17/10/2024
Indeed, you said it all.
I thought for a while before sharing this publicly, but some of you need it.
You see, when any of my mentors or friends introduce me to someone, whether big or small, I don’t ask such people for their numbers or try to establish any other form of contact except when I’m asked by the mentor or friend to do so.
During the Evolve Conference in Abuja last year, my mentor introduced me so closely to all the speakers and some other big names that were there, I and these people greeted warmly and talked and laughed, but I intentionally refused to ask for numbers. One of them even gave me his card but I never called.
I know that if I ever need anything from any of them, I should go through the person that introduced me to them. This will in turn strengthen trust and mutual respect, not just between me and the mentor or friend but also between me and the person I was introduced to.
Earlier this year I was taken by my mentor to Fada Oluoma’s house for his birthday celebration. The controversial and eloquent Sowere was there too. At the end of the party, even my mentor asked me to exchange contacts with them, when I wanted to invite them to my podcast, I still went back to my mentor and asked him to help me talk to them and to ask if it was Ok for me to reach them directly.
Remember their numbers were in my phone and we were introduced. In fact, they were waiting for my call.
Some of you are so used to this funny behavior of once someone introduces you to someone, you will go behind the back of the person who introduced you to collect number, and the next thing, you are already calling the person directly and using the friend’s or mentors name to do business with those he introduced you to without ever informing them.
Some of you even sideline the person that made the introduction especially if the person you were introduced to has more of what you desire.
Well, here are the possible consequences of such actions:
1. Your mentors or friends will feel disrespected when they find out especially if things ever go wrong. They may never tell you but if you are sensitive enough you will know.
2. They will stop taking you along to meet any of their important contacts.
3. Even after establishing contacts with some of those people you were introduced to, they may never have anything to do with you until the person who introduced you to them gives them the green light.
What you may not know is that those you are being introduced to are keenly monitoring how you treat those that introduced you to them.
I live intentionally and I hope you start doing the same too. Don’t become so smart and ‘sharp’ that you end up destroying yourself. If you run ahead of yourself you will fall into a ditch.
I know I should have kept this to myself but now, I KAAe exposed myself so that you may learn as I learned. It may not be big but it’s important in maintaining your relationships.
KAA
