“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”[1]
When you go to work tomorrow and a problem pops up, pause and think for a moment. What would be the outcome? What can I do to improve it, even by a tiny bit, for the better? Half a loaf is better than none! Don’t leave it for anyone else, you can make a difference. Yes, YOU! The very little things that we do everyday matter. Little drops of water they say, make a mighty ocean. Did you know that you may not be the one to solve a problem, but may in fact be standing in the way of someone who can? So what can you do to help? Primum, non nocere (first, do no harm). If you can’t help him, don’t do anything to discourage him. If he says he can, why don’t you let him do it? Don’t be the Ph.D. in his way. If he needs your personal help, or official approval, that might be the only thing between the solution he seeks and the problem. Mind you, the solution could be to the benefit of all of us, including you. Find a way to deal with beaurocracy. If things go bad in the effort, you will be held responsible, yes, but what if things go well? Either way, YOU will be remembered in history for the role you played. How do you want to be remembered? And if you’re so convinced you can’t do it, don’t worry. Let the other person do it. HE can. You only need to step aside, even if it’s from your job. You’re given a job no to please you, but rather so you solve problems. If you can’t solve them, why remain there?
How else do you expect different results if you haven’t tried anything new? How differently do you do your job, in comparison to your predecessors? Have you done something they haven’t done? Have you achieved results they haven’t achieved? On what basis do you argue that YOU deserve your current job? Only when you achieve better and desired results must you remain where you are. Else, sit up or get left behind!
On our behalf, Nkrumah dared the world we’d lay our own foundations, create our own African personality and identity. He went ahead and said “Reshaping Ghana's destiny, I am depending on the millions of the country, and the chiefs and the people, to help me to reshape the destiny of this country. We are prepared to pick it up and make it a nation that will be respected by every nation in the world… We have awakened. We will not sleep anymore. Today, from now one, there is a new African in the world!”[2]
Unfortunately, Nkrumah is no more. But we have to make it anyway, if not for ourselves, but for generations to come. How else can we get there if YOU don’t do your part? Each one of us has a role to play, no matter how small and insignificant it may seem like. But this is what we need to for CORPOARTE GHANA. We can make it. Yes we can!
To the crazy ones who will build a better future for our kids.
[1] Steve Jobs, Apple Inc. Think Different. 1997
[2] Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana Declaration of Independence. March 6th, 1957.
Andrew S. DZEBU donkhermikal at gmail dot com
