“Once upon a time….” These were words I heard often while sitting around a fire in the evening. Growing up in the countryside, the evenings were spent around the fireplace as we waited for dinner to be prepared and served. The room would be dimly lit as the only source of light was the flames from the fire around three stones with a boiling pot on them. At times, there was additional light from a handheld kerosene lantern. I enjoyed the evenings more whenever an old man by the name Muchiri visited our home. All I knew is that this old man from a far village would pay us a visit from time to time. I have no recollection of his other name or where he came from. Whenever he visited, my parents always welcomed him, gave him a place to stay and fed him. My only interaction with him was mostly after school and in the evening around the fireplace waiting for dinner to be served.
What I vividly remember about Muchiri is that he was old (because of his grey hair). He was a godly man and full of stories. He woke up very early in the morning and would start singing. He was great at composition in performance. He sang songs he could not repeat since he was composing them as he sang them. The only part I did not like about his singing was that he had a drum that he would use as an accompaniment. This loud drum woke me up earlier than I ever wished to. Each of the stories he told me had a moral lesson. When he was done telling the story, he would pose a question or challenge and wait for me to try as many times as possible to find a solution. He never gave up on me for my trials. He listened patiently and even when I gave a ‘stupid answer’, he encouraged me to try again and again.
One of the stories I remember from Muchiri was about a group of warriors who used to move from village to village training other warriors. They had a rule not to look back when they start a journey until they get to their destination no matter what. They always walked in a single file and if one was to be distracted and look back or engage with other things, he was not allowed to re-join the team. One day, as the warriors were on their way to one of the villages, they came across a river. In the water was a very beautiful lady. As each of the warriors crossed the bridge, she asked them for help to get out of the water. One by one, the warriors passed without heeding to her request until the last one who had mercy on her and decided to help her out of the water. He left the company of the warriors and went and pulled this beautiful ‘lady’ out of the water. To his surprise, this beautiful lady had a human head and face and body to the extent they could see. The lower part under the water was not a human being but the lower part of a fish – it was a mermaid! After helping her out of the water, the mermaid was there begging him not to leave her there and yet he did not know what to do with her. And Muchiri would end the story with a question “If you were the one, what would you do?
Muchiri taught me many leadership lessons;
- Patience – As a leader, you need patience with those you lead. Sometimes, they may not understand the vision or direction. Do not tire reiterating the vision until they understand it. Be Patient with them.
- Focus – There is need to focus on the chosen path and not allow distractions your way. Once you are distracted, refocusing is such a major challenge. Stay your course.
- Mentor and invest in younger leaders – Muchiri spent his time with me so that I could learn from him. He never ignored my many questions. Invest in the next generation leaders.
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