 I was invited to my old secondary school, Hamilton High School in Bulawayo, to officiate at their speech and prize giving event. It was a moving moment, standing in the school hall after 26 years. Stepping on the grounds of the school, I realized how some things change so much, while others do not. I marvelled at the enduring power of institutions. People and characters may change but good institutions live beyond people’s tenure, characters and personalities. As I walked through the buildings I recalled the words from my Shakespeare’s, “As You Like It”:
“All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts.”
So it had been with me. I had played my part and left after a six year tenure. All the teachers that had felt so “permanent” had left. A school and any opportunity is indeed like a stage. Here I was coming back to the school in a new costume. As part of the events of the day we were entertained by the school choir that performed several moving songs. I was amazed at the quality of the performances. In particular the choir conductor’s graceful moves caught my attention. He was indeed a grand master at work, inspiring and melding the rich voices into a passionate song-story with melody, mood and movement. A former classmate and colleague that I was sitting with whispered, “the choir conductor is the most important member of the choir’s performance, yet his back faces the crowd, he never says a word - he is silent. Such is the effect of great leadership.” This metaphor gripped my attention and I could not take it out of my mind. Leadership is at its best when it serves but it is not self-serving. Lead from where you Are.
Leadership is about service and giving one’s best without having to look at the crowd. Lead from where you are, with what you have without care to impress people. Inspire great performance and results even if your ego does not get massaged. Hold other people to great expectations, like a choir master, and allow them to perform their parts. See the gifts and potential in people and allow them space to express their greatness. Leadership is more than a title or a name. It goes beyond noises and sounds, clamour and clutter. Do not wait for someone to make things better, take action and better the corner and place you occupy. The place where you stand is your podium. Make a difference and live that difference. Take responsibility and no amount of disaffection will improve the ground you are standing on and the choir you sing in. You give up power when you think that you are victims and that they do not possess any. You are powerful beyond your wildest dreams and estimation. Your difference makes all the difference. The choir conductor may not appear to be doing much, but he makes a difference and a lot depends on him even though he does not make a sound. Your attitude catches on. You have the power to express your very best every day. Never let your anger, frustrations and fears tempt you to deliver a poor performance every day. Every day is show day. Put your best foot forward and give your best daily. Regardless of where you are placed and what you do, you have the power and the responsibility to show leadership daily. Turn up to your place of work with a determination to make a positive difference. No one can make you feel inferior without your permission. You are not just a frustrated passenger in the bus of life. Enjoy the journey and the ride. You are an actor and you make a difference. Daily expressions of positive leadership in every place create a great momentum of national performance. Facing away from the audience
What you do matters, but your focus matters even more. Do not just play to the gallery of other people’s opinion. Focus on your “choir” and do that which matters. The conductor works with the choir as a team. Each part has its place. Allowing for individual excellence, the conduct brings together each of the parts to ensure that the performance is coherent. The key to great performances is great practice. Practice daily and take positive action to make a difference and to raise your game. You are a conductor and your energy becomes the choir’s energy. I saw this in the performance. Pass on positive energy. Believe in yourself and in your team. A good conductor passes on energy, excitement, mood and feeling to his choir. When you wake up every day you have a choice. Your choice is to either be positive or to be negative. Choose to pass on the right kind of energy. By all means do not be an negative energy skunk. Persist until its perfect
In the book, The Greatest Salesman in the World, Og Mandino relates the story of a frustrated salesman who was looking to make a break. He finally gets hold of some scrolls that guide him to success as he is instructed to read each scroll repeatedly for a month. The key is not just brief exposure but internalization and conditioning. A great choir and its conductor perform best when they have internalized the songs. This takes persistent practice. Og Mandino’s third scroll talks about persistence. All great choirs persist until they find mastery. Do not give up early. There is no success without practice. Persist and keep working at it until you succeed. I include this this article the reading of the Mandino’s Scroll marked III. May it inspire you as read and re-read this scroll until it burns new energy to your heart and mind: “In the Orient young bulls are tested for the fight arena in a certain manner. Each is
brought to the ring and allowed to attack a picador who pricks them with a lance. The
bravery of each bull is then rated with care according to the number of times he
demonstrates his willingness to charge in spite of the sting of the blade. Henceforth will I
recognize that each day I am tested by life in like manner. If I persist, if I continue to try,
if I continue to charge forward, I will succeed. I will persist until I succeed.
I was not delivered unto this world in defeat, nor does failure course in my veins. I am
not a sheep waiting to be prodded by my shepherd. I am a lion and I refuse to talk, to
walk, to sleep with the sheep. I will hear not those who weep and complain, for their
disease is contagious. Let them join the sheep. The slaughterhouse of failure is not my
destiny.
I will persist until I succeed.
The prizes of life are at the end of each journey, not near the beginning; and it is not
given to me to know how many steps are necessary in order to reach my goal. Failure I
may still encounter at the thousandth step, yet success hides behind the next bend in
the road. Never will I know how close it lies unless I turn the corner.
Always will I take another step. If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another.
In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult.
I will persist until I succeed.
Henceforth, I will consider each day's effort as but one blow of my blade against a
mighty oak. The first blow may cause not a tremor in the wood, nor the second, nor the
third. Each blow, of itself, may be trifling, and seem of no consequence. Yet from
childish swipes the oak will eventually tumble. So it will be with my efforts of today.
I will be liken to the rain drop which washes away the mountain; the ant who devours a
tiger; the star which brightens the earth; the slave who builds a pyramid. I will build my
castle one brick at a time for I know that small attempts, repeated, will complete any
undertaking.
I will persist until I succeed.
I will never consider defeat and I will remove from my vocabulary such words and
phrases as quit, cannot, unable, impossible, out of the question, improbable, failure,
unworkable, hopeless, and retreat; for they are the words of fools. I will avoid despair
but if this disease of the mind should infect me then I will work on in despair. I will toil
and I will endure. I will ignore the obstacles at my feet and keep mine eyes on the goals
above my head, for I know that where dry desert ends, green grass grows.
I will persist until I succeed.
I will remember the ancient law of averages and I will bend it to my good. I will persist
with knowledge that each failure to sell will increase my chance for success at the next
attempt. Each nay I hear will bring me closer to the sound of yea. Each frown I meet
only prepares me for the smile to come. Each misfortune I encounter will carry in it the
seed of tomorrow"s good luck. I must have the night to appreciate the day. I must fail
often to succeed only once.
I will persist until I succeed.
I will try, and try, and try again. Each obstacle I will consider as a mere detour to my goal
and a challenge to my profession. I will persist and develop my skills as the mariner
develops his, by learning to ride out the wrath of each storm.
I will persist until I succeed.
Henceforth, I will learn and apply another secret of those who excel in my work. When
each day is ended, not regarding whether it has been a success or a failure, I will
attempt to achieve one more sale. When my thoughts beckon my tired body homeward I
will resist the temptation to depart. I will try again. I will make one more attempt to close
with victory, and if that fails I will make another. Never will I allow any day to end with a
failure. Thus will I plant the seed of tomorrow's success and gain an insurmountable
advantage over those who cease their labor at a prescribed time. When others cease
their struggle, then mine will begin, and my harvest will be full.
I will persist until I succeed.
Nor will I allow yesterday's success to lull me into today's complacency, for this is the
great foundation of failure. I will forget the happenings of the day that is gone, whether
they were good or bad, and greet the new sun with confidence that this will be the best
day of my life.
So long as there is breath in me, that long will I persist. For now I know one of the
greatest principles of success; if I persist long enough I will win.”
Committed to your greatness,
Milton Kamwendo. |
