I felt a tap on my shoulder, I turned back irritably, and it was my boss!

MY BOSS!

My heart sank, but he said, “Come with me”.

As I followed him outside the hall, I was sure I would get fired. My head was pounding heavily with fear.

How did I get here again?

…I walked tensely into the hall, it was already full, and the conference had begun. I looked around frantically, and I could see my team sitting upfront and ready to be called up.

Trying to get to them would cause a big distraction, which wasn’t good for our image, but I had to get there somehow; I was the team lead and had to deliver our presentation.

As I was plotting a less distracting way to move, I felt a tap on my shoulder, I turned back irritably, and it was my boss.

“Come with me,” he said calmly with a blank look on his face.

I was so petrified of this man, not because he was mean – but because he was the epitome of success and unmatched work ethic, and he expected the same. He would never have been in this mess that I was struggling with, and somehow, I had been failing to match his expectations.

“Sir, I can explain,” I quickly said as we stepped out of the hall.

“Explain what?” he said with a perplexed look, and I quivered inside but continued hastily.

“I had to go and sort out the payment, Sir, I had gotten a confirmation yesterday, but when we got here this morning, they said….”

He raised his hand to cut me off. “I know. Your team explained everything to me, and some others experienced it too. And young man! Why do you always look so panicked?”. He said, smiling.

“No, Sir, I’m fine”, I replied as relief washed over me.

“So why didn’t you send someone else to do it?” He asked

“I couldn’t take chances,” I said.

He smiled and said, “Let’s get you upfront.”

And with that, he made his way smoothly through the mass of people there, and somehow people just seemed to respect the man and make way. This Man!

Eventually, we got to the team – we were called up and delivered an awe-inspiring and interactive presentation.

As the team was excitedly celebrating, my boss pulled me aside and said,

“You did very well today, and I will help you do even more.” He said, patting my shoulder.

“You were smart not to take chances today, but you can’t do it all by yourself as a leader in your little space.” “I trusted you to do this, didn’t I?” he finished with a smile.

I said, “Thank you, Sir”, and stood there watching as he walked away.

Then it hit me, I was not ready, and an underperforming manager, yet someone took a chance on me, and from that day, he walked the path with me; I learnt a lot from him and became better.

He taught me to trust in my ability to Be Great! That I can do great things and lead successfully. And that I can also fail in certain pursuits, but I must ensure that I learn from them and overcome the negatives.

This was me in 2001 at First Atlantic Bank when I was chosen to present one of the habits of 7 Habits of Highly effective people to the board during the bank strategy retreat in Victoria Island, Lagos Nigeria.

I was timid, afraid, and unqualified. The leaders that helped me through those days, Dr. Rotimi Nihinlola, Dr. Segun Adaju,…… left an indelible mark on my life!

The key lesson for me. I learnt to give myself a chance no matter what I’m facing and extend the same generosity to others.

Hmmm… I couldn’t take chances, but someone took a chance on me. Everybody deserves a chance. Even You!

MORAL OF MY STORY –

• Be afraid, but never allow fears to define or hold you.
• Be calm even in your fears; you need all your mental and physical strength to withstand the storm.
• Be certain you’ve given your best. What you count as little might just be enough to win.
• Never undermine your team’s effort; celebrate them still.
• Stop reciting your negatives; find a basis to act, not excuses.
• Accept feedback; though it sounds critical, stop justifying your past effort.
• Be generous with praise and encouragement; others have tried but failed where you succeeded.

I believe in hard work, diligence, and perseverance, I believe more in grace and blessing from above. In the end, none deserves anything.

Give to others what you have been graciously given.

Much Care, AA.