It was an opportunity I was not going to miss out on. And so when the adorable Lady Julia Osei Tutu, wife of Otumfuo Osei Tutu, Asantehene, got up to speak at her loving husband’s 74th birthday dinner, I could not hold back my love and admiration for their sweet love story recounted from the horse’s own mouth.
I sighed so many times with some enchantment, interspersed with clapping for both of them countless times. I kept saying to myself, this is indeed a best-seller love story of the most famous King of Ashanti.
To me, her encounter with the great King was very opportune. One saw from her narration that she was not out there looking for a partner, more so a husband but simply fulfilling a corporate duty entrusted to her by her late boss at Ecobank. The outcome is the enchanting love story still blooming.
I was struck with a cord of some similarity in her love encounter, though hers was the first for her, I also accidentally met a great and loving man, my second husband, through similar corporate duties where I spoke.
I took away six learning lessons from the dinner speech which Otumfou himself kept nodding at in many parts.
Lesson 1
Never give excuses for a posting or a transfer outside your comfort zone while on your corporate journey. The ladder to the top in any corporate world is not an easy one. Giving excuses to back out because of moving into an unfamiliar terrain with no family or friends could be a difficult one. It is like the game of snakes and ladders.
However, if you have a plan for your corporate journey, note that postings outside one’s comfort zone may point to a map-out strategy for one’s growth. It could be a surprise rose bush, layered with thorns yet has beautiful flowers and good scents.
As a young Lawyer, posted to a city less affluent and quite unfamiliar, Lady Julia took up the challenge from her employer for a posting to a newly opened bank branch in Kumasi as Legal and Corporate Affairs Officer. The rest was the beginning of a beautiful love story with no other than the King of Ashanti.
Lesson 2
Be bold and never downplay any role or assignment given to you within or outside the work environment. Always note that it may not be the bosses assessing your public confidence, but also, your audience as well. Always prepare and go out there to deliver because that assignment or role could make or unmake you, for even if your employer sees very little in the role assigned to you, someone else in the audience will place a premium in your confidence and articulation.
Lesson 3
As taught in many communication classes when it comes to public speaking, you should always know your audience. Once you know your audience, you prepare to speak for their attention/buy-in with your address. Just be your natural self.
Lesson 4
Appropriate dressing, even for a job interview, scores your marks. For every occasion, therefore, dressing appropriately, not overdressed or underdressed is something worth considering. You never know who is sizing you up, whether at the workplace or outside on assignments.
Lesson 5
Express yourself clearly with no ambiguity. Know that not everyone present in your audience understands your corporate clichés. Use appropriate words; do not rush so your audience can follow you. Most importantly, note that when speaking to the public, no matter how articulate you think you are, always have a prepared speech or speaking notes. Remember that the “seizure” moment can come while on that stage and you can forget what you have prepared.
That night at the dinner where she recounted her love story, Lady Julia had her speech written down and kept referring to it so she did not miss out on what she wanted to share with the guests. One presumes she did the same on that day at the Ecobank event.
Lesson 6
Do not drag your feet on job assignments or follow-ups that need to be done. Make time, with no excuses, if there is a follow-up that needs to be done. There might be a golden nugget hidden somewhere. Lady Julia did not shy away from any excuses when her boss informed her later that Otumfuo was inviting them to dinner at his Manhyia palace. She joined the team and there, she received a closer observance by her Prince charming.
Love story
No doubt the love story of Lady Julia and her darling husband, Otumfuo, resonated with many as the smiles, laughter and claps of those present said it all. The striking lesson is that many successful best-selling love stories are happening around us whether in the corporate environment, at a church event, at a political party rally, on a flight, in a public restaurant, at a hotel lobby or a party.
At every step in one’s life, one is an actor being assessed by many. There is something in that performance called life that will strike someone.
Our life’s journey is truly a reflective mirror. Many see us through that mirror. Let that be a guide in life. It is a reality.
******
This article features under the Reality Zone With Vicky Wireko series. The writer can be contacted via email at vickywirekoandoh@yahoo.com