Impactful Leadership

In our time today, who has not heard of the "great speech"
Dr Martin Luther King jr gave on the 28th of August 1963.
A "speech" that completely changed history and influenced
the basic assumption, presumption and essence of life to
humanity, particularly, Americans. A 17 minute "speech"
so cherished and captioned on the words of the final 5 minutes
    as         "I HAVE A DREAM"...

The secret we've not been told is that, it actually was not
and is still not a "speech". It was a FERVENT PRAYER laced
with last minute prophecy. The benefit of which generations
today can testify, despite the constant challenges.

SECRET: True, impactful and purpose-driven leaders always
have a fine and constant spiritual tuning.

Leadership is not when you set up a system/structure;
It is when you have a real solution to a real problem
in its real time (season).

#RealLeadership
#TheBuilder ©

The Breeding Ground

THE BREEDING GROUND

Key words to note
Spontaneous: Self-generated; happening without any apparent external cause. OR “produced without being planted” – wiktionary.com
Breed: To yield or result in. – wiktionary.com
Breeding: The process through which propagation, growth or development occurs. OR “Nurture; education; formation of manners”.
Breeding Ground: A place or set of circumstances suitable for growth and development of something. – Merriam Webster Dictionary. OR “a place or a set of circumstances that encourage the development of certain ideas or conditions” – Cambridge dictionary

Questions to Note
Do you know that you are a breeding ground?
What do you breed?
What influences what you breed?

HYPOTHESIS: You are your mind, your mind is you. The two are inseparable.

Preamble
Apparently, many human acts thought to be spontaneous are actually induced and driven acts. As the saying goes, “there is no smoke without fire”, same way, there is no human action without a reason or driving force behind that act. Ever asked yourself the following questions:
Why do I keep doing this particular thing?
Why do some people behave in a particular way?
Why can’t I stop doing this or that?
Yes! There is always a driving force for all the behaviours exhibited around us. Scientists say, “Nothing happens in vacuum”. It is my hope that as you read this piece of work, you will be able to know why you engage in some activities and exhibit a particular behavioural pattern “spontaneously”. 


ARTICLE
The world has known and continues to know and celebrate great people who made history. Most of whom are dead, few, still alive. But the most interesting thing is they all had to go through the biological process of reproduction(birth). Findings have it that new born babies are 100% ignorant of the world around them. That is, they have o% knowledge, but the interesting thing is they possess a 100% intellectual capacity to adapt systematically to their new environment. This implies therefore that the celebrated man in question is no different from the ordinary man, regardless the former's outstanding achievements. Besides, many of the world’s great and renowned personalities we celebrate today were born as premature babies; Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Mark Twain, Steve Wonder, Johannes Kepler, Sir Winston Churchill and the likes. Their chances of making it from childhood to adulthood was narrow but you and I know how they ended up becoming breeding grounds of future empires and solutions to problems plaguing humanity. Instead of being burdens, they became blessings. So the question is not about birth or circumstances surrounding it; but rather how possible it is that some men become great and enviably accomplished while a very numerous others lie far beneath the ladder as if they were destined for it. It is a matter of the mind and how it works.

The human brain/thought patterns
Everything we see in the world today is someone's breeding. The human being has been specifically and specially designed to be the breeding ground for whatever happens in this world and on the earth (read Genesis 1:26). Things do not happen by chance. Think of any institution, business, structure, system, policy, gadget, etc. they were all “breeds” of specific breeding grounds (persons). The human brain acts as the link between the physical and spiritual worlds. It perceives creatively and the entire human being conforms to its perception. This is why Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge”. There is a general law in life that asserts that, action is preceded by thoughts. As a result, whatever we do or become is a function of what we process in our brain every day and every moment. Insignificant people have insignificant thoughts whilst the minds of great people are filled with great and incomprehensible thoughts. People are busy because their mind is always preoccupied with many thoughts of activities to accomplish. Some others are lazy because they always think of nothing other than to be left alone and idle.

Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Isaac Newton, Jesus Christ, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and many other universally applauded men became great as a result of their predispositions - what they always interacted with. These men became the very essence of their thoughts. Take Thomas Edison for example, he self-educated himself at home reading many books that will enlighten and develop him for outstanding works in society. At age 12 he sought permission from his parents to go and sell newspapers. As a result, he ended up making his first invention (the telegraph) which would later become a solution to a communication problem in his generation. Jesus Christ at age 12 had already started engaging in intellectual biblical discourse with church elders simply because he was always with the scriptures, reading it and eating it like food. This was why his understanding of the WORD was outstanding and he successfully solved the problem for which he came.

Our thoughts are moulded by what we feed them with. Truth is, people become great and effective breeding grounds as a result of the books they read, the challenges they encounter and the content of the media(that is to say print and electronic media). In our day, knowledge to do and become is abundant and like a non-restricted gold mine, all one needs to tap from it is the ability to explore, find and exploit. With the advent of technology, with its concomitant - the media(internet non-excluded), the quest for enlightenment has become less burdensome. Information is just a click away, as goes the saying.

The dangers of this tool is just as powerful nevertheless. The thoughts of great leaders of today and of the future are been foiled by the content of the media. The media controls the minds of the people, in effect, controlling their perception, way of life and their future. I do not want to go deeper into it, as you might keep reading and probably forget your food.
In any case, it suffices to say that those who know what they want go after it despite the dangers involved in so doing. Our minds need the feeding they deserve in order to operate at a certain level of sucess. YOU are a breeding ground; you can either breed good or bad seeds. All depends on you. Take control of your thoughts and let wisdom be your companion. You have the potential to be great and outstanding, but it depends on “WHO” and “WHAT” controls your mind. If you seek to manifest the greatness in you, then interact with the great environment around you. Do not flow with the current; do not let the media dictate to you. Control your mind, and you will eventually control your future. The world still awaits what is trapped inside of you, bring it out!

By: Godwin Yao (Delali) Degbey
    The Builder
www.buildersforum.blogspot.com

Editor: Erasmus Kwesi Abernathy

           Tseko Era

Christians and Politics

CHRISTIANS AND POLITICS
Let’s just start off with the real big question; should Christians be involved in politics?

To arrive at a more truthful, convincing and revealing answer, why don’t we examine the true essence and grass root of politics. The word politics was derived from the original Greek word “POLITIKA”, translates as, the affairs of the cities. In fact, the entire system of democracy and politics as practiced globally today could be said to have originated from ancient Greece, in the city state of Athens. However, in the democracy and politics of ancient Greece, for one to qualify and join the decision making senate, one must be muscular, very fit (healthy) and have an experience in warfare on behalf of the state. Hence, women and children were excluded from ancient democracy and politics.

The issue of Christians engaging in politics is one that comes with diverse views from many people.  For example, in some few Christian sects and other religions, they believe that Christians must not be engaged in politics especially as Jesus Christ was not a political figure and also due to the crude measures used by most politicians today. However, some other Christian sects (obviously the dominant ones) believe that they have been mandated by God to take dominion over controlling systems and manifest the will of God by acting and living right. Support of their divine claim is found many times in the holy Bible. (Read from Matthew 5:13-16, Genesis 1:26 and many more). The truth is everyone longs for peace, love, comfort, progress, development, unity, and all that will ensure a peaceful world for all humans. This is the more reason why politics, the affairs of the cities, becomes a necessity. Leaders will have to be chosen who will take effective and transformational decisions aimed at improving the welfare of the people as well as ensuring a harmonious environment for growth and development.

That notwithstanding, it is key to note that even before politics became the order of the day, leadership has always been the norm. For no society can ever live without leaders. In the so called “a cephalous societies”, there were still leaders who were heads of clans and families. Politics and democracy is just one medium that has been globally accepted for obtaining leaders and sustaining the human environment for peaceful co-existence instead of the ancient kingship system. In my opinion, I firmly and strongly say that Christians must be involved in real leadership by taking over political offices and sanctifying such portfolios by acting right and taking humanitarian decisions. A key example of Christian leadership can be seen in the actions and decisions of Donald J. Trump, the 45th president of the United States of America. Another notable exemplary one is seen in the case of the 5th president of the 4th republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo.
God bless Ghana and may he raise unconventional leaders who will live their lives every day thinking about how to make a positive impact and transform the lives of their followers for the best other than amassing wealth just for their individual families.

By: Godwin Yao Delali Degbey
        (The Builder)
President of The Student Leadership Club – Ghana.
        UCC chapter
     (0267235540)

A letter to Ghanaians

If you think the future is bright, then start acting right. -The Builder

A letter to Ghanaians.

Not too long ago, we have all witnessed the swearing in ceremony of our new President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, making him the 5th president of the 4th Republic of Ghana. The world believes he gave a great speech which is undoubtedly true. In my opinion, he made a lot of tipping point statements which will genuinely transform the mind, heart and deeds of many Ghanaians who will take off their political lenses and be ready for effective transformation of the Ghanaian society.  Critics with no constructive intents have started criticising and making allegations of plagiarism and the likes. You and I know that it is only lazy people and detractors who complain about what you do without knowing what exactly is the right thing to do. Pause!

But i want to know, at this moment, What runs through your mind as a citizen of Ghana; be it a proud one or not?
Reading from social media, following posts of several notable people in the Ghanaian society, and then observing media comments of citizens in the country; I'm asking again, "what future do you envision for Ghana"? 

I've already noticed the comedians making fun of many critical issues just to win and grow their audience forgetting the picture they are painting and the message they are sending across about the state of affairs of this nation. I am wondering if we, as a people, would ever get serious on anything. Fine, we pride ourselves over having a good sense of humour and all that but what role does it play in our development?  This is a nation where people wouldn't mind standing in front of dying men, not for the purpose of helping them, but only to take a selfie with tags such as, "dying is bae", among many other ridiculous ones. We hail the jokers and ignore the serious citizens for reasons only you can decide best.

I'm certain we all know that a society is not built by unnecessary jokes, funny commentaries and unconstructive criticisms, but rather by dint of hard work, determination and a will to do better. This is definitely how great nations are built. Let's go and ask China, USA, Singapore ,Germany, just to mention a few. Rwanda may know better: having been thrown into a state of lawlessness and experiencing probably the most brutal of any civil war ever registered in human civilisation, they have now began a reconstructive process of making their nation great and strong. They are cruising with a positivity that was hitherto alien to their rather polarised and highly ethnocentric society. They wish they didn't have to learn this the hard way.


The future i envisage for Ghana is an extraordinary and glorious one. One that has never existed before, not on any other continent. However glorious it may be, it comes with a price, a change in mental makeup and a change in attitude. What I mean is a complete paradigm shift in our perceptions and our approach to national issues. Instead of unnecessary criticisms, let's adapt to the constructive approach. If you have thought and believed in your conviction that indeed the future of Ghana is bright, then i suppose you know this is the time to act right. As you may already be aware of, It takes more than a positive conviction to get a breakthrough, action must follow. For whatever is bright only remains so when the conditions are right. If you refuse to take those petty bribes and remain sincere and transparent in all your endeavors as a Ghanaian, then you are building that bright future that we want. Don't expect what you don't give; don't take bribes and expect the government officials to reject it. Charity begins at home but it ends at the public arena.

All I'm saying is this; the greatest form of leadership is self leadership. It is true that we have Presidents and societal leaders. But let's play our active roles and act rightly to develop our motherland. So help us Lord!!

Yours sincerely,

©Godwin Delali Degbey
Founder, TSLC-Ghana.
      (The Builder)
www.buildersforum.blogspot.com