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Aye Aye Captain


ALL HAIL THE CLASS CAPTAIN
Him: Mummy, I am the class captain

He proudly announced as he wheeled his bag out of the class, his lil brother following close on his heels.

Me: Oh my, I'm so very happy. *hugs in the school reception hall*. More hugs. Hi10.
My lil man now wears the cap of leadership over his 14 subjects, just like uncle Jona wears his inside Aso Rock.


With all the back-slapping, you would think he just scored the winning goal for my fav team -Arsenal against Hull city.

Now in the car.

Me: So why were you made the class captain?
Him: Because I scored 20/20 in my numeracy (mathematics). (So he was chosen based on performance)
Me: Oh really? That's very good.
Him: And Mrs B. (his maths teacher) was happy. Also Mrs O. (his class teacher) was very happy with me, she also gave me hi5.

My boy is a genius, a celebrity in his class.

Never one to miss an opportunity...You know you have to continue improving on your numeracy...and literacy...and verbal reasoning...and ICT...and social studies...and creative art...and spellings / dictations to justify your teacher's decision of making you the captain....

You can't afford to rest on your oars, boy. Keep paddling. On and on.

Him: Mummy, what is 'justify'?
Me: Justify means to prove them right, to make them happy that they've done the right thing.
Do you know what captains do? They set good examples for everyone so you have to set good examples for the rest of the class. Okay? 
Him: Okay. I know class captains also take care of the class, keep everywhere neat and also punish noise makers. Ehn ehn. 

With leadership really comes responsibility.

The conversation continued at home..and the lessons.

Lesson 1:
Him: Mummy...I am not happy my best friend didn't score everything. Who? It's Tim.
He's my very best friend. He should also score everything.
Me: Maybe you should practice additions and subtractions with him when you are done with the classwork in the evenings, that way you both might end up scoring very good marks.
him: Okay.

And it got me thinking...on how I am not taking my own advise.
You see, there was a boardroom meeting earlier in the day which I was part of. Check this scenario, someone was tasked with the job of starting a new business unit and he was not getting it right as expected, but some other members of the management team including yours truly had ideas on how to accomplish it but were holding back probably because it's not our core responsibility.

So you see, I've really got to start taking my own advise.

You know how it is when someone else is in the hot seat...so long my department is fine, then all is fine...with me, that is.

But my 5yr old wasn't fine because his bestie did not perform well and could not share the stage with him.
Those young 'uns take the world -selflessness to a new level.

How better would the world become if we all look out for our colleagues, friends, families, etc.
How nice would it be if we adopt the Musketeers' slogan of 'All for one, One for all'.
(Could never get enough of that movie, still saw it on MM yesternight)

Lesson 2:
Him: I also want him to also score everything and be the next class captain.
(They rotate the captaincy, every new week ushers in a new captain based on performance)

He's not even halfway into his current 'tenure' yet he's willing to relinquish and have someone else step in

Ogas at the very top, take note and get cured of the 'sit-tight' syndrome. Maybe there's no crude oil or revenue or contracts involved in this tiny year 1 class with just 15 bright minds to lead but still...power should never be a do-or-die affair. Even the oil is bound to dry up sometimes...maybe not in the next 50yrs but one day monkey go go market...

Helping one another and looking after others' interests could hardly take the shine off our own achievements, rather it would give us the satisfaction of knowing that we had done something to make someone better, to improve a situation which had the tendency to go awry and pull someone down south with it.

Now leadership is the new black, it looks good on everyone and the true test of leadership is really how many people we are able to positively impact. Tweet. Tweet.

It doesn't matter whether you are just a floor member or the least ranked in your workplace or family, we all are endowed with the seeds of leadership (not one not two...) and what we make out of it determines whether it would germinate and transform us into true leaders making impact with the resources resident in us.

It is not an honorary title but rather an attitude. Or put differently, title does not make a leader...the attitude does.

We all can lead where we are. In our workplaces, homes, families, church units. Anywhere. Everywhere.

We can all be class captains in our little space / world, it doesn't really matter who gets the staff of office / authority..first.

Aye, aye Captain.

Comments

  1. Love this, Abiola! First of all: Congratulations to the new captain! Secondly: before my days as a stay-at-home mama... I was a manager. Lol I managed a few different companies but I always felt like I was the "best" manager because I cared about my people & their performances. I'd help them & retrain if necessary. My biggest achievements from my careers were always based on how well others were doing in the company.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Ila. You are really a bundle of talents...model, manager and now a mum.
      The hallmark of great leadership is actually influencing / inspiring others positively, to deliver their best.

      Delete
  2. I love your son. I just want to hug him with his amazing mind

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, aunty Toin. We love you too...for real.

      ehugs,

      Delete
  3. This is a classical example of what Christ means when he said we need to be like children to make the kingdom of God.....your son demonstrated the meaning of love.....this story exemplifies the true meaning of love....it's not selfless, greedy, or thinks only of itself

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah yeah...glad to have you around, dear sykik.

      Pure, untarnished love....we were once like that too, you know...before our eyes 'opened'...lol. But seriously, I wish everyone could be like these little ones, then there won't be any more evil in the world...I wish

      Delete
  4. Great post and insight. You have a very clever son and I really wish adults would adopt the same attitude.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, dear Kiru.

      I totally agree with you, that is a sure recipe for world peace. I wish...and I pray...

      Delete
  5. Awwww, the innocence of a child! I love it! I join you to be proud of your son o!
    This is why the bible says we should be like the little children ... and sometimes wetare good at advising people but don't remember to implement it ourselves because we think the scenario is different, but it has the same underlying principle.























    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly my thoughts...thanks, sis.

      They never fail to amaze me with their innocent but real perspective of life.

      Delete
  6. Aww. Your son has such a good heart!

    ReplyDelete

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