“Seek direction from one who is already there”-Old Zulu Saying
ONE question I am often asked is, “Dayo, you talk and write a lot about your mentors, why do you need mentors?” I often reply that my mentors help in giving me direction and clarity of purpose.
They are three of them and they are men of integrity and honour. Two of them are Nigerians and the third is an Asian. They are: Professor Pat Utomi who mentors me on entrepreneurship and corporate strategy, Richie Dayo Johnson who mentors me on public speaking and Joe De Souza on finance and family values .
Professor Pat Utomi is the Director of Centre for Applied Economics at the Lagos Business School, Pan African University, Lagos, and one of African’s top-flight strategy scholars. He is a Political Economist and Management Consultant. He sits on the board of 36 blue chip companies ( 16 of them as Chairman ). He was a Special Adviser to the President of Nigeria before he was 30. He is also a well-sought after Public Speaker. He taught me how to balance work and family. He often tells me that “hard work does not kill;” “man’s self worth outweighs is net worth” and “what determines a man’s long term worth is his integrity and competence.”
Richie Dayo Johnson is a man of style and panache; his credo is that you must be passionate about doing things well and exceeding expectations. He taught the art of motivational speaking and introduced me to the Toastmasters Club where people learn the art of public speaking. Today, I am the President of one of the toastmaster’s clubs in Croydon. His two favourites quotes are: “At the end of our lives we never regret at things we failed at but the things we hoped for bur never attempted” and “an effective plan executed today is better than a perfect plan delayed till next year.”
Joe De Souza is a Speaker and certified Accountant. A man of passion and compassion; he has experienced many adversities, yet he has turned them into success. A devout Catholic, he is committed to his health and family. He told me no matter how hard I work I should always take good care of my health. He taught me that my setback or obstacle that appears in my life should be seen as an opportunity for growth. He is my financial adviser and he educated me on the essence of having multiple streams of income.
Can you believe that one person can make a big difference in the outcome of your life?
Would Tiger Woods be the legend he is today without the influence of his father, Earl Woods, who is credited with preparing Tiger to becoming a professional golfer?
When super- successful people tell their story, they always mention how important one or more individuals helped to shape their success. Bill Clinton said meeting President John Kennedy when he was just 16-years-old led him to decide to pursue a life in politics.
Tony Robbins recounts that as a 19-year-old he got his first glimpse of life as a personal development guru when he sat in a Jim Rohn seminar. Napoleon Hill, author of the classic “Think and Grow Rich,” said that the book came about as a result of the influence of tycoon Andrew Carnegie.
According to Chris Widener, “One whop wants to achieve success should beware of pride. Pride can make things so difficult sometimes – particularly when you are trying to find your way to that destination we call success. Like proud, obstinate husbands, we refuse to stop and ask for direction! The best way to success and by far the list painful is to learn from someone who is already there. They can show us the way, give us tricks of the trade and encourage us not to worry or over-react when things get tough or go wrong, thus be a great guiding light. What do they call these people? Mentors and coaches and you should have one!”
You might ask, “How does someone get a mentor?” Well, sit down and identify someone who is already where you want to be. I don’t care how big or small they are. Dream BIG! Make a list of ten of these people. Start with the one you want to learn from first. Now, contact them and ask if you can speak to them on the phone or in person. If they can’t or won’t, go to the next person on the list until you hit someone who will take the time to give you direction.
The influence of one person CAN make a gigantic difference in your future. This is why you need a mentor. This article is specially dedicated to Prof. Pat Utomi on his 50th birthday. Happy birthday, Prof! You are indeed a living example that those who are really successful are never afraid to share the secret of their success.
May the Lord increase your greatness.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
AFRICA 10, A supercomputer genius
New African, Sept. 2004 LONDON - Philip Emeagwali was voted the 35th greatest African of all time in a survey for New African magazine, it was announced on August 26, 2004. Emeagwali also ranked as the greatest African scientist ever.
The science and technology categories were topped by Emeagwali and Imhotep, respectively. Emeagwali is the scientist that helped give birth to the supercomputer, the technology that spawned the Internet. Imhotep was the multi-genius that designed Egypt's first pyramid.
The list was topped by South Africa's Nelson Mandela and Ghana's Kwame Nkrumah.
Emeagwali (third from bottom right) ranked 35th and the greatest African scientist ever (from pages 16, 18, 20, 22).
The London-based magazine said responses flooded in after the survey was launched last December to nominate the top 100 most influential Africans or people of African descent.
Heroes of independence movements in Africa and African-American figures in the United States figure prominently on the list.
Patrice Lumumba, Congo's first post-colonial prime minister, ranks sixth, followed by US civil rights leader Martin Luther King.
Pele, the legendary Brazilian soccer star, comes in 17th, followed by Jamaican reggae singer Bob Marley, numbering among those called "Diasporans" by New African.
Radical civil rights leader Malcolm X, at ninth, is a rank above United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, from Ghana, who comes just ahead of US boxer Muhammad Ali.
Few women made the cut. The highest-ranked female, at 12th, is Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, former wife of the South African president. Others include the dynamic duo of tennis, American sisters Venus and Serena Williams (together ranked 73rd), and ancient Egyptian queen Nefertiti at number 81.
The magazine noted that most of the top 100 are from Africa's post-colonial period.
"Have people forgotten Africa's history? Must this worry us, as a people?" it asked.
The list appears in the August-September issue of New African, which has a circulation of roughly 30, 000 across dozens of countries. It said this is the first such survey it has carried out in a decade. -- South African Press Association & Agence France-Presse, Sapa-AFP (with contributions from other sources)
The science and technology categories of "100 Greatest Africans" were topped by Emeagwali (below) and Imhotep (above), respectively. Imhotep was deified nearly 5,000 years ago and worshipped by early Christians as one with Christ. Imhotep has been called the "father of medicine," the world's first recorded scientist, and patron of ancient scribes. James Henry Breasted wrote that Imhotep "was the patron spirit of the later scribes, to whom they regularly poured out a libation from the water-jug of their writing outfit before beginning their work."
The science and technology categories were topped by Emeagwali and Imhotep, respectively. Emeagwali is the scientist that helped give birth to the supercomputer, the technology that spawned the Internet. Imhotep was the multi-genius that designed Egypt's first pyramid.
The list was topped by South Africa's Nelson Mandela and Ghana's Kwame Nkrumah.
Emeagwali (third from bottom right) ranked 35th and the greatest African scientist ever (from pages 16, 18, 20, 22).
The London-based magazine said responses flooded in after the survey was launched last December to nominate the top 100 most influential Africans or people of African descent.
Heroes of independence movements in Africa and African-American figures in the United States figure prominently on the list.
Patrice Lumumba, Congo's first post-colonial prime minister, ranks sixth, followed by US civil rights leader Martin Luther King.
Pele, the legendary Brazilian soccer star, comes in 17th, followed by Jamaican reggae singer Bob Marley, numbering among those called "Diasporans" by New African.
Radical civil rights leader Malcolm X, at ninth, is a rank above United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, from Ghana, who comes just ahead of US boxer Muhammad Ali.
Few women made the cut. The highest-ranked female, at 12th, is Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, former wife of the South African president. Others include the dynamic duo of tennis, American sisters Venus and Serena Williams (together ranked 73rd), and ancient Egyptian queen Nefertiti at number 81.
The magazine noted that most of the top 100 are from Africa's post-colonial period.
"Have people forgotten Africa's history? Must this worry us, as a people?" it asked.
The list appears in the August-September issue of New African, which has a circulation of roughly 30, 000 across dozens of countries. It said this is the first such survey it has carried out in a decade. -- South African Press Association & Agence France-Presse, Sapa-AFP (with contributions from other sources)
The science and technology categories of "100 Greatest Africans" were topped by Emeagwali (below) and Imhotep (above), respectively. Imhotep was deified nearly 5,000 years ago and worshipped by early Christians as one with Christ. Imhotep has been called the "father of medicine," the world's first recorded scientist, and patron of ancient scribes. James Henry Breasted wrote that Imhotep "was the patron spirit of the later scribes, to whom they regularly poured out a libation from the water-jug of their writing outfit before beginning their work."
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