IDEAS CAN COME FOR ANYWHERE

I was doing an interview recently when, not for the first or last time, I was momentarily stumped by a question. There is an expectation for interviewees to have an instant answer to whatever they are asked, but often this simply isn't the case.

You need a moment to think when questioned on a new topic, and during this interlude bright ideas can sometimes arrive. Interviews are a good time to question your beliefs and think about what you really believe in; it's a bit like sitting on a psychiatrist's couch. 

The same goes if you are having a good chat with a friend, as opposed to an interview. By challenging each other in conversation, you can get to the root of issues and develop new plans.

A journalist once asked me in an interview if I'd ever thought of going into the rail business. I replied that it could be a good idea. The next thing I knew there was a headline in the Sunday Telegraph saying: “Branson to go into trains.” So at that point I needed to go and build a team! Virgin Trains has now been running for 16 years and counting.

Where do good ideas usually strike you?

Richard Branson

Founder at Virgin Group

Your Most Important Career Question - And How To Answer It

Are you in the right job? Is your career going the right way? Occasionally, we should pause, and ask ourselves some fundamental questions. I believe there is no career question that is more fundamental than this one:

Are you happy to go to work?

It might seem obvious, or even trivial, but I would argue that we don’t ask this question often enough. I can honestly say that I have always enjoyed work - of course, there are days and sometimes weeks when I didn’t, but for most parts I was (and still am) very happy to go to work. Whenever I started to feel less happy at work, I simply looked for a new job that would make me happier. A few years ago, my wife did the same. She felt less happy in her marketing career and within a week started her training to become a teacher – a job she absolutely loves.

We spend too much time and effort at work not to be happy. If we don’t enjoy work, it reduces our overall quality of life and makes us less effective at our job.

Of course, what we consider work and what makes us happy is different for everyone. However, when it comes to happiness at work - like with most things in life - the secret lies in achieving a balance between different things.

Here are my top 6 job attributes that will make us happy to go to work:

Sense of Purpose.
Do you feel that your job has a purpose you believe in? We all want to be part of something bigger and, if we believe the job we are doing helps to achieve a higher goal, then we will be happier and more engaged.

Recognition and Reward.
 Do you feel appreciated at work? The obvious way to reward people is to pay them. However, money is not enough, we need to feel appreciated and recognized and here, a simple ‘thank you’ goes such a long way.

Learning. As human beings, we love learning and developing new skills. Do you have the opportunity to learn something new in your job? Do you get a chance to develop?

Sense of Achievement. We all love the sense that we have achieved something. Do you see the fruits of your labor at work? Do you feel that you are productive and good at your job? Feeling a sense of achievement helps to boost our confidence and self-esteem.

Autonomy and Control. Do you feel that you are working autonomously and that you are in control of what you are doing? Or, do you constantly feel at the mercy of someone else’s decisions? Autonomy and control allow you to bring your creativity and problem solving skills to the table.

Friendship and Companionship. Do you feel a sense of belonging at work, where you work with people you like and get on with? Is there a good atmosphere where people trust each other and friendships flourish?
Try to score each of these (where 0=not there; 1=to some extent there; 2=very much there). This way you can find gaps you could possibly do something about. If not, look for a new job in which you get a higher score. And remember, a high score for money won’t make up for a low score in most other things!

When you are too happy at work

Here is a little warning: Some people love their work so much that they become workaholics. Often because work gives them a sense of purpose; they feel rewarded and recognized; they learn so much; they get constant sense of achievement, feel in control and have a strong sense of belonging. Always remember that you can be happy at work but miserable in life – especially if you are missing or neglecting essential things, like love, health, family, friendship, etc.



Courtesy: Bernard Marr
Best-Selling Author and Enterprise Performance Expert

The 2 Words That Will Change Your Life Forever...

Every now and then, and usually not very often, are some words spoken that deeply resonate with you. They make you stop and reflect. The words and their meaning will stay with you for a long time. They might even inspire or motivate you to do something different or to change direction. These words can come from quotes of famous people or can be words spoken by a friend, your parents, your child or any stranger.

For me, this person was my school teacher who we nicknamed LuLu. It was not a very happy time in my life, I just lost my dad in a car accident and my school performance was suffering. I was sad, probably angry at the world around me and as a consequence a little rebellious. One of the few teachers who got me at that point in my life was LuLu. I remember a chat with her on a day when I felt particularly down and rebellious. She said to me "I have two words that will change your life forever". This made me curious and I listened very attentively to what she had to say. She said "The two words are very powerful, they are: Carpe Diem". I said "What do they mean?" Then she explained "They are in Latin and are translated as Seize the Day".

She explained to me that the two words originate from a poem by Horace (65 BC-8 BC) and that they were used in a Babylonian Epic in which Siduri spoke them to urge Gilgamesh to forge his mourning and embrace life. Carpe Diem are two simple words with so much meaning to me. They mean embrace life, grab the opportunities and make the most of the present moment. These two words helped me immensely at that point in my life and I have never forgotten them. Even today I find myself remembering them and they always have a positive effect on me.

Instead of pondering the past or worrying about the future, you should live in the here and now. We can waste so much time reflecting on the past, the things that happened, why they happened to us, what we did wrong. We can also waste so much time dreaming about a brighter future, about the things we would like to do or become one day. For me, Carpe Diem reminds me that yesterday is gone, tomorrow is not yet here, and today is your only chance to make a difference. If you make the most of today then you will live your life to the fullest.

We should see each day as a present and an opportunity. Every minute is valuable because you can use it to enjoy life, to get something started or to get something completed. The present moment is the only time in history that you can use to do good and to change the world for the better – no matter how big or small.

Each new day is a privilege. When my dad left that morning before the accident he though he would see me again, he thought he would have many decades left to say the things he needed to say and do the things he still wanted to do. The thing is, we just don’t know what tomorrow brings. Therefore we have to seize each day to do the things we want to do and say the things we believe are important.

The time we take up being unhappy, the time we use up worrying about the future or pondering the past is wasted. It is a wasted opportunity and a wasted privilege. Time wasted with unhappy and negative thoughts is time you will never ever get back.

For me, Carpe Diem tells us to free ourselves from the worries, the anger and the negativity that is holding us back sometimes. It reminds us that it doesn’t matter where you came from, what you went through in the past; the only thing that matters is where you are going and that your future destination starts with the steps you take today. Today is your only chance to make a difference and live. Always remember that is in this moment, and only this moment, when you can be happy, you can say and do something, you can love, you can feel, you can enjoy and you can learn. Therefore Carpe Diem!

After my memorable conversation with my teacher that day I decided to take the long way home. In walked along the beach and tried to take in the World with all my senses so that I could smell the fresh sea air, see all the colors of the sea and the sky, taste the salt on my tongue, hear the cries of the sea gulls, and feel the wind in my face. From that moment onwards I felt awake and inspired to grab all the opportunities that would come my way every day.

Carpe Diem were the two words that changed my life forever. I wouldn't expect that they have the same effect on you but I do hope they have been a little bit inspiring?



Bernard Marr
Best-Selling Author and Enterprise Performance Expert

INNOSON - THE FIRST MADE IN NIGERIA CARS,BUSES ,TRUCKS

Courtesy: Federal Ministry of Information

The youngest among six children, Chief (Dr) Innocent Ifediaso Chukwuma (OFR), was born into the family of Mr & Mrs Chukwuma Mojekwu of Uru-Umudim, Nnewi, in Anambra State, without the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth. But, what he lacked in affluent parental background, he made up for with intelligence, hard-work, discipline and business acumen - qualities that have continued to interplay remarkably in his many ventures.

In February 2007, Chukwuma embarked on what some analysts perceived then as a mission impossible, when it incorporated INNOSON Vehicle Manufacturing Company Limited (IVM), to produce sundry commercial automobiles, utility vehicles and passenger cars, in collaboration with a consortium of Chinese auto manufacturers.

With the public display of some of the vehicles at the 2nd Nnewi International Auto Trade Fair held at the Beverly Hills Hotels (Gabros Sports Complex) in the last quarter of 2009, IVM did not only silence the critics, but made a bold statement about its readiness to achieve the avowed mission of being the first (indigenous) auto maker to produce truly Nigerian vehicles that are affordable and reliable.

IVM is today a success story which has attracted effusive commendations and awards from various quarters, including the nation's seat of power. While opening the plant on October 15, 2010, President Goodluck Jonathan not only hailed Chukwuma for the courage of venturing into an industry many ran away from, but also assured him of government's patronage from the government.

Business Strategy

Agwuna Samuel Sopuluchukwu:

My advice is that if you want to learn about business strategy, read about the military. Read about wars, for that's relative to life and business. 

My dear, life is a non violent warfare, with challenges we should win. Out of 6 billion people alive all sharing history in the same time and space, we are all in a constant battle, we are all competiting for relevance. To win this war, profitably, understand strategy!

Master the Arts of War by Sun Tzu, The Mafia Manager by V, The Prince by Makavelli, the 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene. Read about Von Clausewitz, The Zulu warriors, Cleopatra, the fall of the Benin Kingdom, Cortez, Julius Caesar, Moses, Napoleon Bonaparte.

I remember back then, in one of our advanced classes on strategy and strategic management, I was lucky to have been taught by a Nigerian military general. And he'd say, "business is like war. And in war, when the enemy advances, retreat. When the enemy camps, harass. When the enemy tires, attack. When the enemy retreats pursue".

Business is like war, the enemy is the competitor and the battlefield is the market. And to win over the war of your relationship, life and even business, you need to be proactive and take the risk.

Business Strategy

Agwuna Samuel Sopuluchukwu:

My advice is that if you want to learn about business strategy, read about the military. Read about wars, for that's relative to life and business. 

My dear, life is a non violent warfare, with challenges we should win. Out of 6 billion people alive all sharing history in the same time and space, we are all in a constant battle, we are all competiting for relevance. To win this war, profitably, understand strategy!

Master the Arts of War by Sun Tzu, The Mafia Manager by V, The Prince by Makavelli, the 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene. Read about Von Clausewitz, The Zulu warriors, Cleopatra, the fall of the Benin Kingdom, Cortez, Julius Caesar, Moses, Napoleon Bonaparte.

I remember back then, in one of our advanced classes on strategy and strategic management, I was lucky to have been taught by a Nigerian military general. And he'd say, "business is like war. And in war, when the enemy advances, retreat. When the enemy camps, harass. When the enemy tires, attack. When the enemy retreats pursue".

Business is like war, the enemy is the competitor and the battlefield is the market. And to win over the war of your relationship, life and even business, you need to be proactive and take the risk.

Top 10 Richest Women in Africa

10. Elisabeth Bradley, Net Worth $32 Million

Elisabeth 1961, Albert Wessels, Eslisabeth’s father, made history by being the first person to bring the Toyota brand to South Africa. Her massive wealth comes from assets and investments. She was the chairperson of Wesco Investments and is currently the vice-chairperson of Toyota South Africa.



9. Sharon Wapnick, Net Worth $43.1 Million


Following her father’s footsteps, the founder of Premium Properties and Octodec Investments, Sharon Wapnick has managed to accumulate immense wealth. She’s the largest shareholder in the two companies that her father founded and TWB Attorneys’ partner as well. The South African Millionaire has numerous investments in real estate.

8. Bridget Radebe, Net Worth $100 Million



Bridget Radebe founded the company Mmakau Mining which has been very successful with its operations that include coal, chrome, gold, uranium and platinum. Her husband, Jeff Radebe, is the Justice Minister in South Africa. She started as a mine worker.

7. Irene Charnley, Net Worth $150 Million



This South African woman has worked for numerous companies as an Executive Director including MTN and FirstRand Bank. She played a vital role in MTN’s success and expansion in the African region. She is currently the CEO of Smile Telcoms, Mauritius.

6. Wendy Ackerman, Net Worth $190.2 Million


Wendy Ackerman is a director at Pick N Pay, which is one of the largest grocery chain stores in Africa. The South African company has other outlets in Australia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria and Zambia. The Ackerman Family is quite powerful in South Africa.

5. Wendy Appelbaum, Net Worth $259.3 Million

After the death of her billionaire father, Wendy Appelbaum inherited a fortune by becoming a director at Liberty Investors. She was able to increase her net worth by selling her shares and then diversifying investments. One of her investments is the renowned South African wine brand DeMorgenzon.

4. Ngina Kenyatta, Net Worth $500 Million

Jommo Kenyatta’s family is among the richest in Africa. Ngina Kenyatta has managed to safeguard and multiply her late husband’s investments. The Kenyatta Empire includes: Real estate, hospitality, education, manufacturing, farming and banking. She also holds majority shares in several companies like Commercial Bank of Africa, Heritage and Brookside Dairies.

3. Hajia Bola Shagaya, Net Worth $600 Million

This Nigerian businesswoman has diversified her investments across industries like real estate, banking, photography, communications and the oil sector. Her portfolio consists of several other countries apart from her birth place. She’s very powerful and has close ties with Nigeria’s political figures and military.

2. Folorunso Alakija, Net Worth $600 Million

Folorunso owns FAMFA Oil Company located in Nigeria. She is also a fashion designer and her company, Supreme Stitches, which was launched in 1985, made her a fashion icon in Nigeria. She studied in the UK. In the late 70s, she became a secretary of the International Merchant Bank of Nigeria.

1. Isabel Dos Santos, Net Worth $1 Billion

This remarkable Angolan woman has invested heavily in diamonds and oil. She is actually president Jose Eduardo dos Santos’ daughter and is among the directors of a number of high profile companies. Her investments are diversified and spread-out in Portugal and Angola. The source of her immense wealth is still unclear. She made history by becoming the first woman billionaire in Africa.


Culled from:
http://www.therichest.com