People & Culture

The presence of VeryDarkMan at the NBA convention has sparked exactly the sort of discussion the internet thrives on. There are those who wonder why he was invited in the first place. There are others wondering if there is anything about the NBA which would warrant having a man like him around. I can see where you are coming from. But I think maybe the wrong question is being asked here. Instead, you may need to ask what VDM had become that made the NBA invite him into their circle. Think about it. A few years back, would anyone have believed Portable could ever get an invitation to a professional event of this nature? And that ought to say something about the world we live in. Credentials are important. Professional qualifications are important. Expertise is important. But there is one other form of currency that institutions can no longer afford to ignore. Influence. VeryDarkMan has earned influence. Portable has earned influence. Their approaches, their personalities, their industries could be entirely different from your own. You could even find yourself in disagreement with most of what they have done. But they have succeeded in making themselves relevant enough for others to not be able to ignore them. And it is this part of the discussion which I am interested in. The NBA understands something that many others are only just coming to learn. Attention is valuable. If VeryDarkMan’s presence results in people talking about the NBA conference who wouldn’t otherwise have given it a second thought, his invitation has generated value. And so has VeryDarkMan. He gains access, more visibility, credibility, and another chance to increase his influence. There’s something to gain for both of them. This does not mean that one needs to accept the invitation. What I am saying is that we must learn to differentiate between liking somebody and realizing their influence and capability. You needn’t necessarily like a person to realize the influence he has created. And maybe that’s the bigger take-away from this. Forget about being invited all the time. Learn how to make yourself difficult to be ignored. Create something. Excel at something. Find your voice. Generate value. And be consistent. Do such a wonderful job that someday those people that used to wonder who you are will wonder how they can get you in the room. Someday, your own NBA will come calling for you. Not because you begged for a place at the table. Not because you fought to get inside. But because you become someone who needs to be considered. Some day I’ll be sitting on a bigger stage; whether as His Royal Majesty or His Excellency. Until then, I still have more work to do. See you tomorrow. Oluboba Ayodeji

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