True leaders and winners never ask for attention, they get it naturally.
In the heart of Murchison Falls National Park, a lone elephant once wandered close to our safari van, no announcement, no trumpet, no need for a spotlight, everyone stopped, everyone looked, and even the lions turned their heads.
Because you cannot hide the elephant, not in the wild, not in a room, not in the boardroom. And that’s the problem with today’s obsession with “visibility.” Some folks are busy raising their hands when they should be raising their standards. They want to be seen, heard, and applauded before they have even become the elephant.
Real power doesn’t chase attention. It attracts it. The best leaders I have coached, from regulators to rogue startups, never worried about “being noticed.” They worried about becoming undeniable. They built institutions, transformed cultures, and doubled revenues while others were still refining their LinkedIn bios.
Here’s the trap others may say, “Shout your brilliance, blow your trumpet, get noticed!” But shouting doesn’t make you an elephant. It makes you a hyena, noisy, frantic, always circling, never leading.
Once, I was in Bangkok with my wife on holiday. We happened to meet a prominent minister and his family at the same hotel where we were staying. We had booked through the airline and were upgraded to a special experience.
The room was fantastic, and we were granted access to an exclusive VIP restaurant on the 30th floor, overlooking the entire city.
As is our tradition when travelling, we spoke in our local dialects.
In the restaurant, we remarked, “Abagaiga balya kubi,” meaning “the rich eat badly.” We laughed. Then, to our surprise, the “big” minister, yes, the one who usually moves around Kampala in armored escort vehicles, walked up to us and greeted us in fluent Runyankore.
I suspect he was curious: what kind of Ugandans spend their holidays in five-star hotels? But here’s the point: you give yourself the life you plan. We save, we travel, and we create meaningful experiences. It’s been eye-opening, especially for me, as Mr. Strategy.
Do not shout, show.
Mr. Strategy
