Teens Life Coaching Lesson number three. Positive role models and Negative role models

Leonard Mudhangu

   The society that we are living in these modern days is now very dangerous especially in our teens’ eyes. If they do not observe well their life future can be destroyed. In these modern days the society has shifted its mindset from following positive role models to negative role models. Let’s just take a quick look at what exactly are these negative role models and positive role models.

Positive Role Models:

    These are in general the people that influence the behaviour of the society in a positive way and people want to copy what they do. What they do is to build people's lives in a way that benefits everyone who is in that society. Good examples are musicians, their message will be affecting the community in a positive way. These people can be found in any sector business, arts or sports. In football we got people like David Beckam, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi among others. The world all over these people have shaped the lives of our teenagers in the society to the extent that some of them want to be like them one day in their soccer careers. Some wear football jerseys printed the name of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. This is what we call influencing the society in a positive way. They inspire, motivate and shape the lives of our teenagers in a positive way.

Negative Role Models:
   The trend of nowadays is that the society now follows this group called negative role models. They affect and influence the community in a destructive way. The world all over we got good examples of these people of which for legal issues l cannot mention some names. We have football players sometimes who are talented but not disciplined and most of the time they are always doing negative things and teenagers tend to copy these bad behaviours thinking that it is good. We got musicians all over who sometimes are found doing drug abuse and our teenagers tend to copy these behaviours.

  Photo credit: www.123rf.com

 These models influence the community in a destructive way killing the future of our teens. We will later discover our teens being caught in drug abuse, alcohol abuse and all sorts of illegal crimes because they will be imitating the behaviours of these negative role models. Many at times these people they have got huge crowds of followers mostly teenagers.

  In conclusion, teenagers need to be taught to be able to differentiate good and bad behaviours .They must be able to differentiate between negative role models and positive role models. Let’s help our teenagers to go the top and be great leaders of tomorrow. I am one of those people that believe building Africa we must start by shaping the lives of our youths and teenagers.

Leonard Mudhangu is a Certified Life Coach /Author/Personal development
Speaker who have spoken on various local youths and teens seminars. He
is based in Zimbabwe, Harare. He has coached a lot of youths who are
doing well in various sectors.
He can be contacted on his email:chifambamudhangu@gmail.com
Facebook: Leonard Mudhangu
twitter : chifambamudhang
cell number:+263 771 978 270

THREE THINGS YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY, AS AN ENTREPRENEUR - strive Masiyiwa

 1. Create jobs

..... How important is it for you to create jobs?

Many years ago, I was given a very interesting proposal, whilst visiting a certain wealthy country:
"Would you consider moving permanently to our country?"
The man asking the question was a very senior government official, in that country.
He continued:
"If you move to our country, we will give you residence, a passport, and fast track to citizenship. We will even consider funding to support some of your ventures that you do here."
I could hardly believe my ears; someone was actually trying to recruit me, to change my citizenship!
"Why?", I asked surprised.
"You are a proven 'job creator'. We need people like you, to come and create jobs... Entrepreneurs create jobs, and you are good at what you do. We have done our research on you.
....There is nothing more important for us than creating jobs for our young people."
    I smiled. Thanked him politely, before declining the generous offer. I nevertheless proceeded to lead a venture that created jobs for his country. Businesses and ventures that I have started or been involved with, over the last 29 years, as a business person, have created more than 100,000 jobs, directly and indirectly.

"Entrepreneurs create jobs".
... There is nothing more important than creating jobs for our young people. I cannot imagine anything more important at the moment, and more urgent, particularly in Africa... Our very future depends on it! Speaking recently, at an event in New York, I said:

"With 60% of our population under the age of 30 years old; creating skilled jobs for our young people, is the greatest challenge facing Africa.. Period." The most sustainable way to create jobs is to create policies that encourage entrepreneurship, and through it investment. We have to value our entrepreneurs, as real partners of development. We cannot choose to treat them as criminals. We must acknowledge their contributions, and celebrate them.

   Some of the most successful countries in the world, actually have active programs to recruit entrepreneurs from other countries. Such is the recognition they give to people who create jobs.

Even if you employ just one person; even if that person is your daughter or nephew:
You are an employment creator, and a very important person to your country.

2. Be a Success.

    I said the first thing you can do for your country, as an entrepreneur is to create jobs, for your fellow citizens.You cannot do this, if you are not a success! As an entrepreneur your duty is to develop products, and services, that people need, and want. It is important that you do this, without harming yourself, without harming others, and without harming the environment. You must abide by the laws of your country. You must do what you do, efficiently, and profitably. Yes, profitably, because that is how we measure success in business. 

   A business which is not successful, cannot invest, and it cannot grow, and if it is not growing, it cannot employ more people, and pay more taxes, which pay for schools, roads, hospitals, and the salaries of civil servants, soldiers and police. It is important for your country, that you are a success. It is good for your country, that you are a success... A resounding success! Let me repeat, it for the hard of hearing: It is very important for your country, that its entrepreneurs, are a success. It is not possible for you to live in a country, which is succeeding, and yet its entrepreneurs, are struggling and going bust...that is a national crisis!
    Only a fool hears, that someone in their business community, has failed, and laughs. When you hear that businesses are failing in your community, it should be a source of great distress for you.The fact that the business is owned by someone you consider a 'show off' should not lead you to rejoice. If you do, it means you have no understanding of economics, or any appreciation of how an economy actually works. In the same way, you should rejoice, when you hear that someone has set up a new business in your community, or country....
    When this happens, "you" prosper, even if that business appears to have nothing to do with you. Learn to look beyond the person or persons behind a business, and see your economy; that is what we call maturity. As an entrepreneur its important for your country, that you are a success. It is important for your country, that others around you are also a success. Remember what the great Tentmaker, said, "... when I became a man, I put childish things away."

3. When you are successful, you create wealth for yourself and your country.

  Apple Computers, became the most valuable company in history. Its value on the New York Stock Exchange reached a staggering $710bn. To put that in context; it is almost half the GDP of the entire African continent (estimated at $1.6 Tn)! We all know what Apple sells: iPhones, iPads, iPods, etc., These are consumer products, manufactured by the company, mostly in China, and sold around the world. The founder of Apple computers, Steve Jobs, died in 2011. The company that he left behind, generates billions of dollars in tax revenues, for his home country, the United States. This is used to pay the salaries of civil servants, build roads and other infrastructure, build schools, hospitals,civil defense and a powerful army......This is wealth!

    I could have said that about Coca Cola, Toyota, Barclays Bank, Alibaba, Dangote Cement.
Every great business, in the world, no matter how large it is today, was started by entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs, create wealth for themselves, and also for their countries.... Actually they do it for their fellow citizens. Now let me, tell you another secret:
    It is not just large companies like Apple, and Dangote Cement that create wealth. Even a street vendor, is creating wealth, when he is successful. Even the guy who sells a packet of sweets or airtime, is creating wealth. This is economics, 2.0, which many people do not appreciate. As an entrepreneur it should be your dream, to create wealth not only for yourself, and your family, but also your country. Now here is another point, which I want to close with:
    As an entrepreneur its important for you to be successful and profitable, because that is how you create wealth for your country. However, if you want to consciously, BUILD your country, then you must make sure that you pay your taxes. You will never be a nation builder, if you do not pay your taxes:
- when you import goods, pay the duties that are due, according to the law;
- when you sell goods, pay the value added taxes that are due;
- when you pay your employees collect the income tax, and give it to the government;
- when you make a profit, give the taxes due on profits, without waiting to be chased for it.

"Oh how I wish all God's people were entrepreneurs".

Have a passion for what you do

By Adam Abubakar Dangujba

Many people think the best way to go in life is the way of your passion and dwell in it. Bylan Lauren once said “My parents always told me to do what I love because that is what I will do well in.”

Amy Weber also said “My philosophy has always been do what you love and the money will follow.”

   As much as I respect this individuals, we differ in our views. To me, you can only do what you love to do if it is valuable. Also, remember that passion is not the only thing you need to start whatever it is you are interested in to achieve greatness. You need to identify which skills you have that is rare and valuable. According to Steve Jobs, the American entrepreneur, marketer, and inventor, who was the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple Inc, the only way to do great work is to love what you do. And if you haven’t find it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.

   The key to success in life in my view is to love what you do rather than doing what you love. You may study Agriculture and get the best job offer in a bank. Accepting and developing a passion in banking may enable you to become the best banker ever. You don’t have to have a degree in banking. All you need is to develop a love for the new challenge and work hard towards learning it. 

   The owner of leadership newspaper in Nigeria never studied journalism in the university, he studied pharmacy. But since his university days, he developed a passion for writing despite been a pharmacist. And that is what metamorphosed into the Leadership group today. A well-established newspaper company he started from scratch.

   Sometimes you may find out that what you love doing might not be the best skill you require to achieve success. It may be something else, something more valuable you don’t have a passion for, but as you begin to develop your passion for it, you become attached to it and it becomes part of you.

   I am a computer science student and has been my passion for the most part of my life. Yet, I didn’t choose that to be a carrier because I only love it but because it is also valuable and economically important to my life. No matter how much love you have for a particular field or talent, you also need to consider its value.

   If you love what you do, you will find out that you enjoy the time you spend doing it. You will always think about winning and fulfillment rather than money or gratification. If you haven’t develop a passion for what you do, whether it's business, film, farming, Engineering or any field, then you can never give it your best. Love what you do and you will win and achieve greatness.



A.A. Dangujba is an entrepreneur and
Computer Science student. He can be reached
via his email @ Adamabubakar92@yahoo.com.