Pressure separates the champions from contenders, and the first from the second. Pressure separates the greatest from the great, the distinguished from the good. It distinguishes the voice from the noise and true authority from the false. Ironically, in Nigeria today, we call people distinguished by reason of their political positions rather than by their distinctive accomplishments or contributions. But with transitions come times of turmoil, confusion and negative emotional outbursts, leading to the forging of new alliances, the balancing of the scales of justice and equity, and pressure to chart new pathways. However, it is during these times of pressure that true leaders emerge – not by their noise, but by the voice of their silence.
Usually, seasons of intense pressure, responsibly so, are indicators of timelines of transitions. While the usual temptation is to cave in to the pressure by taking uncalculated decisions and actions based on feelings, sentiments and the perceived weight of the crisis; in as much as these may be useful in order to stir up the sensitivity of key players and sectors which must ensure checks and balance in the midst of the tumults; discernment above the forming clouds of unregulated emotional outbursts, alignment with the cosmic interpretation of the matter and strategic thinking, is the way to go.

Here are a few thoughts to consider with regards the concept of pressure during transitions.

• Pressure acts as a propeller which enhances the utilization of our hidden strengths.
• It activates a principle which helps us function on higher dimensions of thought, thereby activating our hidden potentials for optimum function.
• Rather than break us, pressure unleashes within us inner strength and fortitude.
• It also reveals our deficiencies and areas of our lives which require strengthening.
• It increases our capacity for higher wisdom and novel strategies in adverse circumstances.
• It guarantees internal stability which is a prerequisite for discerning and maximizing seasons of transitions.
• The capacity to adapt to any and every circumstance, sustainably so, is dependent on how much we are able to maximize pressure, knowledgeably.

Dr Myles Munroe of blessed memory once said: “You are the only star on this planet that will determine your worth”. This is true whether as an individual, an Organization, Institution, Tribe, State or Nation. Nothing is more important on the path of distinction than mastering the winds and whims of pressure. The unpredictability of this dynamic, makes a statement about the adventurous nature of life, purpose and the path to personal and corporate fulfillment.
Every individual and society or territory, require visionary leaders, who’ll be able to tap into the vast reserves of its corporate heritage(s), drive the discovery and activation its latent but relevant potentials which are relevant to its immediate and futuristic ambitions both at the individual and corporate level, and articulately delineate jurisdictions for the effective expression of its quality human resources with a futuristic view towards a transgenerational impact.
This requires a visionary approach which transcends the subtle whims of ethnic and tribal sentiments, political affiliation, status symbols, a sense of superiority over others and personal ambition at the expense of corporate value addition etc. True leaders understand that their leadership worth is not defined by people’s perception of them whether as inferior or superior, but by the principles they’re committed to and the values they exude which then informs people’s perception of them.
The Value of Pressure in Optimizing Seasons of Transitions.
Like we established earlier, times and seasons of transitions are characterized by turmoil, confusion and uncertainty; but the crux of the matter is that those who know what to do, will always gain strategic advantage.
New civilizations don’t just replace the old and old patterns of doing things are characterized by a spirit of comfort. On the other hand, excessive comfort at the expense of transitional thinking establishes a spirit of slavery over a people.
In the Holy Bible for instance, a people called Israel who were destined for greatness as a Nation-state, as had been told their great grandfather several centuries earlier, had become complacent and comfortable even when the time for transitioning from the land of oppression (a state of limited manifestation and development) to the land of promise (a state of unlimited utilization of their human, intellectual and territorial resources) had been due. Their inability to perceive the handwriting on the wall of the cosmos, gave them a protracted timeline for their transition, which turned out to be reproachful to their corporate coexistence.
Their corporate culture of instant gratification at the expense of strategic visionary thinking with the future in view, robbed them of their dignity and honour. And so, a people who were once instrumental to the wealth and economic development of the Nation of their residence and by extension other Nations which were beneficiaries of their physical, intellectual and corporate resources, became an object of mockery and rejection. In other words, their lack of discernment of their season of transition, smeared their corporate reputation before the national leadership of their current habitation; and what was the solution? PRESSURE. History has it that they groaned because of their oppression and that was when a series, sequence and cycle of events activated a transition from where they were, to where they ought to be.
You cannot make things work on the path of destiny until you learn to break the resistance; and this is made possible mostly under pressure. When we push pass the pain, we discover new horizons to our capabilities, and this new discovery is what establishes us on the path of distinction.
The goal of pressure is not to break you but to strengthen you. It gauges your faith level and prompts the need for perseverance. It enhances your sense of inner security and guarantees your ability to know the scope of your capabilities.
Resist the urge to bend and keep your head high. The beauty of life is revealed after the consistent pressures have been defeated.

Emmanuel Sam

Leaders are in high demand right now. But more important is an understanding of the ultimate purpose of leadership.

Many times, we cannot define a thing effectively just by its function, but by understanding its ultimate manifestation; and the beauty of a thing cannot be discerned simply by its ambience, but by its intrinsic nature, ideological conceptualization, inspirational jurisdiction and the ultimate agenda at the end of the spectrum.

As we travel through the hazy path of maturity, we encounter several confluence points of wisdom and knowledge which are a combination of several factors along the path of life. People who aren’t students of life, live passively while those who attach a sense of meaning to relationships, experiences, and the entire frame of activities that surround their daily lives tend to be smarter than the former.

I have observed a scourge which has plagued the African heritage as it has to do with the baton of leadership transfer trans-generationally, and that is the transfer of “leadership insecurity”. I have watched my generation grapple with this challenge, also the sphere of politics is filled with leaders who are skilled at the destruction of the potentials of the younger generation. Their inability to look beyond themselves and the social curriculum of their era as well as the knowledge vortex revealed to them in their generations, and be meek enough to collaborate and cooperate with the younger generations in order to birth the right kind of future, has become the “gag” that has hindered the progress of future generations.

THE NEED FOR PERSONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

We live in a society that’s configured to sway generations for the purpose of profit-making. Generations full of potentials are trapped in a society of false narratives and so nations suffer due to their untapped human and environmental resources. Can I ask you when was the last time you felt like reading a book to the very end; have you become carried by the get-it-quick schemes postulated all over the media world, trying to berate the principle of diligence and professionalism-par-excellence! It seems for me that the love for practical knowledge which is a core leadership attribute, is being short-changed with the need for so much irrelevant knowledge, gotten just for the sake of it.

However, the principle remains that personal leadership development is required in order for us to have an effective corporate environment which then becomes the premise for building legacy systems and structures.

Every great achiever understands the basic principles of personal leadership development. Though its curriculum could be diverse based on a person’s calling, parental background, mortality experience, race, religious and ethnic orientation etc; the basic principles of leadership development such as discipline, personal responsibility, sanity, faith, vision, a sense of meaning, right sense of self-worth, self-value and self-image and so much more, can not be chided because of the global deception of “the new age”. A generation must now get back to the drawing board, visualize the reason for a people’s co-existence territorially, desire to be righteously unconventional and be determined to chart a course for themselves.

While life owes us nothing, we are authorized to demand of life that which it has to offer, to our individual and corporate benefit. We must return to the fundamental principles of research in order not just to know, but also to become what we do know. We must yearn for the right things, even when it seems like everything is going contrary.

Winning is an attitude not a destination. Abraham Lincoln once said, “I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have.”

Emmanuel Sam