Inspiring Personal Greatness: Practical Leadership Tips on Overcoming Challenges to Live a Life of Purpose

By Dr. Joe Molete

If you are like many people that I have met, you are probably tired of playing your game at the mediocre level. As a leader, your role is to find your voice and then help others find their voice. Inspiring Personal Greatness is not just another book to browse through and put on your shelf. In this book I share my voice with the intention to help you find your own voice. I reflected on the factors that held me hostage for many years, such as fear, procrastination, low sense of self, and focusing on how instead of why, and I explain how I managed to break through this factors. Through the various personal examples I share, I demonstrate that success is possible when we come face-to-face with the best within ourselves and with our destiny. I demonstrate the importance of defining the meaning of greatness, understanding ones purpose, embracing ones pains, and focusing on continuous learning. I prove that with a predetermined definitiveness of purpose, your past has no influence on your future. You are in charge of your destiny.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing Africa
• Release date: Jul 12, 2016
• ISBN: 9781482861808

Dr. Joe Molete

Dr Joe is a speaker, coach, and facilitator. He is passionate about helping professionals live a life they love and a career that supports it. By combining his passion in motivational speaking and eighteen years’ work experience in biotechnology and business development, Dr Joe is able to support professionals so that they can become leaders in their chosen fields. He received his PhD in biochemistry and molecular biology from the Pennsylvania State University and an MBA degree from the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business. Despite his humble beginning, he was able to obtain scholarships throughout his studies, spending fourteen years at five different universities. Like a Rubik’s cube, Dr Joe has a number of facets that he uses to his full advantage to offer the best possible services to his clients. He integrates and simplifies a wide range of topics extending from leadership, science, religion, music, and business so as to appeal to a wide target audience.

Book preview

© 2016 by Dr Joe Molete.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-4828-6177-8

                eBook           978-1-4828-6180-8

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

www.partridgepublishing.com/africa

Contents

Preface

Special Thanks

Introduction

Chapter 1 Why Do Some People Fail to Live Their Greatness?

1.   Conformity

2.   Fear

3.   Procrastination

4.   Low Sense of Self-Worth

5.   Focusing on How Instead of Why

Chapter 2 Showing Your Greatness

1.   Define Your Own Meaning of Greatness

2.   Focus and Excel on Your One Thing First

3.   Turn Pain into Greatness

4.   Credibility through Continuous Learning

5.   Unshakable self confidence

Chapter 3 Meaningful Productivity

1.   Be Always on Purpose

2.   Manage Your Health

3.   Balance Your Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivations

4.   Align Yourself with Universal Principles

5.   Change Your Pain-versus-Pleasure Associations

is a personal transformation book for those who want to

break out of the accepted mould and transform themselves to live a fulfilling life of purpose.

Preface

We are living in a fast-changing world dominated by instant knowledge exchange. Technological revolution is at the forefront of these changes. These are the times that mankind has looked forward to and worked for for many years. While a few are reaping the benefits of this technological revolution, the majority is still struggling to make ends meet. Despite many advances made in the past 100 years, the gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen, and the level of unemployment is at its highest. Many young people who sacrificed time at school are struggling to reap the benefits of their sacrifices. They languish in the streets, aimless and hopeless, wondering who and what can rescue them and provide hope for a better future.

It is obvious that our education system is partly to blame and so are we. Our government is trying its level best to address the legacies of the past, but that is also not enough to change the lives of many. We are all called to action. As the late John F. Kennedy once said, ‘Don’t ask what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country’. It is time we stop blaming and pointing fingers. It is time we stand still and acknowledge that these times call for a different level of commitment from all of us. All of us need to put a stop to the cages around us and show our greatness. As Steven Covey explains in his book The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness, our role as leaders is to find our voices and help others find their voices. I am expressing my voice in this book, and I want to encourage you to do the same.

Inspiring Greatness is not just another book to browse through and put on your shelf. In this book, I share my voice with the intention of helping you find your own voice. I reflected on the factors that held me hostage for many years. I share tactics I utilised to break out from that bondage and transform my life. Through the various personal examples I share, I demonstrate that success is possible when we come face to face with the best within ourselves and with our destiny. I demonstrate that, with a predetermined definitiveness of purpose, your past has no influence on your future. You are in charge of your destiny. It is when you summon the courage to act despite that internal fear that your life will take on a totally different meaning. It is when you travel the path less travelled, move away from your comfort zone that you discover the new you. When you discover the new you, you will unleash your hidden talents and integrate your portfolio of passion to create a whole new world for you and for others. Be bold and take decisive action. Let the world know that you once travelled this way. Leave your mark for the future generations.

Special Thanks

This book was inspired by my supporters who saw in me potential before I even recognised it in myself. I thank all of you for the encouragement and support along the journey.

I offer my gratitude to the one above for blessing me with talents and wisdom. Who am I without his love?

I am grateful to have parents who value education and made all the sacrifices for me to become educated. I also thank my parents for nurturing my values.

I dedicate this book to my children Tumisho and Malebo Molete

Introduction

If you are like many people that I have met, you are probably tired of playing your game at the mediocre level. There seems to be a sense of urgency around—the urgency to step up the game and let our talents and dreams create a new life for us. No matter how good you are at what you do, you can always improve your game. Every other friend I have is writing a book, starting a company and negotiating a multimillion-rand deal, or exercising hard to get that six-pack back—the pressure is on. I have also decided to write this book and join the world of authors. How about you? Are you working on your dreams? Are you challenging yourself to step out of your comfort zone? I wish you all the best and hope to hear your voice.

If the sense of urgency I am describing above is not driving you to new heights, it could be that you are hanging around the wrong crowd. If your crowd