The Test Of Loyalty; Baba Oni Fila Gogoro (Part 2)

ENGR TAIWO ABIODUN

The primary purpose of this write-up was not to castigate Baba oni fila gogoro. It is the lesson of loyalty that is intended to be understood by both leaders and followers.

Loyalty, a burden to leadership.

What is loyalty?
• Loyalty is your unfettered faithfulness and devotion to a cause or to someone.

• Loyalty is an essential quality in any close relationship. It is a strong assurance of another person.
• Loyalty is you defending and not giving-up on someone despite not getting/ receiving any gratification from the union.

Leaders, times will surely change…
Famed actor Arnold Schwarzenegger posted a photo of himself sleeping on the street under his famous bronze statue, and sadly wrote “how times have changed”…

The reason he wrote the phrase was not only because he was old, but because when he was Governor of California; he inaugurated a hotel with his statue. Hotel staff told Arnold, “At any moment you can come and have a room reserved for you”. When Arnold stepped down as Governor and went to the hotel, the administration refused to give him a room arguing that he should pay for it, since they were in great demand.

He brought a sleeping bag and stood underneath the statue and explained what he wanted to convey: “When I was in an important position, they always complimented me, and when I lost this position, they forgot about me and did not keep their promise. Do not trust your position or the amount of money you have, nor your power, nor your intelligence, it will not last”.
Trying to teach everyone that when you’re “important” in the people’s eyes, everyone is your “friend” but once you don’t benefit their interests, you won’t matter.

“You are not always who you think you will always be, nothing lasts forever”- (copied)

Self-entitlement- a burden?
Now myself, being a student in the school of leadership and also having the privilege of seating and interacting regularly with leaders at many fronts, I have somehow become conversant with some of the burdens leaders carry in administering their domain.

The torturous route of implementing change(s) and administering a matter that should ordinarily not be an issue will become intricate with various interest groups and expectations from followers. And when expectations are not met, followers start looking at a leader as one who cares less about them.

Whereas as a matter of fact, expectations that cannot be met, will immediately become a burden on selfless leaders, yet not many people sees it that way…..denigration may follow such a leader and an immediate dwindling followership will ensue, a leader is left alone and devastated with so many untrue statements flying all around.

It is even more burdensome when a leader notices your loyalty and he/ she is bent on rewarding you…if it becomes unsuccessful and that the reward is not readily available, you will see such leader running from pillar to post to look for other ways to gratify the loyal follower, even to his or her hurt.

Now do we really see these efforts? NO! But why?
In reference to the Advanced Learners Dictionary, BURDEN is a duty or responsibility that cause worries, difficulties and hard work.

Deducing from the above, we can also say a burden is a heavy load that someone bears, and it takes so much sacrifice for anyone to voluntarily carry another person’s burden

“True” leaders are those that constantly carry the load of others irrespective of the deserving nature of the followers or of the cause.

According to the Bible, Jesus was a good example of a “true” leader and this is in reference to the cross he bore.

The cross represents the heavy load of sin of the world and yet it was believed that He came to His own, but His own received Him not. Notwithstanding, He bore their grieves and carried their sorrows….

Also, Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H), said you cannot be a “true” leader until you want for your followers, what you want for yourself.

Many leaders are burden carriers and sorrow bearers, but who bears theirs?

A follower’s SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT and the erroneous believe that every effort of loyalty MUST be rewarded has blinded so many into having close-minded believe for a non-existing rewarding structure.

Leadership and those in position of influence should learn to follow their conscience and note that their relevancy today may be as a result of what they have at hand and not because they are truly loved. May be most of the respect that are adduced to them today, are actually for the office or position they occupied and since positions are not perpetual, the love and honours they are receiving now are subject to their relevancy on that seat.

Forgetting too soon;
The story of Baba oni fila gogo ro is still very fresh. Irrespective of how you describe him, it was just too soon to desert him and throw away all the fila gogo ro and line-up in romance with a new emperor. Was he that bad? Or is this just the nature of man?

I also watched with utmost disappointments when another outgoing emperor somewhere in another kingdom also adduced his mentorship to the grand emperor, who came visiting for “project observation”…aiyeee oooo! Na so? Why do humans forget their source, why do we quickly turn our back at our helper(s) and tag them undesirable?

Well my consolation is in the saying that, “odo to gbagbe orison re, o ma gbe ni” (the river that forgets its source will surely dry up), and if this statement is apt, then a wise man should watch.

To be contd……

Engr. Taiwo Abiodun DBA, FCILM, writes from Lagos.