The last few weeks have been hectic for me. So hectic, I have not been able to do that which I love – write! In these weeks however I have met with hundreds of people, in an audience and in close range, and the more I engage with people, the more I realize that the world has changed. (I promised a young lady that I’ll mention her… her surname is Bello – remind me pls :))Just less than a century ago, the world ran without light bulbs, without TV and without the computer. Imagine a world without these things, yet men and women faired well. Interestingly however a lot of work had gone on in the close of the 19th century that birthed these things in the wake of 20th century. The tools changed and the old way of doing things became obsolete. In the same way, a lot of new things started to pop up in the close of the 20th century, some of these things are already taking roots in the 21st Century and except you and I are well equipped, we are about to become obsolete.
Different times call for different skills. I won’t mince words with you, if you don’t upgrade, you will gradually degrade. In this new day and age, stagnancy is redundancy, stationary is backward! If you are not moving forward, you are moving backward, the middle ground is losing it’s relevance, you are either action prone or you might not even be worthy of being called a spectator. I hope for your own sake that you do not wait for 10yrs from now to make meaning out of what I’m writing to you. It is crucial that you embrace new skills or you’ll be the gateman or nightwatch man of the next generation. Trust me, it doens’t matter how much money you have in your account today, like Warren Buffet said -“It’s all on paper”.
You want to be relevant and make impact in this generation? The following are assets you must have.
1. Communication Skills
Learn how to talk, how to write and very importantly how to listen! These have always been important skills, but their value in this emerging world economy is going to be unbelievable. It doesn’t matter if it’s to one or to a crowd, your speech must envoke respect, your letters motivate action and your attention captivating! Learn to communicate exceptionally well. Go for courses, study others, read books, develop your ability to say the same thing in the best way, and to hear what others miss. Evaluate yourself as fair, that way you can gun for better and best.
Can you talk to another person? Can you speak to a crowd? Can you sustain your thoughts in front of an audience? Do you fidget or get scattered when talking to others? Do you have a good attention span?
2. A Rich Network
Learn to cultivate and build a network. Today, life is not about what you know, or who you know. It’s about what you know, who you know, who knows you and for what? Who you know is meaningless if you can’t leverage on the relationship. Successful people in this age will be people who have a rich network. Rich is big, rich is great relationships, rich is useful networks. Friends are like clothes, when you are down to nothing they keep you looking great, ane when you are up to something, they give you presence. This is the generation that kills the lone ranger and murders it’s stars. Your relevance is not in how better than everybody else you are, it’s a function of how much you have invested in bringing others up to where you are. It’s easy to break a broom stick but difficult to bend a bunch. Exist in strong clusters, and stay alive and relevant.
Do you belong to any society? Do you have a network of people that are different from you? If you suddenly need a bailout do you have people who can come to your rescue? Do you need loans from friends or strangers?
3. Internet Leverage
The point and click technology was invented in 1993. Prior to this time, only geeks could browse the internet. It was strictly a command prompt concept and you needed to be almost a programmer to access the world wide web. With point and click, the internet was partially democratized. Today, the usage is growing exponentially. If you don’t have a footprint on the internet, you will be irrelevant and forgotten in a few years. I’m not talking about merely having an email address or a facebook account. I’m saying have presence, learn the many tools that afford you the opportunity to leverage on the internet. The age of small kiosk in the middle of nowhere is fast phasing out, get online and get relevant! People that have a few more years to live are leveraging on the internet, I pity young people without a clue.
Do you have a website? How many friends do you have on facebook? When I search your name on google how many results do I get? Is there anything else I can search for to find you? What is your address on earth? What is your address on the internet?
4. Investments in People
When something becomes a mere cliche it robs us of the true value of the meanings. Phrases like “people are our greatest assets” are so often said that people seldom pause to take in the realities, at least for this century. Mark my words, everything people are investing in will crumble and ultimately fall. Real Estate prices will crash, stock prices will further plummet, businesses will run down, and intellectual property will face lawsuits. The only thing that will appreciate is the value of the investments you have made in people! There are strong spiritual undertones running beneath the current of my words, you can go into the scriptures to search them out, but believe it, the only investment that always pays is that made in people. When you give to the poor, you lend to God! When you empower another, your reward is not bound by the earth, it transcends this realm. Are you making investments in people?
Are you anybody’s mentor? Is someone blessing God they met you? Or are you too busy taking care of yourself? Does your plan include anyone else? Is one day in a school in 4 months enough? Are you making anybody? Or are you simply focused on your own career path? Don’t be a rich fool!
5. Influence
I’ve said this before, I’m writing it again, everybody sells something. Either an opinion, themselves, products or services. If you can’t generate leads and convert them, you are going to be at the bottom of the food chain in this century. Develop your ability to sell, to convince or influence another. Influence is a powerful concept, like fire and many powerful things, it can be used morally or ammorally. Influence is a necessary asset for this day and age.
Are you influencial? Does your opinion count to any others? Do you have an opinion? Are you pushing your opinion? Or are you dead silent?
6. Self Development
It has been said that they key to the 21st century would be the ability to learn, unlearn and relearn. You want to succeed in this century, you must develop yourself. The centre for learning and development has moved however, it has moved away from the physical schools as we once knew it. Learning takes place not when the teacher stands, but when the student is ready. The drive of learning in this century is you and I, the students. We must learn by reading, we must learn from wise people, we must learn from the experiences of others, and by all means we must learn by our own experiences. I tell people, when you try, you fail, when you fail, you learn, when you learn, you ultimately succeed! Failure is the grandparent of success, learning it’s mother, and trying the great grand parent. It has been said that readers are leaders, I beg to slightly disagree, readers could be historians, but leaders and definitely readers!
What is your philosophy and what informs it? What is your paradigm on society, or religion, on finance, on politics or have you allowed your schooling to tamper with your education? This is an age where slowness is determined by how long it takes you to understand. Do you analyze and theorize or do you get your hands dirtied and your nose bloodied in the gathering of knowledge and experience. In the partway of knowledge there are no regrets, only lessons, are you learning for real, or are you still holding on to what your teacher told you? When you were 18, you wanted to be a Dr. Now you are are a Doctor and are 30, shoudl you continue to let the 18yr old dictate the life of the 30yr old, or should you look at your life in fresh light?
48 thoughts on “Staying Relevant in the 21st Century”
I found your site on Google and read a few of your other entires. Nice Stuff. I’m looking forward to reading more from you.
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Great words from a great mind, you have said it all Deolu, thanks for enumerating these keys point for all to capture at once, i'm blessed.
Wow!
Short. Direct. Inspiring.
Thanks for these 6 ingredients. I am learning better in the 6 but i need incorporate them with more consistent ACTIONS
Well said sir. Thanks for the reminder and the tips to stay relevant.
Baba Dee!
This is one for the Desktop
Hmm! You never disapoints!
I have said it before and will continue to say it: your words burn like fire in my bones.
A wake-up call indeed, i must confess.
Many thanks!
Absolute words,i agree with you absoultey,21st generations over to us all…..
beautiful piece… permit me to copyright.
I quite agree with you. It is either one is there or not there at all. Fall in or fall out. Upgrade or degrade. It is a wake up call to all and sundry. In the time past, a School Certificate holder would prodly get a “good” job but now the same type of job is being heavily contested between graduates of universities and polytechnics. Change is the only thing that is constant in life. Change or be changed. Move or be moved. There are opportunities everywhere. Just network with the right group. philonyem@gmail.com
Well put, handy for anyone with an eye for staying relevant in this changing and competitive age.
Deoul, your questions quoted here – (Do you have a website? How many friends do you have on facebook? When I search your name on google how many results do I get? Is there anything else I can search for to find you? What is your address on earth? What is your address on the internet?Are you anybodyโs mentor? Is someone blessing God they met you? Or are you too busy taking care of yourself? Does your plan include anyone else? Is one day in a school in 4 months enough? Are you making anybody? Or are you simply focused on your own career path? Donโt be a rich fool!) are not only spots on as usual but also heart pricking. As much as i love writing and have an incurable desire for books, i have never tried to take that gift and passion and translate it to something i can reach out to other with. Rather i sit at my desk and hate the 9-5 job i do. Instead of converting that passion into something i can look forward ot doing i have been watching by the sidelines, buying several books i can write myself… I took a BOLD step today and started a blog – weak stuttering, shaking, staggering steps – but a victory i celeberate, cos i know i will nurture it to an enviable state. Staying relevant in the 21st century is a must! Thanks Deolu. You may wish to visit my blog at http://ibinike.blogspot.com – nothing much to see but it won’t be like that for long. I look forward to the day iwill shake you hands and answer those questions of yours in the affirmative.
Staying relevant in the 21st century, requires a whole lot of new thinking and self discovery, Several people are so rigid in their thinking it’s only one way and no other we’ve got to rid that off. thanks a lot Deolu how was your trip back to lagos from Ilorin?
Profound!!! I love the note about leaning, unlearning and relearning – WORD.
Halo these are words for the wise .Please keep this up .
Profound words!
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Precise, apt, thought provoking write-up – infact GREAT. Keep it up.
hmmm……. so timely!
You always hit home-run! Not surprised though. It is the law of use at work.
GREAT THINGING GREAT WRITING! SALUTE CM
Great words.. said directly to me. I feel i know what to do… Thanks Sir….
Coach dis is da bomb! U just spoke directly 2 me. It is 2 late 4 me 2 b irrelevant!
Staying relevant is very important. You struck the nail in the head here…
I totally agree with you chairman.Change is the only thing that is constant and it’s approaching at us very fast.Even now that most of us seems not to understand the new direction of the new economy,we need to stay relevant with the 21st century.We are in a century where corporate model is no more working,where enterpreneurs are celebrated over employee,where business owners/CEO are appreciated over job seekers.We all need to stay relevant at all possible course….NICE ONE CHAIRMAN,God will continue to bless you!
True words!
without these vital forces of life, no one can exist. thanks for escalating these points
WOW!!!
Nice Piece.
Distinct or Extinct!!!
Wow Or Wuss!!!
I will like to re-arrange the points as follows
1.Self-development
2.Communication Skills
3. Investment in People
4. Influence
5. A rich network
6. Internet Leverage
When you investing in Self-development you will at the same time be able to
Communicate excellently; this will help you to understand that People are key
in your journey of Life and it will create a domain influence for you because you
have sown into them something valuable (not through oppression but allowing
every man to live a free life as they so chooses). Due to this investment; you will
be surrounded with a very Rich Network โ in cash and kind, then you can send out
your tentacles to reach the World through every means available one of which is
the Internet!
If you look at the most developed Nations in the World; they have little or no Natural
resources; but they have People resources. Over time, the People Resources converted
the Natural Resources of other Nations to Products and Services because of their
BrainPower (Self-developed Minds).
I so pity our Youths these days, carried away by the euphoria of get RICHQUICK syndrome
promises of TEXTnWIN of most of our Companiesโฆ.and on a daily basis they text their
way to hoping and expectation in ONETIME RICHES instead of Sound Mind through
Self-developmentโฆโฆand eventually fulfilled Life!
I rest my case!!!
@oluyemi Adeosun: u beat me to it.
@deolu: fantastic piece… very real. Thanks for d subtle mention of d difference between Schooling and education. more power
Sir, your words are full of wisdom. I thank God I am right now investing in all you talked about. In 5 years, I'll be a giant in all these. Thanks for your insight and support, sir.
Keep up the good work!
Hot and sizzling as usual! Thanks.
This piece is awakening especially the internet presence part , i subscribed with this site about 2yrs ago and your articles has really inspired me -it would have been one of the many things i missed back in naija but thanks to the wwweb i am still in touch with ur wisdom notes ……
Deolu well done!!
@ibinike great thing you stepped out to start your heart desire! keep it up
@Oluyemi Adeosun: Don’t worry the law of causes and effects will surely catch up with them i just hope that it’s not too late for them to understand. “What you do not work for you do not value.” Even if they win the million dollars how many of them can produce something tangible with the funds they win.
staying relevant in the 21st century yea i like it. ride on man. God bless for your words of encouragement.
Chairman, i hear you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hmmm,Im charged up again. Thanks Chairman
This is a call to take stock of our lives and re-examine our ways to realy know if we are progressing. Mr Deolu thanks for giving us important basic for measuring growth in 21st century
thanx for dis words of wisdom………
its been a while i read something as mindblowing from this site. this writeup is very transforming, thank yoiu so much sir.many want to achieve great dreams but has not fully come to termns with what it means to be in the 21st centuryand the many opportunities that are available. this is an eye opener for the wise. thank you sir.
Ododo oro
Highly inspiring… Don’t stop the ink flow.
You are simply a blessing to this generation and future generations!!!
Hmm! Profound Words. Hitting the right places. The one that struck me the most was the ‘?’ over School Curriculum & Learning activities. It seemed to affirm exactly what dawned on me yesterday night and that is, ‘Organisations seem to be grooming the most ignorant people without knowing’. No offence, if you are an employee, I am one of you as well – we go to school, come out with good grades and keep working towards being promoted, so, we can earn more money. We are too busy at work to to go for seminars and workshops, we are too tired at night to read books, we are again at work during weekends and still can’t make the weekend seminars. How Sad? I have come to this realisation b’cos as an employee, I have sat down with other employees and also sat down with people I met at entrepreneurial seminars, workshops e.t.c and found that the really intelligent ones, the inspiring ones and the more impactful ones belong to the latter group and so, I have been provoked and dared to be different. Thank you once again Chairman, for these inspiring revelation. You will feel my impact soon.
Wow! thk goodness i mread this post, this are inspiring word i need to buckle my shoe and wake up. Thank you sir.
well I read this late but I must confess this is a piece with a difference loaded with warnings for relevance sake. who has an ear let him hear what the spirit is saying to the world watch out for the revolution, the world is changing but fortunately not gradually BUT SUDDENLY.
Highly motivational, good analysis, I think there are more tools and better opportunities to make it in life than there were in say 20 years ago, the problem is that a lot of people don't want to work hard
Awesome article, Deolu! In this challenging era, the quality of our relationships will count the most – our relationship with ourselves, colleagues, competitors even. With faith, positive attitude and 'inspired action' there is no limit to what we can achieve.