“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”
– John C. Maxwell,
This morning, I woke up to a video of Mallam Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai former Governor of Kaduna State, where a certain young guy came to greet him and I suspect he told him he wanted to meet the Governor of Abia State Dr. Alex Otti. Without any hesitation, El Rufai carried him straight to Dr Otti, introduced the guy and believe me, that introduction will come with many benefits to the guy, because he obviously will get the contact of the Governor or a top aide of the Governor which ultimately will grant him access, and because of the calibre of person who did the introduction.
Personally, I have benefited from ” Leaders & Bosses ” who introduced me and granted me access so some persons who at one point or the other granted me favour because of who sent me. I have also worked under someone who felt threatened with about my rising for reasons best known to him/her but thank God for the place of Grace. To date, I am still trying to leverage several relationships I have with some key figures to access certain other quarters and persons.
Leadership is a responsibility. Leaders owe their followers growth, while the followers owe them loyalty. The sincere truth is that a leader who wants you to grow especially after you have shown LOYALTY will introduce you to the right persons and opportunities. For me, any leader who doesn’t help you grow after you have shown LOYALTY is not only wicked but small-minded. In such an instance it is OK to walk away or seek greener pastures elsewhere.
Leadership/ followership is a give-and-take process. My friend usually says ” loyalty must be OILED ” which means there should be a reward for service and in most cases granting access/introduction to the right people is one of the best rewards any leader can give their follower(s).
As followers/ mentees, it is very imperative that you also ensure you develop yourself so that you’ll be worth being introduced to the right people, as leaders also assess your worth, ability to keep secrets and IQ before they expose you to certain opportunities and persons. By all means, carve a niche for yourself even in the process of following, so that when the time/opportunity comes, you’ll be ready.
Martins Ogolo
Is a public affairs analyst and publisher of Sphere Watch News
martins.ogolo@yahoo.com
