TOWN/GOWN LECTURE SERIES: BEING A SLIDE PRESENTATION AT THE COVENANT UNIVERSITY ON MARCH 24TH, 2015 BY OKEY AKPA, FPSN

IN LEARNING AND CHARACTER

Okey Akpa FPSN

ROAD MAP

Learning – the making of the human mind, body and soul

Character – the driving force to all we become in life

Moving on to the real world – the challenges of the corporate world and how to navigate them

My personal experience – the man and The Grace

Conclusion – the future is yours

Okey Akpa FPSN

On Learning

The human race has always developed and made progress through solving problems and overcoming challenges that confront it. From the time of gathering food in the forest to hurting in the wild, to making fire by striking stones (the early technology breakthroughs), the challenge has remained how to solve problems, discover things, conquer new frontiers and make the world a better place to live in

Okey Akpa FPSN

On Learning

Learning has remained a the process of opening up the mind, connecting with our environment, asking and finding answers to our problems and acquiring KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Learning must recognise the need to serve the mind, body and soul

Our environment contributes in shaping us and can not be ignored

There must be a purpose for learning

Okey Akpa FPSN

On Character

One of the major objectives of education both formal and informal is the formation of character

“Education has for its object the formation of character. To curb restive propensities, to awaken dormant sentiments, to strengthen the perceptions and cultivate the tastes, to encourage this feeling and repress that, so as finally to develop the child into a man of well-proportioned and harmonious nature – this is alike the aim of parent and teacher”

Herbert Spencer

Okey Akpa FPSN

On Character

“A man’s fortunes are the fruit of his character, his growth is declared in his ambition, his companions and his performance”

Ralph Waldo Emerson Learning and character must be well

balanced to achieve performance Companions are major influencers of

character “show me your friends...and I will tell you

who you are...” this is most true in life

Okey Akpa FPSN

On Character

One of the major challenges facing our education today is that of character-building

From the monster called cultism in our schools to graduates that attach less to no premium on ethics and morals, what we have are people who are not building our society, people who are destroying our civilizations, and setting humanity backwards

Any character moulded around self, greed, sole focus on material things will fail

Common good, service, value, and sustainability must attract adequate attention if the right character must be built

Moving on to the real world

Frequently asked questions: How do I fit into the society? How do I make the right choices? Can I find a space? Will I become successful? Etc

For those who have been prepared in LEARNING and CHARACTER, the answers are obvious – YES YOU CAN and YOU WILL!

But there still more questions

Okey Akpa FPSN

Okey Akpa FPSN

...the Real World

How do I ensure happiness? What will be my relationship with my

family? How do I contribute to shape the society

and sustain civilization? What about my faith? What makes the answers to these

questions not so easy are twofold: Internal – has to do with the individual External – has to do with the society

Okey Akpa FPSN

Challenges in the Real World What comes to mind for those

graduating from our universities are the issues of Employment Job Satisfaction Life- work balance Family Sustainability

But what are the demands of the real world, weather corporate or not?

Okey Akpa FPSN

Key Success Factors

VALUE – if there is a single answer to what is required to succeed in today’s world that answer will be defined by the word VALUE. More than ever before and increasingly, you must create or add value if you want to succeed in anything you do. Value is that fundamental or contributory output

that satisfies need or addresses the issues that create questions or anxiety in the minds and lives of people. It represents the premium that is placed on things both tangible or intangible.

Okey Akpa FPSN

Key Success Factors

SERVICE – I believe in the popular cliché “to serve is to live”!

Service is that single most powerful element that connects a provider with the customer (or a giver and a receiver) both internally and externally in any organisation or set up. It is a major differentiator between winners and losers.

A culture of service both at individual and corporate levels creates and retains customers – the most valuable asset in any venture!

Okey Akpa FPSN

Key Success Factors

PERFORMANCE- let me call this simply the ability and capacity to get things done

Performance will demand: HARD WORK – doing more than just enough KNOWLEDGE – Knowing what to do SKILLS – knowing how to do it TENACITY or RESILIENCE – keeping at it until it

is done VALUE – ALIGNMENT – agreeing your personal

values with that of the organisation TECHNOLOGY – the cutting edge element

Okey Akpa FPSN

Key Success Factors

ETHICS- doing the right things ethically, legally and morally. No matter how you look at it, without ethics there is a real risk of making a shipwreck of one’s career and life. Sound ethical practice guarantees enduring success

both at corporate and individual levels. Where is Enron, Worldcom and all the corporate giants that violently violated the ethical codes in United Sates of America?

INNOVATION- new ways, better ways, new ideas, new products, better products... Think out of the box, break the mould... The reward awaits you

Okey Akpa FPSN

Making it personal – starting off

VISION

MISSION

PURPOSE

PLAN & ACTION

What did I want to be?

Why am I here?

How do I get there? Getting it all done

Okey Akpa FPSN

My Value Wheel

ABILITY &COURAGE

INTELLIGENCE &

EXCELLENCE

HUMILTY & DISCIPLINE

HARD WORK &TENACITY

INTEGRITY & FEAR OF

GOD

Views on Leadership

I share the view that to LEAD is to SERVE and to SERVE is to LEAD

I believe that leadership by example is the most effective leadership

I hold the view that if you must lead, you must be trusted, and remain trust worthy

I share the view that Charisma and Humility are both needed for the effective leader On Humility – this is essentially “the esteem

with which we regard others” (Christensen)

Okey Akpa FPSN

Okey Akpa FPSN

My Special moments

The need to be inspired –“the most powerful motivator in our lives

isnt’t money; it’s the opportunity to learn, grow in responsibilities, contribute to others and be recognised for achievements”

(Fredrick Herzberg)Such moments, come to us all the time, to

recognise it, and seize such moments have created my special moments, both my career and in my personal life – the opportunity to SERVE

On the journey...

“ Life is like a bike. To keep your balance you must keep moving”

(Unanimous) Keeping focus is important Role models and Mentors play vital roles –

don’t seek to re-invent the wheel, seek for how to better ride on them, improve on them if you can

Keeping a balance helps in the race Life is for the living...make the best of it

Okey Akpa FPSN

Okey Akpa FPSN

Finally...

Above all things...

I depend on the GRACE of GOD!

Okey Akpa FPSN

True Happiness

“Those who serve God, having found Him; others who are occupied in seeking Him, not having found Him; while the reminder live without seeking Him, and without having found Him. The first are reasonable and happy, the last are foolish and unhappy, those between are unhappy and reasonable”

Blaise Pascal

Okey Akpa FPSN

THANK YOU!