Alhaja Sikira iyawo Alhaji Glo and the first-class problem

On the one-trick pony, personal branding, and why you should take yourself seriously.

Hi guys,

Hope you are well. I’m okay, Alhamdulillah.

I write this on my bed at about 1:27 pm on Saturday. I've had (and am still having) a crazy week so will write for a bit before my 2 pm Zoom, probably continue in the evening if I get a chance (five other things to do today - 3 evening Zooms, 1 Whatsapp call, 1 in person), and round up tomorrow morning. In sha Allah.

On Thursday morning, I had just woken up from my post-Subhi and checked my phone (bad habit, I know) and the first thing I saw was a message from one of my friends. Let's call her Nike. She had seen a flyer of an event I was supposed to facilitate a session at and shot me a text. Slight changes, but this was how it went.

Nike: Genuine question. Don't you get tired of doing talks on how you graduated with a first-class?

Me: Super tired tbh

Nike: Yeah I thought as much cos this is like the 3rd talk you've done on this recently and I just wanted to know how you feel about it

Me: *sends an almost 2-minute long voice note rant in the groggy voice of someone who just woke up

Nike: Yeah that one trick pony is exactly what I was talking about. I get you sha, thanks

And that was the end of it. So what was in the voicenote? How did I feel about it?

Let's unpack.

** Disclaimer: The below is much more coherent than the voicenote. I did not go into this much detail. It is also fairly scattered in my typical fashion. Ah well.

First, the old one-trick pony problem. Whether we like it or not, humans make perceptions of other humans depending on what they observe them do. And the more you associate with a habit x skill x company x place, the more intertwined your personal brand is with that thing.

Is this good or bad? I'll get back to this.

Several years ago, I happened to be in the same room with a much older woman. You know the type. Those ones you may run into at the bank or airport. The ones likely to wear lace, glasses, and carry big bags. In pre-covid times, you might even offer to carry one of the bags. Omoluabi sturvz. And you would probably call her Mummy, even though you don't know her from Adam.

Image by Information Nigeria

Got it? Great.

So I was sitting across from her and noticed she was trying to get someone on the phone. I was very much within earshot and the conversation went something like this.

'Hello?'

'Hello. Tani mon ba soro?’

‘It is me o, Alhaja Sikira’

‘Alhaja Sikira? Lati bo?’

‘Ahh my sister, a si rira ni wedding omo Akinlabi. Ti e joko legbe Dr. Bello’

‘Ehen, e ma binu o. Mi o ranti’

‘Iyawo Alhaji Ahmed ti Glo'

‘Ohh Alhaja Sikira ti Glo? I'm so sorry my sister, Asalam Alaykum. Shey daada le wa?’

…

Long story short, Alhaja Sikira was only recognizable as the wife of Alhaji Ahmed of Glo. Of course she must have had many other qualities, but that had become most prominent in the mind of the person on the other side.

So is this good or bad? I guess we'll have to ask Alhaja Sikira.

What I think is that the answer depends on whether that brand or quality is valuable to your present x future.

What do I mean?

If you saw a flyer of an event where Iyin Aboyeji would be present, you would likely see him described as the co-founder of Andela & Flutterwave. Does Iyin mind? Of course not. Why? Because as a VC today with Future Africa, his Andela x Flutterwave experience is a huge selling point. So Iyin will likely gladly allow himself to be described as such for the medium-term at least.

Back to me and the first-class issue. The problem with obliging invites to discuss how to make a first-class to undergrad students over and over again is that I might subconsciously turn myself into the 'first class guy'. While it is a privilege and largely a pleasant description, it hinges on a past that might not be particularly relevant to my future. And fostering that association might lead to the Alhaja Sikira iyawo Glo problem.

Secondly, I don't (no longer?) find the topic fascinating. One reason is that I genuinely think there is no one way to achieve excellent grades. Some people do it by spending their whole lives studying. Some are perhaps more naturally gifted and are able to get away with less effort. Some believe ‘cramming’ is the only way to do it, others will swear that a first-class only comes to those who regularly pull all-nighters.

Also, some fields are ‘easier’ to make a first-class in than others. Courses like Law or Physics (in Nigerian federal universities at least) are designed to significantly limit the number of people with distinctions. So any talk anybody gives on how to make a 1st-class is subjective at best, and irrelevant at worst.

Wow this has been a long rant. 😂

I have not the time to get into another story today (this is Sunday morning and I have a Zoom meeting in 52 minutes - lmaoo my life is Zoom these days). So instead, I shall share a very interesting excerpt from Strive Masiyiwa's book, How To Build a Multi-Billion Dollar Business in Africa.

Please keep in mind that the following content is from Strive, not me.

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I will never forget how he once asked me to come see him late one Sunday evening. Arriving at his home, I found him dressed up and in his study. He never joked around and expected you to get to the point quickly.

After the meeting, I asked him why he went to such great lengths ahead of such a simple meeting, even with me. His response was well measured and serious.

He first explained to me a very painful experience he'd gone through on one of his business travels. Then he added: “Young brother (he always used a term of endearment in my mother tongue and I always addressed him in a similar term, which means “senior brother”), you have the talent to go very far…”

“Only remember this”, he said. "Don't expect others to take you seriously when you are not prepared to take yourself seriously. When you walk through that door, I want you to know that I'm a serious person.”

Those words still ring in my ears over what must be two decades now, as though that conversation took place only yesterday.

The men and women who are going to take Africa to the next level are those really prepared to become serious, very serious.

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Gracias, and see you around.

Hameed