Joseph Ogidi-Olu’s Post

One of the biggest obstacle for growth in an organisation is internal resistance. Most people who resist change are not doing it for the purpose of resisting growth. They are trying to maintain stability. There are usually good reasons why some things are done they way they are designed in the first place. All workplace and organisations are a system. It’s a set of procedures, or way of working that has been adopted because it creates a stable environment. The system in place seeks stability. Growth seek to destroy some of our old ways of doing things in place and threatens the stability of the current system. People within the organisation will inherently want to keep that stability, consciously or unconsciously. That’s why growth is so difficult. That’s why growth depends on building an environment that welcomes instability. Organisations that are constantly growing accepts instability and disequilibrium as part of the organisation. To lead growth means to lead change within the organisation.  It involves doing the following: 1. Initiate conflict - questions existing way of working, ask difficult questions, challenge current assumptions 2. Raise the temperature - get people to be uncomfortable with status quo, penalise inactiveness and/or incentivise new behaviour 3. Rally support - Identify stakeholders and their role, get allies to to support and deal with resistance. Facilitating growth is a strategic process in managing change within the organisation. Picture: A recent year-long coaching program where we work with 3 prominent organisations on their existing challenges for growth. We work with them on adaptive leadership, a model to lead change through challenging and multi stakeholders environment. 

Why growth and change is innately challenging.

Why Saying "I Don’t Know" is a Powerful Answer In a world that values expertise and quick solutions, admitting "I don't know" might seem like a sign of weakness. But in reality, it’s one of the most powerful and credible responses you can give. Here’s why embracing uncertainty can actually enhance your communication and leadership: - It builds trust. When you admit that you don’t have all the answers, it shows honesty and authenticity. People are more likely to trust someone who is willing to acknowledge their limits rather than give an answer just to sound confident. - It fosters a learning mindset. Saying “I don’t know” opens the door to curiosity and exploration. It shows that you're willing to learn and grow, and it encourages others to do the same. This creates an environment where seeking out knowledge is valued over pretending to know it all. - It invites collaboration. Acknowledging gaps in your knowledge can encourage others to contribute their expertise. It creates space for teamwork and innovation, as you become open to insights and solutions from others. - It avoids misinformation. Giving an answer when you're unsure can lead to mistakes or confusion. Saying “I don’t know” prevents the spread of misinformation and ensures that the correct solution is found, even if it requires more time. In leadership and professional communication, there’s strength in being honest about what you don’t know. It paves the way for growth, collaboration, and more informed decision-making. Next time you’re unsure, try embracing "I don’t know." It might just lead to better results. How has admitting "I don’t know" helped you professionally? Share your thoughts below!

Leadership Lessons from Scouts to Business Planning for this years AGM I took the time to reflect on how the principles of leadership taught in Scouting provide a solid foundation for success in the business world. Here are some key lessons that transcend both realms: Be Prepared: Scouts: Always ready for any situation with the right skills and tools. Business: Anticipate challenges and plan ahead to navigate uncertainties. Lead by Example: Scouts: Demonstrate the behavior you expect from others. Business: Model integrity, hard work, and ethical behavior to inspire your team, it starts with you. Teamwork: Scouts: Collaborate to achieve common goals and support one another. Business: Create a collaborative environment where every team member's contribution is valued. Responsibility: Scouts: Take responsibility for your actions and duties. Business: Own your decisions and hold yourself to account. Problem-Solving: Scouts: Use creativity and resourcefulness to overcome obstacles. Business: Approach challenges with innovative thinking and a solution-oriented mindset. Communication: Scouts: Clear and effective communication is essential for teamwork. Business: Maintain open lines of communication to ensure everyone is aligned and informed. Respect: Scouts: Show respect for others, nature, and yourself. Business: Cultivate a culture of respect and inclusivity in the workplace. Adaptability: Scouts: Adapt to changing environments and situations. Business: Embrace change and be flexible in your approach to new challenges. Service: Scouts: Serve your community and help others. Business: Prioritise customer service and contribute to the wider community. Continuous Learning: Scouts: Always seek to learn new skills and knowledge. Business: Encourage learning and professional development. Its great to see that the lessons being taught and embraced by our young people are will help set them up for success in life from Scouting and beyond. These lessons can  be adopted by business leaders to build resilient, cohesive, and high-performing teams.

The Power of Mindset: * The Importance of Belief: Hogan argues that success begins with belief in yourself and your abilities. He emphasizes the power of positive self-talk and visualizing success.  * Overcoming Limiting Beliefs: He discusses how to identify and challenge limiting beliefs that hold you back from achieving your goals. This includes fear of failure, lack of self-confidence, and negative thinking patterns. * Embrace the "Business Mind": Hogan emphasizes the importance of developing a mindset focused on problem-solving, creativity, and a relentless pursuit of results. Key Strategies and Techniques: * Goal Setting and Planning: Hogan outlines a system for setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals, and creating detailed action plans to achieve them. * Thinking Strategically: He emphasizes the importance of thinking strategically, considering the long-term implications of your decisions and taking calculated risks.  * Problem-Solving Skills: He teaches practical techniques for identifying problems, analyzing them, and developing creative solutions. This includes brainstorming, root cause analysis, and implementing solutions. * Effective Communication: Hogan highlights the importance of clear, concise, and persuasive communication, both in written and verbal formats. He provides advice on delivering presentations, negotiating, and building relationships. * Leadership and Influence: He explores principles of leadership, including inspiring others, building trust, and delegating effectively. He also covers techniques for influencing others and building strong teams. Beyond Traditional Business Thinking: * Personal Development: Hogan integrates personal development elements, stressing the importance of emotional intelligence, building resilience, and maintaining a positive attitude. * Ethical Considerations: He emphasizes the importance of operating with integrity and ethical decision-making in the business world. Overall, "Business Mind" aims to be a practical guide to help readers develop the mental and behavioral traits of successful business leaders. It covers a range of topics, from goal setting and strategic thinking to problem-solving and leadership. Hogan's approach is both insightful and motivational, encouraging readers to take control of their mindset and embrace the challenges and opportunities of the business world.

Plutarch, the ancient Greek biographer and essayist, provides many timeless insights in his works. Here are some pieces of business advice drawn from his philosophy and teachings: Know Yourself: Plutarch often emphasized the importance of self-awareness. In business, understanding your strengths, weaknesses, values, and goals is crucial. This self-knowledge can guide your decisions and help you lead with confidence and clarity. Value Education and Continuous Learning: Plutarch valued education and the pursuit of knowledge. In the fast-paced world of business, staying informed and continually learning new skills can give you a competitive edge. Invest in your education and remain curious. Integrity and Ethics: Plutarch's works highlight the importance of moral character. Conducting business with integrity builds trust and reputation. Be honest, ethical, and fair in your dealings with clients, partners, and employees. Resilience and Adaptability: Plutarch wrote about many historical figures who faced and overcame adversity. In business, resilience and adaptability are key. Be prepared to face challenges and adapt to changing circumstances with a positive attitude. Mentorship and Leadership: Plutarch often depicted great leaders who were also great mentors and moral examples. As a business leader, seek out mentors and strive to be a mentor to others. Leadership involves guiding, inspiring, and developing your team. Strategic Thinking: Plutarch's biographies often focus on the strategic decisions of historical figures. In business, strategic thinking is essential. Plan for the long term, anticipate market trends, and make informed decisions to steer your business towards success. Balance and Moderation: Plutarch believed in the principle of moderation. In business, it's important to find a balance between work and life, growth and sustainability, risk and caution. Avoid extremes and seek a balanced approach to achieve lasting success. By incorporating these timeless principles into your business practices, you can cultivate a well-rounded, ethical, and successful career.

"How Successful People Think" A guide to understanding the mindset and habits of successful individuals. 1️⃣ The Power of Positive Thinking: Successful people maintain a positive attitude and outlook on life, focusing on solutions rather than problems. 2️⃣ Embrace Creativity and Innovation: Successful individuals think outside the box and embrace creativity to find new solutions and opportunities. 3️⃣ Continuous Learning and Growth: Successful people are committed to lifelong learning and personal development, seeking out new knowledge and skills to stay ahead. 4️⃣ Effective Decision-Making: Successful individuals make decisions based on careful analysis and consideration of available information, weighing risks and benefits before taking action. 5️⃣ Resilience and Perseverance: Successful people bounce back from setbacks and failures, viewing them as opportunities for growth and learning rather than obstacles. 6️⃣ Goal Setting and Planning: Successful individuals set clear, achievable goals and develop concrete plans to achieve them, breaking down big goals into smaller, actionable steps. 7️⃣ Embrace Change: Successful people embrace change and adapt quickly to new circumstances, recognizing that change often brings new opportunities for growth and success. 8️⃣ Effective Communication Skills: Successful individuals are skilled communicators, able to convey their ideas clearly and persuasively, and listen actively to others. 9️⃣ Focus on Action and Execution: Successful people take consistent and focused action towards their goals, avoiding procrastination and distractions that derail progress. 🔟 Build Strong Relationships: Successful individuals understand the importance of building and nurturing strong relationships, both personally and professionally, and leverage their networks to achieve success. #M0Farouk ❗️👊🙂

6 Career Skills that Require Zero Talent Credit to Justin Wright. Follow him for more cheat sheets on leadership & self-mastery. What’s one small habit you can implement today to stand out in your career? Original post below: ----- It doesn't take a Harvard MBA to get ahead in your career. Ever feel like you're not "talented" enough to succeed? Think again. 6 underrated traits that'll put you in the top 5%: 1 - Be on time, every time Punctuality shows you value others' time. It builds trust and reliability. 2 - Avoid drama Drama drags everyone down. Stay away from it and focus on your work. 3 - Get stuff done (without excuses) Deliver on your promises. Excuses only erode trust. 4 - Be easy to work with Collaboration is key. Make working with you a pleasant experience for everyone. 5 - Own your mistakes Everyone makes mistakes. Owning up to them shows integrity and maturity. 6 - Listen, really listen Actually listen when others speak. It shows respect and helps you understand better. ➡️ These skills don't require special talent. Just commitment and conscious effort. Master them, and you'll stand out in any workplace. ----- Grow your professional skills with daily visual wisdom. Follow Infographic Insights for the best posts on: 📊 Business 🌟 Leadership 💡 Self-improvement

The Drive to Excel: Unpacking the Traits of Ambitious Professionals In the dynamic landscape of modern business, ambition is the fuel that propels professionals toward excellence. But what sets apart the truly ambitious? It's a blend of distinct traits that not only define their professional ethos but also shape the trajectory of their careers. 🎯 Goal-Oriented Vision: Highly ambitious individuals are laser-focused on their goals. They set clear, well-defined targets and devise structured plans to achieve them, often stretching their capabilities to new heights. 🔄 Adaptability: Success in today's fast-paced environment demands adaptability. Ambitious professionals embrace change, staying solution-focused and open to new ideas that drive progress. 🧠 Emotional Intelligence: Understanding oneself and others is crucial. Ambitious leaders build authentic relationships based on trust, allowing for constructive challenges and better decision-making. 🏃♂️ Perseverance: They exhibit an uncanny ability to push through adversity. Their dedication to their goals remains unwavering, even amidst challenges, ensuring they stay on course. 📚 Lifelong Learning: Ambitious professionals have an insatiable thirst for knowledge. They continuously seek personal growth and learning opportunities to enhance their skills and expertise. These traits are not just innate; they can be cultivated. As we strive for success, let's reflect on these characteristics and integrate them into our professional lives. The journey to the top may be steep, but with ambition as our guide, the view from the summit is within reach.

The Wake-Up Call It is certain that we are in disruptive times. Since the beginning of the Covid crisis many leaders, managers, team leaders, and many others have been confronted with how to overcome the jarring realities of conducting business during such events. Running a business or managing a team can be challenging during good times, these are storms everyone in business must overcome during such situations. The wake-up call is here, what are you going to do? What does it take to survive and thrive during times such as this? So what questions need to be answered to overcome these obstacles? 1.    Should a course correction be made? 2.    Do the patterns of behavior and style need to change in the workplace? 3.    Is the vision that was established need to be revised? 4.    What is changing in your industry during the next five, 10 or 20 years? 5.    Is the business being run at the peak of excellence? 6.    Is the leadership within the business believe in the vision of the company? 7.    Is the business being run on the “Big ideas”? Each of these questions can be answered in multiple ways with infinite results, so to minimize the damage and maximize the results the leadership of any business must change the way it thinks and operates. Ultimately leaders must change the way they think, Universal truths are the fundamentals to growing and retaining customers that haven’t changed in 160 years. What are they? 1.    Absolute excellence 2.    Better Service 3.    Best value for the money Where does the answer lie to thriving in such times? Most CEO’s and businessmen have limited time, many demands for attention, they may feel that they are operating in isolation without getting expert advice or feedback based on their real business needs. This is the point that they seek outside assistance from qualified sources. The solution is to seek a qualified business coach that has real world experience in the respective areas of need. The coaching skills they require are active listening skills and the ability to ask powerful questions. The right business coach can be a catalyst for creating and achieving action plans. Bottom line they help with KPIs that drive accountability, real results and business success. BCETS International would like to come beside you and help you achieve the results that you are looking for. Please contact us for further information.