Audaciously Different; Standing Out in a tech-driven World
Being different and doing things differently is not something new to us; it’s been preached as motivational speeches, penned down in thousands of books and two out of five seminars we’ve attended every year have had speakers telling us we need to stand out and do things differently if we must succeed. However, I want to add something to that and that is, Standing out with the times. Eccl. 3 says, “There are a season and time for everything under the sun…” A significant difference comes with understanding the times and working according to it. Change is inevitable and it shouldn’t only be seen in the way we live but also applied in our impact and the work we do.
First of all, I love the choice of the adverb “audaciously” which could otherwise be interpreted as “daring” “intentional.” “ unconventional.” This means that in whatever you do, you have to constantly tell yourself that you must be your best. You must be a dreamer and a doer. To do this, you have to continuously reinvent yourself, unlearn and relearn every single concept related to your industry. You know why because that is what it takes to keep being the best and relevant in your field.
Over the years, technology has come to be the HOW of the successful people, and countries have earned global recognition because of the judicious application of it in their every sector. Think of Finland; they have risen to be the best in the application of technology in education. Think of Rwanda, the government has created a conducive environment for the promotion of science and technology education because they know the times are changing and they need to keep up. Those in the third world or developing countries might not fully understand, but the truth remains, there is no significant growth without continuous innovation, and though innovation does not necessarily involve technology, a greater percentage of it does. Read profiles of high impact-driven and successful people — ask them what they did and they will tell you they had leveraged technological tools, concepts, and strategies to scale.
How can we achieve this? talk about the mindset. The way we think and do things must transcend the local perspective. We must have a global mindset. You cannot afford to be local with your solutions. It does not matter the sector or industry you find yourself, constantly seek, and gain a global perspective and solution to enable you to solve local problems.
Growing up, I have always wanted to be a teacher. But then, I didn’t just want to be a regular classroom teacher and educator, I wanted to stand out. Moreover, every time my work takes me to schools, I cringe at what I see. I wanted to bear the solution and the first step was to think innovation. At that time, I didn’t know there was anything like educational technology, and I only got to know about it in 2017. In 2019 when I applied to attend World Innovation Summit for Education in Qatar, I took enough time to research about the organization, past fellows, their programs etc, and I discovered that they do not just accept teachers and education professionals, but ones that have leveraged technology to make a difference. Fortunately, I had started earlier on that path and viola! I got in.
Chidi Nwaogu is a startup founder and serial entrepreneur, just like most of us are. But he has leveraged technology to grow endlessly. Talk about audaciously different social entrepreneurs and writers and you won't fail to hear the likes of Prince Gideon Olanrewaju founder of AREAI, Edirin Edewor, Founder of a Facebook group community of 24,000+ members called Online Publishers and Entrepreneurial Network (OPEN), these people have constantly innovated with time and they are unarguably one of the best brains.
The world is too versatile for us to be local in our thoughts, impact, and solutions. I know you have talent, I know you are good at what you do. But you have to take a pause and ask yourself, in the next 5 years, would what I am doing still be relevant? or, would my method still be yielding world-class results?
Important Point to note
We have to keep innovating with times, else we will become irrelevant as time passes. There is no area of expertise that does not need innovation. Whatever field, we all have a chance to show to the world the wonders of what we can do. For instance, during the Coronavirus pandemic, a lot of businesses suffered because there were no contingency plans that adapt to the times.
What to do to help you stay ahead
1. Find that thing you want to do and start from there. You might not know what you are in for, just start anyways.
2. Do not be afraid to admit you do not know. There is so much to learn when we accept our limited knowledge and bend low to be taught.
3. Get connected with people in your field; Starters, Amateurs, and Experts. Do not be a loner. We do not stand out by going all alone. Also, establish a close association with people who are in the tech business of your business.
4. Read. Read and Read. When you read wide, you get to understand the new trend.
5. Do not be afraid to take up opportunities. shoot the shot. Go ahead, put in the application, talk to the person, the worst you can get is a no.
If this piece has motivated you to take action, do well to clap and share it with your friends. Thank you
