How To Do Things in a Way that Matters

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In the acknowledgement section of my book, “The Leader You Want to Be,” I refer to a quotation that says that:

“every job is a portrait of the person who did it. Make yours a masterpiece.”

The reason I chose this article, among others, is simple. We live in a world where duplicity is a common thing. One never knows where people stand. It is a nightmare to get to the meaning of our words, actions and lack of actions. We live in a world full of noise, but which says nothing of worth. Most of our leaders everywhere cannot be trusted to lead with integrity. Of course there are few who never pretend to be what they are not. We must be thankful and grateful for such leaders, friends, companions, colleagues, and members of society that we meet in shops, buses, trains and other places.

When I reflected on this quotation after completing writing the book, I was challenged. One, I had written a book with some principles that appear good on paper, and which now I am expected to live by. This turn of events is very daunting. That is, I must live the principles that I have proclaimed in the book. What people see of me, must be reflecting values such as integrity, honesty, following the rules, fulfilling promises long after the mood I said I would do them has passed.

I do not think it is impossible to succeed in making every job, every word, every interaction with others to be a masterpiece. It is the small details that make the biggest and most positive differences. I have seen this in the life of many of my role models – people of integrity. Through their words of encouragement, firmness, frankness, behaviour and actions, I always knew where I stood with them on a myriad of issues. Therefore, I will be forever grateful for their leadership, guidance, mentoring, coaching, training, and support.

In conclusion, the quotation that I opened this piece with is further strengthened by the other three quotations I have included in the Foreword to my book. One of the quotations is the motto of Wilberforce College in Evaton, Sebokeng, the secondary school my father attended. The motto was:

“Nothing but the best is good enough.”

In my own life, the meaning of both quotations have translated into behaviours and actions that I have come to depict to the best of my ability when I have found myself working in teams, committees, and organisations. For example, I always make sure that I attend meetings, and arrive prepared to engage others effectively; draft and/or propose new policies and guidelines as I have done when I produced the Team Management Handbook to the World Student Games, and prepared the Induction Handbook for an incoming Executive Committee of University Sport South Africa when I was the Chairperson; draft comprehensive report that give information that assist in making firm decisions, update the parish roll, draft agendas of meetings, and review and correct minutes of meetings before the next meeting at St Michael and All Angels; and many more. These are some examples that tell the story of my commitment and thoroughness, and speaks to other principles I quote in the Acknowledgement section of my book, that of:

“always doing what is right, not what is easy,” and “if you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?”

In summary, it is important to do the things we set out to do in such a manner that no one can say we are not giving off our best.