The most difficult career decision I ever made was to choose equity over pay checks.
On Monday, September 13, 2010, I retired honorably from what many would call a dream job at Diamond Bank, one of Nigeria’s most admired banks at the time.
It was not a dramatic exit.
No scandal.
No headline.
Just a quiet but heavy decision.
What made it truly difficult was this: I walked away with over ₦12 million in debt hanging over my neck like the sword of Damocles.
No one retires under such circumstances without deep reflection. I didn’t wake up one morning and decide to gamble with my life. There were reasons. Powerful ones. But that is a story for another day.
What I want to share here is why I refused a mouth-watering offer that came barely 24 hours after I hung my gloves.
I had spent 27 years in the financial services industry, almost evenly split between development banking and commercial banking – public sector and private sector. Both institutions were, at the time, places people dreamed of working. They offered excellent learning, exposure, and professional prestige.
Yet, in both places, I stagnated.
Despite strong performance, I didn’t receive the promotions my work justified. That too is a longer story. But instead of folding my arms, I invested in myself. I added professional banking qualifications. I earned an MBA. I sharpened my skills.
By the time circumstances forced me to exit, I was a highly sought-after professional – doing the work of a General Manager, yet officially four levels below that rank.
So when the phone rang, I understood the temptation.
The caller spoke confidently:
“We know your capacity. We’ll give you everything you want. Two levels above your last role. After six months, you’ll be promoted again.”
Principal Manager.
Departmental control.
A position in one of Nigeria’s biggest banks.
For context, this came with serious perks.
A generous car loan for a top-range Toyota Land Cruiser Prado – the status symbol of that era and even today.
A bigger mortgage refinance for a choice property around the Lekki axis.
Company-paid driver.
Gardener.
Silent generators.
All the trappings of executive comfort.
Any desperate man would have jumped at it.
And yes, I was desperate.
Debt.
Loss of status.
A battered car.
An uncertain future.
But I dismissed the offer with a wave of the hand.
That single act remains the most difficult career decision I ever made.
Why?
Because I understood something many professionals learn too late: some offers are golden traps. They shine brilliantly, but once you step in, they close quietly around your ankles.
I have always cherished independence.
The freedom to be myself.
The freedom to think clearly.
The freedom to walk away when values are threatened.
The freedom to choose the straight and narrow, even when it is lonely.
Money is powerful. No doubt about it.
But money is also intoxicating.
Like power, it can distort judgment.
Like religion, it can become an opium that dulls discernment.
Too much of it – especially when tied to compromised systems – can blind you to nobler pursuits.
Today, when I look back, I am grateful I chose independence.
I now travel to conferences across borders.
I advise and coach C-suite executives on intellectual property, positioning, and platform mastery.
I build communities of learners.
I acquire new skills by writing and reading books.
I live a life of purpose, not just perks.
It is not perfect.
But it is authentic. Equity as Tony Elumelu has demonstrated is better than pay checks. A lot of folks find this out too late.
Whenever you stand at a crossroads – tempted to choose between quick money and long-term independence – pause.
Ask yourself hard questions.
What will this choice cost me in five years?
In ten?
In my peace of mind?
In my freedom to think and act?
Money can be earned again.
Independence, once surrendered, is painfully hard to reclaim.
Choose wisely.
If your career ended today, would you still own your voice, your mind, and your future?
That question has guided my life ever since.
