Know Your Partner

It was the first time I met a billionaire! I had travelled all the way to Houston Texas, my first visit to America. Time and space constrains me to tell you what I had gone to see him about.

I planned to be there for a week.


The first day, he invited me to lunch. And every time I tried to talk about the business idea he would brush me aside, and say, "tomorrow, son". Next day, I managed to see him, only for a few minutes. And when I tried to raise the issue of my business plan, he said, "tomorrow, son", then changed the subject, asking I instead, "What do you think of Houston?" ....and again invited me, for dinner, this time with his wife. On the third day, he invited me to his office, looked at me intently, and finally said, "son, I like you........ The most important thing in business is to KNOW YOUR PARTNER..... I like what I have seen of you.....Now I know you a little, you can discuss with my people, the details of what you have in mind." And with that he politely led me out of his office.

Over the next few days, I faced the most intense grilling about my life, and background, that I had ever faced. They wanted to know everything about me... And that was before they asked a single question, about my business idea. I learnt later that even in those three days of informal discussions, they had been evaluating me! I did not mind, because this is one of the most important rules of the game, at the very top.
Remember what I have said before:

"Every game has its rules, and its own language."

This is one of them:

Know your partners.
That encounter, with the most successful person, in business, I had yet met, gave me an life long lesson:

You must know your partner.

It is not possible to grow big on your own. You will need partners. In the end it is really all about partnerships.

Many people think that succeeding in business, is about having a good idea, and then raising capital. If you do not know how to forge meaningful, long term partnerships, based on mutual trust, you will not make it.

- who are your partners?

- how well do you really know them?

Incidentally, I never did business with the Texan businessman, because my idea, was actually not that good; but I learnt how to evaluate and to be evaluated; that was priceless!

When I was starting out in business, nearly 30 years ago, I was made to believe that the best partners, were those people in powerful positions, who had the ability to open big doors. Being a young entrepreneur, there were many powerful people, who offered themselves, to be my "sleeping partners",or "godfathers"; to whom I could go, if I had trouble with anyone, in "the system".

As many of you are aware, I was not born into a Christian family. I became a Christian by choice, when I was already a well established businessman. It was a deep personal decision, and this is not the platform to discuss, that issue. However, having made this decision, I threw myself with total fervor, often reading the bible, back to back, several times a year, as I tried to "come up to speed", with my new found faith.


It was at this time, that I came to realise that I had to "play by and succeed, by a different set of rules."

.... My partnerships had to align with my faith in, and trust in God...

I could not, and would not have "sleeping partners", in any business that I do.

I could not, and would not choose partners, simply on the basis of their ability to wield influence, or to sponsor my activities.

Let me tell you, this set me on a collision course everywhere I went, because I was essentially shunning,an entire world system.
I was despised and mocked for it. Those who were polite called me naive, and others not so kind, said I was a fool. We "lost" many contracts, and many business opportunities. Often we had to walk away from deals that were just "mouth watering". More often than not, we were just threatened and kicked, out, leaving others to take over what we had started. And when this happened, I just never allowed myself, to have regrets, about it.

One of my great mentors, Bishop Garlington, once said to me, " you are standing in the river of faith. Don't be afraid. You are not going to be swept away, and you are not going under; use your faith, to go over.."

Then he said to me:

"Focus on integrity, because one day, you will be the partner of choice for anyone wanting to do business in Africa, the right way..."

Do you want a partner?

Let me share with you a secret:

"The best partner for you, is not some big powerful politician, or someone with a lot of money, or some big international company. The best partner for you, is someone just like you, who has the passion for entrepreneurship, that you have. Who has the skills to compliment, what you do best, and is willing to work hard, very hard, alongside you.

It might be a man,or a woman; black or white...even from a different, tribe or nationality from you. What is key is to align your values, and respect each other's space. Never mind the money, the power and the influence... Its not a factor.