That regret is not only a personal misfortune but a national tragedy.
Hear me out.
I’m standing at the lobby of the NIM (Nigerian Institute of Management).
Staring down at me are the names of past presidents of NIM.
Established in 1959, the list is carved in marble.
The list reads like ‘who is who’.
Some of Nigeria’s finest executives.
62 of them.
Randomly selected:
- Prof. Olukunle Iyanda
- Dr. Christopher Abebe
- Mrs. Margaret Adeleke
- Dr. Michael Omolayole
- Dr. Christopher Kolade
- Dr. Michael Olawale Cole
- Major-Gen. Abdullahi Muraina
Sadly less than 5 (out of 62) have written a book on management.
Their knowledge, wisdom, experience, all gone.
Most probably planned to write “someday.”
After retirement.
After the next phase.
After things slow down.
They underestimate one thing:
Memory fades.
Urgency disappears.
Energy shifts.
The best time to document experience is while it’s still alive.
Delay doesn’t improve clarity.
It erodes it.
This applies not only to past presidents of NIM, but every executive.
Delay in documenting your wisdom results in both personal and national regret.
Compare NIM with IIM (Indian Institute of Management).
NIM (established in 1959) is 2 years older than IIM (Indian Institute of Management).
But the two have almost nothing in common apart from being institutes of management.
IIM is decentralized, with 21 autonomous public business schools spread all over India.
Each has a rigorous academic curriculum.
And their books are some of the best in the world.
Books by IIM, Ahmedabad, include the “IIMA Exclusive” series published with Penguin Random House.
Key titles: Day to Day Economics, Managers who make a difference, Being Ethical, Speak with Impact, The Persuasive Manager.
I’ve searched far and wide for NIM books but yet to find any.
What is stopping you from documenting your wisdom today?
I created BWC (Book Writing Clinic) as a launch pad for professionals determined to write a book.
For less than $25 you can begin the journey to becoming a published author.
Busy executives can opt for BWC Intensive (a short masterclass).
And ultra busy executives can go for DFU (Done For You) (with a manuscript in 16 weeks).
Happy to be associated with Prof. Olusola Bandele Oyewole (iBMC Alumni), who has penned
5 books in the span of three years (including The Courage to be Different)
