Love – Josh OKELLO

I Asked Three Leaders what Books they Read, the Answer I got Will Shock You

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Josh

By Josh Okello

One simple question I like to ask new people I meet, leaders, managers, CEOs etcetera is “what books are you reading these days?”

People are always very honest to share ideas especially in the realm of entrepreneurship. My better-half knows and understand my love for books and it is almost predictable that most gifts I get from her are leadership books. We both like to learn even though we are in different fields. In general, we read a lot.

Back to my story, do you like to learn? As a leader, entrepreneur, how many books do you read in a month? I once walked in a store and asked three managers what they are reading and the answer I got was shocking. I am putting into consideration that not all like to read therefore it is not a crime to not read. You can acquire knowledge through other means.

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One manager told me that reading is not important as the books do not tell you how to deal with each individual customer. Different customers have different attitudes, emotions and personality therefore you cannot read a generalized book and work with that on each and every customer. How true is that? My answer is, “It is very true”. But how can you know how to deal with different customers without learning how to deal with different personalities? How does one acquire emotional intelligence (EI) without learning? Reading might not be your thing but are you in constant pursuit of acquiring knowledge? In philosophy we call it epistemology. Epistemology is the enquiry of what distinguishes justified true belief from opinion also referred to as knowledge.

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The other manager referred me to the manager who gave me the answer above. What does this boil down to? “Resistance to change,” and the mind set of “doing it our way.” how can we be open minded without being ready to learn? You do not have to read in the world of technology we are living in today. Listen to podcasts, audio books, and videos and learn at least one new thing every day. Never be bound to repeating the same old mistakes because you are resistant to books.

I would like to hear your honest feedback and hopefully books that you are reading/listening to this month. If you are looking for a simple leadership and entrepreneurship book to read, you might consider: Strategies of Entrepreneurial Leadership. Comment by suggesting at least one book for our leaders to read. Let us learn together.

Joshua Okello is a B.A graduate in Business Administration, International Development and Philosophy. He is also the author of the book Strategies of Entrepreneurial Leadership He has exceptional skills in organizing, coordinating projects and capacity building initiatives with key emphasis on livelihood programs; microfinance through savings and credit led models; business development services and entrepreneurial leadership. He is also the founder and Executive Director of Succeed Africa Relief Organization, a Canadian Christian Organization geared towards giving hope and transformation in lives of the chronically poor in Africa.

Balancing Family Time & Work

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Josh

By Josh Okello

There is no such thing as a balance between family and work. Irrespective of how great or big your company is or the amount of work you have as a leader, family should be your top priority!

In most of my literature, I always describe success as happiness therefore we cannot be successful in our businesses or organizations if our families are going through rough time. It is hard to make a successful company when our families are not happy. Leadership starts at home therefore it is important to understand these tips:

Money is not everything
One of the greatest boxer Floyd Mayweather once said; “money is not everything but it is the only thing.” This statement is very wrong. Money cannot buy you a happy family, this is something you have to do by yourself and the best way to do it is to increase your time with them.

Time
Some of the greatest world leaders I know of try to create time for their families. An example is Barack Obama the president of the united states who tries to have dinner everyday with his family. That is a great success. Try and do something with your family at least everyday.

Find a Fun Activity
My father used to be a music teacher and he nurtured music in our family. He taught us music and started a family choir that we still have to date, nearly two decades after he passed away.
This was our bonding time with him and it was always fun to be around him. What is it that you are good at that you can share with your family? Click here to listen to or download my free music.

Remember Your Vows
One thing I admire and still cannot fathom is the motherly love. Our mothers and wives deserve respect from us. If you exchanged vows on your wedding day, then go back and read it again. If you follow everything you promised to do with or for your partner then I will encourage you to continue being a responsible man. If you do not follow your vows to the latter then I do not have to tell you what to do. Do what is necessary.

Do you think your husband, wife, father or mother deserves to be treated the way you are treating her now? He or she is worth more. Vows are not only for the wedding day, but a public binding agreement that must be followed. You do not have to abandon your work for the family but creating at least two hours a day to have fun and add value in your family is one way of attaining business success.

Be Productive
The reason why we fail to go home in time and hangout with family or bring work home is because we procrastinate in the office and take a load of work home with us. As an entrepreneur and a leader, I understand that there is always more to be done but there is also a family to show love to. If you are not their for your children, who will? If you are not their for your wife or husband, who will? All these can come if we redefine and redesign what family and work means to us. A happy family leads to success at work.

Confrontational Leadership

Posted on January 26, 2014January 26, 2014 by Josh

By Okello Okello

This is not to be confused with arrogance. What I simply mean by confrontational is the ability to oppose or challenge directly the action or authority of someone. I also should make it clear to you that personality contributes a lot when it comes to being a confrontational leader.

Even though most entrepreneurs shy away from this type of leadership, it can mostly benefit the organization if handled with care because there is a very fine line separating it from arrogance. While arrogance holds the intent of superiority and recklessness, confrontation has an intent to question the credibility of an action and how it is benefiting the entire organization.

In my daily life, I do not like confrontations of any kind but one of my business friends, a fellow school mate and an entrepreneur once taught me that it is never wrong to question what is wrong. The only way to bring change is when you highlight what is wrong. This is really difficult and can get messy if you are in partnership or dealing with colleagues who are older, of higher ranks, authoritative and intimidating.

Going by moral ethics and expected office etiquette, no wrong doing should be left unquestioned or else the person seeing it happen also lands himself in the same problem as the doer. However, if you are confronting please make sure that you do it with;

1.Love

Your intention should be to correct the wrongs and be at the same understanding with the wrong doer on the does and don’ts of an organization. Before you speak you should remember these bible verse Proverbs 15:1-2, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. ²The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.”

2. Respect.

It does not cost any penny to pay respect however poor you can be. To be in a work environment, know that you are dealing with a fellow human being and do not put them on the spot where they can feel intimidated. Show respect and it will be shown back to you. It is a two blade sword or just remember that what goes around comes right back around.

3. Considerate.

Once a leader is marked with regards of feelings and needs of others, they can address any issue in the organization with a lot of care and no big problem can go unsolved. Human beings are social animals and just like any other animals, both domesticated and undomesticated, if cornered and can sense danger, all animals react the same and that is to be on the defense. Before they give in to power, they will always try to repel the attacks through anyway possible and this can cause injury and damage to an organization. A considerate leader is a good leader.

4. Wisdom.

I am talking about wisdom not knowledge or skills or any other forms of learned experiences. Wisdom can only come from God and a good leader is one who is anointed to serve with the help from above. Simple things as calling a person a side when you want to address a critical issue in a work environment is way better than shaming them in front of all their juniors or seniors. Seek Wisdom from above and so I say.

Not all leaders need to be confrontational, but just moderate what works for you and nurture it to serve you well. If you are going the confrontational way, then always remember not to cross the line between confrontation and arrogance.