In the first post, Stepping Into Greatness [1], we looked at the following C’s necessary for greatness – Conceptualization And Conception, Content, Commitment, Choices, Character. In this post, we look at Capacity, Competence, Confidence and Courage, Charisma and Chemistry, Contact and Connections
C6 – Capacity
Capacity means how much you can handle.
In Genesis 24:12, Rebecca had to fetch water for 10 camels before she stepped into greatness. That was about 1,200 liters of water. That’s a lot of work for a marriage interview that she was not even aware of.
Jacob had to tend flocks for fourteen years for his in-law, day and night, in hot weather and in the cold, before he had an insight into greatness. He had to wrestle with an angel; and even with a fractured hip, he insisted he would never let the angel go unless the angel blessed him. He was said to have wrestled with God and man and prevailed. His name was then changed from Jacob to Israel.
Ruth had great capacity and tenacity. She worked from morning to night in Boaz’s farm. The foreman mentioned how hardworking she was. That commendation and her previous reputation endeared her to Boaz. She was willing to take a risk at night on the instructions of Naomi, her mother-in-law, to meet Boaz at the threshing floor. That was her turning point.
Greatness will place a great demand on any soul. If you even step into greatness, if you don’t have great capacity, you will implode and subsequently explode. The fragments of your explosion will disperse all you have taken years to build.
Peter’s law states that, “If you keep promoting a man, a time comes when you promote him into incompetence“.
There is so much organisational failure in Nigeria because a lot of people were promoted into greatness without the requisite capacities to handle such offices. Until very recently, a lawyer was handling three ministries of works, housing, and energy. What does he know about these issues? A lawyer, a senior advocate, was recently posted to Ministry of Employment Productivity instead of Ministry of Justice.
As long as we continue like this, we, as a nation, cannot step into greatness.
C7 – Competence
How much you can handle well is a different thing from how much you can handle.
For Joseph to step into greatness, he had to start by handling small things with greatness. He started at seventeen by being distinct from his brothers. Reuben had great capacity, but lacked character.
Character involves competently handling yourself and emotions well. If you can’t handle yourself and your emotions well, you can hardly retain greatness.
Joseph produced great results in the house of Potiphar. Even in prison, he was so competent that the warden left everything in the prison to his care. It was his competence in interpretation of dreams in the prison that made him interpret the dream of Pharaoh, and that made him to step into greatness. He got to the palace by recommendation.
If as a Christian you are shabby and very incompetent, I agree with you that you were once filled by the Holy Spirit, but He has been replaced with a religious spirit.
Many church folks are too incompetent in several spheres of life, and they think that prayer and family deliverance will change their lot. The more pious and religious they look and sound, the more incompetent they are, and they are hardly bothered.
When Rahab was to step into greatness, she had to competently handle the situation. She was alert to the fact that the man who hurriedly left her ‘joint’ was going to the palace to report the presence of the spies. Rahab was always ahead of the game even with the spies. Have you ever imagined how she managed order and hygiene in her accommodation for seven days with all her family members? Have you ever imagined how she managed to rebrand herself to attract the attention of the Israelites to enable her integrate with them, get a husband, and eventually become the great grandmother of King David?
When you insist on excellence with church folks, they say you are proud or troublesome. Church folks never accept responsibility for their incompetence; they either get angry or blame the devil.
C8 – Confidence and Courage
You can confess faith and not be confident.
David had confidence.
Elijah had faith, but lacked confidence, hence he fled from a woman.
When you have competence, you eventually must develop confidence and courage in the way you do your things.
You radiate an aura of confidence that make people believe in you and what you do.
You must have the confidence and courage to confront your challenges and challengers.
C9 – Charisma and Chemistry
C1 to C8 will generate a level of attractiveness to your person.
People want someone they can see as a model of commitment, character, capacity, competence, courage, and confidence in the things he or she does. People, and the church inclusive, like charismatic people. They like newness and novelty. They get attracted to people they want to look like, talk like, or act like.
However, you must learn to have a ‘chemical reaction’ with those who are able to introduce you to greatness and form a long-lasting bond.
Mudi Africa told us that he was informed of the questions Richard Mofe-Damijo asked about him. He found Mofe-Damijo and a mentorship relationship started. Richard Mofe-Damijo is one of the biggest celebrities we have in Nigeria and Africa in the movie industry. When Mudi needed to rent a shop, it was Mofe that assisted him with money to rent the shop. I was observing the way he answered phone calls from his usually-very-rich and powerful clients. He addressed them as ‘Oga’ which means boss in Nigeria. He answered “Yes, sir” several times in a single phone call that did not last more than three minutes. We visited a very young and powerful businessman/politician to deliver some clothes; he was very calm and respectful even though he was older than the man. He is someone you will like to be around and keep as a friend.
Tiki was not different; he was so respectful and patient. There were no airs around him. He bowed down to greet me at the Shoprite Shopping Mall at Effurun, even though I delayed in picking him up because he did not call me when he got to Benin. Even though he was younger than my third child, I, in turn, treated him with great respect.
When Mudi wanted to answer questions from an older person during the Q&A session, he removed his hat and first greeted him in Urhobo language before answering the question. People crowded around him to take pictures. He did not show any signs of pride.
You must know how to bond with greatness to step into their group. You must read how Ruth related with Naomi, Boaz, and Boaz’s manager. Her language was awesome.
C10 – Contact and Connections
To step into greatness, you must get in contact with someone from the ‘Palace’. Moses did; same with Joseph and Esther. You must also get in contact with someone with insight into the potential in you. That’s how models, singers, and sports men and women get noticed by scouts for big organisations.
No matter how talented you are, there must be a day when you meet someone who can lift you up.
Don’t dance for a blind audience or sing a great song for deaf people. When you come in contact with someone you have the same abilities, mindset, values, or skills with, and he/she is ready to stimulate you into greatness, that is a major step into greatness.
God Bless You.
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