I am walking around the city, sort of undecided which street to take, and this Ghanaian man appears suddenly? “Want to buy something brother? Need clothes, shoes, phones or bags? We go to my shop. You will be happy. Come let me take you… follow me.” This guy is a pro. He has mastered the art of approaching strangers. Telling them words of wisdom as he walks calmly with them to his shop. He does it so masterfully that you cannot refuse to first check out his shop. And once you enter, it is difficult to just exit without buying…
Rain in the desert
A major experience is bringing results to the desert. Rain. Lots of rain. The gulf countries have done what is called cloud seeding —where they use airplanes to seed the clouds. Which in turn bring rain fall. Talk of making the impossible possible. Optimizing technology and creating a fantastic experience for everyone. But this has brought a small challenge to big cities like Dubai, which has been a front runner in cloud seeding—flooding of city roads, parking spaces and general in the low lands. The planners of Dubai city never envisioned rain and rhe resultant water. Which meant that the…
Tool 72 of 104 is to develop positive habits
Habits provide a fertile ground for your success. Good habits are your strategic foundation for living a happy life. While in school, to win you had to conduct regular notes revision, go to the library, attend classes regularly, be in discussion groups of brilliant students and teach others so as to grasp the concepts better. Good habits make you successful. Bad habits make you poor. What are your habits for 2020? It is week two of the new year, what are you doing consistently so that you win? As Catholics, our religion is built on a foundation of strong habits…
Life in the city. How a Nigerian driver makes more money from African tourists
I enter into a random taxi. A driver is a black man. I go into a conversation mode. Me: Where are you from? Driver: Africa? Me: Which African country are you from? Driver: Nigeria Me: Oh, Nigeria. You Oga’s are very active. Every country I go, I find Nigerians. You have looked for money. Driver: Chuckles… you man you are funny. We Nigerians, we are extroverts. We move out. We have put Africa on the world map… Me: For all the wrong reasons. You guys are too street smarts that people don’t blink in your presence. And they think all…
Why did you spill the coffee?
I love this analogy! You are holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and bumps into you or shakes your arm, making you spill your coffee everywhere. Why did you spill the coffee? “Because someone bumped into me!!!” Wrong answer. You spilled the coffee because there was coffee in your cup. Had there been tea in the cup, you would have spilled tea. Whatever is inside the cup is what will spill out. Therefore, when life comes along and shakes you (which WILL happen), whatever is inside you will come out. It’s easy to fake it, until you…
#Mindspark 10: What capabilities do you need to win?
If you want to operate a bank, you must have the capability of raising the minimum regulatory capital requirements as well as other governance requirements by the regulator and your respective best practices. If you want to eat meat, you must have the teeth to chew it. You need the capability. If you want to operate a hospital, you must have the right skills and medical equipment. And if you want to teach MBA students, you must have the capability to deliver an outstanding lecture. What resources do you need to win? You can not operate a radio or tv…
