Everyone believes having a role model is good and as a result, they have their role models — someone they look up to, but there is something people are not getting right.
Sighting the last topic for this 30th edition of the Hive Learners community, I was reminded of a discussion in my Church years ago where someone asked the question, “what is the difference between a role model and a mentor?”
This question stirred many argumentative discussions as it took the pastor a while to fully make everyone present understand his point.
There is a need to understand that both words aren't the same, and funny enough, some people take both to mean the same thing.
While a role model is a person who serves as an example and whose behaviour is emulated by another person, a mentor is wise and someone you can trust for his or her words or teachings. A mentor can be a teacher, professor, doctor, counsellor etc.
A great factor to look into when choosing a role model is behaviour. What kind of behaviour do they exhibit outside to make you want to emulate or copy them?
Behaviour is human conduct relating to social norms. This means how they behave or act to societal norms. We wouldn't want to go after someone whose behaviour is against the conduct of any society except we'd be lying to ourselves and trying to cover such a person just because of what we want to gain from them.
Is this person worth emulating? Does he or she has good behaviour, and attitude and can conform to the norms in society? It is important we look into this, study and observe such a person before concluding to make him or her your role model, because it would be painful when you'd expect something else from such a person and he or she is acting otherwise. It then leaves you in a state of doubt and confusion.
For me, I have just one role model for now who I do look up to and many times, I keep observing her lifestyle when I was with her and I just want to keep emulating those behaviours in her because I see it as rewarding for her.
It is my ex-boss (Mrs Obose).
(I can't upload her picture here as I didn't take permission from her.)
This was my boss where I taught as a teacher in her school some years back and I was like if all bosses are like her, I don't think there would be a need for an employee or staff to resign or leave such work because of how they behave and act towards their staff. I was opportune to meet such a beautiful soul and after a while, I desire to be like her when I become a boss and have people under me.
What factors do I see in her that made me choose her as a role model?
The first is her disciplined life. Mrs Obose is so disciplined that she never settles for less. Everything about her is sharp, coordinated and effective. You can never see this woman slacking anywhere and this was what earns her the respect from people, especially her pupils' parents.
She would always want the best for us and would even advise us as her siblings. Her life is so simple that I wonder what kind of woman she is to be able to deliver outstandingly and never miss any meetings being called upon.
The second thing is her honesty. She believes saying the truth is better than cutting corners when you know things would escalate in the end. She is truthful and would tell us whatever is going on in her life without mincing words for words. When it's time to pay our salaries, and she has no money coming in due to parents owing a lot, she would humbly plead with us and make us know what is going on.
When she finally decides to pay, that day doesn't exceed. She pays us on time and when she cannot, she would come out plainly to us and we would understand. That woman was a Godsent to me when I applied to her school.
The third factor I studied in her was her punctuality and kind heart. She would always want her staff to be punctual and once any of us arrives late, she would understand and be so kind to the extent that she never uses that against us, or even deduct from our salary. Even when you only work half of the month, she is just too kind to pay full salary and will never hold onto what belongs to us.
Lastly, she is a strong woman and a good Christian. This is where I came to conclude that she is truly a good Christian. I mean someone who acts like Christ and knows what the scripture says about paying your labourers their wages.
I was surprised to see my boss working vibrantly even when she lost her husband a few days to the end of the year party. She was so happy then and one would think that she never cried over her husband's death. Of course, she did, but she quickly took it off when the party was going on.
The way she was working that day, no one would know until they are told what happened. Even at that, she bought clothes for every staff to celebrate the party. She moved on so quickly for her children.
Looking at this woman, she is someone I wouldn't want to give a second thought about but to make her my role model because this is the kind of life I want. A life that does not need to cheat on others just because I am in the position. A life I wouldn't want to take advantage of the situation to hurt another person.
That is the kind of life and role model I want!
Thanks for your time
