LEADERSHIP: EMPATHY SETS TRUE LEADERS APART IN TIMES OF CRISIS

Crisis period is a time for leaders to show empathy to their team members.

Crisis moments require leaders to demonstrate that they care for the people they lead. During crisis, there is fear, hopelessness, despondency, uncertainty and a tense atmosphere.

This is the time your team members need you most. You must be sensitive to their plight, and you must just give comfort.

THE CAKE IS SHRINKING: MARKETING BATTLES IN NIGERIA'S ECONOMY

The Nigerian media has been buzzing with news of major foreign companies exiting the market, sparking concerns among citizens about the economic implications. The concerns are genuine considering the impact of MNC. From a marketing lens, this corporate exodus can be viewed as a consequence of Nigeria's sputtering economy and the ensuing battle for shrinking market categories. The cake is getting smaller, and those who want to get a slice of the cake are increasing in number.

EVERYTHING RISES AND FALLS ON LEADERSHIP

I have watched with utter astonishment how leadership is not made to be largely responsible when things go wrong in a family, company, institution, state, or even a country.

The above caption depicts my thoughts about leadership. Leadership can make or mar a country, an institution, an agency, a company, a department, a region, or even a family.

The leader is the driver of the vehicle, and he determines the direction of the vehicle.

ON THIS P&G EXIT FROM 🇳🇬

Diclosure: I am a practising sales and marketing professional, and this write-up is based on my experience in this field. I also teach marketing as a professional course.

It is going to be a long #Thread This P&G issue has been a subject of discourse amongst marketing colleagues since the news broke.

There are many angles to look at the challenges.

One of it is the Nigerian economy, whose per capita income has been on a decline since 2016.

SOCIAL IRRESPONSIBILITY: LACK OF CONSEQUENCE MANAGEMENT PART 1

Ecclesiastes 8:11

When evil people are not punished right away, it makes others want to do evil too [New Century Version] Ecclesiastes 8:11

When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong [New Living Translation]

While growing up under the care of my parents, my father used to put his cash in an exposed manner on his table in his room.

IMPROVING YOUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE AS A SERVICE PROVIDER DAY 5

lnkd.in/eTyjMmvM (Read DAY 4 here)

There are many other things though intangibles that can distinguish you from your competitors. ....

#environment #hotel #hospital #restaurant #nigeria Some of these include your parking space, ambience of your office or environment and possibly the cleanliness of your environment.

#brand #experience #security

IMPROVING YOUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE AS A SERVICE PROVIDER DAY 4

lnkd.in/dsNPRnyD (Read DAY 3 here)

Still on the issue of people, the employees that we have been talking about are not limited to those at the front desk or the customer service staff.... These employees also include security staff, cleaners, drivers, dispatch riders and every individual who represents the organization and have contact with the customers.

Every staff member must ensure they give customers an unforgettable positive experience.

IMPROVING YOUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE AS A SERVICE PROVIDER DAY 3

lnkd.in/d_iwnwWj (Read DAY 2 here)

To get the best from your employees who relate with customers, you must train them on managing customers.
#people #hotel #restaurant #empathy #people Training and retraining is important for staff interfacing with customers. I have seen employees who are attending to customers shouting on them because of a little disagreement. When this happens consistently, it is a sign that there is little or no training for these employees.

IMPROVING YOUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE AS A SERVICE PROVIDER DAY 1

Many service providers have found it difficult to distinguish themselves as they remain lost in the crowd.

#people #customerservice #restaurant #banks #hospitals #hospitalityindustry They are unable to have a unique selling point hence consumers see them as not different from others who provide the same kind of service.

Over the next few days, I will be sharing tips on what can help you carve a niche for yourself in the midst of a lot of competitors.

FUEL SUBSIDY: TO REMOVE OR NOT?
I had a 1hr conversation with @DrOlusesan on the issue of removal of fuel subsidy and I will like to share some of our thoughts here. I maintained my stand on the need to remove the fuel subsidy and re-channel funds to infrastructure. I believe that we are committing so much money to fuel subsidy that we are not having enough money for infrastructure which will thereby help to grow the economy. With the increase in the price of crude in international market, Nigeria may spend up to 5t in 2022 on subsidy.

NIGERIAN ECONOMY DEFIES LOGIC

Recently, I spent my evening with a friend who is a Finance Director in one of the leading consumer goods company in 🇳🇬 and we sat down to review the performance of different FMCG in 2021 and it was mixed stories of the good, the better and the ugly The ugly was the input material prices which were rising due to dollar scarcity and global supply chain crisis and that left the companies with no alternative than to increase prices of goods.

This triggered inflation in Q1.

FOUR THINGS THAT WILL HELP YOU THIS YEAR.

WISDOM
Wisdom is the right application of knowledge. Without knowledge, Wisdom can never be in place. Knowledge is the bedrock for wisdom.

#business #experience #career #help #learning #people #intelligence #research Wisdom is the ability to proffer solutions in the midst of chaos. It is the use of your experience, intelligence, thought process, observations, reflections and understanding of issues to make good judgement. Go for wisdom, it will surely translate to wealth.

#wisdom #experience

STOP COMPARING: STAY ON YOUR LANE!

I had a trip on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway on the South Western part of Nigeria some months ago. There was a SUV who was speeding ahead of me. He was a little bit reckless trying to navigate and swerve between vehicles. Having worked in a company some years back where you are not allowed to travel above 100km/hr, I have made a custom of not exceeding 120km/hr no matter how good the road is.

I watched this SUV till he was out of my sight but I wasn't comparing myself with him.

POLITICS

Darling, what will you like us to cook tonight?

One of the people in the house shouted, fried chips. The eldest son said, ground rice.

I added my voice, fried chips. We decided to ask one more person in the house and he said, fried chips.

#Politics The other people that could have made their choices known were sleeping

That was how fried chips became the choice food for the night

My eldest son was angry and I told him that next time you lobby people to your side so that you've more people going with your choice

#Politics

DISCIPLINE: ONE OF THE IMPORTANT INGREDIENTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL CAREER

The world today has a lot of events and activities jostling for our attention and that makes discipline an essential ingredient for our career.

#Thread

Caveat: This picture was taken few years ago. If we are unable to make a decision for what is important to us as professionals as well as career men and women, we will fall victim of wanting to touch everything and end up not achieving anything.

You need to make a choice for what is most important to you per time.

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL (FOR MEN ONLY)

While growing up, I saw my father describe my mother as having the same features as that of his mum. In other words, he was trying to say all women are the same.

#MarriageManagement I felt somehow with those words because I felt my mother is different and she shouldn't be compared with my grandmother. Years later, I read the book: Understanding the Purpose and Power of Woman by Myles Munroe and I saw that women are special creatures created delicately by God

THE POWER OF DECISIONS

Decisions make a man. You are a product of the decisions you made years ago. We make decisions on a daily basis and the decisions we make today have impact on where we will be tomorrow and in the years to come.

#management #personaldevelopment Many years ago, you decided to complete your secondary school education and proceeded to the tertiary institution. You could have decided otherwise but you knew that the consequence of not moving forward your education will not be favourable.

#management #personaldevelopment

BE GRATEFUL FOR THAT WHICH IS WORKING AND BE TRUSTING FOR THAT WHICH IS YET TO WORK

The nature of man is to always see the things that are not working in his life hence the tendency to complain at all times.

#Thread I have watched with interest when friends and proteges reach out to me with complaints on the things that are not working in their Iives and I end up shaking my head.

This is not because there is no empathy but because their focus is less on the good and more on the bad.

HOW TO DEAL WITH COMPETITION
A week ago, a Russian Professor came into TwitterNG conversation on how not to be a businessman. However, I wrote a thread on what a particular businessman is doing to deal with competition which was Cost Leadership. I also mentioned Differentiation. Although, this particular businessman isn't employing differentiation because he is mostly selling commodities. However, another strategy to ensure you take over the market from your competitors is what I will be discussing today. This will take us into the 7Ps of Marketing.

Tonight, I saw on Twitter the usual argument that Dangote is not a successful businessman as he thrives only on government's connection and as usual I laughed. Let me respond as a marketing professional. There are three major ways by which you gain competitive advantage.
#Thread These strategies were defined by Michael Porter. The three strategies are:
1. Cost Leadership
2. Differentiation
3. Focus.

Follow me as you will find this thread useful either for your organization or your personal business enterprise.

TALE OF TWO BOSSES

Dear Jack,
I know you have the capacity to do more but your current results show that there are areas of improvement. You have energy and you are young but you need to direct that energy into getting results. The year has ended but your targets were not met. I know you can do it and I believe in your ability. I look forward to you surpassing your targets next year. I am available to support you.