It’s been two full years of weekly publishing of the Prowezz Leadership Newsletter. This milestone is worth celebrating. We learnt a lot of lessons along the way. Although there is much to celebrate and reflect on, the focus is on the future. As I wrote in my book Pursuit of Personal Leadership, success can get in the way of success. The reason some are unable to achieve greater success is because they settled into their previous success. They became complacent; getting off the bus at a bus stop that is still a long way before their destination. They told themselves they had arrived, even though they were just starting the journey.

You have probably heard that life is a marathon and not a sprint. Completing a marathon requires endurance, focus and courage. You and I must keep moving forward. We must keep the fire burning. Success comes by forward movement, not by stagnation. We may have milestone achievements to celebrate along the way, but we must not lose sight of the future. Sometimes, we may not even have much to show for a lot of effort, but we must keep pressing forward. Whatsoever is our experience, our eyes must be on the finish line; on the goal that lies ahead.

As we celebrate two years of this weekly newsletter, I would like to encourage you to stay committed to your dreams and aspirations. I am also making the same commitment and more. We are all on a journey, with each one of us in their own lane. Let the thought of reaching your future goals keep you awake to the tasks you need to complete to get there. Do not settle for anything small in your career and life. Do not let the success you have attained becloud you from seeing the greater things ahead. Stay on course. Continue to be productive. Keep the fire burning.

I am yet to see anyone do anything great without courage. Courage is an ability; the ability to do something challenging or difficult. It is also the ability to go through a tough time without breaking. Incidentally, we face mountains and challenges in life. We encounter difficult situations at work. Some of the hard times are related to decision making while others relate to dealing with people. We also press against barriers as we forge our way into success. We are carried by the wind of change that requires that we brace up and brave the situations. Whatever is the case, we all need courage to succeed.

One may ask: how do I secure courage? Well, courage is not something that can be given. It is more like an attitude that we must personally develop. Although one may be encouraged by someone else, one must learn to receive the courage. Being courageous is something internal. We get better at being courageous by practice. Our level of courage is tested by difficulties and challenges. If you “chicken out” in the face of oppositions, lack, set-backs, pain, or roadblocks, you may need to check your courage level. Developing courage helps to weather the storm. It makes you stand when your circumstance suggests that you should fall.
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I am not sure what your current experience may be at home, work, community, or society. Whatever is the case, you and I need courage. You need courage to make that leap. You need courage to overcome that situation. You need courage to make progress. You need courage to sort out the relationship issue. You need courage to be the top performer at work. In fact, we all need courage to navigate the complexities of the world we live in. As times change so do we need courage to adapt to change. Do not let your situation weigh you down. Do not let anyone despise you. Secure the courage to stay atop; to keep moving forward.

Sometimes when I see people go all the way to do something important, I usually wonder where the energy, the driving force comes from. You may have team members that go the extra mile to ensure that things are done appropriately and acceptably. Those who give their best, who are selfless in their approach to progress are usually inspiring. One thing I have realized is that we all do what we do for a reason. Some do things because of personal and selfish gains, but I have seen people who do spectacular things without expecting anything. Then I realized the real reason anyone would do anything. When we share a true connection and we have genuine respect for one another, we would find it easier to step forward and give our best.

A relationship, and especially one based on trust, cannot be underestimated. People will go to whatever extent possible to do remarkable things for those they truly care about. In that case, the reason they do it is not because of the thing itself, but because of the relationship. A quick test for you: have you had a situation where you did something good for someone just because you liked them; the same thing you wouldn’t have done for someone else? That is exactly what I am saying. The real reason you do what you do is because of your love for someone else. Otherwise, you will be doing it for a selfish reason.
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Imagine how much your team would achieve if there were a true connection between the members. People thrive and make meaningful contributions when they work with those they love and care about. It should be the intention of any leader to build relationships, respect, and trust among those they lead. Relationships provide a reason for anyone to do anything for anyone else. 

We live in a world where people, especially those who have some kind of influence over you, expect you to behave in a certain way, do or don’t do certain things, and just fit in a certain mold. Every one seems to have an expectation of you, which you don’t have of yourself. It seems like others want you to be who you are not. Our societies are structured such that we learn to think in some particular ways. What we learn in school, at work, on the media and elsewhere tend to make us think in a certain way about ourselves. The worst part of it is that those who choose to be different may not be popular or, in fact, may be punished for not fitting in the mold. Yet, fitting the mold is the reason most people are unhappy, unfulfilled, unaccomplished and miserable.
 
The reason is simple. We are naturally endowed with gifts and talents, and our true visions and dreams would align with our natural abilities. Unfortunately, most people are unable to express themselves and unable to fulfil their dreams because they are trying to conform to what others think about them. They are fitting in the mold, controlled by what others dictate. Until we become free from the bondage of conformity, we will continue to lack the happiness and fulfillment we deserve. It’s time to start thinking for ourselves and living our lives deliberately, even if it means disagreeing with some people. 
 
I will rather be authentic than fit in the mold. I will rather be true to myself than become a conformist. What about you? Would you let the opinions of others, what they think about you, dictate the course of your life? Would you not rather decided for yourself where your life shall go and then journey on to your destination? Those who live authentic lives find joy and fulfillment at the end of their lives. I have decided to do what I really want to do in life and I hope to get better at it. And you? Don’t fit into anyone’s mold.

Light trumps darkness in every situation. No matter how dark it may be, light always overcomes. You cannot put out light with more darkness but you can get rid of darkness with light. Meanwhile, we need to understand the real meanings of light and darkness. One way to define darkness is the absence of light. That got me thinking about our lives, success and fulfillment in the context of light and darkness. Ignorance seems to work like darkness. An ignorant mind is full of blackness; devoid of light.
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You may wonder what is light then. The answer is not far fetched. To undo ignorance is to learn and acquire the knowledge that illuminates the mind. Those who constantly succeed in life have their minds flooded with the right information. Knowledge is the antidote for ignorance. Ignorance is the absence of knowledge just like darkness is the absence of light. Anyone that will break free from ignorance must be humble and willing to learn and grow. In this day and age, there is no excuse for ignorance. We have access to an immense amount of information. Anyone can access knowledge, mostly freely, as they desire.

I also noticed a trap - people who are ignorant without knowing it. They think they know but they don’t. They lead people, run businesses and make decisions for society without knowledge. How can anyone lead or operate what they do not know? In whatsoever we do, we must be willing to operate in light, learning what we need to learn. Ignorance is not a virtue. Ignorance is a kind of blindfold. You don’t know what you don’t know. Get rid of the darkness. Walk in light so you don’t stumble as you continue your journey in life.