Servant leadership is the recommended model of leadership which captures the disposition of God towards leadership, the integrity of the release of potential for service and the acceptance of several cultures across the planet. It encompasses the total integration of spirit soul and body, free of any sentiment or bias, and is the key to unleashing the limitless potentials of any individual or corporate entity.

Though not usually spelt out, most leaders in the spheres of religion, politics and at the corporate institutions of the world, subconsciously adopt this leadership model and interpret it from their paradigm. Therefore, the interpretation of several component concepts by most, could be faulty; however, the intent remains pure and free of bias or any manmade concoctions.

Leadership in its original concept has always been about service. It is about serving out your gifts, talents, potentials and passions to humanity within proper contexts, backed up by relevant knowledge and insights. The posture of service is what gives credibility to the concept of leadership; this is because, if you aren’t leading people by service, you are manipulating them.

Misconceptions about Service.

When most people hear about the term service, the following images come into their minds.

1. A slave master who is controlling people, giving them orders and they have to obey even when it is against their will.
2. Being subjugated to engage in activities that makes you less then those to whom you are serving.
3. Consciously taking on a posture by an act of the will, that makes you inferior to the one, or people being served.
4. Relating with people from a disadvantaged position because of certain setbacks or incapacitations.
5. That in serving others, they’re displaying a spirit of timidity, inferiority or unworthiness.

All of these and the likes are simply erroneous and inconsistent with the original frame-up of the concept of service. These interpretations are a result of the corruption of the fallen nature of mankind, which inhibits the proper articulation of reality, especially with regards to abstract concepts such as these. In reality, service is the machinery put in place for the righteous release and administration of your potentials. What do we mean by the above statement?

Jesus Christ, the greatest leader of all time had this to say about those desirous of leadership: Whosever will be chief (leader) among you, let him be your servant. Matthew 20:27. 

When people do not understand that their potentials, gifts, talents, passions, skills and experiences etc, are for serving people, a spirit of tyranny, manipulation, seduction or coercion takes a toll on their person; and so any of these become the guiding principle behind their social interactions. 

From political to economic leadership, from spiritual to social and corporate/institutional leadership, the principle of service as the right posture for disseminating our gifts and potentials has been the most effective and most preferred pattern of leadership for social cohesion and the establishment of trust between the leaders and the led.

What are some benefits of servant posture in leadership?

1. Proper articulation and interpretation of knowledge and insight for leadership utilization.
2. Credibility of the individual, within the context of potential dissemination. 
3. The security of your leadership abilities from the corruption of the spirit of tyranny.
4. A reputation of dignity and honour.
5. Wisdom and inspiration for raising effective servant leaders.

Emmanuel Sam

In maximizing seasons of life in order not to fall prey to the subtle whims of contemporary societal machinations, one has to look deeper than the surface in order to glean the voice of Wisdom communicating from within us, as our navigational compass. The inherent voraciousness in our appetite for social media at the expense of the voice of discernment seeking expression from within us, is proof that the climate of our souls is smeared by obnoxious realities beyond comprehension. Not without taking cognizance of the fact that we live in a world where morality and values consciousness have become overshadowed by selfishly concocted ambitions which temporarily pacify the soul at the cost of the ideal.

Conspiracies upon conspiracies are being uncovered daily and with the compromised, playing blind to the connections. The rise of the BRICS with its pleasant promises for nations who have been centuries-long plagued by the stench of post-colonial victimization, gives a vague promise of utopia, with colonialist political leaders, finding themselves a “respite” in sheer hypocrisy, yet assuming that the masquerade of retribution has finally been laid to rest. 

While Western Countries seem to have wittingly or unwittingly relinquished power to their Eastern counterparts, the threat of war as a means to destabilize and restabilize the global economic landscape has been stemmed by the just concluded US Elections; with the winner Donald Trump being an anti-war president: thanks to the efforts and purposeful will of the Prophets, Patroits and Socio-political as well as Economic juggernauts whose decision to redeem their Nation with an unparalleled effort such as has not been seen in a long time. This has once again reset the balance of the scales of geopolitical influence. 

Leaders who have celebrated the fall of the United States of America, and who have thought that the Russo-China stance was the path to go with, may have to rethink their geopolitical allegiance. While many assume that the economic domination of eastern nations in recent times is beneficial to Africa due to media hype and their undoubtedly robust innovative stride across all sectors, those of us who have our ears in the rural rich communities of Africa, understand that the greatest threat to the effective and efficient management of our natural resources, is the subtle incursion of several alien and clandestine investment apparatus manifesting as engineering, agronomic, technological and business firms littered all across the continent, who through the subtle compromise and collaboration of some of our political and traditional leaders, continually loot precious resources from our country and some others, to theirs, to our collective detriment.

As a result of the betrayal of the trust endowed our leaders by the citizens, taking my country Nigeria as a case study, the options have become fewer than ever in the minds of most people; it is simply Compromise or outright Rebellion against constituted authority. Hence the rise in the tide of internet fraud, compromised business standards with regards exploitation of our natural resources, a lack of zeal for consistency in the workplace leading to abrupt staff resignations and the falling apart of corporate institutions, an overemphasis on politics and public office rather than creating viable and sustainable institutions which can insure corporate society against destruction from within etc. These and much more have made the future seem bleak for most of the upcoming leaders, their delinquent  engagements and ill-conceived fraternizations, and so the capacity to aspire towards greatness, noble aspirations and global relevance seems to be submerged in the quagmire of leadership distrust hence the call for national disintegration from several elements with their factional ideologies.

Discerning The Times

The recent non-violent move in the United States of America towards the restoration of that great Nation, is a case study worth brooding over. From the rise of genuine Prophets with non-denominational biases in their prophetic expressions, to the unravelling of Patriots who had conquered the quest for selfish gains and were willing to so much as go to prison for the sake of their unanimous belief in the restoration of the dignity of their Nation, to righteous media hosts and influencers in the entertainment industry and even to economic gurus like Elon Musk and several others behind the scenes, who were willing to go the extra mile in funding some righteous movements, together they made a difference and altered the course of history. 

As I brood over all of these, I realize that there is a dire need to forge such a climate in our own country, which should become “The Resistance”; otherwise, we risk losing our status before God and man as “The Giant of Africa”. 

I know for certain that there is a growing dissatisfaction with the current political leadership trajectory, as it seems visionless and directionless. History has taught us that the concept of Nigeria was a western experiment which our forebears came to accept, as is also some other countries on the continent of Africa. However, the ethnocentric expressions reflected in appointments into strategic positions across the three arms of Government across the country, further reinforces the fact that the spirit of patriotism is lacking in our leadership orientation, and this of course, further fuels the growing discontent in the hearts and minds of future leaders all across board.

The Mobilization

In one of his articles, Morris Ruddick, the founder of Global initiatives foundation wrote: Combined authority that brings change will reflect the mind-set of commitment and sacrifice commensurate with a war-time setting, which is the reality of the spiritual atmosphere of our day. It reflects God’s people laying aside personal issues to make a difference with matters that truly count. In other words, the level of shared maturity will be that which majors in the major things rather than the distractions and wheel-spinning of minor issues.

I believe his words are so true and woven into the fabric of our contemporary reality. Even though in our case as a nation, we’ve been victims of a social and institutional curriculum which reinforces our enslavement to the colonialists. However, at this point in time with all the information and knowledge available to us, and with the advent of the internet in the information era, such an excuse only becomes a justification for the comfort of slavery as against the principle of collective responsibility.

May we discern the wind of the Spirit within and yield to that subtle quickening, even as everyone must take their place in this army of reformation with courage awaiting the starter gun. The promised land is just a few miles ahead, we are that close to it.

Emmanuel Sam

Your excellency, Rt Hon. Peter Odey, PHD; The Deputy Governor of Cross River State. Our very distinguished speakers and panelists, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen: On behalf of the team of coordinators, I welcome you to the third edition of the International Leadership and Economic Roundtable event, hosted in the city of Calabar, Cross River State.

The ILERT, hosted by Misrah Leadership Alliance Initiative, is a forum for discussions, idealization, and for the forging of strategic alliances within the jurisdictions of leadership across the social spheres. It is indeed a forum where business leaders, political and professional leaders, corporate sector leaders, captains of industry, and religious leaders converge in order to connect, discuss, incubate and foster ideas which are deemed relevant to the times, and necessary for our collective growth as a society.

The theme – Nurturing A Sustainability Culture was inspired by the consciousness of the change in the dynamics of the orientation of the times we live in. The challenge that comes with continuity, as a result of the subtle but obvious social disconnect between the older and the younger generations and its impact on the legacy of any development-oriented governmental administration.

I believe that as a result of challenges facing us globally, which trickles down to every single unit of society in which we are a part of, asking the right questions will not only help us to understand where we may have gotten it wrong in times past, but will also ensure a proper alignment of our thoughts, thereby inspiring actions that are development-centered, results oriented and human-uplifting, in line with the vision of current political administration of Cross River State.

Here are a few thoughts to activate today’s discourse:

How can we establish a corporate culture of creativity, productivity, and result-orientedness as drivers of our corporate vision instead of pleasure and comfort?

How can our beloved State become a hub that nurtures the aspirations of our noble and well-informed citizens in order to tap into the vast reserve of their potentials, thereby fostering growth in all ramifications for the benefit of all?

How do we inspire unfeigned loyalty to the corporate vision, which is a core driver of structural integrity in a society whose moral fabric has been fractured by leadership lapses and recurrent systemic challenges?

How do we establish and ensure sustainable economic policies, to engender the collective growth of indigenous business ecosystems and expunge the smear of leadership distrust etched deep within the fabric of the soul of the average citizen, which has the propensity to impair the development trajectory of the current administration.

Is it possible that in a few years from now, woven into the fabric of our collective consciousness will be a sense of pride, hinged on the achievements which are as a result of the tireless commitment of this administration to making The People’s Paradise indeed, a Paradise for the People.

For, when economic ambitions are guided by guardrails of Justice, Equity and Truth, morality is insured in the soul of corporate society; and this, by all standards, guarantees the establishment of a legacy of sustainability.

God bless Cross River State, God bless the Prince Bassey Edet Otu & Rt Hon. Peter Odey – led administration, in Jesus name. Thank you.

Colonializations, Ethnicity, Racial Injustice, Religious Extremism, Social Coercion, Economic Manipulation and Sabotage, Reprobate Orientations and Tyranny: these and much more are a direct and indirect result of hidden insecurities, distorted thinking, perversion and sinister motives rooted in an innate desire to exhibit some form of authority over people, systems and nations globally… and they’re visible in every tribe, race, clan, religion, continent and institution.

Nature speaks in clear terms about the principal and contextual nature of authority inherent in the very fabric of both the abstract and material creation/universe, this is depicted in the nature of the ethereal realm, but especially visible in the earth realm; isn’t it rather ironic that the sciences, with all of its discovery, elaborated in the various innovations in the spheres and systems of human endeavor, has gone contrary to divine order to the extent of creating humanoids or super humans? One could only imagine how much more mankind will get out of order into self-destruction. 

The principle of order is expressed in the nature and righteous interpretation of authority. The glory of creation finds optimum expression when its exterior expression aligns with its inner authority, hence the principle of order which gives balance to structure. This is the principle that upholds the structure of the materially expressed ecosystems of life, it is the administration behind the engineering of the interdependent nature of people and things, which advertently reveals the nature of the Authority who authorized creation to function that way.

As a result of the various factors stated in the first paragraph above, several centuries have been plagued with billions of humans averse to the concept and principle of authority. Its expression, hounded by transgenerational misconception and cultural misrepresentation, has entrenched deep within the souls of succeeding generations a default nature of rebellion against authority. Further chaos is established when people think they can function outside of constituted authority, whether from the spiritual or the civil dimension, and escape the consequences; hence living in self-deceit and striving to generate sanity out of insanity.

Understanding the nature and concept of authority is the foundation for rebuilding a dilapidated society, institution, organization, or nation. However, authority must first of all be understood from the context of inherent authority and then the interdependent nature of its expression whether in the class of mankind or the lower classes of the physical creation. This then becomes the responsibility of leadership, at all levels beginning from the family unit. Furthermore, it must be interpreted contextually and within proper context, to ease understanding and ensure a proper foundation of internal security within the individual is laid, so that men could aspire toward greatness again, but this time with the ability to weigh and discern the nature of the source(s) from which they derive inspiration, in order not to corrupt their inherent authority so that their potentials do not become conduits for obscenities and destructive conjugations.

We all have a role to play in ensuring that we fulfill our individual and collective purposes, the Creator made it so. However, in this era of multiplied knowledge across the entire spectrum of human aspirations, it is pertinent that we realize that “knowledge that is esteemed based on its ability to gratify our sensual appetites only, corrupts our inherent authority: rather, knowledge must be weighed by its value-enhancing ability, in order for an individual to maximize its purpose, contextually”. A consciousness of the need to preserve our inherent authority, trains our inner faculties to sustain upright motives; and the desire to retain pure motives, is proven by the quality of knowledge we are willing to imbibe or discard.

Emmanuel Sam

As I and a couple of other well-meaning individuals and institutions have watched closely the spate of immorality cascading across continents, the need to reconcile knowledge and establish the right balance in the midst of ideological clashes globally is a priority: however, there is a major problem which becomes immediately obvious taking a deep dive into the nature and texture of our contemporary corporate environment (and this clearly evident in the public sector, and in a few instances, the private sector); and this is a cloud of uncertainty surrounding aspirations of individuals in the corporate workplace. The subject of Job Security is fast going into oblivion and most investors who are interested in building socio-economic systems cannot guarantee employee retainership anymore hence corporate sustainability anymore.

The level of complacency and lack of commitment to a corporate vision, a lack of accountability and an inability to ensure structural stability due to several issues ranging from job discontentment, disillusionment stemming from an inability to perceive a viable future from within the current work viewpoint, lack of adequate utilization of potential or even an overutilization of one’s potential while being unremunerated or under-remunerated (from their perspective), and most of the time a conscious breach of contract terms without recourse to the long term effect of such actions to the organization as well as to the employee-employer relationship etc, are but a few examples.

            As the continent of Africa begins to rise out the quagmire of colonial and postcolonial debris, it’s important that we clarify, modify where necessary and also fill up the knowledge gaps which exist in the minds of a generation of individuals who are in their prime, who in most cases in my opinion, may have been victims of a system whose curriculum is structured to produce followers, and as a result are susceptible to any false ideas being offered them through any formal institutional brainwashing process.

            It is disheartening indeed to see how the corporate work culture is changing rapidly and tilting mostly towards the negative, meanwhile, we are supposedly in the days of innovation-driven and innovation-based opportunities.

While the boundaries of knowledge are widening and systematic as well as contextual analysis by several professional and global bodies postulate that Africa shall indeed become the economic hotspot of the nations in the near future, it is amazing that social integration is becoming de-emphasized, yet our formal educational institutions are still recycling the same old defective knowledge paradigms, thus causing a terrible confusion which is a product of the mental vacuum inherent in our average knowledge systems. Is it even possible to have such ideological and conceptual incoherence as a society, yet enthusiastically aspire toward greatness without sufficiently probing the foundation of our corporate frame of reference?

            For instance, what will the workforce of corporate systems be like in the nearest future? Shall we indeed become subject to AI advancements at the expense of human value? How will the concept of job satisfaction be interpreted in an AI dominated workspace? How can a developing continent without such “endowed advancements” technologically not be on the disadvantage when it comes to reshaping our corporate culture in a way that is uniquely suited to the African heritage and culture, yet be dynamic enough for a multi-racial embrace? What will the concept of “conglomerates” or indigenous multinational organizations be like in the next 10 years, and how will we be able to manage the complexities that come with the western ideology whose perspective of Africa is always interpreted from the place of an underdeveloped continent whose priorities are secondary, and this is peradventure, we have an influx of Westerners, as has been predicted by economists and others, due to the enormity of Africa’s Economic Potential.

Understanding the Corporate Environment

            The corporate environment is an entity with diverse realities and an enormous stream of motivations embedded therein. It’s a place of several belief systems, ideologies, religious convictions and professional inclinations, opposing and differing experiences in life and also towers of complexities in human perception about life, people, work and family orientations. These and beyond that which could ever be captured in a single article are the abstract realities surrounding the corporate work environment; therefore, ensuring that the moral imperative of such an entity remains credible over time in the midst of all of those realities captured above and in an ever-changing world, requires more than mere human wisdom. This is why the temptation to take the easier route of manipulation of the human soul through emotional intelligence and other such immorally subtle measures, have obscured our ability to perceive any other way of building in such a way that the structure itself is reflective of and incorporates human dignity and ultimate fulfillment while in pursuit of ones’ career. But for a remnant who are committed to the highest standards of truth in all spheres of their endeavor, and who have also through discipline and conviction-based thought processes, carefully developed over time the capacity to manage these complexities definitely with wisdom from God, we would have been on the brink of corporate self-condemnation, if we truly examine the way in which our social, political and economic systems and institutions have operated in the past two decades, and I state this with regards to the contemporary Nigerian society.

To be continued…

Emmanuel Sam.

Within the waters of history lie codes, maps and abstract dynamics of wisdom for discerning, engineering and charting the course for a desired future for any people. History in itself is a repository of several layers of complexities and perplexities which are a compendium of several realms of civilizations finding expression through mankind and his environment; whether from inspiration to thought-idealization and the communication of same-cum-its wider expression, hence the concept of culture.

The sanctity of our Territorial Integrity as a nation and even continentally is threatened by our inability to discern the subtle yet destructive tentacles of globalization and its permeability mechanisms, as well as our outright disdain for relevant knowledge, hence advancing the heritage-usurping culture of “divide and rule” at the expense of an established dynamic of corporate coexistence.

In retrospect, our current national and socioeconomic challenges as a nation, are a reoccurrence of previous postulations, feeding off the host of our post-colonial mental conditioning: these on the other hand are the result of our consistent acquiescence to the devaluation of our noble race as Africans. Its modus operandi is visibly evidenced in the way formal knowledge is being interpreted within the abstract structures embedded in the framework of our spiritual, socio-political, economic and academic systems. They’re also immediately obvious when we keenly observe the modes of interaction in an average superior-subordinate relationship in our contemporary institutional and organizational structures and systems.

This scourge is so entrenched in the fabric of our consciousness on such an alarming scale, such that most pacesetters of future civilizations meant to set the tone for evolving systems and structures in several fields of human endeavour in an average African society, have been unwittingly smeared by the miasma of its corporate stink. It is most of the time reflected as a paradigm lax on a whole generation with very few exceptions, and is the primary reason behind the lack of values-based cohesion between leaders and the societies they have jurisdictional authority over; this in turn, has usurped the unique distinctiveness of our corporate heritage in all ramifications and in every strata of society.

For instance, the recent proposal by the upper legislative chamber of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to create more states, in a country bedeviled by an unaltruistic leadership climate in contemporary time, one which has a reputation locally and internationally for outright disdain and mismanagement of its human capital as well as natural resources, and also almost zero value for its servicemen and citizens whether they be the high class, middle or lower class, is in my opinion yet another subtle attempt to pacify a few political juggernauts and “power mediums” in order for them to partake of their own mammoth share of the national cake at the expense of the helpless masses.

As the tussle for political stability continues to trickle down from the head of the National Government all the way down the various branches of our formally recognized political systems and socio-administrative jurisdictions, the manner of speech our political leaders employ, clearly reflects the ideological encryption behind the spirit of democracy which was indoctrinated the Nigerian and by extension most African political class. While we clearly see this power clashes all across the western nations especially the united States of America which was once perceived as the “beacon of true democracy”, the manner in which the battle is fought is principally by knowledge, and is done with the intent to preserve the ideologies which form the bedrock of their national identity, and also for the preservation of their shared values which had always been the secret of their national distinction, prosperity and trail-blazing ability in the midst of other continents.

But as the winds of change blow across the political spectrum and across ethnic divides; the gaffes in our political leadership class are becoming more obvious. Ideals founded on the principle of territorial-preservation override our sense of human dignity, human worth and corporate potential established on the premise of accountable service in leadership. In a bid to retain power and relevance by manipulation and most times coercion, many have plundered the treasure base of hell thereby sealing the fate of their loved ones to be forever imprisoned in a garrison of sorrows and endless travails. I dare say therefore, that all of these is proof that our concept of democracy and leadership in general was designed to be self-destructive.

It’s also a concept worth pondering upon, as to why our perception of subordinates in our political structures convey an undertone of image devaluation where most political leaders do not treat people who labour for, and vote them into power in such a way as to give them a healthy sense of esteem towards themselves and others so that this could in turn transform their predisposition about leadership; so that as they too transition from one position of leadership to another they could automatically transmit knowledge and wisdom from their renewed perspectives about leadership in their camaraderie, thereby inspiring and shaping the minds of future generation of leaders towards more ideal leadership dimensions. Rather most leaders in politics and in the corporate world prefer delegating positions of authority, based on loyalty to our most times selfishness engendered ambitions even when they may not qualify for same, by all measurable standards: And so the concept of people representation which was the original intent behind the conceptualization of democracy, is now beclouded by machinations based on biases that are not consistent with value based realities, clandestine affiliations with mostly human-control intentions, and also the creation of concepts geared towards population and financial control; such that but for a select few individuals in positions of government with the right mindset, we’d have nothing left of true leaders in every sense of the word, in our political office holders.

A Season of Recalibration and Re-strategizing.

We are currently in a season where leaders globally are strategizing within the context of our “cyborg nature”. With so much enhanced capacities vested in the information/AI era, in the hands of the immature, the ignorant, the mischievous and those who outrightly have the tendency for tyranny when given positions of authority; leaders must discern the need for re-strategizing, while advancing towards the same ultimate purpose of enhancing the dignity of life and creation through creative and constructive services.

In a world where superior intelligences prey on the inferior through clandestine operations which while intentionally embedded in our corporate systems and structures, are carefully nurtured and sustained to span through the entire ecosystem of human spheres of endeavour, and have spanned several centuries in order to keep a particular race or segment of society dependent on the other at the expense of their corporate worth; it is such that it would take the rarest of leaders to discern the pathways necessary for navigation out of the sinister influences and machinations embedded in the future tendencies of globalization.

Clouded perceptions and predispositions shrouded in religious and outdated/mundane orientations must now give way to constructive, wisdom-oriented thought patterns, from the realm of Light inspired for the purpose of harnessing regulatory insights for a future that’s simultaneously laced with gloom and light. Depths and maturity in the interpretation of truth in order to advance genuine authority on the earth, structured after principles which have the capacity to shape and sustain future systems and structures which will form the wheels on which the coming civilization will ride, must now become the quest of leaders.

However, courage is also demanded, even as we strive to elucidate on the fact that it is time for Nigeria and the Nations of Africa to become the springboard for true inspirational and global leadership, who can change the narrative in the midst of the current of ideological and cultural clashes, become the light in the midst of the darkness, and the beacon of truth in this age of a seemingly prevailing scourge of falsehood in all ramifications of society.

Emmanuel Sam.