♣ A Quick Story ♣
Having grown up in both “developed” and “underdeveloped” parts of the world, I have learnt and observed my fair share of phenomena.
I originally hail from Cameroon, Central Africa, but my childhood up to the age of 19 took me to more than 6 different countries.
I have always wondered why both sides of the world were so different. Every time I took a plane to go from one end of the world to the other, the first thing that ALWAYS struck me was how different things were.
For example, in Europe and America, people appeared to have
everything that would make them happy, but I couldn’t help but notice a lot of loneliness, depression and despair! I remember I used to ask myself, how come these people who have 20 times more than anybody in my part of the world be lacking in anything?
It was really puzzling to me…
On the other hand, when I would go back to Africa, I would be amazed at the enthusiasm and exuberance that was present pretty much everywhere.
The most intriguing thing for me at the time was that they had absolutely “nothing” to be cheerful about. Why were they always laughing and dancing and taking things so lightly?
Didn’t they realize that they were poor, miserable and wretched?
REALLY? Were they REALLY that poor?
They all wanted to leave the country and go “abroad”…meaning they wanted to go anywhere other than remaining in the country or the continent for that matter.
Nevertheless, I could still find laughter, dancing, and contagious joy when I hung out with friends and relatives in some of the most adverse “living conditions”.
But for some strange “illogical” reason, those are the memories that have stuck the test of time!
I Still remember witnessing children making toy cars out of scraped metallic garbage, and I also remember envying them for the amount of fun they were having!
No matter where I went, I was always surrounded by smiling faces all around me! Those were magical moments.
You could walk into your neighbor’s house like it was your own, you could all eat together anytime you wanted, everything was always shared and the level of TRUST, AUTHENTICITY and GENEROUSITY was sometimes overwhelming and surreal.
My experiences in the “developed” parts of the world were obviously very different.
Did I have the latest Electronic game? What about the latest shoes or jeans? Probably not…
Why was everybody so distant? Why did everyone seem so cold and aloof? Why all the superficiality and the hypocrisy? Why were people so scared of being themselves? Why were things so orderly…could there be room for some disorder from time to time? Why all the stiffness?
Where were all the authentic and real relationships. Where was all the trust and generosity? How could people have so much wealth, but yet be terribly lacking in these invaluable intangibles?
Nobody listens….everybody is talking as loud as they can because everybody is fighting to exist…to mean something to somebody!
Wow! What a difference between the northern and southern hemisphere of this world!!
Qualities such as authentic relationships, trust, generosity and integrity are not some lofty and unrealistic fantasies. These are the foundational pillars of any business!
As a general rule, in the poor and underdeveloped parts of the world, people tend to value relationships more than anything else, whereas in the developed world people tend to value possessions more than anything else?
The people in the southern hemisphere envy the possessions of the those in the North, and those in the North envy the relationships, family values, and quality of life of those in the southern hemisphere of this world.
This is not a debate between the North and the South. Instead it is a way to show that the intangibles of life are actually more important than the intangibles.
Here is my take on this matter:
Secret principle no.1 – There is Power in strategic Giving
The joy, satisfaction and compensation that comes from giving far outweighs that which comes from receiving.
In other words, giving has and always be more powerful than receiving. Those who have understood this principle have built legacies!
However, if you give too much, you spoil the person, and you cause the person to not fully appreciate the value of that which you are giving.
Strategic giving involves giving in a way that the person will be empowered to give in turn.
Time and money spent in helping men to do more for themselves is far better than mere giving.
Henry Ford
While there are many poor countries that really need help, there is still a problem with some of the “underdeveloped” parts of the world. The issue is that they have been accustomed to receiving, and this is what has killed their ability to create, invent and press on. If necessity is the mother of invention, then it means necessity can be a good thing. It can be a motivational factor if perceived with the right mindset.
Whatever the service or product you are providing, be sure to provide real value. Real value can be measured by what it produces. If does not produce the results for that which it was given, then the perceived value of whatever you are giving will diminish, no matter how expensive, amazing or revolutionary your product or service is.
Secret principle no.2 – Building genuine and authentic relationships
There is a difference between building genuine relationships and having a rolodex of VIP contacts. The reality is that when everything is going well, you will always have these “VIP” personalities by you. However, if things crumble apart, you will see whether or not this “mastermind” (I’m not against masterminds) group of yours will be there for you.
Building authentic and genuine relationships are based on selfless giving and sharing, and it is usually in dire times that you unfortunately, or in some cases “fortunately” discover who is who.
There is tremendous power in numbers! When there is a real collaborative effort, the results are always exponential and extremely gratifying.
Superman is a myth. You cannot do everything on your own. You need excellent people around you, but to have them stand by you unconditionally, you have to learn to stand by someone unconditionally.
Some of the biggest challenges in relationships come from the fact that most people enter a relationship in order to get something: they’re trying to find someone who’s going to make them feel good. In reality, the only way a relationship will last is if you see your relationship as a place that you go to give, and not a place that you go to take.
Anthony Robbins
The quality of your life is the quality of your relationships.
Anthony Robbins
It’s like when I was in university. My classmates and I had only one objective…make as much money as possible after graduation.
We once had a group of alumni stop over to give us some tips and tricks to survive after graduation.
They spoke on focusing on a healthy work environement, on company culture, harmony, and a whole bunch of stuff that seemed SO irrelevant to us! A “healthy work environement?” What the heck was that? We wanted a six-figure job and we really didn’t see the importance of all these things….that was until we graduated and got jobs!! We then entered into the world of office politics, back stabbing mongrels, and *”*ss kissing professionals (excuse my language)
Making money as an Entrepreneur is obviously important, but if that is your sole motivation, you need to reassess why you do what you do.
Secret Principle no. 3 – Building Trust and Credibility
We are at the dawn of a new era in the business world, both online and offline.
Every new era comes with its own set of rules.
I still remember back in the day when the Enron scandal was the talk of the business world. Everybody was talking about honesty and ethics and all the things they should have been really focusing on right from the start.
Like every scandal that comes and goes, the buzz around the Enron corruption scandals eventually fizzled away, and it was back to business as usual.
Without going into the chronological details of all the other corruption scandals that have hit the airwaves since then, we now find ourselves where we are today.
Do you entrepreneurs and business are starting to seize the importance of ethics, integrity and accountability? You will be surprised at how many of these guys are completely oblivious to the sheer importance of these principles and values.
I live in Geneva, Switzerland. Switzerland is known for its banks and all the benefits that come with opening a bank account in Switzerland (even though this is starting to change). How do you think they built this reputation?
If you study the history of Switzerland, you will realize that a lot of the “security” and “safeness” that it is now known for comes from their ability to have developed a culture of integrity, honesty, work ethics and discretion. These values existed thanks to the strong faith and value based philosophies propagated by the reformation movement of the time.
In today’s market place, if you don’t have trust and credibility, you have NOTHING. You could have all the bells and whistles and the most amazing solutions to people’s problems, but if you do not have the TRUST of the people, your days of profit are counted.
To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved.