BOOK OF THE MONTH

TITLE : POWERED 2 PERFORM

AUTHOR : John Tibane (Dr) Dr John Tibane is one of South Africa’s prolific writers. A very erudite, dynamic and influential author who, like some of the best writers of the modern era, established himself in another profession before he decided to put pen to paper as a new discovery. He is a qualified medical doctor and practised as a GP for several years in Mamelodi, East of Pretoria. His role as an eloquent motivational speaker, executive coach, inspirational radio Talk Show anchor on Motsweding FM as well as a guest to several radio stations in South Africa, has made him an affectionate household name. His life mission is to inspire, ignite and to leverage human potential to perform optimally in life after discovering their God –given talents.

 HELICOPTER VIEW: According to Dr Tibane he left the medical profession after seven years not because he had lost passion nor because he was not doing good business and making good money. He argues that while his health centre was very prosperous, he was in it for the wrong reasons. He recalls how, while at school his teachers had advised him to study medicine and to make them and his people proud. However he discovered in seven years that even though he was doing very well as a medical doctor in his community, he did not derive much job satisfaction. He was not fulfilled. For seven years he had put himself last. And after changing careers, he says, he is no longer injecting people with penicillin but he is injecting them with words of wisdom. And that is what he is not only passionate about but what he finds very fulfilling. In Power 2 Perform, John is opening his heart and soul for you, the reader, to share in his wisdom. In this book, I note three key elements through which his inspiration comes through: First, he starts this text with what I prefer to call a scriptural prefix when he quotes the Bible to remind the reader what the Creator thinks of the creation of his subjects. To be reminded that “You are fearfully and wonderfully made...” is not only powerful and persuasive but very compelling. He asserts that each person is equipped at birth with divine endowment to achieve exceedingly in life. Second, the writer describes what he calls the “Take Five” principles. These are essential principles that once cultivated systematically into a personal value structure, one will be able to appreciate and celebrate human victory. In a nutshell, he maintains that people take stock of many things in their daily lives but seldom “Take Stock” of themselves as regards their financial, spiritual, skills, social gaps and so forth. He further asserts that people need to develop and own up to a clear value system that will enable them to “Take a Stand” in life. And while every person has the potential to excel in life, one must “Take a Step”. In other words, you must work out an action plan to reach your full potential. Furthermore, this writer maintains that people need to embrace change by “Shaping Up” to it instead of fighting it. He contends that people deceive themselves when they assume that they can manage change. The best form of managing change is to manage oneself in relation to one’s circumstances. Much the same as we adjust our clothing according to the different seasons. Finally he maintains that it is critical for every person to find his purpose in life. He makes a very interesting point when he says the purpose for which you are born takes precedence over one’s being. And, discovering your true purpose in life will enable you to “Take a Seat”. In other words, you shall have found your throne or seat of authority in life to pursue your God-given destiny. So, finding your purpose in life is as best as having found your dominion in which to reign. Third, he shares with the reader what I prefer to call a “Powerthlon”. This is a description of ten powers that he maintains we all have and once discovered will leverage every person to perform at his peak.

TENETS : What follows is a list of powers that the author maintains we all have and need to discover and harness to be able to perform excellently and add value to others’ lives. The sequence of these powers is however not as in the original text but arbitrary according to my decoding inclination. 1. Purpose- People are not born for free. And people are not born first so that they may establish a purpose to live for. No person is born for purposes of experimenting. Instead, the purpose for which each person is born was established and determined by the Creator before the individual could be given birth to. Put differently, the individual’s purpose in life is more important than the individual himself since it takes precedence in one’s existence. However, not many people are necessarily aware of the purpose of their lives. People who perform and excel in what they do in life, do so because they have found their true purpose. And purpose driven persons are also goal directed in their lives and find fulfilment in what they undertake. 2. Passion- Passion is about pride in one’s undertakings. When people do what they love, they do it passionately. It is the extension of oneself. And when you do possess such great enthusiasm for what you do you are automatically propelled by a surge of intrinsic motivation. By its very nature passion ignites action. 3. Perception- Perception refers to how a person sees and responds to the universe. It is the lens trough which a person sees the world, and it determines how we live in the world. Each person has a perceptual inclination in life. And a person’s perception goes a long way in determining how he sees the world and how he experiences life in general. Did you know that perception is far more powerful than one’s eyesight as regards how one responds to situations in general? Perception also determines a person’s general degree of happiness or lack thereof. Happier people have a positive outlook of life and see setback, disappointments and failures for what they are- part of the package in a journey called life. They are both realistic and optimistic about life and to them problems, failures and disappointments are classified as mere temporary setbacks, soon to be overcome. To them life is full of excitement, adventure, possibilities and rewards enough to keep the momentum going. They see possibilities in almost every situation. While pessimists see misfortunes as affirmation of what they have always expected, the optimists experience misfortunes as temporary setback. 4. Preparation- Preparation is the starting point of any task and anything that needs to be accomplished. It is the most important part of any process that must yield good outcomes. It is therefore the logistical function of the planning phase. It is a process that involves discomfort as well as delayed reward. No wonder so many people tend to rattle over it only to pay later when things go wrong due to poor planning. Preparation and planning however minimize problems and save time. A good business plan is a good example of good preparation that will attract capital resources and skilled human resource. Preparation is a process that optimizes creativity and minimizes competition. When you prepare yourself for your future you are positioning yourself for performance and you are also engaging with your future. Through preparation and planning you become mentally ready for the task ahead to the extent that there is no need for you to procrastinate or put any tasks in abeyance. In short, people who perform outstandingly in their jobs, like in the performing arts and examinations ooze with confidence because they know they have done their preparations well in advance. So, good preparation is a precursor for success. 5. Priority- Priority is a deliberate choice about what is most important that needs to be done or attended to first before other things. Being able to set your priorities in life is critical since it saves you time and energy. And to be able to set clear priorities one needs to ask oneself the following questions: What is required of me? [Purpose-This question keeps you focused on the purpose for the set task]; what activities will give the greatest returns? [Productivity-This question will enable you to identify what activities will yield the best value for money]; what will bring the greatest reward? [Passion-This question seeks to clarify whether the results you attain give you fulfilment]; what will enrich lasting relations? [Team spirit-This question seeks to determine whether are we achieving good results at the expense of staff moral, or are we raising staff moral to achieve good results]; what will build reputation? [Integrity-For any business initiative to grow and become sustainable it must be built on sound principles, of which integrity is central]; what will ensure continual renewal? [Sustainability- This is a question seeks to address the notion of life long learning. What are you doing to enhance yourself in terms of personal growth and development]. 6. Precision- Precision is a state of being absolutely sure of something. And with regard to performance, precision would mean among others that you are very accurate and specific about your undertakings. That you know exactly what your purpose in life is, being certain about the values that you stand for, and being spot on about your mission in life in relation to your business and customers. It also means being accurate with your goals. Not only about what you want or wish for in life, but what plans do you have for your career, spiritual, health, social, financial and other facets of your life. It is precision that attains peak performance while the lack thereof accounts for mediocrity in our performance in life. 7. Poise- Poise is one of those special character traits that enable one to carry oneself confidently yet with calmness. When you are in full control of your feeling and conduct and still retain your sense of assertiveness. If you have poise, it is when you are courageous and displays an admirable blend of psycho-social attributes that empower you to see opportunities where others see chaos, and when you are able to conduct yourself in such a way that your integrity is not compromised by stormy situations. 8. Principles- Principles are self-enhancing and self-sustaining social laws. Principles extend man into a bigger system to which he is a part. They regulate our behaviour and shape our perception of the world around us. To develop a winning culture of high performance as people, we need to cultivate a set of values and principles that will bind us together. And these are instilled better through role modelling, measurement, merit allocation as well as how you manage power usage in relation to men and women in the working environment. At best, striking a balance between people values (Peace- Making Values) and performance values (Pace-Making Values). When created equitably these values create a culture that enhances synergy and production as well as fulfilment and top performance. 9. Perseverance- Perseverance is one of the special qualities of man that is soaked in patience, marinated in persistence and cast in prayer. The golden medal is won neither by the fastest nor the strongest athlete who partakes in the race, but the biggest reward goes to the athlete that persevered the most. It also means for one to achieve your ultimate goal you need to be hard on yourself and in turn life will treat you kindly. Another essential element of perseverance is unflinching faith in what you do and the outcome that you aspire. 10. Prize- A prize is a token of appreciation for a job well done. It is a valuable artefact held in high esteem by competitors. But in life we need to recognize that we get the best out of life and out of ourselves by competing against ourselves, not others. And in the game of life, prizes and incentives are essential ingredients in sustaining high performance. And prizes and incentives need not always to be of a monetary value. Recognising good achievement by giving positive feedback on progress made, as well as celebrating small achievements goes a long way in sustaining the momentum of peak performance
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 QUOTABLE QUOTES: 1. You are nature’s greatest miracle 2. To whom much is given, much is required 3. Nature declares the greatness of the Master 4. There is nothing noble in being superior to others, but true nobility is in being superior to your previous self. 5. By the right choice and application of thoughts, man ascends to divine character. By the wrong choice and abuse of thoughts, man descends below the beast. 6. Your destiny is certain, your success is guaranteed and your promised land is secured. 7. You are powered to perform, but performance is not automatic. You must take a step 8. If you do not manage change, change will mismanage you 9. Desire accomplished is sweet to the soul 10. Your purpose is more important than you. It was established before you showed up... 11. The greatest tragedy on earth is not death, but living a life without a purpose. 12. Life abused leads to destruction. Life misused leads to frustration. When life is disused, emptiness is the result. 13. You are purposeful when you live for what you are prepared to die for. Purpose is your platform for greatness and greater performance 14. Optimists see failure as a feedback from the universe to which they must respond with the intention to learn and grow. 15. Performance is not only found in favourable in favourable environments, but also in harsh conditions 16. Persistence, Patience and Prayer are the siblings of Perseverance 17. Thinking is an ancestor of every action. Preparation is the function of thinking. The highest paid work in business is thinking 18. ...once you get ready for success, you must not stay too long in the foyer of those who are not ready for success. 19. Prepared people have something to offer to the universe and the universe become favourable for such. 20. Inspiration without perspiration leads to desperation that may lead to expiration 21. Enthusiasm without expertise leads to premature exhaustion 22. If you can’t change what you see, change how you see it.

 VERDICT: In a fiction world there are many possibilities. In a fiction world anything is possible and anything goes. Do you know why? Because in a fiction world the reader’s imagination is like clay in the potter’s hand. However, I have the courage to say, if most lay men in South Africa were afforded a chance to decide whether Dr John Tibane should be allowed to change his career from the medical practitioner to that of a writer and motivational speaker, the outcome could have been definitely different to what we know today. It is one thing for Dr Michael Mol to suspend his medical profession and pursue his passion as an A-List Top Billing presenter and to switch from that job to be Talk Show owner and presenter and quite another for Dr John Tibane to quit the medical profession after a few years after the dawn of democracy in South Africa and pursue his passion. Let’s keep fingers crossed that those still studying medicine in Cuba and elsewhere haven’t forgotten their passion at home only to discover it when they return home that it is different from what they studied and quit the profession. Anyway who said career choice and career development are about doing what you studied hard for, for the rest of your life. People have, are and will always change the colour of their careers to suit the season of their passion. And i reckon that’s what gives life its rhythm and keeps it dynamic. It is indisputable that we learn to read and write at school and we taste some of the finest books during our schooling career. Notwithstanding that however, it is my contention that if you are an avid reader you will discover the some of the best books once you have left the school. The point is, at school we learn the trade of reading and writing. We learn the art of literacy and if you take it with the seriousness that it deserves, you leave the school equipped with the requisite skills and ready to soar and explore the world. The Power 2 perform is one of the finest inspiration books that equip you, the reader for life by prodding you to look inside yourself and note that you are indeed uniquely and magnificently crafted individual to take charge of your life and also to ignite the lives of those around you.