On the evening of January 7, 2018, I arrived in the Western Uganda town of Masindi to deliver a high-impact Human Resource and Performance Management training for 18 key leaders of Uganda Technical College (UTC) Kyema at Kabalega Resort for 5 days.
While waiting for my dinner order at Country Inn, I flipped through my phone gallery and came across a picture of a flask at my office. It had been filled with hot water the evening before during the 10th intake of the Certificate in Public Speaking and Presentation Mastery course. But the morning when I took the picture, it was filled with very cold water because the cover had been removed the previous evening. And behold, a thought hit me: Many of us have certain labels but our contents are the opposite.
Click here for a free e-book on the subject of this article. I read this book in 2008 and it opened my eyes to many things. As I wrote this article, my mind remembered it again. Click here and have your copy: www.africa2trust.com/Downloads/PutIntegrityFirst.pdf
Have you ever bought tinned food with a shining label on the outside and expired food on the inside? Today I reflected on how the label is not as important as the contents. It is of no use to present a picture of ‘saint’ when you are someone totally different. All of us struggle with this bitter truth. Just before his death, Sadi said, ‘Better is the sinner who hath thoughts about God, than the saint who hath only the show of sanctity.’ In your view, why do many people live for the public to see? Shouldn’t we lead well even when we are alone? And I believe we know it; but why do we often not do it?
The piercing reminder is that leadership which poses as honest during the day yet steals during the night is a contradiction in terms. Of what good is a leader who denies causing financial losses yet secretly continues to seal more deals that worsen the loss? Cleaning the outside of the cup and leaving the inside full of filth is of no importance. Of what use would the outside cleanliness be when the dirt inside cannot allow you to use the cup? Oh Divine Creator, have mercy on all of us! It is time for us to think about the lyrics of the song on this link: https://redgrammer.com/index.php/lyrics.html?id=134
I remember when we were still very young, we used to have “Blue band” tins that housed kitchen salt! I have not forgotten the small cooking oil jerry can that used to carry porridge to the garden in the village? Guess what: some of the labels we have today include our hair styles, professions, attire, titles, location of our residence, the associations we belong to, and everything outer — even the names we carry! On the other hand, the contents include matters of the character we have, the values we espouse, and the principles we live by.
I pray that while we are labelled hot on the outside, we will not be found ice-cold on the inside. While some people take (almost) nude pictures and ask spectators if they (the photogenic ones) are “hot”, I pray that our character won’t be found extremely wanting. And someone said, “…because you’re neither hot nor cold but lukewarm, I’ll spit you out of my mouth” (Revelations 3:15).
I think it is time to BE hot and be LABELLED hot too. What a challenge to you, dear reader! What a challenge to me, the writer! But we shall manage if we press on. Be encouraged. Be inspired. Press on.
Arise. Scale up. Rebrand.
#YouWillManage
| Live . Love . Lead |
