HAPPINESS AT WORK

Happiness is defined in the English dictionary as a state of well-being and contentment, or a pleasurable or satisfying experience, while work on the other hand is defined as activity in which one exerts strength or faculties to do or perform something or the labor, task, or duty that is one's accustomed means of livelihood. There are huge benefits to be derived from happy employees which begins with contentment, or a pleasurable or satisfying experience around activity in which one exerts strength or faculties to do or perform something. It is therefore vital for a leader to understand how to make sure employees enjoy their work so much that it almost seems effortless. Benefits include increased productivity, reduced absenteeism, increased collaboration and increased innovation and lead to increased sales, something vitally important in our tough economic climate. Professor David Ulrich believes that those leaders who understand how to achieve sustained engagement will have employees who are seven times more likely to report high satisfaction at work and twice as likely to be satisfied with their pay. He calls such leaders, ‘meaning makers’. In essence, meaning makers are concerned with ‘emotion’ and not just ‘motion’. Motion focuses on behaviors and actions; emotion focuses on passion and meaning. Motion is what we do; emotion is why we do it. Motion gets things done while the leader is present; emotion sustains behavior in the leader’s absence. Leaders in motion differ from leaders who connect with emotion. Ulrich’s research has proved that leaders who are meaning makers also increase employee productivity, organization capability, and investor confidence. Leaders who only master the leadership basics can set strategy, execute for results, manage people, develop future people, and have personal credibility. However if these basics are not woven around a sense of meaning or well-being, they are stale. Leaders can bring passion to strategy, execution, talent, human capital and personal proficiency when they bring meaning into these tasks. More importantly though, making meaning makes money. Over a 10 year period “best companies to work for” have a 6,8% stock appreciation versus 1% of the average firm. Additionally, only 13% of disengaged employees would recommend their company’s products or services, compared with 78% of engaged employees.

CONQUERING THE WORLD

The English dictionary defines Conquering as to gain victory over; master; win in war which was what Owens, born as the seventh child in a family of eleven in a small part of Alabama, most of his growing up was in Cleveland, Ohio. His parents Henry and Emma were often concerned for his welfare when he was young, as he was always taking ill. Athletes have taken great strides all throughout this century but few can compare to those of Jesse Owens. He rose above sickness and became one of the world’s greatest Olympians. This was a tough man who knew what he wanted to accomplish and set out to do just that. He was known to attribute all of his future Olympic successes to this trainer/ coach. The transformational coach Charles Riley and he changed Jesse's life and our history for all time. Jesse Owens first athletic splash was in 1935 when he set world records in the long jump, 220 yard dash and 220 yard low hurdles. No other athlete in history has made such an indelible mark. In 1936 Jesse Owens arrived at the summer Olympics in Berlin with hatred all around him in Hitler's Germany, fought hard and won a total of four gold medals. While Germany could only watch and grumble. One can almost see Hitler's face watching a black man - who he’d depicted as anything but human in German propaganda - beat his pure blooded Germans. Everyone was thrilled at Jesse's successes but the fourth race was not even supposed to be his. There were two Jewish men named Marty Glickman and Sam Stoller who were meant to run that race. Some speculated they were pulled out not because they couldn't do it or because Jesse was better per se but only because Hitler didn't want to be beaten by Jews. It may have worked out for the best; because Jesse Owens winning the relay event set another world record-his last event at the Olympics and went with pride and success. Even the Germans were impressed and asked for his autograph, which he signed gracefully and aplomb.

FINISH STRONG!

The English Dictionary defines the word Finish as to bring something to an end or to completion, as we all know “strong” on the other hand means exerting great bodily force; vigorously. You “Finish Strong” when you bring something to an end or to completion vigorously. Finishing Strong is more than a statement it is an attitude we all need in life, an attitude of believing you can do something and having the courage coached with determination to see it through. In my book “Monday Morning Motivation, Your Work Week Starter” I shared the story of John Stephen Akwari who went to represent Tanzania in the 1968 Olympics games which held in Mexico City. He took part in the marathon but unfortunately, he got injured during the race and had his legs bandaged. However, he crippled on the bloodied and bandaged leg in his attempt to finish the race. About two hours after his colleagues crossed the line and almost all the spectators had left the stadium, he was spotted crippling his way towards the finishing line and indeed, he finished the race. This singular decision to not just start but finish the Olympic marathon race exemplifies finishing strong good enough to attract the media to the ‘Tanzanian Olympics Ambassador.’ When asked why he decided to finish the race despite his injury, he answered “my country did not send me here to start a race

; Tanzania sent me to Mexico to finish this race” which I just did. Irvin Berlin asserts; “Life is 10percent what you make it and 90percent how you take it.” The dedication, decision and determination delivered by John Stephen Akwari aided his staying power and finish-ability which was strength. Succeeding today, this season and beyond requires starting which in itself is a function of a decision sparked by a desire. In the words of Napoleon Hill; “Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything.” Go ahead and bring something started today to completion vigorously you undoubtedly will finish strong in time.

TURNING ADVERSITY INTO ADVANTAGE

Every human being goes through some form of adversity. You can choose to see possibilities within your adversity and prosper through it. In the words of CS Lewis: “Every Disability conceals a vocation, if only we can find it, which will ‘turn the necessity to glorious gain.” Let me introduce to you Jessica Cox who was also born without arms. The doctors do not know why she was born “differently-abled.” But she does. She was born 1983 in Sierra Vista, Arizona She has learned to live life with her feet. There were many questions at the time about whether Jessica would be able to live a “normal” life. However, Jessica’s father has said he never shed a tear about her birth condition. He had full confidence in her potential. With the support of her parents and family, Jessica became confident in herself as an adult and continued to explore the world with her feet. As a child she studied dance in her home town. When the first performance arrived, she asked to be put in the back row. Her dance teacher told her there was no back row. Tentatively she took the stage with the other students and performed her routine. When she finished, the applause encouraged her and the confidence to continue dancing for over a decade. During college, Jessica’s parents met a Taekwondo instructor named Jim Cunningham. His response when told of her birth condition was she would be more physically able and that only her attitude could hold her back. She earned her first black belt in the International Taekwondo Federation at 14years old. Jessica’s most famous accomplishment was learning how to fly. It took three states, four airplanes, two flight instructors and a discouraging year to find the right aircraft; a 1946 415C Ercoupe Airplane. She received the Guinness World Record for being the first person certified to fly an airplane with only their feet. Today Jessica works as a motivational speaker, she travels the world sharing her story and encouraging people to be creative and innovative with the mantra “Think outside the Shoe.”

ADVERSITY ADVANTAGE

The English dictionary defines adversity as an unfortunate event or circumstance with the synonym been catastrophe,disaster,trouble. Every word defines my recent situation .Upon arrival at an airport I have touched down about 100 times, South Africa's World Class airport Oliver Reginald Tambo Airport named after Former Anc President and anti-Apartheid activist an airport that taught me a lesson recently I recall wheeling my trolley to a store to buy airtime and had to leave trolley outside since they were not allowed instore,I stepped out in less than 3 minutes only to see a man behind my trolley.That's my trolley I said as he responded, sorry this happens here once in a while.Without making a fuss out the situation I laughed it off and drove my trolley to my favorite store to buy my traditional hot chocolate only to find out that my men's purse was missing-God have mercy on me,my purse contained 3 travel passports I have had all my life,bank cards,some cash & aviators piece I got myself as a memento after successful summit up Kilimanjaro .One hour later South African Police Services(SAPS) opened a case file, released a detective to view the CCTV cameras which walked me back to the possible places I was pick pocketed.What do I do I asked myself? First thing I did was speak with friend Naomi who we had flown into South Africa together to attend the International Federation For Professional Speakers (IFFPS) regional convention, cared enough to come to my rescue. Everything felt like a dream,movie experience that didn't come close to its end. Robin S.Sharma Author,The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari said; “I’ve learned that everything happens for a reason,” the yogi Krishnan told him. “Every event has a why and all adversity teaches us a lesson... Never regret your past. Accept it as the teacher that it is.” I made a phone call to the Administrator, Centre For Coaching At The University Of Cape Town Graduate School Of Business where I recently started school without paying a rand,dime after narrating my experience. Every challenge,adversity can prosper us, once you allow yourself to learn what the experience brought to you in conclusion as Jimmy Buffet asserts; "It takes no more time to see the good side of life than to see the bad.”

MILESTONE

Milestone is defined in the English dictionary as a significant event or stage in life, progress, development, or the like of a person, nation. Nigeria as a nation joined the league of countries whose national flag got hoisted atop Kilimanjaro, this week last year March 2011 ,I had successfully summit to the highest point in Africa. Alexandrou Marios said : a milestone is a scheduled event signifying the completion of a major deliverable or a set of related deliverables. Milestones were originally stone obelisks – made from granite, marble, or whatever local stone was available – and later concrete posts. They were widely used by Roman Empire road builders and were an important part of any Roman road network: the distance travelled per day was only a few miles in some cases.Many Roman milestones only record the name of the reigning emperor without giving any placenames or distances. The first Roman milestones appeared on the Appian way. At the centre of Rome, the "Golden Milestone" was erected to mark the presumed centre of the empire: this milestone has since been lost. The Golden Milestone inspired the Zero Milestone in Washington, D.C., intended as the point from which all road distances in the United States should be reckoned. Decades ago,about two decades precisely as a teenager, I travelled with my late father Solomon Babafemi Awe(who accompanied me to my secondary school "Christ School,Ado Ekiti-Nigeria) as his official driver drove several hours from our Apapa G.R.A lagos residence through lagos,Ibadan expressway.I recall locating,seeing series of numbered markers placed along the highway at intervals showing up on the side of the road. During our journeys,the excitement the mileposts brought as we advanced during our 4-5hour journey came because every new milestone reassured us that the proper path is been followed, and also indicated distance travelled or remaining distance to our destination. Someone said: "Direction is more important than speed". Severally as we set out for school one lessons I learned with benefit of hindsight includes need to have direction as we travel through life. Too many people are so busy looking at the speedometers thereby forgeting milestones.Making time to mark,celebrate milestones is important.If you can plan to join me as I celebrate my anniversary of my successful summit up uhuru peak-Kilimanjaro.

Gbenga Sesan & Joshua Awesome after Speaking at a Seminar  

Joshua Awesome and Alvin Law After Speaking At Global Speakers Summit 

Joshua Awesome and Dr.Myles Munroe After Sharing The Platform

Joshua Awesome

Joe Sherren(President, Global Speakers Federation 2007-2008) and Joshua Awesome