The Road to Greatness

“The road to greatness is not always smooth. Be prepared to experience both the good side and the bad side”

Author: David Oletu

If excellence, humility, integrity, gentleness, kindness, loyalty, and every other good quality in humans were to be a name for one person, that person should be me. 

The Road to Greatness is neither sweet, nor sour. Maybe, just in between. 

One minute, everyone hails you for how excellent and modest you are in all you do, and another minute, some people start to hate you for reasons you don’t understand. 

Could this be why a large chunk of good people don’t last long, wherever they are? 

If excellence, humility, integrity, gentleness, kindness, loyalty, and every other good quality in humans were to be a name for one person, that person should be me. 

Not to appear selfish and proud, my name is just Ola.

But I think I possess all those qualities, and it’s surprising to see that many humans do not feel comfortable with them.

I am probably just ‘too good’ for them. 

The Road to Greatness

Having completed my first university degree with a perfect 5.00 CGPA, I landed my first job at my dream multimedia company, which is situated in my country. 

I worked so hard to get there, and I am glad my hard work paid off. 

From my research, while I was still in school, the company was always on the lookout for outstanding students like me from my department.

And, to get myself chosen, I ensured to burn my midnight candles, to the point where I had to resort to reading under the solar street light around my school at midnight. 

I didn’t care about the ‘midnight thieves’ because my academics were more important to me. 

My regular saying was:

“If I perish, I perish.”

It was a do-or-die affair. 

And, like the little David who brought Goliath down with just ‘a stone’, I came out victoriously, against all odds, hitting my target on the right spot. 

Although my heavy attachment to my books cost me a lot, I lacked basic social skills and wasn’t able to relate well to people around me, my family included.

Despite seeing myriads of students every day in the school environment, I never knew humans; I only knew my books. 

Maybe I have read so many stories about how people behave with each other,

but I haven’t gotten to experience every side of humans to know how well to handle them in certain situations. 

Growing up as a child, down to my university days, I only experienced love from people—everyone in school wanted to flock around me for my high level of intelligence.

Members of my family always want to showcase me to their friends for the academic records I have broken.

Lecturers were always proud to call me their products. 

I felt so loved and blameless, to the point that a lecturer once called me and told me:

“Ola, you are destined for greatness, and you won’t have any issues with anybody in life, provided you maintain your good ways.”

I confidently held strongly to the lecturer’s word about me and kept up with my ‘too good and blameless’ pace. 

Life went so smoothly for me then, until I started working with a team in my workplace ‘in reality’.

The Road to Greatness

This was when I realised that school is beyond just books. I should have related more to people to experience not just their good sides but also their flaws. 

I only saw and experienced love from afar, and I didn’t know what true love meant from within. 

My workplace was filled with a lot of intelligent people like me.

We were all handpicked; however, we all have different roles we serve. You get promoted if you can meet the company’s target for you. 

I came into the company as an entry-level staff, but my performance leapfrogged me to a higher position within a few months.

But I surpassed the company’s target, giving them more profits in abundance. 

So, I was like their Jesus, who asked Peter to cast his net inside the river to catch the fish he (Peter) struggled to catch.

And, just as the miracle fish were heavy for Peter to lift, the profits my company earned through me became too much for them, beyond their expectations,

to the point that they started thinking of building a charity organisation to give to people freely. 

“Who is Ola?” asked the chairman of my workplace, who bumped into the company one day, having heard about my good work for the company.

“That’s him over there, sir. He is our new staff, sir,” the CEO responded, pointing in my direction.

“Oh! Ola. So, you are the star boy?!” the chairman, said, facing me.

He is a rich, dark, pot-bellied jovial man, always robed in his ‘white agbada’.

His love for excellence is second to none, and that’s why he probably made it a culture to employ excellent staff.

His workers rarely see him. Most of the administrative duties are done by the CEO.

But when the chairman hears of any ground-breaking achievement or failure from any of his companies, he will show up. 

My track record for the company came like a tsunami to them; talk more to come from an entry-level staff who should still be learning from his senior colleagues. 

“Well done, Ola!” The chairman commended me, patting my shoulder, smiling, and nodding his head with pride. 

“Thank you, Sir,” I responded with my head bowed.

“I am about to make a decision I have never made before in the history of this company,” the chairman announced, creating suspense.

Everyone present became anxious to know what decision he was set to make.

Whenever something good happens, the chairman could come around and declare a work-free day,

and whenever something bad happens, he could decide to sack or demote those involved. He always does something dramatic at every good and bad moment. 

Now that I have impressed him with my performance, what decision will he take this time?

The Road to Greatness

“I heard that the position of Chief Operating Officer is vacant. Ola will take up that position. He will assume his new role from today!” the chairman said. 

And, after ordering the CEO to hand over some documents to me, he zoomed off immediately. 

Only God knows what turn of events will bring the chairman back again. 

Wow! Chief Operating Officer, from a mere entry-level staff? That was huge!

I felt so elated. Everyone also seemed happy for me. They all congratulated me, wishing me more success ahead.

The CEO, the man who employed me, also congratulated me, applauding me for my feat and “well-deserved position” in his words. 

The CEO is a well-built, tall, dark man in his 40s. He is quite free at times with his workers but doesn’t joke with his work. 

“So, Ola, would you love to go out for lunch with me?” The CEO proposed with a broad smile on his face. 

In my country, it’s weird to see a man propose to a fellow man for a lunch date,

but I gladly accepted his proposal and went out with him for lunch. That could just be his way of celebrating people, I assumed. 

One day, a day that seemed to have been making the loudest noises I wasn’t sensitive to hear:

because I had always been showered with different unusual kinds of love, my boss and I went for ‘the lunch date’ at a beautifully built traditional restaurant somewhere nearby. 

We were served a large, full plate of spiced fish and bottles of fresh palm wine. 

It seemed like that was my CEO’s regular joint, because they knew all that he would order.

All he needed to do was snap his fingers, and everything that the madam would call ‘his regular’ would be served on his table. 

“You can eat up,” the CEO said to me, having seen how my mouth was wide open like a hungry lion ready to devour its prey.

I wasn’t supposed to feel that way, but the food was tempting.

Could the quote “The way to a man’s heart is food” be 100% true?

Because my CEO had successfully won my heart that good afternoon. 

I began eating while the CEO kept watching as he ate slowly.

“Ola, you see, I really’ like you a lot!” My CEO said. 

“Sir?” I responded like I didn’t hear him ‘clearly.’

He took me out on a lunch date, bought food and drinks for me, and started his conversation with how he feels about me?!

Such a gesture from a male to a male is quite scary. I only hope it wasn’t what I was thinking. 

“Oh! Cut it off! Not that kind of ‘likeness’.

I’m not that kind of person,” he clarified quickly, having observed the confusing state of my face. 

“Ahhhh… Okay, Sir. That’s better,” I said in relief.

“I would love for us to be best friends if you don’t mind,” he proposed again.

“Sir, you are my boss. I must respect that and not get too familiar with you,” I responded firmly.

“This is even more reason I like you.

You are smart with your responses,” the CEO commented.

“But, you see, as my COO, we are now together.

I would love for us to become best friends, so we can be free with each other in that friendly working atmosphere,” he further stated. 

I reasoned with him. He seemed right.

Being friends with the CEO will truly make us free to relate to each other since I am now his COO, his right-hand man. 

I accepted his request wholeheartedly.

And, from that day on, we became best friends.

He turned out to be the first and best friend I had ever had, even if I accepted him as a friend on the condition of him being my boss.

He gave me more nice treats, becoming ‘too caring’ suddenly. I dined and wined more with him and we shared our little secrets and resources.

People who see us from afar would think we were twins. They wouldn’t know we were just co-workers, and he was superior. 

Our friendship grew in a blissful atmosphere for two years, until one day, a shocking incident happened.

The Road to Greatness 

The company suffered a terrible loss. We lost the company’s money that was right in our possession. 

According to some speculation, the money was diverted into a personal account, but no one could figure out whose personal account it was diverted to. 

The leadership, from the CEO to the COO (myself), to HR, to the Accountant General, etc., of the organisation, became a prime suspect.

The moment the chairman heard about the loss, he came with a battalion of military men and some sound investigators to probe every one of us,

because it all appeared strange how the full money was diverted into a personal account. 

The investigators demanded we all submit our phones to them.

And, alas! They found the thief.

I was the thief!

They found the billions of naira lying completely in my second bank savings account, having gone through each of our transactional details and receipts on our mobile apps.

I was shocked to the brim because, aside from not knowing how the money got into my account, I didn’t receive any credit alerts or mail that a transaction was made into my account. 

“Ola, how could you?” The chairman said, facing me and looking disappointed. 

I couldn’t explain myself because I didn’t know what to explain.

It would sound ridiculous to say that I didn’t know how and when such money entered my account. 

“I am highly disappointed in you,” the chairman said.

“I would have arrested you and locked you up in jail for life. But I won’t do that yet,” he continued.

“Your monthly salary will be on hold.

You are hereby suspended from working with this company till further notice.”

The chairman gave his final verdict as he left slowly with his military aid. 

I faced the CEO, expecting him to say something.

But he kept quiet.

Perhaps he also believed I could do such a thing or was trying to save his job.

The rest of the workers also began to see me as a thief. And The respect they once had for me vanished instantly in thin air.

My once-clean sheet had been stained with dirt. From a star to a thief!

My world was shattered. Depression hits badly.

The Road to Greatness 

Hearing people call me a thief after how much I have tried my best to impress them is sickening. 

The worst of it all is being tagged with a bad name in the company I have always admired. 

And there was no one to share my ordeal with except my dad. The only friend I thought I had, the CEO, had left me to carry my cross alone. 

When my father heard about my suspension from work due to how I was wrongly accused of stealing the company’s money, he felt discomfort in his mind.

He refused to rest until he got to the root of the matter.

Father knows the kind of child he raised, so he expects to see no stains on me.

“I will visit your company.” Father retorted with so much determination. 

The next day, he ‘truly’ acted on his word.

Even before my regular morning alarm rang, Father was already awake to make me prepare for work.

“Father, you know I have been suspended,” I said to him.

“As long as I am alive, that suspension is not for you. Now go and get dressed for work.” my father instructed authoritatively. 

You dare not counter my father’s instructions. He was a very strict retired lecturer. He treats me the way he would treat his students. 

Without further thought, I went to freshen up and dress for work.

And, for the first time, my father accompanied me to my workplace.

The moment I got to my workplace, all eyes stared at me irritably, like I was a smelling rat.

I felt unwelcome. But, with my father, I was filled with so much confidence. 

“Ola! Why are you…”

The CEO said and paused his words from the receptionist’s desk, having sighted me from the company’s entry door. 

I wondered why he paused his words. 

“Ahhhhhh! Good morning, sir,” the CEO trembled and prostrated, greeting my father.

“Good morning, boy! How are you?” My father greeted him back. 

“Boy? That’s my CEO.” I said to myself silently, scared of what my father had put himself into, calling my CEO his boy so confidently!

“Father, he is the CEO,” I whispered into my father’s ear.

“Oh! You are the CEO?” my father enquired, facing him. 

“Yes Sir. I am, sir,” the CEO said.

“You both know each other?” I asked my father.

“Yes, he was my student in his university days,” my father revealed. 

“Sir, please, come into my office,” the CEO said, warmly welcoming us.

“You are welcome, sir,” the CEO said, leading my father to sit on one of his couches in his office. 

“Thank you! By the way, this is my son.” Father said to the CEO

“Ola? Your son?” the CEO asked in shock. 

“Yes, he is my son. He told me what happened. And that is why I am here—because I know the kind of son I raised.” Father said.

“Hmmmmmmm…” the CEO sighed deeply, keeping quiet for a while.

Then, suddenly, he kneeled towards my father with his head down. 

“Why are you kneeling? Stand!” My father said this to the CEO.

“No, Sir. Let me remain in this spot. You were like a father to me when I was in school.

You taught and built me well.

But I turned out to be that person who destroyed the other products you built with the hands you used to build me,” the CEO said regretfully. 

“How… do you mean?” My father asked.

“Ola!” the CEO faced me while still on his knees. “I am sorry. I was only jealous of you.

When the chairman promoted you to the position of COO, I saw more potential in you that could make you surpass me.

And I felt intimidated by your work ethic and feared you might outrank me.

That was why I drew myself closer to you, to be able to gain easy access to your personal life and resources.

You had trusted me so much, but I took advantage of it,” the CEO said. 

“I do not understand you, sir. Where exactly are you driving?” I asked the CEO, curiously. 

“I was the one behind the diversion of the company’s money to your account!

Those times I used your phones and laptops, I deleted the credit alert messages and emails you got from your bank,” the CEO revealed.

“My God!” I exclaimed painfully as the CEO constantly begged for my forgiveness.

The Road to Greatness

Mark 7:21-23 KJV

[21] For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

[22] thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: [23] all these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

https://bible.com/bible/1/mrk.7.21-23.KJV

For the first time then, I experienced the other side of the road to greatness.

I realised that we won’t always experience love from people, but also bitterness and other unnecessary evils. So, we should be careful and sensitive.

This is a big lesson for so many of us with so much good potential, achievements, and accolades from people.

The road to greatness is not always smooth.

Be prepared to experience both the good side and the bad side;

however, in all, we must remain diligent in our good works, keep maintaining our good character, communicate with our Father (God) always,

and let God intervene in our lives where He needs to.

Also Read: Only God Sees and Knows the Heart of Every Human Being – Diademng (thediademng.org)

The Road to Greatness