TheCable

I took up a contractual arrangement to teach LEADERSHIP, ETHICS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP, in a Technical School recently. They requested that I open an account in the same bank they pay the salaries of their staff. Their bank, though pan African, is one I really do not fancy, and didn’t want to open any account with, i.e, I was already biased against the bank.

I tried to get them to pay my monthly honouraria into any of the two accounts I already had, but they were insistent on sending all their monthly payments to the same bank, for ease of banking/accounting operations. After much reasoning, I decided to open the new account ‘be-be sha!’

I filled out the bank forms, submitted all the documents they asked for, the clerk assured me that everything was in order, and said to me, “You will get a message telling you that your account has been opened. Please sir, as soon as you get the message, you would need to transfer some money into the account to activate it.”

That settled, I left the bank, only to get a call from the clerk, that the name on my BVN was arranged differently, compared to the one on the ID card I had given them; that I would need to do a sworn affidavit to harmonize the two.

And, I’m like, ‘see the fowl wey we wan fry wey dey take oil rub body!’ When my original, already existing accounts didn’t give me that stress, why should I take the trouble for this new one?!
I returned to the school, and I told them I would not go through the stress of affidavit, ‘affidancer or affidating!’ But, I was persuaded still, to see it through.

Then, within myself, I addressed my unfounded bias against the bank, and resolved to go all the way through with the account. When I had settled it in my mind to open the account, it occurred to me that my Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) had my name arranged the way this particular bank wanted it.
So, I sent the clerk this message, “Hello Bose, this is my PVC, which has the same arrangement as the BVN.

I could use it, and re-fill the form, but, the only snag is, I only have it on my phone. The hard card was lost to robbery last year.

Should I come tomorrow?”

Long story short, the soft copy PVC ID sufficed, and the account opening process was signed, sealed and delivered.

But, it only happened after I became really WILLING to lay aside my bias, saw the reason to open that account, and made up my mind to see it through.

Nothing can stop, limit or hinder you when you are WILLING, DECIDED and DETERMINED!
It is true that where there’s a WILL there’s always a WAY!

Do you have a WILLING heart and mind?

“As for you, my son Solomon (the reader), know the GOD of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and WITH A WILLING MIND; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.” – 1 Chronicles 28:9.

NEVER ASSUME! NEVER PRESUME!

Rick is one of the 50 plus participants in a LEADERSHIP, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND BUSINESS ETHICS Class I teach every Wednesday.

He’s warm, receptive and eager to learn; he was one of the very first to procure the text I recommended, ‘THE LEADER WHO HAD NO TITLE’, by Robin Sharma.

And, I’m usually always attracted to people who show genuine interest in real knowledge and true education.

So, like I did with some other students, I added him to my mailing list, and he usually responds with ENCOURAGING comments.

However, last week, he flouted one of the rules guiding the WhatsApp Group of the Class; I called him out before the other students, and chided him mildly. We continued with the Leadership Class, and ended that session on a beautiful note.

Then, I noticed that Rick didn’t respond to anything I wrote from last Thursday till yesterday (Tuesday, 16th February), so, I made up my mind to ask him in class today (Wednesday, 17th), if he was angry with me because I reprimanded him last week. I did.

When he adjusted himself, so he could properly answer me, I noticed that he had a wound on his arm, and a bandage on his foot.

“What happened to you?!” I exclaimed!

Then, he told me, and the entire class, that he had a bike (‘Okada’) accident some days back.

Hmm, what a pity!

Imagine if I had dwelt on the assumption that he was angry with me because of what happened last week. Imagine!

You see, to ASSUME could make an ASS of U and ME, just as PRESUMING could put undue PRESSURE on U and ME.

Don’t ASSUME!

Don’t PRESUME!

Get the facts, and always avoid jumping into conclusions.

REMEMBER the 5th Habit in the ‘7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE’ by Stephen Covey, is, ‘SEEK FIRST TO UNDERSTAND BEFORE YOU SEEK TO BE UNDERSTOOD!’

It’s one of the GOOD QUALITIES of effective leaders.

Ricky, get well quickly, and be healed totally, in JESUS Name.

SHALOM.