The fisherman’s credo states that ‘if you are not doing anything in the boat, don’t stay there.’ The fisherman will require you to deserve your seat in the boat. For any fisherman, there are two tools that are very critical; paddles and oars to row the boat and water cans to empty the boat when it floods. When I was a small boy in the early 1990s, I used to go fishing on Lake Albert. One of the challenging times whenever you go to L.Albert, you have to ensure you are hardworking. I would go in the lake with some…
The cost of a small leak
As a fraud investigator, my finding is that many small businesses do not collapse or stagnate because they are not having revenue. They collapse because they are making a lot of money but losing it in small amounts that can be easily detected. And this is the biggest challenge in corporate Uganda; people steal small things but over a long period of time. My friends in Kenya call it ‘kula kidogo halakini kwa muda murefu.’ ‘Eat small but over a long period of time.’ A person of this nature in your company is the biggest cost. I know you have…
Leadership: Farmer vs. servant model
Are you a farmer or servant leader? Farmer leadership is a concept that looks at leaders (or farmers) who have good farms. They are always monitoring their farms so as to identify what is causing crops not to grow properly. Most of the time they will find weeds. They will remove it or prune it out. This is the kind of leadership you want to bring to your business or any kind of entity you are leading. You are always on the move to identify the best talent and mediocre staff. A mediocre is like a weed. Mediocre staff gossip…
Thinking proactively
Success through employment is one of the options you have. I recommend that your objective is to have clear career focus of the corporate/ organization level you eventually plan to reach. As a government employee or civil servant, however brilliant you may be, being well networked with political leaders and other high-level civil servants is critical for your fast career progression. You will likely complete university at 23 years. Get your first job at 25 years. And work for another 5 years to get a promotion into a managerial role. That assumes a merit system where performers are identified and…
Specialisation Vs Generalisation. What does great look like?
In Uganda but also anywhere in the world, people who earn high incomes are those who have expertise in their area of specialization. If you are an engineer, a medical doctor or a forensic examiner, you need to be specialized. Specialization gives you a lot of industry expertise. You become a leader whom others want to follow. The challenge in many developing countries is that clients do not yet understand what great looks like. When the market doesn’t understand what great looks like, they are willing to pay a lot for any kind of skill. Clients end up paying for…
A Q&A with Mustapha: You are a Certified Fraud Examiner, how come you talk more about success and strategy and not fraud?
A: In life, you have to find your forte. But also which side do you want to be remembered for or where do you add most impact. When it comes to fraud, you are more or less being reactive. Something wrong has already taken place. You want to find out who did it. You step on so many toes in the process. After so many years of investigation and working with law enforcement bodies and lawyers, I have realised that investigations bring misery to people. Is that a good thing? But also, the victims have reasons as to why they…
