Inspiring.....

[Qquote author=gisthabit post=74354260]Tony Onyemaechi Elumelu is a Nigerian economist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is the chairman of Heirs Holdings, the United Bank for Africa, Transcorp and founder of The Tony Elumelu Foundation.

According to him, below is a brief story of his success on how he rose from the being a poor and hungry salesman to a business mogul and a billionaire as a result of hard work and luck.

In business, the role luck plays in success and personal achievement is rarely discussed. If luck is mentioned, it is done with slight condescension, and usually dismissed as a product of hard work, not deserving significant attention. While hard work is paramount – and I have written extensively about the importance of working hard – history and my own experiences show that there is often a large element of success that hard work alone can not explain. It is simply not true that “you make your own luck.”

I started my career as a salesman, a copier salesman to be specific, young, hungry, and hardworking, but the reality was that I was just one of the thousands of young Nigerian graduates, all eager to succeed. How did I get from there to where I am now? Of course, hard work, resilience, a long-term vision – but also luck.

A year after earning a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Lagos, I applied to join a new generation bank, Allstates Trust Bank. The bank’s one-page newspaper advertisement demanded a minimum of a Second Class Upper result, but I applied regardless, submitting a cover letter and filled out application with my Second Class Lower Economics result.

By a stroke of luck, my application was reviewed by the Chairman/CEO, a painstaking man who carefully read my cover letter and was drawn to the confidence in my words. “I know I may not have met the qualifying criteria for the advertised roles, but I am intelligent, driven, ambitious and I will make the bank proud. My Second Class Lower result does not demonstrate the full extent of my intelligence and ability, and I know I can do so much more.” He read those words and took a chance on me. Though “unqualified”, he decided to throw me a lifeline, an opportunity.

I was invited to join the shortlist, followed by a long series of interviews and even more tests. At the end of a very rigorous process, I received good news – I had a place as an entry-level analyst. Even now, I wonder: What if the Founder had not personally gone through my application? What if my application was rejected at the very beginning? What if I never got the opportunity to work at Allstates Trust Bank?

The story continues: Within 12 months at the bank, aged 27, I went from analyst to branch manager – the youngest ever bank branch manager at the time. I was hard working, energetic, creative and prioritised getting things done, but it was also good fortune that my bosses Toyin Akin-Johnson and Ebitimi Banigo took notice, and then, believed in me. They took a chance on me by appointing me as branch manager after an incredibly short time in the bank. They recognised in me the raw materials needed to make a good leader and were prepared to invest in me and my ability. My rise to Branch Manager within a short period is a great story but I know in my heart, I was lucky, as well as deserving.

This position of branch manager was a solid platform which launched me into several top leadership roles. When we, a small group of hungry, determined, young outsiders, took over struggling Crystal Bank, it was as a direct result of the preparedness and exposure that we received early from our superiors and mentors. Without the intervention and goodwill of these pe

Where is Aremu Afolayan??

God bless you

Corrinthians:
Silently but steadily, Buhari is righting the wrongs of our leaders past.

It is incumbent on all patriotic and well meaning citizens of the country to ensure this onerous task of recalliberating the trajectory and momentum of our journey to uhuru is sustained- Buhari is the man with all the moral compass needed to achieve that objective.

As for me and my house, Buhari is was, Buhari is will ALWAYS be!

Sai Baba!

Senseless post

gdonj1:
Ever since Buhari came into power, Nigerians only JUBILATED TWICE...
1. The day Ahmed Musa scored two goals against Iceland and
2. The day Atiku won PDP Presidential flag bearer...

Thank you very much for this

ceaser:


It cancels with he slightest application of the brake pedal. That is a protective feature because the vehicle senses that there is a reason for you applying the brake and will not drive itself at that moment in order not to drive you further towards the obstacle or object that warranted you applying the brake in the first instance.

Having said that, I feel the "comfort" and "fuel saving" benefit of using it is what we may enjoy in Nigeria, especially in the north where you can see several kilometres straight ahead on the road you are plying.

Down south, maybe the "comfort" factor occasionally, but forget the "fuel saving" benefit. When I use it on the express when travelling roads downsouth, the moment i approach a hilly climb on the road, the gas pedal adjust appropriately to maintain the cruise speed and in the process the gear select changes to the lower gear. Downhill, the cruise slows down the car to still maintain the cruise speed and then accelerates again the moment you approach another hilly climb. The car changing gears at this instance increases fuel consumption and defeats the purpose of cruise control fuel economy.

May their souls rest in peace.....Amin

Wow.....

Very informative. You said the setting cancels at mere application of break, what about the little break application to dodge potholes, navigating a small bend or other need to apply the break that comes normally? Does it mean that you have to be resetting the cruise control for every small matching of break?

Please assist with clarification.

How? Because some 50 people putting on red head to support lost cause of presidential declaration of an impatient man who should have patiently waited to queue behind Osinbanjo come 2023 as VP from where he would have conveniently get the number seat……..

amaniro:
This week has been a bad one for BMC

These days fell on festive period that bomb and other destructive vices were expected to detonate, if past trend is to go by. A mere common sense......

Thank you Baba Edwin Clark................

The guy has lost it all......

Its getting better.........thanks to PMB

Another ingrate sighted...............

Ekez:
Invisible project of all time nonsense

They won’t say anything now......hypocrites

omotoniwa:
Dino keep escorting saraki to every where is going,but refuse to appear in Court. I want you all his supporters to note and justify if what is doing is right or not.

Another sick judge sighted..................

He is very sick.......

richeeyo:
That judge is not okay

PDP? Are you people okay? No, you are not

And why is this coming now? Corruption is fighting back dai

Because himself has not been arrested for perpetual fake news he’s known for......

I won’t dignify you with a response that will rank me at par with you.

Temptee101:
Keep deceiving yourself, soon it will dawn on you how stupid you have been for a long time

Let me prophesize. Wailer will hate this, they will call it lie

They have lost it all already.....who takes them serious any longer

intruxive:

So VERY true.
After pdp destroyed the credibility of AIT during the last elections they ported to Channels now, I see channels loosing all credibility after this election.

Joker……and his files are messier than yours? If threatening with contents in the files is the way to join APC , you would have been in APC before anyone. Because your files stink……..Mr Corruption, why are you too quick to forget that you were caught red-handed in recent past.

And this one want become our President.....

These people take us for full fools....can you imagine the reason he gave for his visit, he came to check on the library. useless idiot!!!

The guy can stage anything…..he staged siege, his bootlicker staged kidnapping, assassination attempt, burning of constituency project, now the cunning man himself is staging conversation to be mistaken as a responsible individual.

Thank you jare..........

ednut1:
After all said and done PMB go win handsdown

He should be taken to hospital

Nope, Rather, old man with no brain

madridguy:
Old man with small brain.

This cant be true......That person, not a customer, must have attempted to defraud the bank........@Op,get your info right....

Welcome development, he deserves even more. Looking forward to a day that our currency will carry his portrait.

God bless Nigeria !!!