Thinking and acting

Morris Mpala, MoB Capital Limited
THINK in other terms. It’s a phrase that has been popularised by the famous National University of Science and Technology (Nust) in Bulawayo.

This is a challenge for institutions to be different and offer solutions to the community. Nust did that and it offered that which was different from other universities and it produced sought after graduates that the industry was lacking.

It has continued to offer research and developmental courses, which is what industry yearns for. Nust says “THINK IN OTHER TERMS”, MoB Capital says “ACT IN OTHER TERMS” once you have graduated from our institutions of learning.

Thinking outside the box

Thinking has always been a preserve for the few thus the reason we have fewer genius among ourselves. So a man thinketh . . . A thought is the most powerful thing that has changed the world. All the things that you marvel at right now, (literally everything), was first conceived in the mind.

The world of business world over is saying it’s about the way you think. If we think supermarkets, poultry, restaurants, wholesaling will deliver us from the doldrums as a country then we are really joking. We need to think beyond the obvious business models for survival. It’s how you do it that makes the difference. The world over is saying “THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX”. At MoB Capital we are saying “ACT OUTSIDE THE BOX” in other words let us be doers. THINK then ACT on it with the zeal of someone who isn’t going to fail.

Of stupid and moronic kings

Twice upon a time, there were two kings who ruled two prosperous separate countries and had the same challenge. One day, he went on a trip to some distant area of his country. When he came back to his place, he complained that his feet were very painful, because it was the first time that he had gone on such a long trip, and the road that he went through was very rough and stony. He then ordered his people to cover every road in the entire country with leather.

Surely, this would need thousands of cow skins, and would cost a huge amount of money. Then one of his wise servants dared himself to ask the king, “Why do you have to spend an unnecessary amount of money? Why don’t you just cut a little piece of leather to cover your feet?”

The king was surprised, but later agreed to his suggestion, to make a shoe for himself.

The moral of the story is to make a better place to live one has to better change themselves, and not the world. Knowledge is not monopolistic by virtue of positions at times consult widely for solutions. As long as we continue to think that Zimbabwe has unlimited resources that we use anyhow mindless of consequences we will be shocked that even if we were to receive $100 billion from some where it will magically disappear without having achieved anything meaningful at all. It will just be a conduit to a bottomless pit just waiting to swallow anything that comes again.

There is also a culture of jealous, which has affected our way of doing business and at times it boils down to individual traits. Surely how do you explain to wish bad for other players/individuals to better your chances of competing in the business arena. Many focus on the competition instead of improving their own winning competencies. No wonder companies are fairing badly both locally and abroad. I can imagine such tendencies being exhibited at work or personal levels. This anti- opponent tactics would not work if we are to move a notch up the business ladder. We do not seem to be patriotic when it matters the most regardless of political inclination. We might differ in political ideologies but we are Zimbabweans and we have to converge on economics. As the infamous Bill Clinton once said: “It’s not politics, it’s economics stupid”. It’s not about you it’s about us.

The ability to attract funds is also based on perception on the funders on the respective country. The above self-created limitations have also discounted the ability to court foreign lines of credit. As a resilient nation one hopes we see the light and go back to the drawing board and address the above concerns with the urgency they deserve.

Working smarter: “Be smart about it” We have heard “Think in other terms” or “Think outside the box” but we are saying it’s no longer that it’s now “Act in other Terms” or  “Act outside the box” above all “work smarter not harder”.

Aspire to inspire before you expire

It is from this point of view that we will leave you with the quote wrongly attributed to former South African Mr President Nelson Mandela on his inaugural speech in 1994.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually who are you not to be? You are a child of God.

Your playing small doesn’t benefit the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people the permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others”.

IF YOU LIVE IN BYO PLEASE CONSERVE WATER. IF YOU LIVE IN ZIMBABWE PLEASE USE ELECTRICITY SPARINGLY: SOS (SWITCH OFF SWITCHES) IF YOU LIVE ON PLANET EARTH PLEASE PRESERVE THE ENVIRONMENT

Morris Mpala is the managing director of MoB capital Limited, a Bulawayo headquartered institution with footprint across the country.