Leaps and Bounds: Deeper Understanding: For Conversations And Collaborations
CHAPTER 1: CONVERSATIONS THAT PAVES A WAY
"Wait, you became a branch manager in 24 hours? How does that even happen?"
That question always makes me smile, not because it's exaggerated, but because it's exactly what happened. And it wasn't just a surprising job offer. That moment marked the beginning of a defining season in my life, a time when purpose, pressure, and potential converged. But more than anything else, it was the beginning of a series of conversations that would shape every step forward.
The fact is that our decisions are carried in our words, communicated whenever we show up. Our utterances reveal us. They endorse us. There are hidden designs in our conversations that go ahead of us to prepare a place for us in life, carving out a niche for us.
I had read some books and it had shifted my mindset and upgraded my belief system that all things are possible if you put in the work. I was reading books on money management, leadership, personal development, and so forth.
Then I had gone into trading with the little capital I could raise at the time. I didn't want to be idle. I began embarking on short travels with several grocery items, in 2 months traveled over 4000 miles, and on one of those trips we had a head-on collision with another car. I was forging experiences and showing determination to learn and improve my skills and experiences.
Then something amazing happened after this journey. I took stock and ran an assessment of my strengths. I carefully wrote down the kind of job I was looking forward to being engaged in, and because of this, I enrolled in computer classes and registered a business name.
I had the initiative. I was motivated. I saw mentors who were doing well.
The books I read sparked conversations in my head, and I was finding my true potential through discipline as I was willing to pay attention to the process of learning a new set of training. To find new frontiers.
Every leap I've taken in life has been built not just on actions, but on choices that were articulated with a conversation, that flung a door open. I was prepared for this experience. I was recommended for this job by Mr. Lawrence, my eldest brother when the opportunity opened up to work with this private firm. He knew firsthand that I was diligently pushing forward.
June 1999: I was Prepared for this Invitation
It was an ordinary day in Jos. The sky was calm, the city familiar, and I was just out of university, armed with a degree in the natural sciences and fresh from my national youth service. I walked into the offices of Biotec UK Laboratories Nigeria with a spark of curiosity and cautious hope.
What seemed like an overnight promotion was the start of a rapid, immersive education in leadership. I was thrust into product marketing, training, client relations, and direct correspondence with our UK partners. But what anchored me wasn't technical knowledge, it was conversation.
Each day, I engaged with clients, colleagues, suppliers, mentors, and myself. It wasn't just about what we sold. It was about how I listened, how I responded, how I asked better questions and gave clearer answers. Every meaningful shift began with dialogue.
Rising Through the Ranks: Leadership by Fire
The Jos Branch became both my test and my training ground. I navigated complex logistics and traveled extensively to expand markets with my Chief Executive. The title "manager" meant less than the responsibility that came with it.
I learned a lot firsthand from the Chief Executive. And then, less than a year later, came another turning point. Our General Manager resigned unexpectedly during a trade fair in Germany. The company needed someone to step up. That someone was me.
It wasn't a promotion I sought. It meant more was being demanded of me.
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