. That is why it is important for you to be flexible at all times. You must be open to change. You must allow yourself to be who life needs you to be; not who you think you should be.

      Always remember that the more a thing tends to be permanent, the more it tends to be lifeless. When you try to shine, you dim your inner light. Tao Te Ching says:"He who stands tiptoe doesn't stand firm. He who rushes ahead  doesn't go far. He who tries to shine dims his own light. He who defines himself can't know who he really is"- Lao Tzu, the Chinese philosopher and compiler of the Buddhist holy book, who lived in the 6th century Before the Christian Era (BCE).

      Five, you came to this world shining like a star. Though you might have forgotten how valuable you actually are; you could just do without trying to prove your value to others, you will eventually allow your light to be seen, valued and appreciated. You will no longer depend on others to confirm that you are worthwhile. Six, your worth cannot be verified by others, that will only be determined  by history. Other people cannot determine your worth, since most people have no idea how valuable they themselves are.

      Most people allow places, people and circumstances determine how much they are worth; and so they judge you as being worthy. based on the same criteria; not knowing that these things have nothing to do with your value and self-worth. Make sure you don't fall into the trap of thinking that who you are is not enough and that you need other people's approval, love and validation. Never allow external forces, places, people or circumstances determine how much you are worth.

      Decide for yourself, which is why it is self-worth, not other worth. Self-worth cannot be verified, so never depend on others for your value. Seven, you don't have to compare or compete with anyone. The life you will create and the person you were born to be are unique. Since your path is different, there is no need to compare or compete with anyone. No need to be better than anyone. When you are content to be yourself, everybody will respect you.

        Eight, you have your own unique path to walk in life. Even though you might be tempted at times to imitate and follow the herd; to do what everybody else does, please don't. Insist on yourself; never imitate, every champion is unique. Embrace your uniqueness. Nine, you are never alone, wherever you are. Your heart and soul are always with you, guiding,inspiring, protecting you and making sure you loved and cared for. Moreover, your guardian and legions of other angels are waiting for you to ask for their guidance. That my friend, is something no one can take from you.

Find Ways to Serve Others

                By Bayo Ogunmupe

      Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th president of the United States. By his astute diplomacy and humility he was able to dismember the Soviet Union thereby turning the world to a unipolar globe dominated by the United States. He was arguably the greatest U. S. president in the 20th century. When he was governor of California, Reagan sometimes slipped out of his office; telling his chief of staff Michael Deaver, "I have few errands to run." Deaver became curious, so he leafed through the "to read file' on the governor's desk. On top was a wrinkled letter from a man stationed in Vietnam. 

      The soldier had written to Reagan telling him about his life in Southeast Asia; and how much he missed his wife. That particular day was their wedding anniversary and he wanted her to know how much he loved her and longed to be with her. Although he had already sent her a card, he asked the governor if he could make a phone call to make sure she was okay and pass on his love in case she didn't receive the card. The next day Deaver discovered Reagan had done much more than the soldier requested. He had picked up a dozen red roses and delivered them to the man's wife. Dale Rowlee, the governor's driver told Deaver that Reagan approached the woman with extreme humility and offered the flowers on behalf of her loving husband stationed in the jungle on the other side of the world.

      Then Reagan spent an hour with her, drinking coffee and talking about her family. Reagan's humility may, in fact, have been one of the secrets of his enduring popularity. To be humble to superiors is duty, to equals, courtesy; to inferiors, nobility. It is not by deeds, but small acts of kindness that make us great as God counts greatness. Finding ways to serve others like this are sacrifices God is pleased with. Maintaining an unimpeachable integrity is yet another way to please God. "The integrity of the upright guides them," Proverbs 11:3. The word integrity derives from Latin word, integer, a mathematical cliche meaning whole as opposed to a fraction. So when you walk in integrity, you tell the whole truth, not just a fraction of it. That is why we take an oath in court to tell "the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God."

      Sometimes, we slant the truth, embellish it and tell half-truths, just for financial gain. At other times, for social advantage. And sometimes, it is to hide our actions. Jacob whose name means- trickster, conspired with his mother and deceived his father into giving him the birthright of the firstborn- twice as much of their father's inheritance which rightfully belonged to his older brother Esau.

      And Jacob paid dearly for it. He spent the next fourteen years as a fugitive working for his father-in-law, who was an even bigger and better cheat than Jacob. Finally in despair, Jacob had an encounter with God and heard these words: "I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.....I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you," Genesis 28:15. That day Jacob's value system changed and the taker became a giver. He told God, "Of all that you give me I will give you a tenth," Genesis 28:22. Thereafter, God blessed him beyond his wildest dreams. He returned home with a beautiful family, great riches and a new name- Israel. The truth is: integrity pays dividends every time because Jehovah guarantees it.

Visualize your way to victory

                  By Bayo Ogunmupe

      The older prosperity manuals are often the best. And Genevieve Behrend's books provide a charming entry point to the genre. It is fascinating to sit down with 'Your Invisible Power' after reading contemporary manifestation and 'law of attraction' books, like The Secret and Ask and It Is Given as you realize that many of their ideas are not new; with Behrend having studied and written about this material 80 years previously.

      Behrend was the pupil of the British philosopher Thomas Troward, a former judge in the Indian Punjab, who in his spare time had studied the arcane books of the East, therefrom becoming a master of metaphysics. Troward propounded the laws governing the relationship between the individual and the Universal Mind. In his book 'The Creative Process in the Individual', Troward argues that the fulfillment of our personalities is vital for the evolution of the universe. His thinking was seminal to the emergence of the New Thought movement and the science of the mind in the 1930s.

      Thus, Behrend summarized these ideas in her book that combines spiritual principles with anecdotes of her researches to help people appreciate their abundance. Compared to its modern counterparts, Behrend's Your Invisible Power is more focused on visualization to achieve desires. It is also distinguished by its concept that every person is God in miniature. This means that when you have feelings of lack, you have forgotten your divinity or divine connection to Divine abundance. Since you are Godlike, what your mind can conceive and believe, you can achieve.

      What we visualize tends to come into being. Use this invisible power to turn any desire into reality. There is nothing mysterious in turning our pictured desire into material reality. Everything in the whole world, from your hat, shoe and cellphone, first existed as a picture in the mind. It then comes into existence as a projection of human thought. Through the law of growth and attraction, whatever you desire becomes yours.

      Behrend's first point is that visualization brings order to your mind. The Universe and the Mind behind it is perfectly in order and your use of vivid imagination allows this order to be expressed. We now have airplanes and telephones because someone first visualized that such things should exist. All great advances are a triumph of principle over circumstances. Reality is a blurry concept when you consider that all things are first created in the human mind. At the moment that they are being imagined, they are already part real. Which is why whatever you imagine you can achieve because of your divine nature.

      Therefore, in visualizing the object of your ambition, you are not changing natural laws; you are only fulfilling them. A strong mental image summons the mysterious but unfailing law of attraction to allow your ambition to materialize in accordance with your imagination. With such strong images, the success of your goal takes on an air of inevitability. We all create our futures first in the mind before they are played out in physical reality. For example, the United States railway magnate James Hill, whose railroad stretched from one U.S. coast to the other, first built it in his mind decades before the first track was actually laid. What Hill did to achieve his goal was to visualize what he wanted strongly enough to pull him into action. Upon all, action is the soul of success. Without action nothing can be achieved. All rests on the Biblical promise: "All things whatsoever thou wilt, believe thou hast received, and all thou shalt receive."

Make Integrity Your Winning Strategy

                  By Bayo Ogunmupe

      In Paul's epistle to the Corinthians, God said, 'Love never fails', think about it. Money doesn't bring happiness; fame doesn't bring self-worth and revenge doesn't bring satisfaction. The only thing that never fails is love. When Mother Teresa addressed the United Nations, she was asked, 'How can we have world peace?'  She replied, 'Go home and love your family'. If we all did, 'Paradise Lost' would become 'Paradise Found'. Napoleon Bonaparte's intellectual prowess and intense egotism make his tribute to the supremacy of leadership by love all the more striking. He said, 'Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and I myself founded empires: but upon what did the creations of our genius depend? Upon force. Jesus alone founded His empire on love, and to this day millions would die for Him".

      Sometimes, leaders are just power-holders; because you cannot love others without making yourself vulnerable, for they see the expression of love as a weakness. But factually, you cannot love and keep all your options open. To truly love your spouse, your children, your siblings or the people you lead, you must give yourself unreservedly in such a way that you can be hurt  and even rejected. The fundamental principle  on which power holders operate is to protect themselves and everything they have. Whereas, true leadership is to give of yourself without reservations. Love as a characteristic of leadership seems now outmoded, yet according to the scriptures, love and integrity are the winning strategy for success in life. The bible says, 'God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of courage, power and of love and of a sound mind'. Thus, courage, integrity and love are the attributes of champions.

      "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you", Luke 6:32. The love talked about in scripture isn't a sentimental emotion that gives you goose bumps. It is compassion, caring and concern  for the well-being of another. It is based on commitment, not convenience. It is an act of your will, not a reflex of your emotions. When we submit to God's dealings in our lives, He empowers us to reach our full potential by gently breaking our stubborn will that needs to be submitted to Him. As our stubbornness breaks, His power within us is released and things begin to change for the better. Power, vision and talent  without character  and direction, have destroyed  many a man and woman, so be warned.

      Unless your talent is governed by character, you  are headed for failure. You don’t belong to yourself alone; you must honour God who bought you at a high price. Isaiah wrote, “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw  the Lord sitting  on a throne, high and lifted up.”  The king had to die before Isaiah saw Him. Only when a leader becomes impervious to applause and approval and dies to ego is Jehovah glorified in his leadership. 

      When God calls you to be a leader, here are two important principles you must  always  practice.  One,  reach for people who stretch you. Solomon said, ‘Teach the wise, and they will become wiser,’ Proverbs 9:9. You can tell a lot about the direction of your  life by looking at  the people you hang out with. Their values and priorities impact on the way you think and act. If they are positive and dedicated to growth, then they will encourage and reinforce your desire  to grow. It is not only comfortable to associate with people who are ahead of  you  in their growth; but it is  profitable.

      So, try to cultivate people  who stretch you, who never think in terms  of only what  you can gain, bringing something to the table yourself. Two, realize there are tradeoffs. As responsibilities increase, rights decrease.  In a world where perks and privileges  accompany the climb to success, little thought is given to the responsibilities of the upward journey.  As the American oil magnate John Rockefeller once said, “Every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty.” Put another way, “To whom much is given,  from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.”, Luke 12:48.