THE GLOBAL LEADERSHIP SUMMIT 2017

I attended the 2^nd day of the Global Leadership Summit video broadcast that was held at Elevation church today. It was a power packed event. Here are just a few summary notes that you might find useful.

LASZLO BOCK

Transform how you live and lead

Insights from inside Google: Laslzo is a senior consultant from Google. He says, we spend more hours working, so being in a good work place matters. You need to give work meaning. Some people remember the duty but forget the joy. Having a mission gives work meaning. Missions must inspire and have good stories 

Here are Work Rules best practice 

·       Figure out why you are doing what you are doing

·       Go to your team and ask what inspires their work

·       Who are the beneficiaries of the work you do and who can you invite to share the impact your organization has had in their lives?

·       Go back to No 1 and do it again and again

Trust your people , allow them make decisions. Ask them how better the company can perform. If you believe that your team are fundamentally good, they will repay you with goodness and creativity.

As a leader, give your team more than you are comfortably giving because that means you trust them.

Hire only people who are better than you.

Pay unfairly – pay appropriately and let high performers know and be appreciated

Nudge - Celebrate positive things you see in the people in your environment around you and reinforce that type of behaviour

ANGELA DUCKWORTH 

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Angela describes GRIT as sustained passion and perserverance for especially long terms goals.

She believes that deliberate practice allows people to achieve world class excellence

Here are 4 specific ways taken from her research

1. Stretch your goals – what one small thing can I do just a little better today that Ive done before?

2. Focus 100% - How can I maximize effort on this one small thing today?

3. Get feedback – Who can I get feedback from regarding this goal?

4. Reflect and refine – What part of the feedback can I put into practice

IMMACULEE ILIBAGIZA 

The Act of Forgiveness

Her entire family except her brother were wiped out in the 1994 Rwanda massacre including her parents, her grandparents and siblings. She was hidden by an Anglican priest from another tribe. She sat in a bathroom for 3 months. She is a Catholic and prayed the Rosary 200 times but she found it difficult to pray, ‘’forgive those who trespass against us’’. She was losing her faith. She asked God to show her a sign. When the perpetrators came to look for her, they told the Anglican priest that he couldn’t have hid her because he was a good man. They left the premises and she was safe. She finally escaped to America.

Lessons Learned

·       Forgiveness is a choice

·       There is freedom in forgiveness

·       As leaders we need to go first

There were over 12 Leaders including Pastor Sam Adeyemi, Sheryl Sanberg, that spoke during the two days conference. You can order a DVD of the entire conference from Elevation church.

Did anything stand out for you? Please share your comments.

Here’s my previous blog post

HOW TO PRACTICE HIGH SELF ESTEEM

HOW TO PRACTICE HIGH SELF-ESTEEM

I know what it’s like to battle with low self-esteem. For years I couldnt differentiate between Confidence (Believing in your abilities) and Self Esteem (Believing in yourself). I wondered why I believed in my abilities, yet struggled with my self-worth. Anyone who has achieved success in any area like getting a top degree, having a thriving business, buying a new home or two, buying the latest cars, soon realizes that it is neither sufficient nor necessary for healthy High self esteem. One only has to observe celebrities who can perform in front of millions (confidence) yet struggle with low self esteem and some actually kill themselves. 

During my journey, I soon discovered that High Self Esteem can not be gained from anything external. It has to come from inside of me.

So here are 5 tactics I practice daily to keep my self esteem HIGH! It’s worth noting.

1. The Practice Of Self-Acceptance

It’s truly a struggle for people to accept themselves, especially women. It doesnt help that we are compared so much more among ourselves than men are. I remember a season when I wasn’t comfortable with my height. At only 5:4, I wanted to be taller like my siblings and my parents. It didnt help that I had people in my life that would throw shade about my height. Throughout my 20’s I wore block heels with extra inches so that I could appear taller. Then one day I woke up and threw away the big blocks and just accepted my height. My new motto became ''Improve what you can change and accept what you cant'' and that improved my self esteem''.

NO MORE BLOCKS 

2. The Practice Of Self Responsibility 

Jack Canfield’s book, The Success Principles is a book I keep close to my heart. In the first chapter of his book he talks about taking 100% responsibility for your life. When I read that chapter, my attitude started to change for the better. Often low esteem comes from not taking responsibility for our outcomes and then we end up blaming everyone else or making excuses.

Here are some things I am responsible for

1.        I am responsible for my achievements

2.        I am responsible for my personal happiness

3.        I am responsible for my choices and action

4.        I am responsible for raising my self esteem

3. The Practice Of Assertiveness

People with strong assertiveness skills have high self-esteem. They know their worth. They know what they will tolerate and what they wont. They are not people pleasers. I taught myself the practice of assertiveness because I was tired of giving into people’s demands when I really wanted to say NO thanks. Assertiveness also means knowing your rights and standing up for what you believe in, even if you are the only one standing. 

4. The Practice Of Living On Purpose

The only way to maintain high self-esteem is to live a life of purpose. What is your purpose? Your purpose is what you were born to do. Contrary to popular belief, your purpose may not be centered around your job. It maybe your ministry or something that you do in your spare time.  All the challenging experiences in your life may lead to your purpose. When you know your purpose and practice living on purpose, it increases high self esteem. 

5. The Practice Of Gratitude

On my journey of self -discovery, I realised that I cannot have high self-esteem if I lack gratitude. So I intentionally choose gratitude. Sometimes I just randomly hug my husband or my children. I spend moments in the day just being thankful for life. I love to celebrate others and that is part of my gratitude for people God has placed in my life. I tap into gratitude daily and it helps with high self-esteem.

There are times that I slip and I don’t feel good about myself and I pray and say ''Father God deliver me from this low feeling'' then I realise I am human and I get back up and start practicing again. I must practice.

Here’s a recommended book

THE PILLARS OF SELF ESTEEM

How do you practice High Self- esteem? Please leave a comment and tell me more. 

Here's my previous blog post
5 THINGS THAT CHALLENGE ME ABOUT LOVE


Thanks for stopping by and please share with someone who could benefit from this knowledge. 

5 THINGS THAT CHALLENGE ME ABOUT LOVE

Love is a beautiful thing and the greatest gift of them all. Love is a conversation I was having with my beautiful sister friend Yinka Enahoro yesterday. We were discussing all the many types of love. When you read the Bible especially the New Testament, the Love described is selfless, sacrificial and unconditional love. It is Agape Love.  Love is a strong value for both of us. As a believer and someone who daily tries to emulate Christ, here are 5 things that challenge me about Agape love.

1. Love is patient and kind. Throughout my Christian life, this verse has always challenged me. How can you be patient and kind to people who misbehave or treat you badly? If people treat you badly you want to retaliate but I guess you have to take a deep breath. Stop in your tracks and remember what you know about love. Never repay evil for evil. It’s not easy shaa but it’s clearly stated that Love is patient and kind. Breath with me now, if someone has upset you.

2. Love one another and live at peace. I would rather live at peace then live in malice and that’s what I was saying to Yinka yesterday. Recently I bumped into someone at an event and forget that we had fallen out and hugged her like a long lost friend. After hugging her, it dawned on me that I wasn’t supposed to be speaking to her. But guess what? I had forgotten what the quarrel was about. It's not always easy to live at peace but we must pray for grace. When we live at peace it affects our well being, positively.

3. Love your enemies and pray for those who despise you. I use to believe this was impossible to achieve but with maturity and an understanding of Agape love, it is possible.  It's very freeing especially when you know in your heart that you haven't done anything wrong. Just pray for people that dont love you or who wrong you. People are going through a lot and have deep rooted pains, so we shouldn't take bad behaviour personally. Its not about us.

4. A friend loves at all times. I often meditate on this verse but these days rather than focusing on how my friends are loving me, I look inward and ask myself how am I loving them? When we take the focus off what others are doing for us and really look at our actions, we will be able to really examine if we are a good friend and try our best to love at all times.

5. Love holds no record of wrong doing. This is a big challenge for me and one I'm always trying to figure out how to practice this. Does it mean we should just tolerate bad behaviour from people? No it doesnt. I believe it means dont hold yourself ransom to people's wrong doing. How does it feel when you start listing all the wrongs that people have caused you? Not great right? Does it give you peace? Forgiveness is key and we have to forgive daily, even for the worst of acts. 

Agape love is not an easy act to follow and doesnt not come naturally to us but it has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. So seek HIM daily. 

So those are my 5 challenges of loving others with Agape Love but that is what our Heavenly Father commands us to do. How about you? What aspects of the Love commandment are you challenged with? Would love you to share a comment. 

Here's my previous blog post
EVENTS & MARKETING MIX IN PICTURES

Thanks for stopping by RiRi xxx

EVENTS & MARKETING MIX IN PICTURES

Every time I conclude a major event and get that satisfaction of a job well done especially from the client, it reminds me why and how I got into Events in the first place and after 20 years I am still here. 

Here's my journey

PRIDE MAGAZINE EXPERIENCE

After Uni, I landed myself in a fast paced marketing department doing all sorts of ‘’marketing tasks’’ and planning reader party nights for UK's Pride Magazine. It felt like real fun especially for a 20 something year old like me but because it was an internship, the novelty of being there wore out. I was like ''show me the money'' as they say and after three months moved on.

THE DORCHESTER - A BREATHTAKING VENUE

THE DORCHESTER EXPERIENCE

The sacrifice of the unpaid experience was worth it though and soon led to a paid role at Financial Times magazines where I was assisting the Events Department with prestigious black tie awards. It was a dream experience. The awards were WOW and held at Dorchester London and the likes. I was literally the only black face at such events but that didn’t faze me. I was just fascinated by the glitz and glam and the detailed planning that came with organizing such classy events. I got to wine and dine with top notch executives  and learnt the art of fine dining.

BBC YEARS

BBC EXPERIENCE

After that experience, I landed a role in the marketing department at the BBC. There was an opportunity to coordinate a few events but they were not as glamorous as the Financial Times award nights, if the truth be told. But event experience is experience especially BBC experience. I was there for 8 years.

POP IDOL THEMES SEASON

LAGOS EVENTS

Roll on 8 years and by 2008 I was in Lagos and my love for event planning wouldn’t go away, especially in a place like Lagos where Event Management is huge. Looking back I was bold. I didn’t really know the way of the land or the mannerism of this new environment. I was adapting to a new scene but threw myself  in and organized all manner of events: weddings, kiddies parties, product launches, grand openings and I even managed a burial reception. 

GRAND WEDDING AT LANDMARK

CHURCH EVENTS

At some point, I was the head of Events at TPH church in Lekki. That was a big eye opener for me and there was some really grand church conferences, rallies and speaker breakfast meetings to manage. 

But my real satisfaction comes from planning corporate events, especially because of my corporate background. I am a professional and have strong skills in process and order mixed with creativity.

GRAND BOOK LAUNCH & DINNER

CORPORATE EVENTS 

And because of years of experience of delivering effective marketing campaigns, I understand the business objective of putting together corporate events and look for ways to add value. I am also strong on customer service and excellence and dont mind going the extra the mile to get the work done. 

CAREER ADVICE

What's my advice for those seeking a career in Events or Marketing or both? Get experience even if it’s unpaid. Both fields are very competitive, so you really need an unfair advantage to get in. Mine was my passion and the eagerness of wanting to learn and going the extra mile to help. Potential employers can spot it, especially if youve done a lot of voluntary work. It shows that you are dedicated and passionate. Make that sacrifice to work hard and the rewards will surely pay off.

SATISFIED GUESTS

In 2012, I stepped out of full time employment after 20 years and set up Majestically Rare. We provide both Events and Marketing Management as both skills set add real value to our clients.  Although there have been challenges and even setbacks, we have managed some mind blowing events and been involved in some mega marketing campaigns. I love what I do and just wanted to share my journey. 

Here's my previous blog post
THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS

Thanks for stopping and please let me know whether you have ever worked in Events or Marketing and what you enjoyed about the experience.

ABOUT MAJESTICALLY RARE

THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS – BOOKS THAT HAVE SHAPED ME

My recent birthday reminded me of the power of relationships. It reminded me that there are beautiful people in the world.  It reminded me that there is indeed love in the world. It reminded me of my values and my essence. I want to share a few books that have shaped me through the last few years and deepened my relationships with people.

25 WAYS TO WIN with people by John Maxwell

Because I have a desire to win with people, I have invested in books which help me along the way.

And here are my favourite quotes from this book

‘’Leaders can become great only when they realize that they are the ones who need people’’.

‘’No matter how successful you are, no matter how important or accomplished, you need people’’.

He also said this

·      People need to be needed

·      People need to know they need people

·      People need to know they are needed

·      People need to know they helped

RAISING CONFIDENT GIRLS

And that is the blueprint of how we run Raising Confident Girls Initiative, an NGO that I am proudly part of. We cant do it on our own. It takes a village. And that village is our valuable members, our patron, our stakeholders and the wider community.

Everyone needs to feel needed. And its so rewarding and beautiful to see the fruits of everyone feeling part of something. No man is an Island.  

BE A PEOPLE PERSON by John Maxwell

I love John Maxwell books and one of the things he points out in this book is the golden rule. Treat people the way you wanted to be treated but he went a step further and said if you want people to act right towards you, you have to act right towards them. We should be determined not to be a reactor to bad behaviour rather an initiator of good behaviour.

I spotted something profound in this book that stops me from fretting when I witness challenging behaviour.

 He also said ‘’ When you realise that people treat you according to how they see themselves rather than how you really are, you are less likely to be affected by their behaviour''.

My husband always says never let a person's behaviour affect you negatively, rather let your behaviour affect others positively. Munachi Okoye

A few things to note if we want to be a people person by John Maxwell 

The least important word

I (gets the least amount done)

The most important word

We (gets the most amount done) – relationships

The two most important words

Thank you – appreciation

The three most important words

All is forgiven – forgiveness

The four most important words

What is your opinion? – listening

The five most important words

You did a good job – encouragement

The six most important words

I want to know you better – understanding

THE TRUE MEASURE OF A WOMAN

Another book that has helped with my personal growth is called The True Measure of A Woman. Often we measure our worth according to what’s around us. Our self-esteem rises and falls just because of popular opinion. The author states that this can often result in depression and other mental and physical problems. 

When we discover the truth of who we are in Christ, then we can stop comparing our journeys to others and begin to see ourselves as God sees us and then we have more powerful, healthy and long lasting relationships.

You are not who they see – No matter how good looking you are, you will never feel good enough until you realise that man looks at your outward appearance but God looks at our hearts. So we need to work on our hearts.

You are not what you weigh either – Some women measure their worthiness by how much they weigh. Its good to be healthy and of a good weight but don’t be obsessed with it.

The true measure of a woman is her fear of God. And we can learn a lot from the Proverbs 31 woman or take part like I did in a 31 days PROVERBS CHALLENGE   

Nothing though beats a daily dose of scripture and my favourite verse for the week is from Psalm 27 '' The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear''. The Lord is the strength of my life: of whom shall I be afraid of. 

I do hope these have been useful nuggets in building powerful relationships with others and yourself.

Here's my previous blog post
PRE BIRTHDAY REFLECTION

Please leave a comment and let me know if anything stood out for you. Thanks for stopping by until next time. Feel free to share.

PRE BIRTHDAY REFLECTION - MY FOUR LIFE LESSONS

As my birthday draws near, it always give me a chance for deep reflection on the journey so far and highlight any new life lessons since my last birthday. 

Here are 4 of them.

Lesson 1

I am grateful for reaching this point in my life where I fulfill the highest expression of myself. I am grateful for having the ability to look inwards and accept myself for who I am. Yes all my strengths and weaknesses.  My personality type is a gift to the world but I realise that I am not called to everyone, however for those who stay tuned to me, well you get to receive plenty of love. So enjoy the ride.

My life lesson is you are not called to everyone. Serve the ones you are called to with ALL your heart. 

Confident in who I AM

Lesson 2

The death of my father which happened suddenly last year was one of my deepest and most painful losses to date, but out of it has come the most strongest and powerful expression of myself. His passing was the reason I started this blog which ignites me to openly express my thoughts to the world. 

Only last week I shared about how people in authority nearly left me feeling so down trodden and insecure about myself. Their remarks could have stopped me from reaching my full potential. Thank God I didn’t believe their story and wrote my own narrative.

See PREVIOUS BLOG POST

My life lesson is it’s okay to open up your life and share your journey. You don’t know who it will inspire .

Lesson 3

This year, I cautiously joined a new network called Full Circle Wellness Solutions. I was pleasantly surprised. I’ve really gained a lot from women who share the same ideologies and values as me. It’s encouraging to be among women who genuinely support one another and have fun at the same time.

My life lesson is never say you will never join new networks especially women's one. No woman is an island. Just embrace new opportunities. You might make new associates, new business partners, learn a lot and enjoy it at the same time.

See website about FULL CIRCLE

Lesson 4

A friend of mine called Daba alerted me to a Social Sector Training that was running at Lagos Business School for 4 months. Without even doing much research, I applied, got on the programme and found myself doing a valuable Social Sector management program. It was such an eye opener for me to see how things really should run in the social sector industry. As a result we have tighten our strategy to make ‘’Raising Confident Girls Initiative’’ a sustainable NGO.

My life lesson is always keep learning. Always make room to skill up.

Meet Dada from Zesty Juices

Class of SSM7....I made it

***BONUS LESSON**

So there you have my 4 Life lessons plus bonus. 

Life is always about learning until you are called home. Can you resonate with any of these life lessons or do you have your own? Please share in the comment box. Thanks for stopping by until next time…

Here's my previous post
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF WHEN OTHERS DONT