10 things to learn from Paddy Adenuga’s Chevron adventure

Paddy

Paddy Adenuga’s foray into the world of business on his own sparked up a debate in the blogosphere. He details his suave, slithering overtures and ultimate failure in an ambitious bid to acquiring global oil giant, Chevron Netherland.

As we follow him from Zürich to Amsterdam to Los Angeles and back to London, we enter a world not too familiar with millions of Nigerians but beyond the obvious chasm, there are couple of lessons that can be learned.

If you haven’t read his story, you may do so here

Here Goes…

  1. Ambition

Paddy left home.  Nothing like the prodigal son you expect but a son that wanted to make a name for himself. In his words: I never felt comfortable with sitting getting a golden pass through life. Sitting on his father’s cheese was not his thing. This is probably the launching pad for success, whether or not you are born with a silver spoon in your mouth.

  1. Have a Mentor

There is a lot of talk about mentorship these days but where a number of people get it wrong is that they want people outside their reach to mentor them.  The key here is not just to have a mentor, but one you have close contact with. The golden rule is to have your mentor two-steps above you in the respective field of interest.

There is a limit you can learn from people through books, YouTube videos or emails.

So get someone that can relate to you, in your situation.

Nothing wrong with Obama, Mandela, or Oyedepo, mentoring you but If your mentor is not a phone call away or cannot meet you for lunch in a village in Zürich, you are on a long thing.

Who was Paddy’s mystery mentor?

My best guess: Aliko Dangote. How many people can shell out almost $50 million dollars to support a mentees dream? When you are big, you are big.

  1. Follow Your Gut

Everyone has had this, “something told me” moment.  A time when you believed you needed to take a step or make a decision but didn’t and it came biting you in the ass later. Paddy ought to have gone by what Malcolm Gladwell refers to as Snap Judgment in his book Blink. Don’t Ever Ignore that still small voice.

Yeah, you may welcome advice from experts but go with your gut.

  1. God Answers Prayers (In Ways We Aren’t Expecting)

You just happened to run into a friend, who was the final piece in the puzzle of your Trojan horse takeover bid.  You may see coincidence; I see the intervention of a Deus Ex Machina. Although Paddy’s prayers were answered, he didn’t see it.  He was praying but not watching!  Lesson: Shine your eye.

  1. Learn To Be Vulnerable Sometimes

This is linked to point four. If he had only mooted his business idea to Remi, things may have turned out differently. I find that when I discuss my ideas with people, it often leads to more business. Was it pride?

Paddy said: “If I won this bid, there would stories written about me for a long time to come”.  The glory awaiting may have blindsided him from what he could have gained from the Remi’s experience and influence.

  1. Have Fun

Life is short they say. And you only live once so why not enjoy it. Clearly, this guy finds time to relax when he wants. He takes time “off work” to get in touch with his inner chi by taking Kung Fu training  from a Master Shifu Heng-Wei (Isn’t that the same guy in Kung Fu Panda?)

I know what you thinking, how is this even possible for the everyday guy? After waking up 4:30am to beat third mainland traffic, what is left from life?   Yeah I know, the rich can make life look rather simplistic. But clearly, you cannot produce at your best if you work all the time, besides it doesn’t have to be Kung Fu. Take a dive in the pool once in a while.

  1. Outsource

There is someone out there who can do what you want better than you can. If you need a logo, get someone who can do it. Paddy had people do everything. Technical Managers, Accountants, Finance Managers, the whole kitchen sink!

Whatever you do, get a lawyer!

  1. Pay The Right Price

If you read the story, you’d know why. You may relate if you were trying to save money by not going to that good tailor or barber that costs a tad more but produced dope work. You decide to fly a different airline because they are 100k cheaper.

It turned out Edgar’s advice and professionalism would have been worth gold had he hired him at the right time.

Lesson here: Pay the price, even if it’s a friend that should do it for free. This way, they’d bring in their best work to the table.

  1. Document Everything

From the way Paddy writes, you get the feeling he is a stickler for detail.  He could have been a novelist if he had decided to pursue that career. Paddy didn’t have to write this but he felt compelled in some way. Thing is, people who have a sense of greatness about themselves tend to keep notes for posterity.

  1. Networking

This is not about down liners or getting people to buy your products. It is more about knowing the right person or knowing who knows the right person to do a job or influence another person. Networking is about keeping records of past events, phone numbers, relationships that can come in handy. Keeping tabs with people just in case. It’s not being corny, it’s being smart!

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