LEADERSHIP IS A PRACTICAL DEMONSTRATION not merely TALK..

Leadership Is A Practical Demonstration NOT merely Talk!

Leadership is a practical demonstration of exceptional capacity, clarity and capability in a manner that influence uncoerced participatory contribution to a defined goal.

As a Nation we have suffered leadership failure because we talk it more than demonstrate it practically. My little workplace, society, business and ecclesiastical interactions confirms this.

Why is the parrot a bird but would never match with an Eagle! Why, Parrots Talk but the Eagles FLY. (Practically demonstrate her bird nature in the sky.)

I was privileged to be on air this morning on a very sensitive Leadership Question IS NIGERIA A FAILED STATE? 

My position:

Analytically, Nigeria is a WEAK STATE since her sovereignty is still intact, however, the welfare and well-being of the citizenry enumerates her as a collapsed state.

Streams of calls came in and it was sadly palpable that Nigerians have lost confidence and hope in the leadership of this country. Figures of GDP don't state the unquantifiable pain of the people. The bottom line is that we talk leadership more than demonstrate it.

I remember vividly, As a Cash Officer in the bank years back even before I grew to become Operations Head. It is real that when you are known to be good at a task or department, the bank will keep you there but I was bothered about this parochial banking experience of being confined to one aspect yet called a banker. We had some receiving tellers who had worked for years as contract staff but we needed to employ paying tellers at the front end.

Now, as a teller you need both receiving and paying experience to qualify as one. I positioned that those old hands should be moved over to pay while the new ones begin with receiving. Everyone said it can't be done except I write to the head office and no one wanted to do that. So I wrote justifying how that would boost their productivity and reshape their contribution value plus workplace esteem. It was a success. Some of them eventually got employed as full-time staff and others enjoyed that gesture.

Why do we talk about Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr? They led peaceful, practical protest that were palpable, transforming, Non-violent and Transient.

Big ups to Kobe Bryant. Why? He played basketball so exceptionally that the entire NBA acknowledged that "he inspired a whole new generation of basketballers.". He demonstrated his skills leadership enough to birth passion and participation in a new generation. That is influential leadership.

My question for you as a leader here is... Who will your life, value and what you do inspire?

Three (3) key take away for leadership demonstration are

1. Driving Visionary People impact and well-being

2. To have Environmental Influence

3. Legacy of value. (Evidenced Social and Economic Contribution)

These are the peculiarities of leadership I live for. Don't know about you.

Julius Afolabi

Value Improvement Strategist.