WHERE TO FIND LEADERS

WHERE TO FIND LEADERS

Leaders are hard to find. But there are two places you will find them. In a group and alone. When in a group, they will be serving, teaching and standing for one thing. The rest of the group will be speaking, sitting or complaining about anything.

When alone, leaders will be thinking, reading or solving something. They will be planning, praying and looking into the future. Others will rejoice in having no work, loss of options and living for the day. For them, the past was okay, and the future has not yet come. There is nothing to worry about. Sometimes there is a little confusion about the work leaders do. But when you look at them in a group and what they achieve on their own, it soon becomes clear to you who you would rather have lead you.

Leaders have the ability to take on duty as part of life. They think we, rather than me. They think goal rather than role. That gives them authority among those they lead. And makes them precious members of a team. You can spot them easily if you know what to look for. Leader are hard to find but at least you can identify them when you do.

 Allan

 

TRADITION

It is amazing how tradition makes you feel old, Or how old tradition makes you feel.

REBUILD THE WALLS OF FAITH

REBUILD THE WALLS OF FAITH

The walls of faith are built on hope. They are built with fears and tears. No one knows when those walls will fall, but everyone knows they must be built.

The walls may be weak and even look strong. But it is not stone that holds up these walls. It is the strength to cope when they fall. One time, two times, three and maybe more. But each time the wall must be rebuilt.

The wall of faith is the will to forgive, the will to live and the will to will again and again. The wall of faith is built on love and leads to the hall of fame. No matter what, when all is said and done, this wall must be rebuilt.

It is not how long these walls will hold or if they ever fall at all. But what matters is that there be a wall. Without faith, your life is an open gate and nothing guards your soul. No matter how many times they fall, you must rebuild the wall.

Allan

WHY YOU NEED MORE EDUCATION

WHY YOU NEED MORE EDUCATION

The old approach to learning is to get knowledge. Knowledge was found in a classroom. School had a monopoly of classes.  The bright rose up, the not so clever dropped out. School also made social classes for those who got an education. The knows had the jobs while the know nots got to do the work. If you missed school, you missed knowledge.

If education is limited to school, then no one else is learning. This would mean that knowledge stays still and does not change. The value of a person in life must then be limited to the time in which he or she went to school.  After school, that value fades with time. School has fading returns in life unless that value is updated. You could go back to school or you could learn how to learn and then learn for life.

Education is too important to be limited to school. Your growth depends on you remaining relevant. The world is changing. Much as we may not want to change with it. It is changing us. And changing the way we see things. The good old days when everything was sure and easy are gone. We must now use the newer, available tools to realize the goals of long ago and where we want to go. For these three reasons, you need more education.

Allan

WHICH EXAM DID YOU PASS

WHICH EXAM DID YOU PASS?

It's a great feeling to pass an exam. It tells everyone else that you know something. Before that, only you knew that you knew. Exams are proof of knowledge, but not proof of what you know. The true test of what you know comes after the exam.

Many people prepare well for exams. But have no idea how to use what they know. There are too many farmers looking for jobs than farms. and too many writers looking for jobs than writing. And too many MBAs looking for jobs than starting a business.  Passing exams is a great thing. But it is the use of what you know that is the real benefit. Which exam did you pass; knowledge or use?

Allan

YOUR VIEW DECIDES YOUR DAY

YOUR VIEW DECIDES YOUR DAY

The answer to a simple question can explain much of what is going on in your world. It may also explain what is happening to you. Some people get out of bed on the right side, while others get out on the left. Whichever side you got out of bed, you spend the rest of the day in the world. Do you see the glass as half full or half empty?

For those whose glasses are full, the world gets better by the day. For those to whom the glass is empty, it only gets worse. The full, enjoy the beauty, abundance and the benefit. The empty feel the pain, the rain and have every reason to complain. For the full, there is a future. For the empty, there is only the past. You can see the good or evil. You can see the boss as a stop or as a gap. A job is either a business or a burden. Your view will create enough work to keep you busy for the rest of your life.

How you live your life depends on how many times you get out of bed in the day. It is possible to get out of bed many times a day. If you get out empty, you miss the day. If you get out full, you have the rest of the day. Take it, you can make it. Run with it, with all your might and have yourself a very great day!

Allan

MAKE SCHOOLING A SOCIAL PROGRAM

MAKE SCHOOL A SOCIAL PROGRAM

If your child was taken away from you at the age of six, brought up in another country, and returned to you at age 21; immature, beautiful, well built - with a beard. How would you cope? Imagine telling this “child” that this is the real world. Imagine telling them that the world owes them nothing. Imagine trying to explain to them how to live in the world they have been away from for as long as they can remember.  How successful would you be?

Yet this is what we do when we send our children to school and expect them to turn out as model citizens. Many school programs isolate students from society. Why do we isolate our kids in schools and release them at the end of 10 years into society with no idea how to; handle money, talk to the neighbors or work with people from other schools. Why do we get shocked and complain about dropouts, copouts not cut out to fit in a society from which they were left out?

In the old days, schools set children apart to prepare them for local jobs. Today society needs to give them jobs in a global world. Kids need to be in society in order to be part of it. The key may be to make learning a social and not a school program.

Allan

WHY A JOB WILL NEVER KEEP YOU MOTIVATED

WHY A JOB WILL NEVER KEEP YOU MOTIVATED

In the beginning, you need a job. When you are hired, you and the job become one. Soon you believe the job cannot do without you. When you've been fired, or retired, you realize that you are not the job. The job can go on without you. When you leave, you discover that the job and you were never one.

There is much debate about how employers should motivate employees to work. This is only true if employers believe that employees and the job are one. If they are not one, then what attracted employees to the job should sustain them through it. This means that it is the employee's job to keep (themselves) motivated. If the two were never one, then the only way an employer can motivate an employee is to give them more work to do.

Jobs do not have motives. Only people do. Your motives change on the job in line with your needs in life. When this happens, you need to be very clear about what you ought to do, and what your employer will never be able to do.  When a job no longer motivates you, check your motives, they might have changed.

Allan

WHO CONDUCTS THE UNIVERSE

 

WHO CONDUCTS THE UNIVERSE?

The universe is an orchestra of time and season. The weather affects famine, facts and data. The cycle of cause and effect is such that good and evil work together. Where one is the other is not far off. Even separate matters of the heart and the head cannot work without the other. A body without a soul is not in control. Like one affects the other. Or one conducts the other. Who conducts the universe?

Allan

HOW OLD ARE YOU?

HOW OLD ARE YOU?

Today I listened to a young man preach. Perhaps for the first time he helped me realize that, "youth is not a time of life; it is a state of the mind". People don't teach that much. And it is hard to believe when your bones don't agree. But think about the consequence of what people believe and you will realize that we all can be young and we all can be old. If I had been told that I was old before the sermon, I would have said that was true. After the sermon, I feel young. In some things, I must be old. But in others, I prefer to be young. When I think of eternity and the age of the earth then I am always young. At work, I like to think I am old. But when I am at home, I prefer to be young. Some people think it is all a question of perspective. No, it is a matter of the soul.

Allan

I will share with you the words of that young man as the first entry to our guest column later this week.

LEAD YOUR FAMILY; ONLY THE BRAVE DO

LEAD YOUR FAMILY; ONLY THE BRAVE DO

Leadership is a social role. The family is a social unit. For anything to be organized in whole, it must be so in part. Parts work on purpose to keep the body alive. The family keeps society alive. Where the whole is not working, parts are missing.

What is leadership in the family? Well, like every business, a family has leaders. And following. It has roles and jobs. It has souls and hopes. It has people and should have purpose. A business is a going concern; a family is a growing concern. This means that leaders need a higher level of insight to run a family than a business. Business can be low, but a family must grow. Business debates money, but a family must have a meal. Where business looks for a plan, a family must act now.

Leadership in the family demands time and attention. It is far more complex and detailed than any job as a CEO. Some run from it. Some assume it. Some need it, but don't know how to do it. Think of all the things you do well for you company and then do them, as a minimum, for your family. If you do them, you will raise up society as a whole.

Allan

YOUNG LEADERS ARE BETTER THAN OLDER ONES

YOUNG LEADERS ARE BETTER THAN OLDER ONES!

Younger leaders have energy, skill and courage. They know what is good and what is bad. They know what they want. Young leaders have talent and time. They decide quickly with facts and data. Young leaders have new ideas and think of ways to improve things that have never been done before. The young have great leadership potential and are ten times more qualified to lead. The only thing older leaders have in their favor is priorities and wisdom.

Allan

 

THE ONE THING A MOTHER CANNOT DO

THE ONE THING A MOTHER CANNOT DO

A mother has a tough job being the one to whom all return. A mother's job is to love and accept her own. She may not agree with them, but takes them in, however they turn out. She knows the power of love and the power of nurture. She hopes, prays and lights a candle of faith that all will be well. And that one day she will be there when the wayward child or man returns. Of all the things a mother can do that others do; she must not lose her nature. She cannot give up hope.

Allan

 

APPLY YOURSELF; IT PAYS WELL

APPLY YOURSELF – IT PAYS

When you do not apply yourself, people cannot rely on you. And may even despise you. But when you apply yourself, people begin to respect you. And trust you as well.

Allan

LEADERSHIP IS CHILDS PLAY

LEADERSHIP IS CHILDS PLAY

Every time I post a view of "children and leadership", it quickly rises to the top of the reading list. Do children inspire leadership or are they leaders by nature? Are children the best example we have of leadership? And what aspects of "childish" nature best support the growth of a leader? There must be some link between the two.

Children do not lead in an adult world. But, all children have qualities that not all adults have. Children lose innocence quickly and by teenage have very fine opinion. All children grow rapidly. Adults stop growing rapidly. Children always play unless ill. Yet every adult always needs a reason to play any game at all.

I am not sure that we should elect children to lead, but children by nature have purity and virtue we could use.  Would there be a change in our leaders if we had innocence to inspire integrity. Guts to grow in wisdom. And the character to work well with everyone around us. That sounds like child's play. 

Allan

GET ALL THE RESPECT YOU WANT

DO YOU GET ENOUGH RESPECT

Respect is as much up to you as it is due to you. If all you get is what is due to you, then you are not getting what is up to you. You get no more than half the deal. It is time to double your money.

Allan

HOW TO MAKE A CHILD A LEADER

MAKE A LEADER OUT OF A CHILD

Give me a child who fears God. Who respects both mum and dad. Who knows what school is about and is willing to work it out. And I will make out of them a leader of men. But give me a child with no one of these, then all we have is much to fight and cry about. All I can do is make the world no more than ill at ease.

Allan

Thinking leadership in Africa, book summary

THINKING LEADERSHIP IN AFRICA

By Allan Bukusi

ü  ISBN 9966-809-04-X

ü  US Library of Congress No.  2005328144

ü  First published in 2005

This book traces the triumphant, treacherous and turbulent tale of leadership in Africa through centuries past to the present day. Africa, in 2005, is the only continent to have become poorer in the last forty years.  The call for a decisive leadership development strategy for a prosperous tomorrow emerges as an urgent reality and pressing concern. Perceptive leadership will prepare Africa to face tomorrows challenges. The vision of this book has a sell-by date. A puzzling new set of global realities await leadership in 2055. Will leadership in Africa be ready?

This book has been studied, critiqued, cited and referenced and commented on by University lecturers and (Masters) students studying leadership, communications, social and business development of Africa.

WHY LEADERS ARE TO BLAME

LEADERS ARE TO BLAME

One of the strangest things about leadership is that leaders are blamed when things go wrong and praised when things go right. Yet when you study the two results, you find that the leader may have done the same thing in both cases.  This makes leading is no more than a duty that you pray will turn out right.

The difference in outcome is hardly as much due to the skill of the leader as it is to the will of the people. When people obey, they benefit from the outcome. When they do not act, failure follows. A teacher may urge students to study for exams, point out the date of the exam as well as train them on how to pass the exam. However, if students fail the exam, the teacher is called into question. It does not matter that the teacher does not sit the exam. When the students do well they praise the teacher.

As a leader, take blame as part of the game. It may not be due to neglect of duty. At the same time do not seek or take pride in the praise of the people. That depends more on how they feel about themselves than how they feel about you. When they feel good about themselves they will praise you. When they feel bad about themselves they will blame you. Do your duty and leave the outcome to God.

Allan

A FATHERS DUTY

A FATHERS DUTY

Of all the things fathers do, the greatest one is to bring people together within their means. Fathers assemble homes. They arrange for it to be stocked with all the things that attract people to it. Fathers make it a place of comfort for people to live in. And make it possible for people to grow up in it.

The father's role is so important that he spends much time away from home working for materials to build it. It is a weary job that fathers do. They walk the world and work for a piece of bread. Fathers get home tired at that end of the day. If they are lucky it is just before people go to bed.  Many fathers succeed in building homes where people live. I don't blame fathers for this, for this is good to do. I wish fathers more success in building the people in the homes that bring people together. This too may be a father's duty.

Allan

HOLD ON, HOLD UP & HOLD OUT

HOLD ON, HOLD UP & HOLD OUT

There are things in life you wish you never got into. And maybe you should get out of.  However, there are things of value you should never let go like truth, values and good manners. But sometimes things like study and goals setting don't pay right away. These things take time and so the only way to move forward is to hold on to them.

There are sometimes too that despite all your strength you cannot find a bright light to show others the way. At such times there is no human reason or to support your hope or ground your belief. When science fails and nothing else will make sense. When what you know does not appear to be true, the only way to get relief is to hold up your faith to God, and let him to be the reason you do what you do.

When you have done these two, you will find that you have to do the third one too. Now that you commit and then you believe, you must now hold out until you receive. It is so easy to give up when the race is in the middle. There is a long way to go. The beginning is easy. Everyone starts and everyone is in the race. The end crowns heroes and champions, but it's the middle that thins out the crowd.  To win you must finish. Only those who hold out will ever find out what the human race is about.

Allan

KNOWING IS NOT KNOWLEDGE, SEEK KNOWLEDGE

KNOWING IS NOT KNOWLEDGE, SEEK KNOWLEDGE

Knowing is not knowledge. Knowing and Knowledge are two different things. Many people know many things, yet only a few are wise. To know many things without knowledge can lead you to harm. Knowledge is the relationship between all the things you know and how all the things you know relate to life. Knowing the total number of leaves on a tree, though hard to do, does not give you knowledge of trees. We need to understand what we know and how it affects us in life. This gives meaning to life. Do not seek to know, seek knowledge. To apply knowledge with skill is wisdom and gives meaning to life.

Allan

THE HELPING ENTERPRISE

THE HELPING ENTERPRISE

Early in my business, I had a helper. No, He was not a mentor. Nor was he rich. His help was his belief. He thought I could make it. He knew that one day I would pay and so he stuck with me. He gave me credit and still treated me with respect. He saw something in me. Something he knew. He had been there too. There comes a time in enterprise when all you need is a helper.

He knew I did not have money and he knew I would not earn the money I needed to pay him for a long time to come. All he did was talk to me about business, my struggles and my sorrows. He gave me a lot of stories of where he had come from. And even shared with me his hopes of expanding his business when he got the money. He told me of his struggles with loans, the law and lazy staff. There was no real reason why he should trust me. He simply did not want me to go through the same trouble.

Every successful business knows the story of another business that believed in them. It may be a man a woman or a business. It is the kind of belief that leads to the first big break and helps a business get on its feet. These stories are never written, they are only told. You won't find them in an MBA class, but everyone in business knows that they are true. No business becomes a business without the helping hand of a helping enterprise. It is as if those who have gone before reach back and help up some more. Dear helpers, even though your stories are not told we love you.

Allan

MY SPIRIT SAYS NEGOTIATE

MY SPIRIT SAYS NEGOTIATE

There are many reasons why you should negotiate, but chief among them is that you are in a state of despair. You have a number of options to negotiate. The first is not to negotiate. But if you don't, you will not advance. If you negotiate out of fear, you lose sight of what it means to win.

Negotiate to advance your position, advance the other, relate to another and state the problem of all. Ghandi understood this much more than most men. And this may be the key to his moral victory. Negotiate to first confirm the enemy. Perception rules where understanding differs. To defeat an enemy proves might not right. To negotiate advances the state of all.

However, there are those who will not negotiate, while others just want to debate. There will be need to run from evil and get out of the way of danger. For these be wise and not a must. But strange as it may seem, to negotiate gives you power over the enemy within and the peace you need to win.

Allan

WHAT DO YOU PRODUCE?

WHAT DO YOU PRODUCE?

What you produce, what I produce and what we produce is a leadership question.  This question is more important than what is your mission in life. The answer to this question defines the impact you have on things and others. If you decide the answer to this question early in life, in your career, and in your business, you can create the success you seek.

In life, identify your gifting and talent that equips you to create value. These two may not be obvious. You may need to grow your abilities and interests to produce such value as will realize your full potential.  In other words, what you produce should create the special value you can bring to every situation your are in. Grow yourself to create the value you want to produce.

In your career, you decide what you produce if you want to get hired. And lest you get fired for not producing anything of value. What you produce will show others whether you are valuable to the business, and help you decide whether you are in a career worth your while.

What we produce in business is a twofold item. It is based on the business mission and the people in the business. If a business clarifies what it will produce, it will develop great focus in its use of funds. And become very effective and efficient at producing value. The business will also grow its people to deliver precise results as key players of the business team.

Allan Bukusi

THE WAY TO BUILD A NATION

THE WAY TO BUILD A NATION

The easiest way to destroy a nation is not to remove its leader, but destroy its knowledge base. I.e. its language, culture and organization. Similarly, you can build a nation on these three pillars.

A LEADER NEEDS TO HAVE OPTIONS

A LEADER NEEDS TO HAVE OPTIONS

If there is only one way of doing things, there is no need of a leader or leadership. A leader needs to have options to exercise leadership. And must believe that no option is an option.

DEVELOP YOUR CHILDREN FOR LEADERSHIP

DEVELOP YOUR CHILDREN FOR LEADERSHIP

Children are a gift of life and the promise of the future life. It is wise for every leader, parent and teacher to understand how children grow to be leaders. Ann O'Connor talks of three stages of growth; physical, emotional and mental. Not knowing these stages may lead to parents and teachers being "ruled" by children. However, taking advantage of these stages can lead to the early growth of leaders.

Children grow in height, weight and body coordination. Some are lively others are not so active. It would be nice to have them calm, but dull children may in fact be ill.  If children learn to control their bodies, this makes for healthy self-esteem in later life. If they do not learn to work with others, they may carry on fighting and attacking others later in life because they do not respect or know how to work with others.

Emotional control is vital for leaders to become wise in later life. Children who rule by tantrum do not learn patience or the courage needed for leadership. Teach the child delayed gratification and you will grow in them the seeds of vision and goals setting.

Most leadership training begins when children learn to reasoning. This may be too late. A child who does not have good physical and emotional and roots, may turn out to be no more than a shrewd thief or a clever bully. By the time a child is learning to reason their leadership roots are already set. Start training your children when they are toddlers and they will be primed for leadership by the time they are in the fourth grade.

Allan Bukusi

 

HERE IS HOW TO CREATE WEALTH

HOW TO CREATE WEALTH

There are three ways in which you can create wealth. The first is through the use of old-fashioned labor. Laborers apply themselves to a task or a job to create wealth. Your labor, applied to a task, creates wealth for you and your employer. Labor is needed in the, farms, firms and factories. In fact, it may be impossible to create anything without labor. Labor uses two basic human qualities, mind and muscle. Why should you labor to create wealth? Apart from the fact that creating wealth fulfils a basic human need, all labor is rewarded. Every time you create wealth, you earn a reward.

The second way to create wealth is to create value. Value is what people want or need. This is what entrepreneurs, inventors and builders do for a living. These people create a process that creates value for others. They attract and use labour to multiply wealth. People who create value are rewarded by keeping part of the proceeds from the wealth they create for themselves. They are therefore able to become rich. Most people are satisfied with providing labor. However, there is no reason why you should not develop yourself to the point where you are able to create value for others, and become rich. After all, it is more rewarding.

The third way to create wealth is to make other people rich. Enriching other people's lives takes service and sacrifice. Mother Teresa may not have become rich herself, but her service enriched many more lives than are accounted for in poverty statistics. The sacrifice Nelson Mandela made in 27 years in prison for the love of his country has enriched the lives of millions of people around the world. Very few people attain this level of wealth creation. Those who chose the third way are not paid on earth, maybe in heaven. Very few of us think of creating wealth for which we will never be paid. Very few people think of giving of themselves to make other people rich for free. Yet those who create wealth never lose their reward. Making other people rich makes all of us wealthy.

Some people think the first way is the only way to create wealth. Though some believe that the second way is ideal, many think that the third way is not for real. We think that the third way must be done on a huge scale. The truth is that all of us can do all three quite easily.

Allan Bukusi

WHY YOU MUST DEVELOP ENTERPRISE

WHY YOU MUST DEVELOP ENTERPRISE

ENTERPRISE IS A LIFE SKILL

Most people believe that enterprise is a special skill reserved for a few people. It is true that some people are gifted in enterprise, much as there are gifted runners. But this does not disqualify everyone else from enterprise, or "running".  Enterprise is an ability that pays handsome rewards if developed. Enterprise is like integrity.  If a person has integrity, it will show up in all aspects of their life. It will show up at work and at home, when with people or when alone. The same is true with enterprise. If you develop enterprise, it will show up in all areas of your life including how you handle income.

Enterprise is the ability to create wealth. It is the ability to create value that you and others want and need. That wealth may be money or good manners; it may be security or an industry. Enterprise is what mothers do when bringing up a family. It is what teachers do when teaching children. It is what business people do when looking for opportunity. And what farmers do when they plant seeds.

Enterprise is three things. First is the desire to create (creativity). This desire is in all of us. Some people's desire to create is weak in some areas and strong in others. Enterprise needs you channel that desire to something worthwhile. The second is faith. We all have a degree of faith or hope for the future. Entrepreneurs have a "greater" or more developed level of faith than the average person. They believe they will achieve their goals. They believe enough to do something about what they believe. Faith leads naturally to the third element of enterprise, which is work. Work may seem as mundane, but every successful entrepreneur tells the story of how "hard" they had to work and the sacrifices they made in order to achieve their goals. We all work, but do we willingly to work hard and long enough to achieve our goals. Develop these natural abilities and focus them on a goal that is important to you and you will succeed far beyond average. I am not sure a school can teach you enterprise. It is something you must develop on your own.  Interestingly, those who do not develop enterprise will work for those who do.

Allan Bukusi

ONLY LEADERS CAN TRAIN LEADERS

Only leaders can train leaders.

To lead you must be alive.

When leaders die something happens to their followers. It is as if something dies in them too. When leaders die they must leave something in their followers. They must leave the ability to continue without them in their followers. That quality is leadership. People dont follow dead men.

THE ART OF STRATEGY

THE ART OF STRATEGY

The art of strategy is the ability to look ahead, imagine and construct an approach to reach your goals. It requires logic, logistics and log frames.

What is your family strategy?

FAMILY STRATEGY

How does business strategy differ from family strategy? The principles are very much the same, but the people are very different. Most companies have a strategy. Most families have none. No one wants to work for a business without one. However, most people are happy to live in a family with none. A family is the basic unit of enterprise. It makes sense to have a plan. So today we are reviewing our family plan, in the living room, with my wife, our four young children and me. We are not just a family business, our family is business. How do you run your family?

THE GREATEST CONSPIRACY IN HISTORY

THE GREATEST CONSPIRACY IN HISTORY

What is the greatest conspiracy in history? Where have you found that you are confounded time after time as you seek for the truth? What is it that you would like to know that you have never found out?  What conspiracy has occupied you like the Easter conspiracy that has kept millions of minds busy for thousands of years?  Who are you, where did you come from, and what is your destiny? Work out these three, and you will unlock the greatest conspiracy in history.

Allan

THE SOLUTION IS NOT IN THE PROBLEM

THE SOLUTION IS NOT IN THE PROBLEM

A solution is not found in a problem. A solution may be found in spite of a problem. A problem may exist alongside a known solution and still be a problem. A problem is only valuable in its definition. In other words, what we call a problem is only a problem, because it represents the limit of what we know. To solve a problem we must look beyond what we know. Many so-called problems are opportunities that challenge us to grow. Next time you face a problem; search for a solution outside what you understand. Expand your worldview to see the whole. What appears as a problem up close may be a solution from another point of view.

Allan

Get Your Work Life Balance Right!

WORK LIFE BALANCE

Work life Balance is big concern among company employees, but it could just as well apply to anyone in enterprise.  Work life balance is the plan you put in place to achieve your career goals in line with your life goals. Career goals and life goals are not the same thing. Imbalance is when one of them happens without the other. Most people have career goals, but no life goals. If this describes you, you are officially out of balance.

You also need to understand the principles of success in employment. You don’t have to be the head of the company to self-actualize. You can be of low rank and be very satisfied in life. How you define success determines the level of success you will achieve in your work and life. If you define success as “making a lot of money”, that becomes the goal. If you don’t achieve it you won’t be in balance. If you define success as, “serving others”, then it is easy to see that you can succeed in life without making much money.   In other words, your work life balances on what you decide to be success in life or fulfillment on the job.

Finally, one of the biggest causes of imbalance in work and life is the inability to create wealth. Too many people, work too many years, and never create enough wealth to justify all those years on the job. This causes great distress in mid life. The keys to work life balance are in a) setting life and career goals, b) defining what you consider to be success, and c) increasing your net worth with each salary earn and all the income you get.

Allan Bukusi

IT IS TIME TO CHANGE YOUR CAREER

IT IS TIME TO CHANGE YOUR CAREER

Most of us want to be CEO, or the head of the company we work for. Let's talk about your career goals for a moment.  How long will it take you to get to CEO at your current rate of growth? Is the CEO position open? Since everyone in the company has the same goal, and there can only be one CEO at a time, what are your chances of ever becoming CEO? The real answer to this question may well be ZERO. It may be easier to become CEO outside the company. Outside, you are CEO of your life.

 The company you work for is NOT the problem. The problem is how you define a "career".  A career is not how fast you rise up in the company ranks; it is the path you choose for your life. What many of us do not know is that your life goals should decide your career path. And not the other way round. However, most people choose careers before setting life goals and then end up in careers for life. This is like putting a cart in front of a horse, and expecting both cart and horse to move forward in an orderly manner. This always leads to a frustrating mid-career crisis. If you started out by choosing a career instead of setting life goals, then it is time to change your career.

Allan Bukusi

HOW TO PROSPER IN EMPLOYMENT

How to Prosper in Employment has already been reprinted seven times in seven years. The feedback received suggests that it speaks to the heart of employee dreams  for better quality lives and of hope for a chance to make some wealth of their own. Our prayer is that the book will release millions of dollars worth of wealth back into the lives of employees across Africa and around the world!

READERS LETTERS...

Dear Allan, I have read very many books but if there is one book I would recommend to my friends and colleagues its this a house, a spouse and a cow. A simple story powerfully told in an African context and reality. A masterpiece that significantly changed my employment life. -ON

Dear Allan,

I am an avid follower of your blogs and find them inspiring. I particularly liked the one of “a tribute to my teachers” as it helped me appreciate the many lessons that I live up to, today. I have had the opportunity to read your latest work “How to prosper in Employment” and could easily admit that you wrote this book for me.

For a long time I have believed that a change of jobs is the solution to my career issues however your book has made me realize that unless I change my present attitude and perception a new job will soon become boring and the cycle begins.

The phrase we do not plan to fail but often fail to plan comes out more strongly. In the six years I have worked I can look back and say I have achieved some but could have done better. This is now my chance to make it better and succeed with a smile. You have opened my eyes to a new perspective of life and I am willing to take the step having re-ordered my goals. I have also come up with a list of “what I have been doing VS what I need to be doing towards the journey of success”.

The money management lesson has also inspired me greatly realizing that I must start by managing the little I have in order to get more and when more comes, I will be able to exercise more wisdom to invest bigger. I now value budgeting more than ever. It’s amazing what you can do with the little 10 and 20/= coins, they add up to so much!!
I have recommended the book to my close friends because I believe in going up the ladder with those that I value.

Finally, this book should be a fundamental read for every young person planning on starting a business or getting into employment as this are life skills to success.

Thank you Allan for sharing the timeless wisdom.

Hellen

April 2012

READ ON, OR READ...

Why YOU need to prosper in Employment

Dear Allan,

People really have different views and ideas on jobs, work and employment. Your book [How to Prosper in Employment] is quite the read. What I find very important is (the) information…[How to Prosper in Employment]does not only highlight different views on work and employment but tackles the things many people leave out when telling you their employment history, life goals and achievements. Its gives (an) insight into the mind of an employer, employee, retiree and potential job seekers. The most important lesson I have gained from the book is that (a) job is not necessarily a career. Many people do not know the difference and at times get frustrated with their jobs. As you have wisely put it; it's simply a platform for greater things. Potential employees especially students have an illusion that once you get a job all our problems will go away and start living the life one has been dreaming about…

The book is a good read for all persons, be it new job seekers, people already working, in midlife crisis, the old retiring population and employers. Many motivational speakers only speak of success but fail to mention the speed bumps along the way that at times are unseen, unavoidable or even impassable. And as much as we would want to tell of only good stories of success, one should also be aware of the obstacles in ones path. …

A paragraph from the book; 'My work; earns me money, makes use of my skills. Secures my job. Gives me a task to do and uses my time fruitfully. Allows me to play a role in a team. Lets me know what I can do best. Prepares me to face the future with confidence-with or without a job'…To that; there's no chance, no destiny, no fate that can circumvent or hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul: Ella Wheeler Wilcox. Your presentation is spot on. Covered all the important points and couldn't have come at a better time …I'm sure the facts and reality might come as a shock to some…Warm regards, Ben.



Hi Allan,
I did read the book and have already passed it to my uncle who is my age and is also just starting out. Its simple and easy to read. Explains a lot of what we think we know in a way that sticks in the mind. The concept of a House, a wife and a cow was particularly brilliant. So was the In-come one. -Audrey,

Hello Allan,

What a wonderful piece of material that you have produced. I have a confession to make. Well, I collected the book on Monday but felt this temptation of looking inside, which I succumbed to. This little lack of discipline cost me the reminder of the day. I kept reading throughout my journey home and even then couldn't put it down until almost midnight. I must tell you not many books capture me that way which tells you this was no common book. Thanks a lot for sharing your experience with me and the world, your selflessness is a great gift to the world. KEEP SHARING!  - Francis

Hi Allan,

It is true to say that you are really gifted. It is a book that I have read and it has really changed most of my thoughts. I read the book chapter to chapter but believe me once you read that book you can't remain the same once again. I also realized that people miss opportunities not because of not having all what it takes, but not opening their thinking capability.  I also noted that people are tied to jobs in a way that they can't think outside that job. Once one door is shut they don't open their minds to accept the change but instead they remain static to things that probably have no change. To add on this I also noted that it is also good to invest when one is young. I have also seen that there are other books that you have written. How can I get the whole bunch together with the cds? Allan I salute you for the good job and may the almighty God reward you richly. Thanks a bunch. - Benson

Hello Allan,

I've sold all the 10 books.  Please send me 20 more books.  It's become an empowering tool for young and old people in my sphere of influence.  My daughter has bought three to give to her friends in UK.  You have become more famous.  May the Lord be praised. –Lydiah

Dear Allan,

Many thanks for the presentation and the book!  I read the book in a single sitting, in about an hour.  Quite an appropriate title, someone should have shared the cow, house and wife wisdom with me earlier in life but I believe, with God, it is never too late.  I gave the book to a colleague to read - which reminds me that I need it back to re-read.  There are many invaluable treasures to reap from it.  I can confidently share that I am now working for myself, not my employer!  This leads me to my next stop below. - Felistus

Dear Mr Allan Bukusi,

Hope this mail finds you well. Well I hope you can remember me. I came for an "Administration " interview a week ago and  you gave us your book "My First Job"(How To Prosper In Employment) which really helped me a lot that I had to write a review paper concerning what I have learnt in addition to my thoughts. I have attached for you to go through it and to get a comment about it. It is really a wonderful enlightening book, and I have forwarded it to my friends to read it. Thank you. - Ambrose

Hi Purity

I found the book quite educative and relevant to me even in my current job and  was   able to share some of the concepts with my children. I have also enriched my training notes by incorporating some of the  great ideas from the book. Thanks. Regards - Ben

SEE MORE READERS COMMENTS BELOW

Here are some of the early comments when How To Prosper In Employment was first published as My First Job.

v  Hello friend! MFJ is a Classic. I would like 20 copies for distribution, how much a copy and can I get them tomorrow?

v  I think you have no competitor in that line of thought. Africa is blessed mightily.

v  If I had read this book 20 years ago, I would be a very different person today.

v  Hi, the book is a bomb!

v  It made me feel foolish

v  It is a serious book!

v  It touched my heart

v  It is a beautiful book.

v  Perfect!

v  Anyone can read this book.

v  I'm on my second job. This is the greatest advice I have ever gotten.

v  Everyone should know this –early (in their careers).

v  That book is thorough… I have read it three times and have lined up three people to read it…I now know what a cow is!

v  I express my earnest gratitude for such an enriching lifetime gift for not even the knowledge I have gained for the last five years can match the wisdom shared.

v  "I picked up this book and read it three times before I could put it down, then my friend took it and I can't get it back. Can I have another copy?"

IF YOU HAVE READ THIS BOOK PLEASE email Allan YOUR COMMENTS or just make a comment below... 

SEEDLINGS OF LEADERSHIP

SEEDLINGS OF LEADERSHIP

The seedlings of leadership are planted in the family. Watered in school. Raised in society. And matured in the field; until they become trees in life.

 

EXPERIENCE

EXPERIENCE

Experience is both a quantity and quality of leadership. If you have never been a leader, then all you have is an opinion. If you have been a leader, then you qualify to have a point of view. Experience is the clue between the two. Time is a useful measure. But experience is also a quality of the leader. Skills grow until they become a part of one's nature. Employers want that nature.

 

LISTEN TO THE CHILDREN

LISTEN TO THE CHILDREN

Today I listened to my daughter. She wanted to speak to me. I was busy. Then it struck me. What should keep me more busy? I stopped and listened. She told me she loved me. She wanted me to help her make amends in some of the things she did in school and at home. I am the only one that can make a difference in her life right now. She gave me the opportunity to do so.  I remember my own story. I ran away from home because no one listened to me. Then I got to thinking. How often do we listen to the children? If we did, maybe this world would be a different place. I told her that I loved her. I was really doing all these things for her, but maybe I had never told her. I am glad I have told her because now I have a reason to be busy. Listen to the children, they will teach you things you already know.

Allan Bukusi

To Know God

To know God is to know purpose, principle, power and position in relation to people. These are the essentials of all leadership.

 

 

Leaders & Followers

Followers bring problems; leaders look for solutions.