On Tuesday, I enjoyed a luxury talk with my boss, The Group Managing Director of Courteville Business Solutions Plc, Mr. Bola Akindele. It was an awesome time with the man who has built an empire that should outlive him and be a pride to the African continent in the area of technology. The first question I asked the 52 year old man was on synchronicity. He said everything that has happened in his life, he believes, had been as a result of synchronicity. “I would not have been here if not for synchronicity, which is from God”.
Sir B, as he is popularly called, explained how God ordered his steps in starting his own company ten years ago, which is now worth more than 4 billion Naira, and quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. It has since been described as one of the best companies to work for in Nigeria by “Great Places To Work”. While on this mind exhibition with Sir B, he gave the credit of his abundant success, not to his brilliance or to his high and mighty friends, but to God.
Before I could ask him does that mean one need not work or have vision because there is something called synchronicity, he voiced out my thought, saying that without you working on something ‘legal’, synchronicity will not work for you, which I believe 100%.
During our conversation, I also asked him about books. Immediately, he stood up from his executive chair, walked to his all glass book shelf and brought out the biography of Sam Walton. He said the book talks about how the man built the largest retail outlet in the world and added that he has all Malcolm Gladwell’s collections which made me blush because I have read two of his books: ‘Outliers & The Tipping Point’. I quickly asked him about the 10,000 hours in Outliers, and he said “being good at something is different from being wealthy; it’s not how long you work on something; but by God’s grace”. He has given all his staff a copy of the book, ‘How to Read More’, by Martin Udogie. The book has an exposition on how the reading culture is going into extinction in Africa, how we can prevent it and how people can actually enjoy reading again. It equally highlighted some insights that would help you see that reading is not hard, but something you can enjoy. I have not read ‘How To Read More’ very well, but Azeez Zakariyau, my colleague, is using all the available time he has to crunch every word in the book. My gist on the book will come after I read it, but you can get a copy. It is a wonderful book, believing the words of Dr. B and Azeez. I also read the extract from The 7 Secrets of Synchronicity, By Trish & Rob Macgregor. It is a wonderful book that explains how synchronicity is working in our everyday lives. You can also read the extract from the book here, http://www.hayhouse.co.za/userfiles/file/7%20Secrets%20extract%20-%20final.pdf and I am very sure you will like to get the complete book after that.
One of the things I enjoy from Mr. Akindele is the relationship I have with him. There is a saying that if you want to know where a man will be in ten years, check two things: the book he reads and his association. Where would you be in the next ten years?