SOLUTIONS….PLEASE! part 1

Everyday, people complain and complain. I sometimes do but I try to resist it because most times we complain to people who cannot solve the problem, that is what I like to call lamentation or when you voice out to people who are supposed to be hearing, it is almost like they never heard you. As I have I figured, complaining does not solve anything, it only makes it worse. The best way is to put your self in the place of solution. Find some problem to solve, stop being part of the problem. In this part of the world (Africa), our greatest battle has been leadership. We lack it and for the most part, we barely can figure out how to lead.  The world needs solutions, plenty of it, that is what the developed world thrives on and it is the way to lead. Leading in that your small corner, doing those simple things extra-ordinarily well and being the change you seek. The system around here erodes human values and makes a lot of things difficult, our culture is change-resistant and we like complexity, too many processesses; it is understandable the challenges of pursuing excellence but the good thing is that it is possible. There are norms, Traditions and mechanisms that drive our system, even when they do not help. Certain practices that give no room for keeping your vision alive, baseless procedures but you must strive to keep your vision alive. Fight for what you believe in and let it begin where you are.

Complaining about it further complicates everything. Until recently, I just did not see how providing solutions could be linked to leadership, now I know (Thanks to my experience at Excellence in Leadership Conference (2011), Daystar Christian Centre, Lagos). To lead is to be different, to solve problems. When you are part of the solution, you are a true leader. Leadership is reserved for problem solvers. It is not about occupying positions. It is based on wisdom. We are plagued with a leadership that is experiencing HIV (Having Insufficient Vision) in the words of Sam Adeyemi. I resolved not to be part of the problem anymore but consider ways I can improve the things around me. Waiting on those leaders will not get us anywhere. They have enough on their hands already.

When you look at Young American Millionaires, they are entrepreneurs providing solutions to problems.

 Mark Zuckerberg, Dustin Moskovitz, Eduardo Saverin and Sean Parker are all linked with Facebook and the success of a platform for social networking has changed the way we communicate.

Segrey Brin and Larry Page have Google.

Let us ask ourselves, what problems are we solving now? Is there really nothing we can do? Are we part of the dependency population, the consumers? The point is, if you belong to this class, you are likely to fall into the class of people who always complain…waiting on someone else to fix the problem, you are not willing to use your initiative even in the smallest way. In Nigeria, we see that those who provide goods and services are mostly the CEOs, the dictate the tune when it comes to employment and they are the ones making all the cash. They are always ahead of the pack and take all the risks. They are always looking for solutions and by providing it, they become huge in many ways. It does not matter how much money you have or what your talent is, you must begin to start thinking solution, improvement and innovation…..you must not let the challenges of your environment limit you.

In the Bible, we see that people like David, Joseph, Daniel and Jesus Christ himself were all at the top because they provided solution.

-         David was a musician who played for King Saul when he needed a musician and was recommended; He also killed Goliath, a major problem for the Israelites.

-         Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream. If there was no dream to be interpreted, Joseph will not be called to be palace and will not even be remembered.

-         Daniel Excelled because of his spirit of wisdom, being a captive; he also interpreted dreams and counselled the king.

-         Jesus Christ went about doing good, God anointed him and he went about solving problems, helping people live better lives.

The list goes on and you will see that many inventors and legends today solved problems, they rose above the crowd of complainers and by deciding to be different, and they have changed our lives. Mary Slessor, Florence Nightingale, Martin Luther King, Pastor Sam (Leadership) and  Nike Adeyemi (Orphans and Single mothers), Pastor Bimbo Odukoya (late), Bishop David Oyedepo, Lexy Mojo-Eyes, Mary Kay, Sean Diddy Combs, Fela and Tara Durotoye, Mike Adenuga, Cobhams Asuquo, Raymond Dokpesi, Betty Irabor etc. You MUST find a way to be a solution, stop complaining. Your own should not be pure consuming and finding faults in what others do. How about you? Which problem have you solved?

You must not allow the ineptitude of your leaders sabotage your dreams. You must survive and as Nigerians, we know exactly how to do it legitimately, if we truly want to. You can sit all day read the papers and the magazines admiring all those beautiful people, that is how far, you can go. Let their achievement inspire you to act, let it drive you to achieve and solve a problem, no matter how little it is. Be the candle light in the darkness. We cannot continue to wallow in backwardness, entitlement mentality, Get-rich-quick schemes, Poor value systems, Sentiments, Religion, Nepotism, No regard for the law (breaking the law, when you are supposed to be upholding the law) Selfishness, Bureaucracy, Tribalism, Insubordination, Mediocrity….refusing to be the change.

to be continued....