A Life of Impact

By Ayo Adebamowo

In this motivational primer, you will discover why:
the informed succeed, the best gain at the expense of the rest, those who dare get their share, the top is meant for the tough, messengers do end up as managers, adversities have advantages, failures should be viewed as moments and not as monuments, the future belongs to the disciplined,results enhance capacity to make impact, and much more.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Imprimata Publishers
• Release date: Sep 8, 2010
• ISBN: 9781906192488

Ayo Adebamowo

Ayo Adebamowo volunteers as a Motivational Speaker and Development Consultant with a UK-based non profit personal development outfit committed to helping people achieve success by offering principle-based training and motivation delivered through seminars, publications, mentoring, and teaching.A Health Informatician by training and practice, Ayo’s educational pursuits have taken him through studies and working trips undertaken in Nigeria, UK and Spain culminating in the award of a Bachelor’s degree in Zoology and a Master’s degree in Geographical Information Systems with Remote Sensing.Passionate about helping people excel in their endeavours, Ayo often says he makes a living by working as a Health Informatician but makes a life by teaching and motivating people for outstanding success. He has previously authored a motivational book, Success Power.Resident in the UK, he is happily married with one beautiful daughter.

Book preview

A LIFE OF

IMPACT

Ayo Adebamowo

Published by Imprimata

Copyright © 2010 by Ayo Adebamowo

Second edition September 2010

Ayo Adebamowo has asserted his rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical or otherwise and whether invented now or subsequently) without the prior written permission of the publisher or be otherwise circulated in any form, other than that in which it is published, without a similar including this condition being imposed on any subsequent publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil action.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

A CIP Catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978-1-906192-48-8

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DEDICATION

Joyfully dedicated to you my little princess, Victoria Adeola. You were only a month old when I began writing this book. I believe you will grow up to live a life of impact.

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Making The Most of Life

Realities of a Changing World

Responding to Changing Times

Opportunity Recognition And Utilization

A Life of Purpose

Freedom is a Treasure

By Working Thoughts Become Things

Wisdom Is Life’s Master Key

Chapter 2

Enhancing Quality of Life Through Results

Results: The Golden Key to Maximizing Fortune

How Results Enhance Fortune

Results Enhance Value

Results Determine Reward

Results Enhance Capacity to Help Others

Results Guarantee Perpetuity

Results Enhance Credibility

Results Reflect Competence

Results Enhance Promotion to The Top

Results Turn Entities to References and Role Models

Results Enhance Capacity For Influence

Results Multiply Opportunities

Chapter 3

Generating Results

The Informed Succeed

Decisions Determine Destinies

What Constitutes Results?

Qualitative Performance

Prerequisites For Success

Results Orientation

Appreciating Humble Beginnings

Preparation is The Bedrock of Success

Confidence Wins

Chapter 4

The Foundation of Discipline

Discipline as a Foundation For Success

Why Discipline is Critical to Success

The Role of Discipline in The Making of Champions

The Dynamics of Discipline

Motivations For Discipline

Chapter 5

The Pursuit of Excellence

Life is a Journey, Travel First Class

The Basis of Excellence

Striving For Excellence

Running a Successful Organisation

Creating a Culture of Excellence

We Labour to Become, Not to Acquire

The Underestimated Power of Passion

The Force of Hardwork

Hardwork Can be Easy Work

Achieving Efficiency: Primary Tasks vs Secondary Tasks

Achieving Excellence: Round Pegs in Round Holes

Chapter 6

Enhancing Financial Success

Financial Success is Important

Wealth is Transient

Poverty is an Aberration

What Determines Financial Destinations

The Rich’s Attitude to Investment

Investment in Assets Holds The Key to Wealth

Intelligent Management of Opportunities

Financial Success is Connected to Knowledge

Creating Value

The Practice of Liberality

Chapter 7

Maximizing Leadership

The Influence of Leadership

Leaders as The Face of Their Organisation

The Purpose of Leadership

Developing Followers

Developing Leaders Through Mentorship

The 3Cs of Leadership

Chapter 8

Effecting Desired Change

Strategies For Effecting Change

Dissatisfaction With Present Condition

Willingness to Pay The Prize

Applied Knowledge is Power

Knowledge as The Foundation For Progress

The Pursuit of Knowledge

The Wealth of The Wise

Overcoming Cultural And Peer Influence

Ability to Respond Effectively to Changes

Personal Development

Reinventing Yourself

Chapter 9

Maximizing Success

Commitment to New Goals

Effective People Are Always Prepared

Developing Potentials

Maintaining Your Key Assets

Leveraging on Speed

Helpers Will Be Helped

Recourse to Examples And Precedence

Security Enhances Prosperity

Chapter 10

Ensuring Long-Term Success

Continuity is The Goal

Decadence is Gradual

Ensuring Continuity

Surviving The Storms

Never Become Complacent

Chapter 11

Relating With People And Influencing People

Why Relationships Are Valuable

Relationships Are Essential to Maximizing Returns

Association is Transformational

Not All Relationships Are Profitable

Proper Treatment of People

Unlocking People’s Treasure

The Force of Unity

The Power of Influence

Becoming Influential

Chapter 12

Becoming Valuable

Reward is a Measure of Value

The Demand For Value is Endless

The Basis of Value

Utilizing Success Tools

Enhancing Your Value

Generating Improved Results

Continuous Training

Chapter 13

Character Counts

Why Character Counts

Hallmarks of Good Character

Good Character Produces Good Reputation

The Best Immunity Against False Accusations

Foundation For Lasting Success And Greatness

Preserving Integrity

Chapter 14

Handling Difficulties

Adversities Have Advantages

Handling Difficulties Successfully is Critical

Recognizing The Root Causes of Difficulties

Ignorance is Costly

Inadequate Preparation Has Consequences

Internalized Limitations Hinder Progress

Limitations Can Be Overcome

Failures Are Moments Not Monuments

Vulnerabilities Are The Weakest Links

Mismanaging Difficulties Perpetuate Them

Recovering From Setbacks

Chapter 15

Securing the Future

Investment Must Be Continuous

Be Prepared For Challenges

Visionary Leadership

Setting Landmarks

Developing Future Generations

Timely Detection of Changes And Response to Changes

Harmful Practices Are Inimical to Repeatable Success

About the Author

PREFACE

Do books really hold any value? If they do, why do statistics indicate that most people don’t read meaningful books once they complete formal education? Considering the high number of books on success literature already in circulation, many from world-renowned authors, it is only natural to ask why another book on success? Why should the reader read this book at all? Of what benefit will reading A Life of Impact be to the reader? These and other questions dominated my thoughts in the course of writing this book. The desire to provide for the reader, satisfactory answers to these and other questions was taken into account in putting together the ideas expressed in the next 180 pages. This intention is particularly anchored on a belief that no two books are the same.

The writing of A Life of Impact is premised on three philosophies: that people perform better when they become better; that the key to impact is to generate good results, and that the informed succeed because the principles of success and failure are universal, timeless and constant, making it possible for the success of some to be duplicated and the failure of others to be avoided. The book is organized around seven cardinal principles put together to help the reader live a life of impact and make the most of life, namely: the principles of repeatable success, effective leadership, personal ethics and discipline, effecting desired change, financial success, problem management, and human relationships.

The book does much more than simply motivates you to achieve success; it equips you with the wherewithal to make a positive difference in your undertakings. By so doing, you achieve much more than success; you secure an enduring legacy becoming a source of inspiration to others in the process. It is not designed to be a one-off reading material but a reference resource you recourse to constantly for inspiration, motivation, information and education. It teaches not just what you should do but why you should do it and how should do it.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I do not believe that there is such thing as a ‘self-made’ person. What I do believe is that because success is an aggregate of inputs, the success any individual records has been made possible by the contributions of several other people, no matter how seemingly little those contributions may appear to be. This same principle applies in the writing of A Life of Impact. With this in mind, I thankfully acknowledge the support of my darling wife Sade; she created an enabling environment that made possible the writing of the book in my spare time. Thanks to Mrs Christiana Balogun and Rev Ladi Lawal for their editorial and proofreading contributions. I appreciate my sister Anne who was always seeking to know when I would follow my first book: Success Power with another and my brother Toks who was on ground doing the runs to bring the book to print. Thanks to my friends Joseph Akindipe, Sola Famubo, Bayo Awonaike, Seun Adewuyi, Gbenga Sesan and Dcn Tayo Ojo for their help in facilitating some key contacts. I cannot but thank you the reader as well for setting apart valuable time to read the book; the desire to reach you provided the motivation for writing it.

INTRODUCTION

Much of success in life is a triumph of information. This explains why the informed succeed. The better people are informed, the better their chances are of succeeding in any undertaking. A Life of Impact therefore draws valuable lessons from contemporary issues including Barrack Obama’s election as the first black US president, Tiger Woods’ admission of moral failure, Usain Bolt’s crowning as the world’s fastest man in history, the 2008-2010 global recession dubbed the ‘Great Recession’, the impact of poor leadership on Africa’s development, Manchester United Football Club’s dominance in the English premier league, Toyota car recall crisis, Forbes Rich List 2010, China’s growing influence on the global stage, Google’s dominance in the information superhighway, Bernie Madoff’s conviction of arguably the biggest fraud in history, Mark Zuckerberg’s social networking revolutionary creation: the Facebook, and many others.

But it does much more than examine contemporary events. It looks back in time to capture valuable lessons from the past. The trials, tragedies, triumphs and inspirational sayings of well-known names in history— Helen Keller, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Alva Edison, Aristotle, Martin Luther King, John D. Rockefeller and numerous others, are encapsulated in the book to furnish the reader with the tools to live a life of impact.

Revealing facts on why: the informed succeed, the best gain at the expense of the rest, those who dare get their share, the top is meant for the tough, messengers do end up as managers, adversities have advantages, failures should be viewed as moments and not as monuments, the future belongs to the disciplined, the bright can be broke, by working thoughts become things, helpers will be helped, the lack of money is the root of many evil, competence is no substitute for character and results enhance capacity to make impact, are comprehensively unfolded.

Much more than a typical motivational book, A Life of Impact is written to act as a reference resource from where life-applicable knowledge may be constantly drawn. Taking into account the constancy of the universal principles of success and realities of a changing world, the book provides information that can be immediately applied to different areas of human endeavour— career, business, leadership, family life, relationships, finances, personal character, ministry, goal achievement and the drive for self actualization.

CHAPTER 1

Making The Most of Life

"Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you."

— RALPH WALDO EMERSON

Realities of a Changing World

We live in a world that is never static. Ours is a world characterized by continuous changes in conditions and trends making it a world in constant transition. The times are not only changing, they are changing rapidly in all areas of human endeavour. Critical to maximizing success in any field and making the most of life is knowing not only what is going on in the world but also where the world is going. This demands having an understanding of the times you live and knowing what to do with it.

When Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in April 1865, it took nearly a fortnight for the news to reach Europe but close to a hundred years later when John F. Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963, the news was heard same day not only in Europe but also around the world.

Just over a century ago, the West was at the forefront of spearheading the global spread of Christianity. Today the centre of gravity of Christendom has largely shifted from the West to the Global South as evident in the latter region now being home to the largest population of Christians as well as being at the forefront of sending Christian missionaries to other parts of the world.

The systems of government that dotted the world’s political landscape in the previous centuries are significantly different from 21st century political systems. Where monarchy, autocracy, theocracy and military rule once held sway, democracy and participatory governance have largely been accepted as the norm. Up to the end of the first half of the last century, nearly all African countries were under colonial rule but today all 53 countries on the continent are politically independent. The times are indeed changing. In the 1940s through the 1960s decolonization was the dominant agitation on the African continent. Today, enthronement of transformational leadership and creation of strong institutions required to free the critical mass of the populace from the grips of poverty and political instability, have become the principal needs of the continent.

Technologies that were not available a hundred years ago are now commonplace. Where wealth was once solely a function of ownership of lands and slaves, today, entrepreneurship, intellectual capital and advanced technology have become the principal drivers of wealth acquisition. As a reflection of changing times, such global challenges as the threat of terrorism, climate change, AIDS epidemic and nuclear proliferation that have newly emerged as dominant issues of concern to world leaders in the 21st century, were not the issues monarchs and emperors of the 17th and 18th centuries confronted.

In today’s globalized economy people can now work from home, pursue multiple careers, operate virtual offices or run multimillion internet-based businesses with little or no start-up capital. There are now more opportunities to break the cycle of poverty, overcome limitations, make meaningful contributions to life, and achieve social mobility and self-actualization than there were in past generations.

The changing times affect every area of our lives— career, finances, business, marriage, beliefs, culture, value-systems, social life, personal health and happiness among many others. These changes affect people positively or negatively depending on what they do in response to the changing times.

Responding to Changing Times

When a teaching assistant to Albert Einstein discovered the erudite professor had given a set of examination questions to a particular class of Physics students at Princeton University that he had given the same class in the previous year, he was compelled to ask him why he did that. Einstein simply replied the young man saying, "The answers have changed."

To be able to respond successfully to the changes happening around you, it is important to have an understanding of the times that you are in for the principal reason that the times determine what is to be done. The times should influence your response and by responding appropriately, you secure an advantage for yourself in your endeavours. Different times not only in world history but in your own life as well present different challenges, problems and opportunities; they therefore demand different responses and responsibilities. To maximize your success in any field and live a life of impact, you will need to keep evolving responses that are applicable to these changing times. The times convey definitive messages on prevalent needs, precautions to take and course of actions to embark on in order to obtain repeatable successes.

A vital key to Barack Obama’s historical emergence as the first black President of the United States in the 2008 elections was his ability to understand the times the US was in the few years leading to the presidential elections. He understood what messages the times were conveying about the US and the world as a whole. He clearly understood that there was general discontent towards the US as an aftermath of her unilateral approach to prosecuting the so-called war on terrorism following the 9/11 Al-Qaeda attacks. Obama also understood the US economy was under a severe strain and therefore built his campaign theme around its restoration. He equally understood that the Internet offered tremendous opportunity as a tool for electoral mobilization and participation hitherto untapped to achieve massive political gains. He understood and tapped into the power of such social networking and video sharing websites as Facebook, MySpace, Beebo and YouTube, resources that were not available to previous generations of politicians. He deployed these technologies to amass political capital and unprecedented financial support. Obama understood the times and responded appropriately.

Similarly, your decisions, skills, proficiencies, outputs, contributions, products, services and approaches to issues must be relevant to the realities of the times. In his summation of the global economic slump of 2008-2010 dubbed ‘the Great Recession’, the greatest since the Second World War, Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel-winning Economist simply stated, The model of 19th century capitalism doesn’t apply in the 21st.

The key to success is really simple: it is in knowing what to do and doing it at the right time. It is not so much doing just about anything as doing the right thing that guarantees success. This is why the fact that you do today what others did yesterday in a venture does not necessarily guarantee you will achieve desired success in that venture. The task may be the same but the approach required may have changed; as Einstein said, the question may be the same but the answers may have changed. As a consequence, what worked yesterday may not work today and what worked today may not work tomorrow. In the words of Dennis Meadows, author of Limits to Growth, The habits that gave us growth and progress in the past will not give us growth and progress in the future. We will see more change over the next 20 years than in the past 100. The needs of yesteryears, the challenges of yesteryears, the solutions of yesteryears and the answers of yesteryears will not always be applicable today.

Opportunity Recognition And Utilization

Many good things in life come in form of opportunities. Life itself is an opportunity. Life is also a series of related opportunities. You need to make the most of it. You make the most of life when you make and keep making the most of opportunities that come your way. By so doing, you live your life as a fulfilled dream rather than as a monument of regrets.

Opportunities constantly come your way to enhance your fortune and your capacity to be of benefit to others. Packaged inside opportunities are potentials for successes. Whatever people, businesses, organisations and nations become is largely determined by what they do with the opportunities around them. A denominator developed countries have in common that has enabled them to consistently maintain their progressive status over the years is the rapidity with which they respond to changing times and emerging opportunities. By 1908 both the French Government and the US Army were already signing contracts with the Wright Brothers, long before the brothers perfected their plan of developing a passenger carrier aircraft following the initial success they recorded in 1903