He is ranked 3rd on the current PWC list of “Ghana’s Most Respected CEO’s. This is a summation of a man who inspires thousands of young Ghanaians who are in the workforce ‘jungle’ hoping to climb to the top.
Mr. Mensah climaxed Citi FM’s month-long Management Development Month series which grabbed the attention of any serious entrepreneur, leaders, students, managers, government among others.
Speaking on the topic; “Making your mark before you hit 40; Lessons from Martyn Mensah” he advised the many young managers who had come from the various sectors of the economy to take a long term view of things and be legacy-minded.
“In doing anything, think about how it will be seen by a third party. Someone who was not involved in it.
“Ten years down the line, when you have left the company, somebody comes in, what will they conclude about your time there and that is what I think makes the difference between the winners and maker of the market.’’
He said the young managers must be bold and go against the flow explaining that usually “where everybody is leaving represents a large pool of opportunity and start wherever you are with whatever you’ve got”.
Trends show that people can stand out in various fields when they take up jobs that no one wants. He stressed that young managers pinpoint exactly why, and what they will want to make their mark by the age of 40.
“When the answers to those motives are clear, your motive becomes clear and you must be careful about how you answer those questions. Be careful because the top is a difficult place to be. Your motive must be clear”.
He went on to say that; “If your objective is to live a good life, get a 4×4, get a big bank account, your motives are not pure, because those are things that in a way you can never get enough of. It is not too difficult to cross the line to do whatever you have to do” he stated.
He was however quick to add that even though in becoming a successful manager, one should never set a goal of becoming a CEO. “You become a boot licker and you step on everybody’s head to get to where you want to go.’’
Some participants at the meeting told Citi Business News after the programme that they hope this will not be an annual ritual but a quarterly discourse.
According to the participants events like the MDM help them improve as managers.
Citi FM listeners have in the last nine years have had the opportunity to listen and interact with some of the best business brains in the country. The program touted as the “radio MBA” educates listeners on carefully selected business topics with seasoned speakers. It enlightens listeners on contemporary business topics from a theoretical and practical perspective, as well as motivating and empowering them to make better business decisions.
By: Nana Boakye-Yiadom and Anim Kwaku Boadu/citifmonline.com
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