Recently, the song ‘Who is your guy’ by Spyro has been on the lips of everyone and dominated the airwaves and internet, especially as we celebrated valentine on the 14th of February 2023. Most social media posts and reels used the soundtrack.
One thing is evident, everyone needs a friend to go through the journey of life. A shoulder to lean on, a hand to hold, a listening ear, and that person to call on when you are in need. As they say, ‘a friend in need is a friend indeed. They say no one is self-sufficient, you will always need people in life.
I personally think the word ‘self-made’ is an illusion because one’s achievement is a sum-total of one’s various life experiences either good or bad. Most people without a privileged background often feel that they are disadvantaged because they did not have a head start in life. While this is true to an extent, I opine that the seeming disadvantage often activates some other skills needed for success.
I once listened to a very rich man say he doesn’t intend to give most of his inheritance to his children. Rather he intends to give about 90% to charity. He feels giving someone everything on a platter of gold can create an entitlement mindset and the child will always live in his shadow rather than surpassing his achievements. In his thinking, his humble beginning birthed relentlessness, entrepreneurship, and survival instinct. These definitely are life skills that set one apart and he attributed a lot of his success to these skills.
Despite being blessed with good vegetation, perfect weather, vast mineral resources, and an army of young vibrant intelligent youths Nigeria has remained a developing nation. Not to mention the arable land for agricultural production which posits economic prosperity or the beautiful landscape of ocean, hills, and waterfalls that should have made it a choice tourist destination. Despite all these endowments, Nigeria is so rich yet so poor. Economists have diagnosed the disease as ‘Resource Curse’.
While a lot will depend on what one does with the opportunities one has in life, it is noteworthy that no one or nation is self-made. People will always need others to navigate the challenges of life.
So, as I started my EMBA it was clear that it wasn’t a journey I could achieve all by myself. I will need the support of my colleagues, facilitators, and program manager to excel. To be honest, I have met some of the most wonderful people just in about a week. People that are selfless, ready to share knowledge, and humble to learn. Interestingly, most of the people have met are in the top echelon of their organization with some of them being in the C-suite, yet everyone has dropped their medals and is ready to gain new knowledge.
The facilitators love what they do, they are patient and highly intelligent with a resolve not to leave any student behind in their knowledge quest. The program manager has also been phenomenal and the learning experience has been world-class.
So, if I’m to rephrase the lyrics of Spyro’s song ‘whose your guy’, I will say my EMBA 28 are my guys, see as we de like beans and rice. We will never leave our side. O no no no.
#EMBA28
