In Capacity Development and Learning, try to learn from the Experts, even in life, business, career, and ministry, the first law or principle of success is the law of self-discipline. This law states that you can’t be successful in anything unless you don’t have self-discipline. Self-discipline means self-control. This law entails that there’s no successful man or woman in any particular field of endeavour who is indisciplined and at the same time achieved real success therein. This is to say that indiscipline and success don’t go together. Statisticians would say the two are mutually exclusive [contradictory]. Incidentally, this is not my topic.
The next law, the 2nd law of success, states. “Learn from the experts. You will not live long enough to learn it all for yourself [and I add ‘you will not live long to learn from every ‘Dick and Tom’]’. This second law is one of the least quoted laws of success. I guess perhaps it is a law of success linked to the toughest discipline – self-discipline. Secondly, it is two sentences joined by a full stop, and thirdly, perhaps most important: people are always uncomfortable with learning as they are with accountability, yet they cherish the fruit of learning.
This 2nd law says learn from the expert. Expert entails the PROFICIENT, the PROFESSIONAL, INFORMED, SKILLED and KNOWLEDGEABLE, the BEST around…the AUTHORITY. It does not mean the perfect, the infallible, the know-it-all, the faultless. Expert is one with grandeur reservoir well of experience. exposure, knowledge and skill on a subject of interest.
Let me extract learning from the law. In Capacity Development and Learning from the Experts, learning is a sine qua non in the present economy. Knowledge is a potential power [not just power], learning is the KEY to unlock the power. The GOAL of learning is to INCREASE capacity. Capacity shouldn’t be a buzzword to you. It is a simple word – just a CONTAINER. A container contains something: a CONTENT. Content is the main ‘show’ you want. Now, when the CONTAINER is large or big, it can contain a large volume of the content. The reverse is the case: when the container is small, only small items can be accommodated. The way to increase the volume of what you collect out of or from life or endeavour is to increase the container you are coming with. In learning parlance, we call this container CAPACITY. Capacity is 100% Container. Increasing the capacity is what we call Capacity Development. You develop your capacity via PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT OR SELF-DEVELOPMENT. Another tough word: self-‘something.’ When a word carries self, it means you’re the person to execute it yourself, not another person. That makes it serious.
Personal development, PD is about you developing your capacity by self; again, not by another. It is not acquiring extra degrees/diploma unless your goal/dream requires that. It is about you expanding your container for the content you want to bring in.
You can’t have a 75cl container and want to transfer a gallon-full, i.e., 4l liquid, to it. It is stupid and laughable, but that’s what many people do. They have a 75cl brain/mind capacity, and they want output, or results of 1000cl. They hit their head on the ground, shout, blame demons, uncles, etc., for the 1000cl product not getting into the 75cl. They don’t recall that it is an impossible principle: ‘impossicant’. The solution is simple: get a container larger than 1000cl so that 1000cl of liquid can enter comfortably with enough room remaining.
This is what you must do for yourself if your dreams and goals are to be realized. It is not just setting goals; your primary strategy is to develop yourself to be fit for the goal. PD is a must. Knowledge is a potential power. Learning the key. Setting a goal is the input, raw material. Capacity development is the process. Getting the result is the essence, the product. You can’t have the product without the process. You don’t miss any of this. None is replaceable or displaceable by prayer or anointing. You need the spiritual prayer and anointing to clear the spiritual hooligans, but the physical must be treated physically.
Every nation or person that has failed to develop themselves have ended up a poor nation or individual. Check your neighbors and countries you know. Am I right?
Keep envisioning. Keep reinventing yourself. Keep learning. Be studious. Go on fact-finding. Research. Read. Study facts, books, and publications in your relevant task areas and assignments. With all due respect, Facebook, Instagram, and social media are not books, and should not replace you reading regular books. Don’t be deceived. Attend seminars and workshops sponsored and otherwise. Learn from experts. Attend business schools if your business is facing challenges or you want to start up one. Nothing is instinctive…even what you consider instinctive [obvious], requires more re-education.
Pastors need Leadership even in business school besides Theology or Ministry schools. Church is an organization and an organism at the same time. As an organism, she grows by what she eats, and she exhibits all the characteristics of living things. As an organization, you need organizational training, which a business school or leadership school can provide. You lead people before you minister [preach] to them, and will continue leading them after ministration. So, add input on the leadership skill. All growing churches are built on strong leadership.
Leaders should pay the price of capacity development. No price, no success, no impact, and no money.
Mike Ihezuo is a personal development maestro. He can help you fashion out a Capacity Development program for you and your organization for you to learn from the experts. Reach him.
