One Minute Business Wisdom. Is ICAN Truly founded on Integrity?

“Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.”
                                ~ Oprah Winfrey

I read a book some years back. The main Idea and truth conveyed in the book is; 'Who you are when no one is looking, is who you truly are.'

In his Speech last week, the President of ICAN, Mr. Chidi Ajaegbu, said, that ICAN was founded on 3 important Values; Integrity, Discipline and Accountability.

My Opinion

Integrity:

If there is anything like 'human holiness', that's what integrity is. Talk about sincerity that brings serenity!
Without Integrity in life or business, even a child can predict it's end.

Truly, ICAN may be founded on integrity, but that cannot stop the upsurge of bad eggs from amongst them as I believe that some of the people hired or used to manipulate figures at high levels to perpetrate 'pen corruption', are professionals, most of who are ICAN certified.

So, if ICAN is really ready to assist the government in fighting corruption, 'let charity begin at home', let them spare no one as they might be flabbergasted to discover that their very own people, are at the heart of this corruption practice.



Brila Consulting...

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One Minute Bible Wisdom. Title #GOD IS LOOKING FOR TROUBLE!

Sunday, May 3rd, 2015.



Proverbs 16:1

“The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.”

The day the preparation of God's people to receive in God's presence through their 'man of God' begins to become almost equivalent with the preparation of their 'man of God', miracle's won't be a big deal in churches anymore.

What's obvious is, these days People take their troubled hearts to church and refuse to drop the troubles, when God has actually asked for all the troubles to be brought to him because he can take care of them.

God doesn't take over until you pull-over.
Until the heart is ready, the man doesn't receive.

Prepare your heart this morning and watch God Outdo himself in your life.


#HAPPYSUNDAY!


Brila Consulting...

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One Minute Business Wisdom. Dragon Corruption

Friday, May 1st, 2015.



Corruption usually starts out either as a personal deception, born out of dissatisfaction that creates a general deception that enslaves many, or vice versa. The circle can go from a general deception to a personal one as well; as in, individuals adopting a prevailing way of life. One of the bedrock of corruption is the thought that everyone is doing it! Although, corruption has a long history in Nigeria, many believe that Obasanjo laid the foundation for corruption in Nigeria, while IBB made it official.

Lack of contentment and greed live together and share the same bed!

The remedy to a problem that has lingered for so long like the corruption in our community can be addressed it two simple ways;


1. Immediate Consequence:

Without a sense of responsibility and accountability in a community, everything goes.
Let ICAN and the incoming government try this; write a policy into the rule of Law as a consequence that deals severely with corruption and the perpetrators, and corruption will take care of itself.


2. Implementation:

Let the policy favours no one, and be so decentralised that no one will have a place to hide.
Corruption is already a giant in the land, we must make the fight a major project, not a fight we engage in with too many distractions, understanding that even the distractions themselves are products of corruption. If we take care of corruption, our communities, countries and businesses will take care of themselves.


Brila Consulting...

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www.leadership-brila.blogspot.com

One Minute Business Wisdom. Babe Corruption 2

Thursday, April 30th, 2015.



A long time ago, I heard the pathetic story of a young girl who never heeded the warnings of her parents and ended up pregnant as a teenager. To punish her, the parents made sure she didn't abort the baby. And when the baby was born, the parents named him 'Corruption', Haaa!. Just a joke! I guess I'm not a good joker! I never heard such story. Besides, who does that!

Corruption is not a pleasant word, yet, it's one of the Words we hear repeatedly, so many times in a day in this part of the world. It has become almost synonymous with the name of a Country.

What Is Babe Corruption?

Babe Corruption is simply my choice term for a new born Corruption.
Corruption happens daily in small business places, in homes, churches, Mosques, and on our roads. We hardly take cognisance of those once, we're particularly perturbed with the giant at the top - when the giants' babies are what prepares many for the Corruption at the top.

ICAN will Ultimately fail in her attempt to collaborate with the incoming administration in curbing Corruption if it has no grass-root strategy inclusive. We will fail at salvaging our businesses from Corruption if we don't kill 'Babe Corruption'.

To Be Continued...!

Brila Consulting...

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One Minute Business Wisdom. Babe Corruption!

Wednesday, April 29th, 2015.



The president of ICAN (Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria), Mr. Chidi Ajaegbu, says the professional body will soon make presentation to the incoming administration on her determination to collaborate with the administration to curb corruption.

Fighting corruption begins with the understanding of what corruption really is and its intensity within the confines of the place where the fight is intended to be fought.

Because I deliberately don't want to engage you in a long read, I intend to be as concise as possible. You may have to read in-between the lines to fully connote and denote as the case may be .

In his Speech in Lagos, the ICAN president mentioned that the body was established on the principles of integrity, accountability and discipline. These are the words that caught my curiousity, and we would explore them one after another.

What makes a system corrupt? Corruption is another word for manipulation. It is the abuse of public Funds/resources to enrich or give unfair advantage to individuals, their family or their friends.

In the Nigerian context, maybe stealing is not corruption! but, I guess the person who said that forgot to add that corruption is stealing what belongs to others.

What is Babe Corruption?

To Be Continued...!

Brila Consulting...

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www.leadership-brila.blogspot.com

One Minute Business Wisdom. Title: Build Room for Your Boom!

Tuesday, April 28th, 2015.



The difference between the lucky and unlucky people in life is that; 80 percent of the time the lucky call or attract their luck through preparation, while the so called 'unlucky' consistently postpones their luck through a lack of preparation.

We have heard over and again that Nature abhors vacuum; It's like saying opportunities avoids the unprepared. If there's anything I have learnt in life, it is never to complain when I have not given life the substance to work my miracles with.

Call it luck, surprise, magic or miracle, they are all the multiplied reward of your preparation, and the substance you have given life to produce your own luck or miracles for you.



Brila Consulting...

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www.leadership-brila.blogspot.com

One Minute Bible Wisdom. Title: David's Guts, Sling and Stone

Tuesday, April 28th, 2015.


All you need to conquer in life is David's Kind of guts (you can call it faith), to go after the giant, throw the stone, and then, watch God take it up from there as he directs the stone straight to the forehead of your giant and make him fall flat before you in total submission to your God.


I Sam 17:50

“So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone...”

The Guts - Believe in yourself; believe in the talents and potentials God has given you. Be bold about it such that even the Saul's of this life can't discourage you from taking on the giants!

The Sling - The Opportunities and platforms you have to use your talents

The Stone - Your talents, gifts, potentials and the word of God.

The Giant - Your challenge e.g barreness, poverty, spiritual attacks etc.

As you put all that God has given you to use against your Giants, you shall prevail all round in Jesus name.


Brila Consulting...

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One Minute Business Article. Title: Business Lottery Winners

Monday, April 27th, 2015



“Build room for your boom.” ~ Bill Rafa'el

Over the years, statistics has shown that people who become wealthy overnight, especially through lottery, spend the money as quickly as they get it. They become rich overnight, and then poor after a week, a month or after a very short while.


Business Lottery Winners

There are people also in business who experience a sudden boom, and next thing is, they are back to their place of real capacity because they weren't prepared for the sudden business boom in the first place.


Benefit of Delay

Some of the painful business delays in profit making that business owners experience are opportunities for us to learn; build internal capacity, the discipline to handle wealth, and how to profitably diversify in business. Usually, we don't like these experiences, but we need them.
 



Brila Consulting...

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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Sanctions Of The Mind

Tuesday, April 14, 2015



The sanctions placed on Iran by the EU, UN and many countries after her nuclear programme came to limelight obviously shows that no country can exist in isolation.

Even though the government of Iran claimed their nuclear programme was peaceful, world powers sternly disagreed, consequently making the sanctions to linger; thereby crippling Iran's economy and hampering domestic productivity.

Over 50% of Iranians agreed the sanctions made life really difficult - and I believe too many small and big businesses were badly affected, and possibly closed down.

Every Nation's economic strength depends on her entrepreneural capacity. Unlimited productivity is only possible if a nation doesn't put the cart before the horse as I believe 'power' was one of the silent notions, if not the main goal behind Iran's nuclear programme.


Mind Sanctions

Unlimited productivity is only possible for any business if the owners don't place silent sanctions on themselves by limiting their market target scope(customers).
Your business can get anywhere, and enter anywhere. Your company can play big and do great things if you don't limit yourself or allow the economy of your nation limit you. Don't play easy, play business. You're unlimited!


Action Exercise: Don't see the impossible, it doesn't exist.


Brila Consulting...

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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: #CHANGE 3 (Personal Internal Dialogue)

"In life, we will inevitably be changed if we don't take the initiative to change ourselves.

Lasting change begins within, not from external factors. Effecting change isn't as difficult as it may seem; what truly complicates life and business is remaining passive and resisting change.

Dormant and passive businesses will lose patronage, just as a lazy employee in the 20th or 21st century tends to drift from one small job to another, or worse, ends up unemployed and living a life of poverty.

Change starts with the internal dialogue that happens in a person's mind. The most important meeting you'll ever attend is the one you have with yourself, where your entire being is present.

Personal internal conversations determine whether change is possible or not. And these conversations are only as good as the information you feed your mind. The quality of your internal dialogue and its results directly reflect the information you consume. The decisions you make and the change you eventually experience are shaped by the quality of your associations and the information you absorb.

Action Step: Do you want change? Then, change your associations and the information you expose yourself to."

2 Minutes Business Article. Title: #CHANGE 2

Tuesday, April 7th, 2015.



Change can be replicated; you can get the same outcome someone else got if you model the same principles.

Some of the few things I have learnt to do I learnt beginning with believing I could do them, after which I moved from believing to desiring to do them, and then, looking for people who already are doing those things to model what got them where they are.

The mention of the word Change put a lot of people over the edge and make them very uncomfortable. You can't dare what you dread!

Too many people are your friends when all is normal and the status-quo is respected; but when you make up your mind to start Changing and creating change for good, you begin to loose friends. But, it's okay really to loose friends if that's the price you have to pay to get to where you must in life.

For those who struggle with Change in any area of business or life, the pattern has not changed. One of the effective things to do is to get people who have created in their lives the change you desire, and model how they did it. In life, it has been proven that if you do what successful people do, you'll get the result they get.

Action Exercise: Do less of talking, and take more practical steps about your desire for change.


Brila Consulting...

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www.leadership-brila.blogspot.com

2 Minutes Business Article. Title: #CHANGE

Monday, April 6th, 2015.


Henry David was absolutely correct in saying that “Things don't change; we change.”

In the recent Nigerian Presidential election, the word change almost literally replaced the name of the presidential candidate whose party adopted the word, and even though the incumbent party had more in terms of resources and dominated the media with so much political advertisement against the opposing party; showing things that could easily alter in the minds of people whatever they represent and evangelise, the word CHANGE had so much power in itself that it appealed to the masses and eventually prevailed. Why? First; The Choice Word 'CHANGE' is very timely. Secondly; It is timely because the incumbent party didn't have so much to show, and didn't affect the concerned masses in a way that could make them feel they already have the CHANGE they need.

No doubt, leveraging on the experience of AKPD, a political consulting firm, co-founded by David Axelrod, President Barack Obama’s campaign
strategist, is giving the winning party great mileage.

To effect effective change in business, you must find your way into the hearts of people and keep evolving to maintain your vantage position.

Once change is not timely, all the resources in the world will not help - resources don't create change; we do. Resources can only enhance the chance for change once it is timely.

Action Exercise: Don't attempt to create change until you change. It starts with you.


Brila Consulting...

BB: 265A987A
www.leadership-brila.blogspot.com

2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Give Your Business A Competitive Edge

Thursday, March 26th, 2015.



This is a good reminder. It's simply what many small businesses out there need to breakthrough.

Whether you like it or not, Change is happening every second of the day in life and business. To experience desired change and progress in business there are things to do. Here are a few:


1. Business Plan: A business plan helps define what your business is now and what it has the potential to become in the future.
It can be difficult for big Organisations to do business with you without a business plan. But with a good business plan, you can easily attract partnership and funding.

2. BRANDING: Branding is creating a penetrative and Impressive Identity for your business. There are so many people doing what you do, branding is what stands you out.
The Journey to business greatness begins with effective branding.


3. A Business Card: A business Card is that part of branding that many business Owners take for granted.

It might be a simple piece of paper, but can determine the fate of your business under certain circumstances. It is your business Identity where you're not physically present. Anyone can travel with your business card to anywhere in the world, so, when you design it, give it a world class touch.
You never know what can come from a business card.

4. Website: A Website is the easiest way to put your business on a global platform. A business Website gives Information about your business to your current and target customers.
It gives you a global voice.


Action Exercise: Start taking steps towards the one you are yet to do.

2 Minutes Business Article. Title: The #BIG Picture

Wednesday, March 25th, 2015.



In Business Leadership and Management, the ability to see the big picture is very key, but not enough. Every business owner and entrepreneur must be able to not only see the big picture very clearly, but do three very crucial things:

1. Become A Soft Artist:
I've met too many business owners who when they share their hearts vision with you, you can feel the fire and the passion; what they simply lack is the ability to paint the same picture in the hearts of their teams.
The consequence of this however, is that they never seem to have stable team members/employees they can build with.

2. Create A Shared Vision:
A shared vision is the kind that has a place for everyone in the organisation/team. If the big picture a business owner sees doesn't have people in it, then, he might as well prepare to build it all by himself.

3. The Magic of Goals:
One of the best ways to keep people working towards a big picture is to always set achievable goals. Some employees don't understand big talks, they prefer real talk. Set timely goals they can run with that moves the business or organisation towards the big picture - goals is the language most employees understand, that's were their fulfilment is.

Action Exercise: How clearly do you see your own #Big Picture? Run a clearity check quickly.

2 Minutes Business Article. Title: World Changer (Belief)

Tuesday, March 24th, 2015.



“The outer conditions of a person’s life will always be found to reflect their inner beliefs.” – James Alen

No one can help a man make his life better who won’t alter the inner beliefs that limits him on the outside. Just like the Law of the paradigm shift; you see things not like they are but like you are. Your beliefs impact positively or negative on your perspective - and they make life mad or mild on you.

One of the things I practice often that has helped my relationships is giving people ‘the benefit of the doubt’. I always ask subjectively, 'what if this person means something different from what I think by this action or word?'. Behind everything people do is a reason; behind every word is a tone. An offender can say ‘sorry’ and get the offended more irritated and infuriated because of the tone behind the word – and in all honesty, the offender might mean good. Beliefs are the driver and regulator of our thoughts, words and actions.


Thought:

Your belief system determines the kind of thoughts you permit in your heart.


Action:

Your belief determines the kind of actions you take. e.g, goals and planning.

Your belief determines the kind of #Goals you set; Small or Big Goals.

Your beliefs determine whether you plan/pay or play.

Action Exercise: Take 5 minutes to do a belief check. Write down all your beliefs and start working on them.

2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Time, Oh Time!

Tuesday, March 24th, 2015.


I’m sure you remember the song ‘life, oh life’, makes a lot of sense you know! Sometimes, instead of saying, ‘oh, how time flies’, say; ‘oh, how life flies’. I’m beginning to feel the reason why so many people don’t act on time or make very important decisions when they should is because of the choice of words they use for certain phenomenon, and the individualistic associative meanings they attach to them: one of such phenomenon is ‘Time’.

Your vocabularies impacts very profoundly on your emotions and determine your decisions. For instance, if you learn to use the word ‘rest’ over ‘tired’, e.g, I need some rest, instead of, I’m very tired; It will make a whole lot of difference on your psychology and mental attitude.

Yes, one word can mean different things to different people, but, we all know the difference between user-friendly words and user-unfriendly words.

So many people’s attitude towards time will change and they’ll begin to make the right decisions/choices, make timely tangible progress, and change their lives ultimately if they associate the meaning ‘life’ to the word ‘time’.

When you sit down in front of a TV to watch a very brain draining programme especially at prime time and you remember it’s life you’re about to waste and not just time(because there is life in every time), you’ll make some useful adjustments. It might be difficult the first time, especially if you love TV like I used to, but when you inculcate it into your thought life, you’ll make the shift in no time.


Action Exercise: Start investing Time, don't waste it.

2 Minutes Business Article. Title: The Power of Your Belief

Thursday, March 19th, 2015.



By this time 10 years from now, the person reading this will either be among the top 10 percent of the professionals in his field, among the top 20 or 30 percent, will lead an average life or will be worst.
By this time next year we will all individually be at our best, be better or be worst. But, one thing is ultimately certain; we will not be the same.

The one factor that will play a very prominent role in determining our fate either in the next one, five or ten years is our belief.
Your belief is either the strength or weakness of your soul, and it is drawing you closer to a future that will be the direct outcome of itself.

Beliefs are your internal voice that will determine if you will have a voice in the earth in your life time or be anonymous.

I believe beliefs represent in our lives what a control tower is to pilots. A pilot doesn’t determine the attitude or altitude of the airplane, the control tower does. We are always in an on-going communication with our internal beliefs, and vice versa. A pilot who decides to ignore the control tower will not only end up a casualty but will make casualty of many.

Our beliefs are always a work in progress – they’re strengthened daily if we feed them rightly, or weakened if we ignore them. Be deliberate about what you believe.

Action Exercise: Adjust every unhealthy belief you have about yourself and life generally.
 

PLConsulting...

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@Paulvanplc
www.leadership-plc.blogspot.com

2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Park Well!(Space Sense)

Wednesday, March 18th, 2015.

I hope you make some sense out of this.

I layed on our biggest bed with my kids just yesterday evening, but because of the way we layed(haphazardly), the space seem not enough. And this is the same bed that most times while chatting we all sleep off on comfortably till morning. 

The way you use up space in life will determine how much you will make out of life and amass. Most times the real problem is not lack of space, but lack of space sense. What is space sense? It is the ability to know what to put in first so that everything can fit in. Life doesn't qualify you for more until you maximise your space per time(I mean where you are now in life) very prudently. 

A wise man once said; If you can think enough what you have is enough.

I happened to be at a fast food restaurant a few years back, when the owner brought in some new properties he needed to put in a space upstairs in the same eatery. They struggled for a while but couldn't maximise the space. I watched from a distance and then went closer and gave my suggestion. It worked and the man looked at me and said; 'boy, you're a genius'. I smiled and thought to myself, 'we all are, if we can just think enough'. 

If you want to get more out of life, then, use every space you're given wisely. Do that business deal with integrity. Do that transaction with honesty. Don't enrich yourself by taking advantage of people's ignorance. Do everything with the future in mind. Don't park your one car in a space where three cars can park. Park Well! 

PLConsulting...

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@Paulvanplc

www.leadership-plc.blogspot.com

2 Minutes Business Article. Title: How To Recognise Business Opportunities

Tuesday, March 17, 2015.



Opportunity means different things to different people. To the man who is not looking out for it, opportunity might appear as an ordinary occurrence or a problem to be avoided. But, to the man who is looking out for it, though, it may appear as a big problem too, but, for him, there is big money to make from the big problem.

It is true that many eyes look, but only a few see. And, of the few that see, only a chunk of them are the entrepreneurs amongst us.

I once heard of a Nigerian ambassador to the United States who said that when you walk the streets of Nigeria, there are Opportunities everywhere, but the citizens don't see them. That, though, they are in the US, they can see opportunities from there. And when he's done serving, he is coming back home to invest and do business here. Just Imagine!

“Opportunities comes but once only to people who don't see or use them.” ~ Bill Rafa'el


How Do You Recognise Opportunities?

1. Look At The Unlikely Places:
You have an area of interest. Everyone does. Look for what people don't look for, or run from in your area of interest and do them.

2. Look In The Likely Places:
Not everyone has the ability to see what others can't. Some have the ability to make things better. So, look at what everybody is looking at and make it better.

3. Increase Your Exposure: Mr Warren Buffet believes he makes the right decision often and less mistakes because he spends more time reading and thinking about business.
Read a lot about your business and other people's. Attend conferences, do new things and make new friends.



PLConsulting...

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@Paulvanplc
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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: The Wisdom of the Masters

Friday, March 13, 2015.


1. “A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself.”. ~ Abraham Maslow

Thought: you can't put a price tag on peace. Real peace is the product of exercising your freedom to productively contribute to life through your original purpose(talents and gifts), not a borrowed one.


2. “There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want; and, after that, to enjoy it.” Logan Pearsall Smith

Thought: If you must achieve these two, you must be an early starter and an incurable optimist; or you must be a very fast late starter and an incurable optimist too.

3. “It’s either of the two; we are either living for something or dying for nothing.”

Thought: you are living for something if what you are doing is giving you ultimate fulfilment and leading towards your financial freedom. On the other hand, people die every day for nothing when they work all their lives for an employee hoping to retire someday with a gratuity just enough to help them start a business they can’t run as they’ve used up all their energy working for an employer.



PLConsulting...

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@Paulvanplc
www.leadership-plc.blogspot.com

2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Business and Life 2

Thursday, March 12, 2015.


“The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but a life without a purpose.” ~ Myles Munroe

One of the major killer diseases in the US is heart disease. And, it’s in record that most heart attacks happen on Monday mornings between 7 and 9am, to people who are on their ways to Jobs they hate, Jobs that makes sick and kills instalmentally.

Dr Myles Munroe’s final words revealed he had insight to what was coming. Most great men do! Bishop Benson Idahosa did.
My point is; If a Legend like Dr Myles didn’t die they way he did, you can tell he'll be around for a long, Long time as people who are contributing to life and making massive difference rarely have health issues or die cheaply.

Mandela once said; “There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”

Real passion is only found in a genuine purpose/business. And real passion is usually a natural therapy to sickness.

Since we don't know how long we would be around, we must start living now - and not settle for a life less than the one we are capable of living.



PLConsulting...

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@Paulvanplc
www.leadership-plc.blogspot.com

2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Business and Life

Wednesday, March 11, 2015.



“Challenges have a different effect on a person living life on purpose from a person who is not”. ~ Bill Rafa’el

During his life time, Dr Myles Munroe repeatedly said; ‘Purpose Preserves You’. In other words, when you live your life on purpose, you automatically increase your life sperm. Like I use to say; some people die twice – first, they die inside, and then, they die outside. Someone put it this way; ‘A lot of people die at 30 but don’t get buried until they’re 60’. Personally, I wished for death severally when I wasn’t living my life on purpose. Life was as good as empty irrespective of my many great ambitions. No personal ambition can ever make up for, or replace the real purpose for your existence.

Purpose has a truly extraordinary way of connecting a person with true meaning and longevity of life. If you doubt this, take the time and courage to interview people who run their own businesses(on purpose), and are always hilarious even if their businesses are blossoming or not. People whose happiness is not dependent on material possessions - we have them all around us.

Most people who take their own lives do so after they lost all hope. There has never, and will never be any hopeless person – we only have people who become blind to their source of hope as a result of the circumstance(s) which they allow to prevail in their lives. That's why the best thing you can ever do for a man is to show him his source of hope, which is his purpose for living. And that’s what I’m trying to do here in my own little way. People who do business based on purpose create businesses that outlive them.


Action Exercise: In Just one sentence, write down either as a reminder or a discovery, what your life's purpose is.


PLConsulting...

BB: 265A987A
@Paulvanplc
www.leadership-plc.blogspot.com

2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Hit The Nail on The Head

Tuesday, March 10, 2015.

Hard work is good, but hard work only works when it is done with a complementary level of smartness - And, by smartness I mean, 'when you don't just expend energy doing the minors.' Smartness is developing discipline at making the majors primary and the minors secondary.

In music, minor notes impacts a piece very lightly, but you can still feel the difference. The difference becomes more real when you play a major minor(that is making a minor chord a major, e.g when you play Jazz) - likewise too, in real life, when you concentrate on the major(s), it shows eventually in the kind of results you get - and, when you play the minor as your major, you get Jazz as your reward - and, the word Jazz was also jargon as found in Chaucer and Shakespeare.

In other words, you can't make something really meaningful out of life if you make the minor the major and the major the minor.

You'll agree with me that, by now you already know that expending massive effort doesn't mean you're effective or productive.

You are a very smart person if you are putting all your effort in your 'Highest And Best Use Talents'. We are in the age of wisdom according to Steven R. Covey. And giving the world the gift of your sincere reason for living is the apex of wisdom.

So many people need to go from mere existence to greatness. It's time to live! Give this world the product or service you are born to offer. Don't die with it.

Action Exercise: Wake up now! Stop postponing, and start Chasing that dream in your heart.


PLConsulting...

BB: 265A987A
@Paulvanplc
www.leadership-plc.blogspot.com

2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Breaking The Code of Your HABUT

Monday, March 9, 2015.



The Pareto principle(the 80-20 rule), 'timelessly' remains prevalent in our societies, the global economy, our work, our homes and our everyday lives.

20 percent of the people in almost every place own 80 percent of the assets. Just 20 percent of the employees of a company produce 80 percent of the result, or generates 80 percent of the company’s revenue. In project management, 20 percent of the work most times, takes 80 percent of the time etc. In the same fashion, only about 20 percent of your talents, or the time you invest in your work or business will constitute 80 percent of your result, income or networth. This shows how important it is for everyone who doesn't Just want to succeed, but find true meaning and fulfilment in life to discover their 'Highest And Best Use Talents'.


How to Find Your HABUT

(Do This Very Simple Exercise)

1. Write down all the things you do exceptionally well:

Writing engages your mind and helps you have a honest dialogue with yourself.
Don't overestimate or underestimate your own ability(s) - Be honest with yourself here and write only the things you are good at.

2. Write down all the things you are always very happy to do:

The things you can readily and gladly do for free are a pointer to where your fulfilment and money is.

3. Screen the list(s) and select the things that gives you ultimate fulfilment(the feeling of purpose and meaning).

Now you are on your way to unending happiness and financial freedom.


PLConsulting...

BB: 265A987A
@Paulvanplc
www.leadership-plc.blogspot.com

2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Find And Follow Your HABU?

Thursday, March 5, 2015.



“Whatever you don't use, you might lose, it's just a matter of time.”

In Real Estate, there's a concept with the acronym 'HABU', it represents 'Highest And Best Use', where properties are valued based on the best use of the land that will produce the highest value and return on investment.


The Multi-Talented

People who are good at many things under-perform most times because they don't use their most profitable gifts and abilities.

The Challenge:
The challenge for some is; where their greatest ability(s) is, is not their core interest areas at the moment. Actually, in reality, that's pseudo! Interest is relative, it simply goes where your heart is momentarily. It's life sperm will always depend on how original the source of your interest is. Having interest in your area of core competence is natural. What we call interest sometimes is lust!

Solution:
Take the bull by the horn. Start now, Invest your energy where your greatest ability(s) is. Don't pursue money first. Most people who start out pursuing money never return to pursue their passion. The Irony however is; money follows people who follow their passion, it doesn't take long.
If you're very strong willed, and believe nothing can kill your interest for your innate passion, then, pursuing money for the purpose of pursuing your passion in the long run is not a bad Idea. Just be smart enough to know when to plunge into your destiny ocean.


Action Step: Take a paper and write down all your areas of gifting, and honestly check to be sure you are using your best gifts.

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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: SMART ANALYSIS

Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

Most of us are used to the acronym S.M.A.R.T as S - Specific, M - Measurable, A - Attainable, R - Realistic and T - Timely, as they're related to goal setting. Let’s also briefly explore their relevance in problem solving.


S – Specific:

A Consultant once said; if there is one word that constitutes why most organisations don't grow, it is Meetings. Most of our meetings constitutes discussing general problems, not specific once. And most times too, it is either we don't proffer solutions or don't implement them. Until problems are specifically diagnosed and solved, there's a waiting trouble around the corner.

M – Measurable:

Measure/weigh the potential Impact of the problems diagnosed and prioritise solutions through a scale of preference (their order of urgency and importance).

A – Attainable:

We make the greatest mistakes most times when we assume our solutions to problems will work. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Test solutions. Don't go to sleep because you feel you have the right solution.


R – Realistic:

Be sure your solutions are Realistic, will produce desire result and are flexible with respect to market demands.


T – Timely:

Finally, implement solutions at a suitable time. In project management, time is considered a core knowledge area because of it's level of importance.



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2 Minutes Business Article. Insights From A Few Quotes

Thursday, February 26, 2015.


Insights From A Few Quotes

Quote 1.

“If you find a place outside your area of passion don't live there, it's not safe.” ~ Paulvan

Amplified: We don't have enough time to experiment with destiny. Your passion is your cheapest compass or pointer to what you should live the rest of your life doing. Everything you're pursing, you get without much struggle when you follow your passion.


Quote 2.

“Until you find your Nest your Rest is not guaranteed. Your Nest is your passion, and it helps you create your niche.” ~ Paulvan


Amplified: Take a bird's nest, and you take her rest. Take a man's passion, and you take his hope. Take a man's hope, and you cut the rope that ties him to destiny.  


Quote 3.

“Ideas are a living Organism with a mind of their own - they are always in a haste to be acted upon, with the slightest delay, they move to another host, and multiply themselves in the life of whoever gives them flesh.” ~ Paulvan

Amplified: Don't ever say someone stole your Idea, especially, if you never told them. Ideas always brandish themselves before every thinker at a particular frequency - He who executes first, is automatically the real owner.


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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Mr Future

Wednesday, February 25, 2015.

The future is not something you are going to achieve someday, or someplace you are going to walk into someday to live in. It is something you are creating daily. A place you arrive at daily. Every day is part of the future. If someday you walk into something massive that looks like someplace you’ve never been all your life, that will probably be your own exaggeration as if you simply look within, you’ll realise what you walk into has always existed inside of you only waiting for the right connections, and the right season to materialise itself on the outside. The future lives with you!

The future is always here; you simply create and attract it gradually to yourself. The future lives inside of you; it is either growing or dying, depending on your attitude towards it. The nature of the intangible future inside of you per time is dependent on how well you nurture it. Nurture determines Nature. Period!

It is the greatest oxymoron ever to live life by chance and expect to have a chance in the future. People who never walk into anything tangible all their lives live life expecting that things will create themselves for them, and eventually welcome them on red carpet when the right time comes. They fantasise over shadows and build castles in the sky, but never make one single move to achieve something real. They talk about the future but don’t work towards it, so, the future walks away from them unfulfilled.

The massive future you should expect to walk into tomorrow is the one you are creating today in your imagination, and working towards in real life. And, when you eventually walk into that future, it will look very familiar because you have been there several times in your mind, and seen most of the things you are now seeing for real. The future lives here, right inside of you – you are creating and walking into it every day.



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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Success Is Easy

Tuesday, February 24, 2015.



I was in a meeting recently and listened to one of the leaders of the organisation gave a success report of their desired outcome on one of their projects. Being aware of the project, I smiled and thought to myself, success is easy when you spell out what you want, make it go viral in the organisation, such that it becomes an objective that everyone loves (or, at least agrees with) and seek to make a reality.

Business leaders who set big goals and facilitate successful projects have a way of communicating organisational visions in such a way that everyone thinks of nothing else than on how to bring the vision or goals to pass. Human beings are naturally selfish, and will always seek out their own first out of whatever they do. Successful business leaders understand this, so they empathise and leverage on it.


How They Do This:

Share The Vision:

I don’t mean communication now, I mean dividing the vision like you divide an inheritance. How many people will share an Inheritance? Not an easy thing to do. But, by the Law of Giving, sharing multiplies things beyond their measure. And people will readily die for what they own.

Make people own a part of the vision, and they will protect the whole vision/organisation. This is beyond salary and benefits. It is making your employees your first shareholders, and not just partners in labour. Too many people out there are looking for what to own, give them one. We have too many labourers out there and few shareholders.

Action Exercise: Become a liberal entrepreneur, not carelessly, but, skilfully.


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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: The Catalyst

Monday, February 23, 2015.


Scientifically, a catalyst is a chemical reaction agent/instigator which is never changed by the reaction. They make things happen, but are never distracted by what happens.
Catalysts are pathfinders. They are limit breakers. They are destiny changers - they change circumstances and make them better. Every business needs them.

Give a Catalyst a small business and it will become a conglomerate.

In our today's world, there are Catalyst everywhere, but, most of them are unproductive because they're wrongly positioned.

Real Catalysts are not noise makers. They are silent movers and shakers of organisations and their environments etc.


Negative Catalyst:

The meaning of the word Abuse is when purpose is not in right use. When a powerful Catalyst who is capacitated to manage an organisation is made a store keeper, its just a matter of time, items will be missing without trace, he doesn't have to take them. But because his heart is not there, things go wrong.

Potential positive catalysts become negative catalysts in environments where their energies are not put to right use.


Positive Catalysts:

They don't wait for things to happen, they make them happen. They instigate the move, they orchestrate the coincidences and galvanise the process.

All they need is the right environment. And, they don't just sit and wait for the right environment or opportunity, they create them.

Action Exercise: Be the Catalyst, create your environment if you can't find one.



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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Ensure vs. Insure

Friday, February 20, 2015.


By Jeffrey Glen


The usage of ensure vs. insure is very important from a contractual perspective, while they sound very similar they can have very different meanings in a legal context.

Insure means to safeguard against loss or damage, typically through the purchase of insurance to do so. If a contract stipulates that the individual must insure something the contract is stipulating that the individual must purchase insurance to safeguard that asset.

Ensure is very similar in that it means to make sure or guarantee something, though the specific emphasis on doing so via insurance is not there.

 If a contract stipulates that an individual must ensure something is taken care of there is no requirement to purchase insurance, rather the individual is to "do their best" to make sure something is taken care of.

The onus on the party varies greatly depending on the word used, as can their legal obligation. Making sure the correct use of ensure vs. insure is used in your legal documents is something you always want to be aware of. Doing so incorrectly can result in unexpected and potentially significant costs.



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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Shall vs. Will

Wednesday, February 18, 2015.

Jeffrey Glen

"Shall" is a word that has certainly come to be replaced in American English language by using the word "will" instead. Often saying "I shall" do something comes off as sounding pretentious or haughty so we replace it with the word
"will".

Things weren't always this way as "shall" was, and still is by some, considered the proper word to use with first person pronouns (i.e. I and we), whereas "will" is used in a second and third person context (i.e. you, he, she, they). This would be the technically correct usage of the two words from a British English context, and commonly in a legal context.

The applicability to business and investing here comes down to legal contracts and stated obligations of different parties.

 "Shall" used to be commonly integrated in legal documents but this has started to decline as it is commonly misused and can create some legal ambiguity. Consider the statement, "The property shall be cleaned by the lessee at the end of the lease term." In a legal context the "shall" here places the actual legal obligation on the property in that "The property has a duty to be cleaned by the lessee at the end of the lease term." No legal obligation now applies to the lessee to do anything at the end of the lease. Replacing this with "will" clears up the legal ambiguity, hence the movement away from using shall in a legal context.

Keep an eye out for the use of the word "shall" in any legal documents that you become party to as the position of the word can result in your contract technically meaning something else than you thought it would.


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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Step Back To Step Forward

Monday, February 16, 2015.


I was going to title this short but deep article 'Step down to Step Up', but, I know readers are very word sensitive, and that might not sound very user friendly.

There are connotative and denotative meanings in writing. Connotatively or associatively speaking, 'stepping down' doesn't necessarily mean backing out - It means taking time out to observe, adjust, recreate, upgrade or quit. It is becoming your own coach, and to intermittently observe yourself and your performance in what you claim to be pursuing.

If you become the number one critic of your own performance, like professional writers are always advised when writing, to ask the possible questions there readers would ask, and answer them before they publish their books, you most probably won't always be far from your goals - and will reach them in due time.

To step back means to put all your achievements before you, move away from them by taking a few steps backward, and then critically look at them, how you got them, and ask yourself if all the achievements Justifies your ability(s), if you were capable of more, but did not stretch yourself enough. Or, if, by and large, you've simply been in the dark about both your abilities and your opportunities.

Denotative meanings are direct meanings: so, stepping back in this context would mean to move behind a thing(s), so you can have first hand view. And then use a better approach.

If people deceive us, we can't deceive ourselves. However, the bad irony is; people can deceive us for a very long time if we don't step back from the 'us' that's always running around.

When you step back, your eyes will open to hidden things as you will be naked to yourself. Those hidden things are what will make all the difference and give you fresh speed as they'll show you whether to adjust, recreate or quite.



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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Think Green 6 (Agric Business Ideas)

Friday, February 13, 2015.



Training is very good, but, Agriculture is one area of business that doesn't require too much professional training.

USAID works with many young local farmers: amongst them are graduates and Illiterates. And the trainings are very simple, that just any willing person can learn.

Most of the graduates among them took farming as a last option as a result of the unemployment problem in the country: little did they know that Agriculture is already solving the world's energy and health problems etc.

Today, most of the people who are taking up farming as an option are professionals in many fields and big time entrepreneurs.


Agric Business Ideas

We can't exhaust the Ideas in agriculture in Just a few short articles. There are too many of them even online.

1. Sales and Leasing of farm Equipment:

Mechanised agriculture requires equipment like tractors etc. That's a very lucrative business in agriculture. And the interesting thing is; like in other businesses, you don't have to own the equipments, you can simply be the third party.

2. Processing of farm Products:

That's one area where there are massive opportunities. Just like our challenge with refineries, we have very few standard processing industries in the country. Processing of cassava into flour and chemicals, processing of grains like maize, and processing of fruits into Juice etc.

A young graduate in a village in Ondo state gave me his product called #Cassavita, a locally processed cassava product into flour, known as 'fufu' in the Nigerian Yoruba Language.
After I eat it, I wanted to go back to the village to get some more. Today, he supplies to shops in the City.

He has done well for himself and he's now an entrepreneur. You can do it too.


Action Exercise: Do a research today on the Agric business you would love to do and start taking steps.



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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Think Green 5 (Agric Businesses You Should Start Considering)

Thursday, February 12, 2015.


As I write this people are acquiring arable land all over the place. Just last week I went with some friends to see their farm land, like 40 minutes drive from my estate.


Acquisition And Sales Of Arable Land:

The sales of arable land for farming is becoming a very thriving business in rural areas, and some of the people leveraging massively on this are people from urban areas. Its actually a win-win deal as the old men selling are selling and at the same time acquiring more land too, themselves. And the lands have genuine C of O.

While with my friends at the house of the old man who sold the farm land to them, who is also their farm/project manager, I heard him talking in millions. How many old men do you know who reside in villages, in some almost dilapidated buildings, who are millionaires? The millions are going back to the village you know! - they are probably relocating from the island and mainland to the villages as the world goes green.

Money does not have wings, men do: money simply flies on the wings of men, from one man to the other.

Go to villages, make your findings, so you don't fall into the hands of criminals as there are fake land agents too. Invest your money in acquiring large hectares of arable land if possible. I know a man who works in an Oil Company, who acquired 300 hectares of land recently. That's quite massive!

There's so much money to be made from the green revolution, don't be left out. Decide early on the areas you'd like to invest in and act as fast as possible.

Action Exercise: Don't delay your decision, agriculture is where the world is going. Make that contact call now. Start paying for that property today.



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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Think Green 4 (Viable Agric-Based Businesses)

Wednesday, February 11, 2015.


The Agricultural Revolution will linger for a long time irrespective of the challenge of global warming. It is actually one of the biggest solutions to global warming as production Industries, vehicles, and engines begin to use low-carbon fuel as alternative energy source, which is agric based, and will drastically reduce climate change.

Most of the people who will benefit massively from the Agricultural Revolution may never see the fields of an arable land, or carry a hoe.

a. Improved Seed:

One of the farmers I know, who is also an agric consultant, made over 6 million naira from water melon 2 years ago.

While he was away in the US, his labourers decided to plant the improved water melon seeds he gave them after they got tired waiting for him. He had a serious fight with them when he got back as he wanted to plant cucumber that season. But, he eventually apologised as the water melon matured at a time when there was serious scarcity in the market.

The importation and sales of improved seeds will be a very viable business shortly as they are not cheaply affected by pest and weather conditions.


Action Exercise: Big businesses begin small: simply locate importers, and then, start as a retailer.


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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Think Green 3 (Failing Industries)

Tuesday, February 10, 2015.


A few years back, a business report revealed how the Coca cola Company and Mcdonalds were struggling to survive in the market. The report was on American companies that were on the decline, but, didn't highlight why. I already knew even before I read it in another report that its because Americans are losing taste for Junk food as the same is happening in this part of the world.

The two global giants have since been exploring alternatives to help them bounce back - Which led to the production of coca cola drinks like Zero and low sugar etc. and for Mcdonalds, healthier alternatives like The new Fruit & Maple Oatmeal, the Premium Southwest Salad with grilled chicken and high fiber foods etc.

Obviously, fast food business is on the decline, and will be replaced by 'real food' business: food restaurants that will provide natural farm foods that are health friendly, as people are becoming increasingly aware that fast food/Junk food is installmental death, like a friend once said to me.  

Smart Fast food companies will almost immediately rebrand with products which will start portraying them as 'Farm/Natural food companies', as very soon, when people drive by a fast food restaurant, the notion of early death might keep them from stopping.


Action Exercise: Become an advocate of Natural foods, that way you can even get agric based business Ideas.



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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Think Green 2

Monday, February 9, 2015.



Don't put your money where your eyes are, put your money where your heart is: Put your money where the future is going.

I have many friends whose investments liquidated almost immediately after they invested in a thriving business or a thriving investment company simply because they were too gullible and didn't have the time to look deeper or get professional advise.

As a young man, I bought some shares in a stock broking company sometime ago. Even though I didn't know much about shares back then, I made sure I understood what I was doing, and had my broker explained in details the companies I had shares in. The dividend wasn't very high eventually as I had to sell off the shares to get into school. But it payed off pretty well as I was always watching out for those companies I had shares in, to know how they were doing. Off cause, today, people are a lot smarter with investment clubs and companies. Thanks to fate I didn't throw away my money. But, people still fall victims of some of these quick money investment clubs whose future they can't even see.

In the same vein, a lot of investors lose money by investing in the wrong businesses.

With the current global business trend, obviously, Oil is not the only dying business, there are many others. Business owners and Investors must begin to look at the possible future of their current businesses and investments.

Action Exercise: Start looking beyond your industry.

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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Think Green

Wednesday, February 4, 2015.


Obviously, there is something divine about Agriculture! Now, it is already a global song that agric is the saviour of the world's economy. Africa, of all the world's continents is leading this revolution as we have all the Land required, but must partner with developed countries for empowerment.

Probably, if most of the major countries on the african continent have had agricultural foresight, the African economy would have been one of the leading economy of the world today. Now that oil is almost totally depleted globally, corn-base oil (ethanol) is in high demand with other agric-based alternative energy source.

The Agricultural age came after the hunter-gatherer age as a result of man's quest to be in control of his life. It was actually the birth of true entrepreneurship as man decided to become a producer of his own food and his way of survival.

As today's entrepreneurs and business owners we must begin to look at possibilities in the agric sector even if your business is not agric based.

We must begin to move with the global trend as companies that offer agric based products and services take over the global market.

I read a report sometime early last year that says; in the next decade/few years time, agronomists(agric practitioners and knowledge facilitators) will be what ICT consultants and professionals have been in the past many decades.

If becoming a farmer is not in your plans, it is good advice to think of possible agric based investments you can start making from now.
The world is going green, keep up!


Action Exercise: If you are not, its time to start thinking green.


PLConsulting...

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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Business Ages In Human History

Tuesday, February 3, 2015.


The second age in human history is the agricultural age, which came after the hunter-gatherer age. In the hunter-gatherer dispensation, humans survived by hunting animals. In a film I watched when I was just a child, titled ‘early men’. It was a film about the hunger-gatherer age, and the major character was a man who practically ran all his life as he was either chasing something or was being chased by something.


The Hunter-Gatherer

The transition made from the hunter-gatherer age to the agricultural age must have come after men got totally exhausted running from one place to another without much result as the animals too where always on the run. Of cause, you’ll agree with me that if what you are chasing is running too, then, how long you run depends on who is faster. And men are always looking for easier ways to get things done faster. The word ‘status-quo’ probably won’t be in existence if men never get to that place where they are comfortable.


Observation

An important observation I have made which is very obvious too, is that, none of these five ages in human history actually came and went, all of them are still in practice today: people still hunt animals today, the difference is just that they don’t run like they used to. There’re smarter ways to hunt. Even elites hunt these days. And talking about running after things, people still run today in what we all call the rat-race, chasing one thing after the other, some even chase too many things at the same time and don’t catch any.


Lesson

The fundamental lesson in the transitions in all the five major ages in human history is that; there would always be better ways to get result if we don’t stop searching. And most times we don’t even need to search for long as we’re in a world where data about almost everything is always readily available if we search in the right places.


Action Exercise: Are you tired of running? Then, sit down and think of a better way to do that business.


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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Leaders Are 'Big Goals' Oriented

Friday, January 30th, 2015.


In the year 1960, American President J.F. Kennedy called together scientists and engineers, and gave them a task which appeared impossible when he said it; Get an American on the moon in the next ten years. This was a task no country or individual had done. The engineers and scientist were given a mandate without the template to accomplish it. The president simply promised them the government would provide whatever they'll need.
Astonishingly, these great minds beat the given target by one year and landed an American in the moon by the year 1969.

Setting goals begin small. Its easier to accomplish bigger goals if you've accomplished smaller once before. Experience is always the best tutor. But, I respect people who attempt very big audacious goals without any small goal accomplishing experience. I do that, and the experience is always refreshing and rewarding. The first business training I organised was held in a facility that only top consultants used. Knowing me back then, that I didn't look like one who could use a facility like that, the facilitators couldn't hide there remark as they said; 'that was a big start'.

The reward: that experience built capacity in me for bigger things. I'm sure most of the American engineers and scientists weren't sure they could land someone on the moon, but went on to accomplish even bigger things after that experience.

Secondly, I became a consultant for free for the people who attended the business seminar, and had the privilege of helping some of them rebrand their businesses, through which they started getting bigger business opportunities. Some of them even started doing business with multinationals.

No one truly begins to lead until they can set and accomplish impossible goals for themselves and others.


Action Plan: Don't think of how, set big goals.


PLConsulting...

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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Every Moment Counts

Thursday, January 29th, 2015.


Yesterday is history; is a cliché we’re already used to hearing. Its history because it’s made of used up ‘time’, whether we actually used it or not. Today is made up of hours that are still within our control, whether we will exercise our control power or not is up to us. But, that’s the determining factor of how far we go in life. I read about Leonardo Da Vinci, how he had a guest once at his home. And while in the process of serving his guest a drink, got an Idea about something he had been pondering on for a long time, ran off into his library to write, and was there the rest of the day forgetting he had a guest. That’s the attitude of people who appreciate the power in every moment. For Leonardo Da Vinci, I’m pretty sure that was a regular occurrence in his life.

Tomorrow is not our reality yet, it is the potential future: what that future is going to be is up to us.

Yesterday, tomorrow and today all have some things in common: they are made up of seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades, and centuries etc. and of all these things they have in common together, none is as powerful as the succession of seconds (moments) in them. The way you use every moment is what determines your movement in life.

The ability of every leader to be in control every moment of their lives is what determines their level of influence, impact, and their ability to turn around situations and change people.

Be a good manager of your seconds (moments), by regulating all your activities to harmonise with your objectives, and all other things will take care of themselves. Select your activities, so you can remain effective.

Action Step: Don't seek to please no one.


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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Today’s Business Leaders 3 (Mind Graphics)

Wednesday, January 28, 2015.


“No one ever enters in the future into what he doesn’t create in his mind in the present.” ~ Paulvan

In life, people who don’t know what they want, are so rich in emptiness that they can even sell some if it were a product.

He who must build a castle must first of all build it in his mind if he must ever build it on earth.

I believe the best achievers in the world are people who understand and practice the law of mind Image-formation. And, if you are looking for leaders, look no further once you have found people with strong mind image-formation ability who can also help others do the same and push them to achieve it.

This world is always in dare need of leaders with the seeing, forming, pursuing and achieving abilities. The world would be empty without them.

I am talking to you this morning like I've always done with my computer keyboard about the power of Imagination. what do you want to achieve? Your goal setting and getting ability must be complemented with the ability to create clear mind pictures of what you truly want.

People with this ability are the business leaders of today and tomorrow.


Action Exercise: Get the pictures of all the things you want this year and begin to look at them everyday.


PLConsulting...

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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Today's Business Leaders 2

Tuesday, January 27, 2015


It will surprise you that Many people don't know the vision of their company, organisation or business. This communicates the difference between a transformational and a transactional leader. It also tells the difference between followers who are potential leaders and followers who will remain as followers. (We can say, there are transformational and transactional followers as well)

Real Leadership has since transcended from mere occupation of position to positioning people and organisations for the future by bringing out the best in them today.

Transactional leaders are managers who are more concerned with the process of production than with people: in the Same way, transactional workers/followers are more concerned with survival than with the future. So, they know little or nothing about the major objective of the company or business they work in.

Transformational leaders are people and future oriented. They carry the vision and communicate it so strongly that everyone around them work passionately and tirelessly until the objective is realised. Transformational leaders take people and the business into the future.

Management and Leadership are not the same thing. But, we need managers who are leaders, as we need leaders who are managers: Transformational leaders who understands the transactional part, and Transactional leaders who will become transformational in their approach.


Action Exercise: Become a transformational leader from where you are.


PLConsulting...

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2 Minutes Bible Insight. Title: Take the Right Steps

Tuesday, January 27, 2015.


“A sitting man needs no direction only a moving man.”


Psalm 37:23

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.

Some of the steps we would really love to take as christians are very good steps, but not God's steps. In as much as there are steps of faith, as God's people we must learn to take our own steps of faith in God's direction as that's the only way we can get result.

That something is good doesn't mean it is God. When you don't plan around God's purpose and agenda for your life you set yourself up for a rough ride through life.

God wants to order your steps, and help you take them in correct precision.

Before we end our fasting and prayers, it's very key to desire that our steps be ordered by God this year. Faith is planing after you have heard God on what to do, and then ask him to direct you, and then, start moving.

Action Step: Plan around God's purpose.

Prayer: Ask the Lord to order your steps.



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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Today's Business Leaders

Monday, January 26th, 2015.

Today's Business leaders are very Transformational in their approach to business. What's really interesting is that there are not many of them around.

The Business world is a very dynamic one: staying analogue in a digital world is like climbing a mounting backwards, just to make it sound as serious as it should!

A lot of people believe in change as they agree that its the only constant thing in the world. Believing in change really doesn't impress me, it is changing, or the ability to change and make the required adjustment that does. And it does more than impress me, it challenges and also changes me.
Transformational leaders are leaders who are never swayed by figures or profit margin, they are more concerned with long-term impact margin and relevance. And they make the right decisions, choose or build the right people, put the right structure in place that would make the business keep evolving to encourage transformational change, and create transformational product and services.

The way transformational leaders do this is by keeping the major objective (Goal) of the company or business at heart, and so evangelise it in a way that resonates with everyone that's connected to it.

What's the goal of your business or vision? Are you transformational or transactional in your approach?


Action Plan: Look around your office or business with a transformational eye, and change something you've been doing the same old way.



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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Winning Ways 5 (The Difference Maker)

Friday, January 23rd, 2015.


Most of the people who started this year have one thing in common; Goals! But, the truth is, those who will reach their goals this year must have one thing;

This is from John Maxwell, but, sent to me by Kyle Wilson...
                                                                                          
Came across this the other day. It was a great reminder and really resonated with me and so I thought I'd pass it along to you too.

Enjoy and stay consistent

Kyle...

John Maxwell shares that of his 15 Personal Development Laws, the most important has been consistency.

Motivation gets you going but discipline keeps you growing.

Consistency is the discipline of doing the right thing every day whether you feel like it or not.

If you keep doing simple things well over a long period of time there starts to be a compounding effect.

Success is not in making the decision, success is in management of the decision, the follow through and the commitment and the consistency of all things related to that decision.


Action Exercise: Don't give up! Keep at it! Stay in there.

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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Winning Ways 4 (On Effort From Ralph Marston)

Make the effort to make it happen

Don’t just hope to get it done. Take the time and make the effort to make it happen.

The things you get done are the things you make a specific time for in your schedule. If it’s important enough to be an intention, then it’s important enough to get it scheduled.

Don’t relegate your valuable intentions to an open-ended to-do list. Put them on your calendar.

There’s only so much time in each day, so scheduling your intentions will force you to prioritize them. That will help you make sure the most important things actually get done.

Thoughts and intentions are important because they can define your direction. For your direction to actually matter, though, you must get yourself in motion.

Go beyond wishing, hoping, planning and talking. Take the time, take the action, and get it done.


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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: 3 Important Levels Of Networking

Winning in life and business is a choice. Changing the level of winning per time too is also a choice as I believe there are small and big wins in life as well as in business.
Your current level of winning is a direct revelation of your relationships. In a seminar some time ago, Pastor Mathew Ashimolowo asked us to write down the 10 closest and most influencial people in our lives. After we had done that, he asked us to look at it again very closely, and then, said; 'looking at that list is looking at our future'. In other words, your future can't be better than your relationships.

I read from Anthony Robins on how his income level remained at 5 to 6 digits until he changed his level of relationships and networking. In less than a year, his income went from hundreds of thousands to millions by simply changing his game and connecting with people at that level. It is very true that your net-worth will always be in direct proportion to your network.


1. Network With Mentors: These are people who are where you want to be, they will never come to meet you, you have to find a way to connect with them.

2. Network With Friends: Your friends are at your level, they are the people with whom you share your Ideas and thoughts with. Real friends challenge you, but rarely change you; only mentors can change you. So, spend more time with mentors than with friends.

3. Network With Proteges: We learn better by sharing. One of the most productive ways of internalising lessons is to pass them down, across and below. We need mentors and friends in our lives, and we also need proteges.    

Action Exercise: Balance and improve on these 3 important levels of relationship today.


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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Recognition

Every growing person in life appreciates the importance of adding a little here and a little there. The last thing you learnt is the last thing you'll know until you learn something new. What makes a lasting difference is the ability to always discern relevance and appropriate knowledge. That's what we call wisdom!

Winning is the desire of everyone and everything living, but a desire only becomes a reality if we play be the rules. Life will forever be governed by laws, and the law guiding the mastery of anything remains the master: the law is not seen but often warns; 'you can't break me, you get wounded by tying to, and you end up broken if you insist on breaking me'.


Winning Ways 2

- Recognition: After self discovery comes the recognition of a lot of hidden potentials. But, that first step is very key to the unlocking of every hidden thing in you. You can't be all you're meant to be until you discover all that's hidden in you.

I meet people everyday who are yet to unlock the genius in them simply because they are yet to obey the first law to winning in life. It has become a regular undoing in life to see a genius envying another genius because he's simply yet to release his own. No material can perform optimally if it is wrongly positioned or abused. If you remove the logo of a mercedes benz car and put it on an Audi, that still doesn't make it a mercedes benz.

There's so much embedded in people but yet to be discovered because they are chasing shadows when they have the real substance in them.

The only way to unlock your full potential is to obey the first law of winning, which is self discovery. Self discovery is what leads to the 'Recognition' that brings total 'Recovery'.

Action Exercise: Check now to be sure you are not under-utilised, release the genius in you through the law of recognition propelled by self discovery.



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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Winning Ways

We live in a world where there's continuing awareness that the only way to find real peace and harmony with yourself is to live your life from the Inside-out, doing what your heart totally agrees with and that brings you genuine fulfilment.

I feel by now that a larger percentage of people In our world should know that one of the ways to find peace with yourself is to Identify those things that takes your peace away. And, most times, this comes through several failed attempts at trying to discover who you are.

“Winners are people who see failure as part of winning.” ~ Paulvan

Winning Ways 1

- Self Discovery Through Failure: It took me a pretty long time to accept to do for a living what gives me real peace. You can imagine! And, that came after so much struggle trying to do the things I felt I really liked to do. There are so many people like that today all over the place. Are you one of them?

We can use failure to our advantage if we understand the difference between failure as a result of not doing it right (wrong approach) and failure as a result of not doing the right thing (Wrong Course).

The biggest obvious, but rarely accepted instrument of world peace is individual inner peace.

Action Exercise: Discover and start living out your true Identity, no matter how many times you have failed.



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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Learning How to Negotiate

Just in case you try to remember by tomorrow if I posted any article today; simply remember that maybe for the first time ever you read an article in less than twenty seconds, and the lesson is on becoming a better learner.

One of the most important lessons we would ever learn in life is to accept that the best way to learn how to do a thing is by doing it; and the best way to learn how to do it better than others is by doing it more often than others. Too many people want to be masters at things they rarely have time for. What a paradox!

There’s no better way to learn how to negotiate than to do it often. I’ll even suggest that you volunteer to help people shop and negotiate just to master the act. As far as life is concerned, everyone is in business. We all survive by adding value in our work place or in the market place, and your negotiation skills will ultimately determine your network and net-worth.


Action Exercise: Make negotiation a habit.



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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: Judgement In Negotiation

“In business, you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate.” ~ Chester L. Karrass


Even though the goal of negotiation by principle shouldn’t be to win, you can’t take chances as not everyone adheres to principles. People are naturally selfish and will always want to make more than necessary if given the chance, especially from the ignorant.  

You can’t make better judgement than the information you have. Your judgement concerning an issue is always as good as your information. That’s why it’s critical for you to always get the right information by asking the right people. Note; I said the right people. How do you feel after buying something for a particular amount, only to get back and have another person tell you it’s a lot cheaper than that simply because you got your prior price from a bad negotiator like yourself. (don’t take it personal, I’m just making a point), I was a very bad negotiator too!


In yesterday’s article, I stressed the need to get all the necessary information you’d need before going to the market or a negotiation meeting. The goal of this is to help put you at a vantage position when it comes to decision making in negotiation.
Gathering relevant information mustn’t be a sudden exercise - you must take your time and be deliberate about it.


Some people are referred to as impulsive buyers because they always make their decisions at the market or at the negotiation table, they never plan their spending. They spend as the money comes, and, ninety per cent of the time on things they don’t need. Men, story of my life! I was like that for so long; I thought I would never change. There’s no habit you can’t change if you simply discover what you’re losing by not changing.


Action Exercise: Make your decisions and write down your expectations about what you want from the negotiation before you leave home.



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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: The Informed Negotiator

My father said: “You must never try to make all the money that’s in a deal. Let the other fellow make some money too, because if you have a reputation for always making all the money, you won’t have many deals.” J. Paul Getty


The one who always makes more money or get the better deal from a negotiation is the one who has more information. And the one who gets more deals afterwards is the one who disseminates/shares the information he has so that everyone can have equal opportunities at the negotiation table.

There are so many kinds of war in life, e.g civil, revolutionary, religious, world war, verbal and pen war etc., but all of them are categorised into two; soft and hard wars, depending on the kinds of weapon being used, either guns, bombs, words, pens or wits.

Negotiation is a soft war as it is a war of words, and it happens to be the only war where the two parties involved are expected to win at equal or different levels depending on preparation or expectations. This notwithstanding, the fellow who gets the better win or a better deal in negotiation is he who is better informed - just as in a real war, the winning side is the side that is more informed and more equipped.
Let me take this from a grassroot perfective as I did in the last two articles on negotiation. Before going to market to purchase a thing or to shop, get information about the best prices of the things you intend to buy from people who have bought them before. Don’t just hit the market without a list and the possible prices of your intended items. Don’t ever go to a negotiation table without enough information about the business or product you are going to negotiate for.


Action Exercise: Don’t go to market or to a negotiable meeting until you have almost all the information you need.



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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: A Common Myth of Negotiation

Negotiation is about getting what you want with some level of compromise, by understanding and allowing the other person get what he/she wants through mutual bargain.  


One Myth of Negotiation

I can't negotiate because I am a shy person: When you approach a negotiation table as a shy person, you will come out cheated. This was part of my problem; I always felt unnecessarily ashamed to negotiate beyond a point - so, I would pay and then face the music at home. In fact, a few times my mum had to follow me back to the shops either to collect the money if possible or re-negotiate.

Shy people shouldn’t negotiate alone until they learn. Always go shopping with people who can negotiate better than you and learn from them. Every skill can be developed; and if you must succeed in business or be rich in life, negotiation skill is a skill you must develop.

I have a Pastor friend who has built a reputation for himself as the best negotiator I have seen in a long time. He does almost all the major purchase for his church. Men, this guy is good! One thing I have learnt from him without him knowing is that he is never ashamed. Sometimes, he would mention very annoying prices for something that’s worth far more, just to know if the person would be willing to sell at that price. Honestly, I don’t think I would ever be as good as he.

You don’t have anything to be ashamed of in negotiation. You save a lot of money when you know how to negotiate.

How many times have you bought something only to discover/feel afterwards that you were cheated?


Action Exercise: Don't buy anything from now until you're very satisfied you have negotiated rightly.



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2 Minutes Business Article. Title: The Negotiator

I grew up a very bad negotiator! I would go to the market and buy things twice the price my mother or sisters would buy them. I eventually found out most men are very bad negotiators except the ones who were taught while growing up, the ones who learnt it in school by doing management courses like Accountancy, Economics, Business Administration etc., and the ones who learnt it the hard way like myself.

Women are better negotiators – although, there are some who are worst than men, maybe as a result of upbringing. I give the credit to my wife; she taught me how to negotiate. Today, once in a while, when I assist her with the groceries, she would tell me ‘wow, that was good, at least, you have stopped sharing free money.’ It gives me a good feeling about myself.

I have discovered that lack of effective negotiation skills makes people go from rich to poor, and make businesses go from big to small. I have also found out that most poor people don’t know how to negotiate, else, they would have gone from poor to rich. They spend even the little they have buying things at double the original prices.


A Major Mistake People Make In Negotiation

Negotiating to Win: Most times, negotiating to win is negotiating to lose. When your goal in negotiation is to win at the expense of the other person, you will eventually lose, because the person will find out sooner or later, especially if you are dealing with people who don’t have any idea about the business they do, maybe in a local market somewhere. So, you go to them to buy at very ridiculous prices and sell very high. When they eventually find out you are cheating them, they’ll shut the door and you’ll lose you customers, or you start buying at their new prices, and this will still make you lose customers too as people hate sudden increase in price.

He who wins alone doesn’t win for long and end up standing alone. That’s very bad for business as business thrives only when you build good win-win relationships. I have actually met a lot of people who don’t mind making very exuberant profits, even if it means staying out of business for a while after that sale. I find that very unwise!


Action Exercise: Improve on your negotiation skill today, negotiation is part of life.


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2 Minutes Business Article . Title: On The Law Of Cause And Effect (2) Brian Tracy

Upgrade Your Personal Knowledge and Skills

Set specific measures for each of your goals. If your goal is to excel in your field, determine how you will know when you have achieved it. Decide how you can measure your progress and evaluate your success.

Perhaps you can use as a measure the number of hours you study in your field each week. Perhaps you can measure the number of books you read or the number of audio programs you listen to. Perhaps you could measure your progress by the number of sales you make as the result of your growing skills.

Develop Winning Personal Growth and Development Habits

Select the specific habits and behaviors you will need to practice every day to become the person you want to become. These could be the habits of clarity, planning, thoroughness, studiousness, hard work, determination, and persistence.


Action Exercise

Decide today to develop yourself to the point where you can achieve every financial and personal goal you ever set and become everything you are capable of becoming. Write down your goals and make sure to look at them every day, then ponder ways you possibly achieve these goals.



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2 Minutes Business Article . Title: On The Law Of Cause And Effect (1). Brian Tracy

The turning point in my life came when I discovered the law of cause and effect, the great law of the universe, and human destiny. I learned that everything happens for a reason. I discovered that success is not an accident. Failure is not an accident, either. I also discovered that people who are successful in any area usually are those who have learned the cause-and-effect relationship between what they want and how to get it.


Determine Your Personal Growth and Development Values

To realize your full potential for personal and professional growth and development, begin with your values as they apply to your own abilities. As you know, your values are expressed in your words and actions.

You can tell what your values are by looking at what you do and how you respond to the world around you. Your values are the root causes of your motivations and your behaviors.


Clarify Your Personal Growth and Development Vision

Create a long-term vision for yourself in the area of personal growth. Project forward five or ten years and imagine that you are developed fully in every important part of your life. Idealize and see yourself as outstanding in every respect. Refuse to compromise on your personal dreams.


Set Goals for Your Personal Growth and Development

Now take your vision and crystallize it into specific goals. Here is a good way to start. Take out a piece of paper and write down ten goals that you would like to achieve in the area of personal and professional development in the months and years ahead. Write in the present tense, exactly as if you were already the person you intend to be.

Determine exactly what you want to be able to do. Decide who you want to become. Describe exactly what you will look like when you become truly excellent in your field and in your personal life.


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