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PERSONAL PRINCIPLES FOR LEADERSHIP AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT — PART 2 Preparation, Opportunity and the Courage to Begin In my first reflection, I wrote about competence, knowledge and the importance of understanding before forming an opinion. But there is another question: What happens when the opportunity finally comes? One of the strongest principles in Powered by Purpose is: “Opportunity waits for no one, but preparation meets opportunity.” We cannot always determine when an opportunity will appear. But we can determine whether we are ready when it arrives. This applies not only to individuals, but also to businesses, institutions and nations. Nigeria cannot wait until a crisis arrives before preparing the people, infrastructure, policies and institutions required to respond. Preparation is development before development becomes visible. Another principle I find particularly relevant is: Do not wait for perfect conditions. If every leader waits for perfect funding, perfect policies, complete political support and perfect institutions before acting, very little will ever be achieved. Development does not wait for perfect conditions. Leadership creates workable conditions and begins. I also find the “Cinderella” philosophy deeply instructive: Even when you are in the kitchen, in the ash, you can still be preparing for the ball. Where you are today is not necessarily where you will end. Sometimes, the place of struggle is also the place where leadership is being formed. And perhaps most importantly: Do not wait for the perfect title. Get in the room. Prove your value. Solve problems. As the memoir puts it, “Start where the problem is. Titles will follow competence.” A title does not make a person useful. Solving problems makes a person valuable. This naturally brings me to the next question: How do we approach difficult problems when they refuse to disappear? That is where persistence, data and precision become critical.

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