Train up your successor

 I came to hate all my hard work here on earth, for I must leave to others everything I have earned. And who can tell whether my successors will be wise or foolish? Yet they will control everything I have gained by my skill and hard work under the sun. How meaningless! 
                                                     (Ecclesiastes 2:18-19) 
WOW!!!
You are a leader,
A great one at that with trumpets here and there about your many accomplishments.  Unfortunately, I bring you a sad newsletter to your working desk. You won't remain a leader forever, at least not in that same position or office.

Someday you will leave that office, one day you will drop that title, people will stop blowing the trumpet about you and someone else will take over and occupy that leadership seat and like preacher asked 'And who can tell whether your successors will be wise or foolish?'

Start training those entrusted to you, stay in the place of prayers for them. TASK THEM, TEACH THEM AND ENCOURAGE THEM for out of the many shall come one who will take over from you. And even if no one come comes from there, at least your successor (s) will be greatly assisted by those you trained. 

You are not fully a great leader if the person that takes over from you does not perform well. Teach and mentor until the person can stand on his own after handing over. Shine your eyes, clean your glasses and read this line very well, No matter how much of a great leader you are, you should not be threatened by the tremendous great potential that lies in your successor. See, you should be more concern about their success than they are. In one of my great grand uncle's words (Uncle John the Baptist), “He (your successor) must increase, but I (you) must decrease” (John 3:30).  It is foolishness right!!!

John Maxwell in his book DEVELOPING LEADERS AROUND YOU states that true success only comes when every generation continues to develop the next generation.

About 3 years ago, someone told me the story of a president of one fellowship on campus (which I confirmed to be true) who could not hand over in his final year. He discovered in his final year that he had not trained anyone to take over from him. This means that he had been training followers instead of leaders.  He could not graduate that year because of that.

It is another  May 29th, Nigeria Democrazy day and a work-free day to commemorate the presidential inauguration and the incoming administration. I am the modern Rachel whose voice is heard in Ramah weeping for the loss of many innocent lives, kidnapped chibok girls, collapsed building victims and other painful toxic unforgettable experiences in the last administration that pierced my heart deeply.

I hope our political predecessors like Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Babatunde Fashola, Obansanjo, Alex Ekweme, Fayose, Saraki, Atiku, Ambode etc. train up, assist and even share their challenges with the incoming executives so they know where and how to improve.

I hope they let go of the strong iron bars that hold them hostage from helping successors who come from other parties.

I hope that brotherly love continues.

I hope that successors too will be patient to listen and learn. I hope that together they team up together and make this administration better than the previous.

Together we can make a better Nigeria

Yours patriotic,
Olori Slimcious