5 things I learnt from late Akin Olawore – Debo Adejana

The Managing Director and CEO of the Realty Point Limited, Debo Adejana has revealed outstanding legacies left behind by the late iconic Estate Surveyor and Valuer, Mr. Akin Olawore, itemizing them into five categories.

In a tribute, Adejana emphasized the landmark strides and legacies Olawore left behind, revealing the secret tenets behind the outstanding contributions and achievements of the estate magnate in his lifetime.

Describing Olawore as a personality whose professional and business tentacles extend to the global terrain, he noted that Olawore, wherever he is now, will be in peace haven impacted several lives positively in various ways.

He identified Olawore as a multi-dynamic personality who is part of the people that gave him a solid foundation, adding that he was a very close “mentor, a friend, a father figure and a business partner”.

He listed the five legacy-lessons he learnt from Olawore as, effective thinking, compartmentalization in time management, and networking. Others are to avoid slamming the door when circumstances dictate exiting a relationship while he gave the final lesson to be “the need to keep on learning”.

Explaining the first tenet as effective thinking, he said, “Thinking is a great need. Everybody needs to think. We think our way out of issues in life. So thinking is an endeavour that any success aspiring or an already successful person needs to practice. But you see coming in contact with this man I come to a very smart skill on how to think using the simple tool of a pen and a paper. He thinks with a paper and a pen.

“I didn’t know how strategic that is to thinking until I started observing him and also started practicing it in my own life. There was a time in my organization I wanted to ensure that at least there is one person that can always replace another person in every strategic position available in the organization per time; to have two people that can work in that capacity for life to go on.

“I had to pull through that process by writing; highlighting the role of our operations… That is how thinking is done. Not just by thinking to close your eyes and trying to focus at the top of your brain. That may not be productive because your thought process can be disrupted. When you really want to engage in the very art of thinking, using your pen and paper will really help.”

On the second lesson he said, “For Mr. Akin Olawore, time management was about compartmentalizing his life. It was so outstanding to know that he was involved in a lot of things and he impacted so many lives, and people kept wondering how he was able to do this by himself. I remember when somebody discovered he was also playing musical instrument (saxophone) he was wondering how he (Olawore) was able to combine all this together. And the simple explanation is that he’s used to saying Debo “I compartmentalize my life”.

”What he does is that he fills up his calendar on what to do; so when the days come he knows, check himself, compartmentalize and try to give his 100%. I picked that from him in trying to also compartmentalize, such that people wonder how do I combine lots of activities. The truth is, I’m just trying to exercise that grace. By compartmentalization on time management, he was able to achieve a whole lot. He’s always on time. If Akin Olawore is not on time on anything that means there is a challenge.

Identifying the third lesson as networking he said, “I picked from Mr. Akin Olawore that networking is something we can’t do without, and you have to network far and wide. He was the person who taught me that networking within the country and outside across countries is an investment, it is not luxury.

“When I first started business, I use to look at the cost of making a trip. He told me travelling for an event is an investment. You have to begin to see it that way, knowing that returns will come. Because wherever you are going, you are extending your tentacles and you can spread and start making your money from that place. Mr. Olawore was a great networker.

“He had a very strategic way on how he networks and that is why he was able to grow his practice beyond just the shores of Nigeria as a renowned International Estate Surveyor and Valuer with business interest in Rwanda, Kenya, Spain, Portugal, London, US and all around. I realized that he got his clients and businesses from those meetings.”

Adejana said the fourth tenet he learnt from his mentor was that he never slammed the door when exiting a relationship for any reason. His reason is that you may find out that you may need to use it again.

“At best try to be good, there will be people that will be bad. Never part ways slamming the door. Every human being deserves to be respected, always find the good in them. Limit what you generate for yourself by never slamming the door. You have enough enemy without that. Even when you want to part ways because you have to part ways with some people in life never slam the door.

“So I try also to never look down on and body and never slam the door, even if I have to exit a relationship, I exit it in a way that we can still be friends in talking terms.”

Highlighting the fifth virtue Adejana remarked, “The number 5 lesson that I picked from Mr. Olawore is that you need to keep learning. Never stop being a student. Mr. Olawore was always learning one thing or the other especially about his profession and all that has to do with real estate.

“What he told me was knowledge is a magnet. When you know something and what to do it makes you a hot-seat to attract people to yourself and then you can decide who really you want to be close to. But you will have the advantage that because you have sound knowledge a lot of people wants to get close to you. Olawore hates to mingle with the wrong crowd.” He said.

Moreover, he expressed firm strength that he has been consoled of the demise of his mentor by the assurance of the place of his destination as a great man who has made great impacts in various ways, while assuring that living by the five tenets he has expounded, will be of great benefit to those who consider it a responsibility to live their lives fashioned according to those principles.

Credit: Nigerian News Direct