PERSPECTIVE
“ Who are you available for today ? What value can you bring in your availability ? Can your customers say you are available for them as a professional ? Can they equate your name with reliability ? Being available to do the difficult and right thing makes you dependable and trustworthy .”
with possibilities , available to offer solutions and available to do the hard work . Clients rely on us to think through problems and offer possible solutions . It is that reliability that earns you , their loyalty .
My good friend Dr . Cyrus Njiiru , CBS former PS in different ministries including Planning , Trade and lastly Transport ; has always emphasized the need to be available . One of the many illustrations he has given is : A young man who was privileged to intern at the presidential press service found it necessary to put in more hours so as always to be ahead of his boss . He came in earlier than everyone and left later than all at his work place . This continued for a while and the young man became the go to person for most of his colleagues who would be on leave for whatever reason .
One day a matter arose and the then President H . E Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi required a statement done urgently to be circulated to all media houses . Guess who was available when the statehouse honchos were sent to the presidential press service offices ? The young man outdid himself in the task and got to be on first name basis with the President . And that is how whenever Mzee Moi needed anything in his press unit he would ask for that young man . He earned a seat behind the President and his ear for the rest of Rais Moi ’ s reign . That young man was none other than Lee Njiru . Just like Jackie Chan - the dude was available in the most demanding of situations in the movies .
Who are you available for today ? What value can you bring in your availability ? Can your customers say you are available for them as a professional ? Can they equate your name with reliability ? Being available to do the difficult and right thing makes you dependable and trustworthy .
Profit with a purpose
All of us want to live beyond the bare minimum . We want to have convenience , access and the affluence that can afford us our desires . These are the thoughts of many entrepreneurs and professionals . Use our positions and or business to get ahead . To set ourselves for the unpredictable future and leave handsome inheritance to our children and their children . We want it all and we want it now . Unfortunately , this obscures many of us from truly making a change or turning our businesses into great success .
I agree with the bible that we should set ourselves to do what God commands us to do then all his riches will follow us . Actually , the verses in different versions speak of pursue ; not for us to pursue the riches but seek first the kingdom of God and all other things will be added unto us . Unbelievable right ? Wherever we find ourselves , let us perform in our roles as unto the Lord . Be available , be dependable , do good , extend God ’ s hand by helping those that are disadvantaged in whichever way and see how we grow in leaps and bounds .
The underlying promise in our service delivery should be anchored on the greater good and not solely on personal gain . I am not saying that profit should be out of the equation for business , far from it - profit should be split for doing God ’ s work as a primary and ourselves as secondary .
Jackie Chan ’ s role in the two sequels of Armour of God movies is seen as to the greater good than his personal gain . And that makes him a worthwhile hero to the end .
Make Stewardship your guide
We must all remember we are of a higher calling and are here for a limited amount of time . All that falls into our laps either as work , business or a role in any organization is as good as a trustee position . We hold all these in trust . In trust of those we serve , in trust for those we serve with , in trust for those that will come after us .
We are mortal beings with a potential to immortalize our work and service . We are required to serve with diligence , with respect , with loyalty and with honor . By doing this our work will train those around us . It will impart and impact many within and without our existence . The leading creators and business men of yester years that are long gone stand out for their remarkable sense of stewardship .
Stewardship goes a long way than the person who embodies it . It is about calling out the good in others . It is about calling out the potential in others . It is about sharpening those around us in good faith for the greater good . Jackie Chan effortlessly calls out the potential of his co-actors in the movie Armour of God II to do the impossible and put a brave fight against legendary mercenaries .
The businesses that have been around beyond a century have steward leadership and have given birth to more steward leaders of our time . There are secular businesses in our country that have raised more steward leaders than most faithbased organizations .
Steward Leadership is aligning our priorities with both the client and the shareholder . Always remember we serve Kings , Serve with Kings ( our colleagues ) and as I illustrated in Armour of God part one , we are Kings . Kings do good , Kings hold God ’ s brief and do the Lord ’ s bidding . The bible says the hearts of Kings are in the Lord ’ s hand to do as he wills . Client is King , Shareholder is King and we as professionals and entrepreneurs are Kingsmen . ■
Lunani Joseph is a Technology & Governance Analyst . He is the Managing Director of Insynque Solutions . He advises on Technology , Governance , Projects & Budgets . He can be reached at :
JLunani @ insynqueafrica . com
MAL 44 / 21 ISSUE 45