Listening to Wise Counsel —By Princewill Odidi

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Princewill Odidi|21 March 2016|6:19am

As a leader choose your battles and fights. Don't fight with everyone who disagree with you, don't fight for the fun of it and don't fight just to prove you  have the capacity to do and undo.

Some quarrels should be overlooked, be careful how you use power,  its but for a short time.

When in power make more friends than enemies, power is transient, it fades like the dew.

Remember Lula Da Silva of Brazil, Saddam of Iraq, Mobutu of Zaire and Abacha of Nigeria.

When in power, thread softly, pray for wisdom and understanding, don't be proud, it goes before a fall, don't be arrogant it exposes your weakness, don't govern  with  an iron fist, it exposes your cowardice, don't be rude it exposes the insecurity within you.

Strive to lead your people not to rule or lord over them. Identify with the poor when you are high, for some of them you saw on your way up, you will meet them on your way back.

Don't use the apparatus of the state to intimidate others it exposes your limitations. Don't use proxies  and machineries to fight your enemies, for those same proxies will abandon you and fight the war of a higher bidder when the table turns. 

Expand your hold to power by making new friends rather than creating new enemies.

Reach out to those who disagree with you, listen to their grievances, you may still find wisdom in their reasoning.

Don't expend your energy fighting your distractors , rather spend your time promoting your ideas if you truly believe in them.

Listen to the concern of the poor, pay attention to those little things that matters, like visiting a motherless babies home, extending a helping hand to older persons,  and changing the testimony of a sick friend or neighbor.

Successful leaders identify with people's dreams that last a lifetime of impressions not with short term projects.

A good name is better than riches. Do not despise the council of the wise.

Princewill Odidi is a social commentator writing from Atlanta.