I WILL CONVERT YOU: Mikel, Messi, Mourinho
Mikel Obi is a Nigerian football
player that plies his trade in England,
playing for Chelsea
football club; he became a very important player of the club under Jose
Mourinho the team manager during his first spell at the club. Mourinho did this
successfully by converting Mikel, an
attacking mid-fielder, to a blocking four that not only block, but hold the ball
to re-distribute to more mobile
mid-fielder. On Sunday 22nd 2013, Mikel hit the front page of sport
papers in Nigeria when he
score his first premier league goal for Chelsea
after 7yrs and 178 appearances for the same club the day before.
If
you don’t know the story you won’t
get the news, the irony and the lesson. So here is the story:
 |
| Messi |
It all started in 2005, when
Mikel playing as an under-20 for Nigeria Flying Eagles coached by Samson
Siasia, in the world under-20 world cup where Mikel’s talent as a potential
world-class mid-fielder was discovered. Nigeria
plays and only loses at the final to Argentina
the team that has Lionel Messi playing the same role Mikel played for Nigeria.
Both were playing the tenth position, anchoring and marshaling their team to
attack with keen sight for goal scoring and breaking up difficult defenses with killer pass. The
two were one of the foremost revelations for the two countries. Lionel Messi
was awarded the best and Mikel closely followed him as the second most valuable player
and best player of the tournament. So these two were both promising and their
talent opened various doors of opportunity to them.
Manchester
United and Chelsea actually fought to
sign Mikel as their player. After much pressure and money changing hands, Chelsea have their grip on
him. But here lies the lesson, while Messi went ahead and was developed and was
breaking different kind of record, the best of which is winning the best
footballer of the year four consecutive time, Mikel was just scoring his
first premier league goal after seven years! I suppose, Cristiano Ronaldo of
Real Madrid is not suppose to be the one rivaling with Messi, it should be
Mikel, because then Ronaldo or Cr7 as often called, was a mediocre as a player
as someone rightly observed while comparing him with Neyma.
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| Mikel: back in his position, he got gold |
Many
observers started questioning Mikel's role as a Chelsea player when Nigeria Skipper,
Stephen Keshi started using Mikel in his more familiar role in which he was discovered, the tenth position: as
an attacking mid-fielder that is free, who creatively control and marshal
the midfield. Nigeria
again won the African cup of Nations hosted in South African January this year
for the third time after 19 years, as Mikel’s original role was rediscovered
and maximized. As if it’s a fluke, Nigerian Super Eagles as the African
champion qualify for Confederation cup and played against World number 1
national team, Spain, and it surprises me to find Mikel so comfortable
attacking and creating, giving passes and being the Messi-like we used to
know. Now we start questioning and worry that Mikel might find it difficult
playing for Chelsea
because of his new rediscovered self.
Do
you get the lesson?
No one can be converted to be
what they weren’t initially and excel as they would have been if they were
groom in their discovered position.
What
relationship are you that you need to change or modify who you are before you fits in or are fully accepted? It’s
definitely not for your best interest, it’s gonna kill the you in you! You
definitely don’t need anyone’s approval; he that can’t take your Person
as it is doesn’t deserve to have you in their company! You don’t need to
apologize for who you are, you only need people that will build you up not
those that will convert you to
achieve what they want and leave you clueless. Here the conversion done on Mikel is not an improvement, if it is, it will
cease to be conversion but development. So if it is, Mikel would
have grown and be in league with Messi! That is why ALL conversion will not lead to growth but death of the Persona.
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| Mourinho: use his post to convert Mikel |
Know
this very well, Mr. and or Madam Converter,
you can’t change someone from whom they were permanently and succeed without
killing a part of your convert, even this is true in religion! So why are you
keen at killing that aspect of his/her life? Why not shop for the right person
that fits in than convert a destiny
because you can?
Parent, are you sure you are not converting that child to be who you want and not what he actually
is?
What are you trying to change about
yourself just because you want to win him/her or because you don’t want to lose
him/her?
C.E.O. or are you the manager or
director? Why are you after optimizing your
profit at the expense of the personal development of that worker by converting
what he/she is capable of, to what you want?
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| Messi the unconverted displaying awards... |
Conversion
has two major problems; one, if the person converted
adapt well and fit fully, then you have successfully killed a part of his talent which might be lost forever!
Two, the person may not fully fit the post or position, which means you will not be
get the best result, and or will not get the best out of the person. This means
double frustration for you the converter,
and the converted, so why convert? Why
not develop the person with the right potential or look for the right person?
Especially in marital relationship, thinking that conversion will work will only lead to frustration, regret, and
unmet expectations, BEWARE!
Your views are most welcome...
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