International Institute For Global Leadership
Issue #110 * February, 2011
www.global-leadership.com
Asheville, NC. USA
Guest Editorial
Thinking Outside Of The Box
By Afere Lawrence (Nigeria)
In today’s fast-moving and ever-changing world, where good is no longer enough, individuals and businesses that strive to achieve excellence probably belong to the George Washington school of thought posited “When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world.”
This is however termed as ‘thinking outside the box’ or ‘out of the box thinking.’ It is a fundamental ingredient for excellence and success. People that have achieved significant breakthroughs in their fields have defied‘conventional thinking. They are not people that think and see in the usual way. They are uncommon people that think in an uncommon way.
When I first came across the ‘thinking outside the box’ phenomenon, the question that came to mind was “what and where is the box people talk about when they say ‘think outside the box?’ The ‘box’ is our perception about the society or the world; the values and paradigms we use. The ‘box’ is the commonly accepted norm in our workplace, home, government or the society at large. The ‘box’ is actually the status quo!
Sadly enough, the ‘box’ is a deadly disease. It weakens and limits our creativity and our ability to have a mind that sees and solves problems. In the ‘box’ there are no possibilities! People in the ‘box’ are pigeon-holed. Can you imagine what the people who lived in the ‘box’ many years ago would think about the world we live in today? Airplanes, electricity, automobiles, telephones, mobile phones, ATM, ipods, remote controls, the internet, laptops, solar energy and so on. All because of that ignition of ‘thinking outside the box’ that allowed progress, growth and creativity to flourish.
Surprisingly, once you start to think outside the box, the box disappears! Thinking outside the box seems to me to be one of the most basic principles that one can adopt to contribute to individual and world development. Especially in Africa, we are in need of a great number of people who will think outside the box and challenge the ‘usual’ ways things are done.
Because of the inability to think outside ‘the box’ majority of African nations that have attained political freedom are yet to achieve technological independence that is highly necessary for their economic emancipation. African countries have paid astonishing price for their lack of open-mindedness. It is quite disturbing!
Ability to think outside the box – challenge the status quo, challenge assumptions and try the absurd (like Jonathan Livingston Seagull) is the fundamental aid to great achievement. You can begin this process by asking “what if…?” ‘What if I make a flying bicycle?’ ‘What if I make and sell my fufu (a typical food of the Igbo people in Nigeria) with raisin?’ There are many ‘what ifs?’ that you can generate and these will help stretch your mind and open you to enormous possibilities.
In 2008, I asked myself: “How can I engage many idle young people in my town with responsible and meaningful work?” No sooner I began to focus my mind on this question than an opportunity to start ‘The Youth Farm Project’ came. All the resources needed for this noble project also showed up. Also amazingly, the project was nominated for a national award in the same year. Many a youth in my town benefitted from this project. Because I decided to think differently.
The ability to do great things – for yourself and your community – happens when you open your mind to your limitless potential. It all begins by thinking outside the box… In this new year of opportunities and possibilities endeavour to think outside the box.
You can contact Lawrence at ablawrence2002@yahoo.com
What Our Students Are Saying
Pius Reis (Nigeria)
Since my study at the International Institute for Global Leadership, I have come to realize that the solutions to any problems we might have is deep within us. I have developed a new consciousness that the mind is the most powerful tool that man is equipped with. But because of the distractions of daily living, we seldom take out time to meditate and look inwards, and that is why we experience so much problems.
Students In Action
Francisco Okaformbah (Nigeria)
www.siscocom.com/books
My name is Francis Okaformbah and I am co-authoring this blog with my pal, brother and Alter ego Dr. Tansi F. Nigeria. I’m a writer and lover of books and all things literature. Presently I am an the CEO of Sisco Media Consulting, a Web design, Internet marketing and book consultancy firm. I enjoy being the boss and doing what I dreamt I would be when I was nine years old. I write columns for magazines and newspapers and speak at seminars. I also teach and train people and help them develop money making ideas from their passion, the internet and or their writing skills. I have several manuals, e-books and videos till date and am currently writing an Internet marketing book, How to sell anything on the Internet.
What Our Students Are Reading
Secrets of the Millionaire Mind
Mastering The Inner Game Of Wealth
T Harv Ecker
Eker’s claim to fame is that he took a $2,000 credit card loan, opened “one of the first fitness stores in North America,” turned it into a chain of 10 within two and a half years and sold it in 1987 for a cool (but somewhat modest-seeming) $1.6 million. Now the Vancouver-based entrepreneur traverses the continent with his “Millionaire Mind Intensive Seminar,” on which this debut motivational business manual is based. What sets it apart is Eker’s focus on the way people think and feel about money and his canny, class-based analyses of broad differences among groups. In rat-a-tat, “Let me explain” seminar-speak, Eker asks readers to think back to their childhoods and pick apart the lessons they passively absorbed from parents and others about money. With such psychological nuggets as “Rich people focus on opportunities/ Poor people focus on obstacles,” Eker puts a positive spin on stereotypes, arguing that poverty begins, or rather, is allowed to continue, in one’s imagination first, with actual material life becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. To that end, Eker counsels for admiration and against resentment, for positivity, self-promotion and thinking big and against wallowing, self-abnegation and small-mindedness. While much of the advice is self-evident, Eker’s contribution is permission to think of one’s financial foibles as a kind of mental illness—one, he says, that has a ready set of cures.
Valuable Resources for Personal & Planetary Transformation
Money Is Energy
www.moneyisenergy.com
would you like to heal your relationship with money and eliminate debt? Would you like to make sound choices based on positive energy and watch your life and bank account prosper? You can make it happen. I did. I am here to guide you through the lessions. I want you to learn how money works — how it really works. and how life works — how it really functions, which is not the way everyone has been taught. I want to give you the tools to get out of debt and bring positive aspects and money into your personal and professional life. I want you to prosper and enjoy your life and your money. You will soon understand that Money IS Energy..” Robert Matthews, CPA.
Meet Our New Students
We are please to welcome three new active students this during January. They are from Botswana and Nigeria.
Malaki Kereeditse (Botswana)
I am a positive of optimistic person, always looking at ways and means of being a better person as I belief that is possible. My downside has been I forget to look back and recognise what I have achieved in my journey. As a result I have not really enjoyed my success as I am mainly in pursuit of excellence which seems illusive. I am now making an effort to enjoy and be aware of the present moment. My ambition is to start and run my own businesses and have multiple steams of income and run these in a successful and efficient manner and create wealth. With these I will be able to increase the good that I am doing to the community. I wish to actively participate and contribute in the development of the community that I live in. My favourite books are personal development books. Reading these books gives me energy and enhances the way I deal with issues. I have enjoyed reading Seven habits of Highly effective people by Steven Covey, the books by How to stop worrying and start living by Dale Carnegie. I have worked as a Telecommunication Technician working on external line plant for the state owned telecommunication service provider. I have been a member of Toastmasters International where I worked on myself to improve my public speaking and presentation skills and also to build confidence. I have also been a Trade union leader serving as a member of the executive committee and as an officer responsible for education of members on their rights and obligations. Currently I am the National President of Junior Chamber International Botswana. This is an organisation of active citizen whose mission is to provide development opportunities that empower young people to create positive change. It is about being an active citizen and making things happen as opposed to complaining that enough is not being done.
Ahua Bem Gura (Nigeria)
I am Ahua Bem Gura, born in 1984 to the family of Mr. & Mrs Ahua John Gura. I am the first of three children. Presently I am the project director of Sife University of Agriculture as well as the University of Agriculture, Makurdi tennis team captain. My dream is to develop myself into a leader that would reach the personhood leadership I want to achieve this by affecting peoples lives positively, leaving legacies that people will look onto and follow in the future. Personally I love nature, artworks, listening to music, reading (history, leadership, motivational books), playing tennis, fishing, hiking, playing soccer, action and romantic movies. I am an extrovert, optimist, generous, cheerful and affable. I love social life and am also someone who knows how to handle people with ability and diplomatically.
Olukunle Abayomi Abolade (Nigeria)
I am a Nigerian, a Christian and a final year student of Business Information System (Middlesex University London Campus). I am interested in Information Technology and governmental leadership. 10 Laws of Leadership (By Sam Adeyemi), Who moved my cheese (Spencer Johnson) are my favorite books. I have got enough leadership skills in schools, church and work. I have OND mechanical engineering, CCNA, SCP, ACCP, BSc. in view. I will love to be connected to lead at any level. My dream is to affect the world using the gift of leadership God has bestowed on me.
Graduates
The following student(s) complete one level of study last month:
Kennedy John Offor (Nigeria)
Level Two
Adedoyin Adedeji (Nigeria)
Level One
Francis Okeny Silvio (Sudan)
Level Two
Student Progress
We had 18 students from 10 countries complete a total of 27 books in January. These students were from Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Mali, Sudan, Uganda, USA & Zimbabwe.
Malaki Kereeditse (Botswana)
· Jonathan Livingston Seagull
· As A Man Thinketh
Yieh Odette Gwain (Cameroon)
· Unlimited Power
· Goal Setting 101
Ziyad Rube Abdule (Ethiopia)
· Success Through Positive Mental Attitude
Samuel Abbey (Ghana/USA)
· Falling In Love
Mark Afriyie (Ghana)
· Success Through Positive Mental Attitude
Modibo Dembele (Mali/USA) (HTWF)
· How to Win Friends & Influence People
Adedeji Adedoyin (Nigeria)
· Giant Steps
Ayoade Anthony (Nigeria)
· Leadership For Dummies
Offor Kennedy J. (Nigeria)
· Leadership For Dummies
· Unlimited Power
· Goals
· Goal Setting 101
Ahua Bem Gura (Nigeria)
· Jonathan Livingston Seagull
· As A Man Thinketh
Edwin Akpan (Nigeria)
· Real Magic
· The New Dynamics of Winning
· Success Through Positive Mental Attitude
Elayira Peri-Okonny (Nigeria)
· Success Through Positive Mental Attitude
Obinna Ezeji (Nigeria)
· Seven Habits Of Highly Successful People
Olukunle Abayomi Abolade (Nigeria)
· Jonathan Livingston Seagull
· As A Man Thinketh
Francis Okeny Silvio (Sudan)
· Law of Attraction
· Unlimited Power
Kisangala Andrew (Uganda)
· Goal Mapping
David Rogers Kintu (Uganda)
· Success Through Positive Mental Attitude
Busani Sibindi (Zimbabwe)
· Psycho Cybernetics
Statistics
New Enrollments
8 enrolled in January
8 enrolled in 2011
Book Assessments
27 in January
27 in 2011
Books Shipped
92 in January
92 in 2011
Cost of books
$1,657.80 in January
$1,657.80 in 2011
You Make It Possible
We extend a special thanks to the following 20 individuals and/or organizations from five countries who contributed to IIGL during January. Your ongoing support makes this work possible.
Deb Silver (Israel)
Gillian Kean (UK)
Edmee DiPauli (UK)
Nahla Rafai (Jordan)
Mark Mazadu (Nigeria)
Lily Ann (USA/NC)
Deb Rosen (USA/WI)
Margie Tice (USA/NC)
Ron Walker (USA/VA)
Judith Royer (USA/ND)
Corine Wilson (USA.FL)
David Banner (USA/WI)
Heidi Stewart (USA.NC)
Gregory Burazer (USA/NC)
Julie Loosbrock (USA/WI)
John Hornecker (USA/CA)
Lynne Murguia (USA/AZ)
Michael Lightweaver (USA/NC)
Wanda Gail Campbell (USA/AL)
Janae & Barry Weinhold (USA/NC)
Make A Difference
Dream Team 22
In January 2009 we launched a new idea which blends two previous endeavors: The Master Mind Group and the 22 Experiment. We are calling this Dream Team 22 and our goal is to have 220 people contributing $22 per month. We understand that money is energy and that to sustain and build IIGL we need a lot of people pouring their energy into this endeavor on a regular basis. We also know that not everyone can afford to commit $22 a month – especially our students, who live in countries with economies in which this amount can be equal to a weeks salary. So we are offering two options for those who wish to become a part of the Dream Team. One can commit to a $22 a month contribution or to spending 22 seconds each day holding the vision of IIGL becoming financially sustainable by the end of 2009.
details: lightweave@aol.com
Checks on US banks, payable to the International Institute For Global Leadership, can be mailed to PO Box 18909, Asheville, NC. 28814, USA. Contributions may also be made by credit card by clicking the link below. Contributions are tax deductible under the 501 (c) 3 tax code of the United States Internal Revenue Service.
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