Leadership Chapter 11

Early the following week, I arrive at the restaurant where my mentor and I are meeting, I look across and he is sitting in the far corner of the room seemingly winding up another meeting. Within 5 minutes he is done, we greet, I sit down and we order something to drink. “What a week” I sigh as we get into the conversation. “What happened?” he asks.

I proceed to explain everything from how the week started, the system trouble, my now famous calmness, the customer call, my staff seemingly taking advantage of my willingness to speak to customers regularly.. “it’s all just too much” I exclaim! “There are so many things hitting me at the same time. I can’t think properly.. every day comes with new problems and I feel like I’m drowning”.

Having done a really good job at seeking sympathy and expecting a hug or something, my mentor looks at me, has a sip of water, opens the menu and asks, “what are you having today?” I open my menu and give him a strange look. I have just poured my heart out and this guy is asking me about food?

I grab the menu feeling somewhat irritated and have a look. Shortly thereafter, the waitress arrives, takes our orders and my mentor then starts a different conversation all together asking unrelated questions like.. “So how are you?” “How are you finding being a father?” “When was the last time you spoke to your parents?” “How are they?” “Where did you say your siblings are again”?...

This “left wing” conversation lasts all through dinner leaving me confused... As the waitress clears the table, he then says..

“Amasi, you applied for this job, you were excited when you got it, you like and accept the pay every month and my understanding is that you want to build a successful corporate career correct?” he subtly asks.. “Yes that’s correct” I respond expecting some deep wisdom to follow.... “Well then.. what you have described is exactly the job you accepted. Do the job, do it well and stop complaining. They are paying you more because they expect you to solve problems...bigger problems than you did before. That’s what you are experiencing everyday and that’s what you will continue to experience in a role of this nature... Take control of the situation and train yourself not to get overwhelmed by chaos. That’s what leaders do and you claim to be one so... THAT’S THE JOB...DO THE JOB..AND DO IT WELL!!” he says with some dangerous looking passion in his eyes..

That evening comes to an end and as we walk to the car park, he turns to me and says, “You must always remember one important thing by the way. This is a job, it is not who you are.. don’t confuse those two things.”

“So what about the vision” I ask as he gets into his car.. “Pull yourself together before you go around sharing any vision” he responds as he starts the car.

And so the conversation ends..