By Banji Alabi 

Riches, wealth and other forms of treasure no matter the quantity, the quality and long-lasting nature, will one day expire or be exhausted. What cannot expire,  in exhaustive and treasure for life, is how you impact on the life of others as a sacrifice, not for pecuniary gain and not only for those known or related to you or for who could in turn help you either in the immediate or in the future. Your daily joy and comfort ought to flow from unconditional services, sacrifices and help you render to people in dire and genuine need around you. Legacies and treasures should be measured in terms of how many people you built, empowered, changed their misfortunes to fortunes and those who in their closet will shout “thank God I came across this man or woman today,” not the other way round.
 
How do you respond to someone in genuine need when you are in a position to help? Do you just say God bless you and make him or her go empty-handed or go to bed hungry, forgetting that you are the God he could see at that moment? “Life/survival is tough” has no doubt become the mantra these days. But pause and ask yourself the blunt question, “Am I not better than and truly in a better position than this fellow being and also to help him/her? Why does this word, altruism exist? Does it have any meaning to you? Are altruists created specially and for a particular place? Why can’t I be an altruist? Remember, when God or nature gives you either enough or in excess, He simply wants to use you to reach someone else who has been disturbing Him (God) in prayer/praise-worship. The hard truth is that what you are treasuring that you cannot part with some or the whole will finish/end one day. And if it doesn’t end or finish while you are alive, death would one day make you part with them one day! It is the people that you build that would survive you after death, not your wealth and not necessarily your biological children. Also, in the hours of need in the future it is your investment in people that will speak for you.
 
Nobody rises without sponsors. The greatest act of leadership Is mentoring. Today, when we see former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), we remember Bola Tinubu not as President but as a man who sowed a seed in the life of Osinbajo as governor many years ago.  When we see Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State, we remember Tinubu. When we see Rauf Aregbesola, former governor of Osun State and former federal minister, we remember Tinubu.  When we see Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), the erudite former governor of Lagos State and former Minister of Works, Power and Housing, we remember Tinubu. When we see Alhaji Lai Mohammed, former Minister of Information, we remember Tinubu. When we see Babatunde Fowler, former Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, we remember Tinubu.  When we see Dr. Kayode Fayemi, former governor of Ekiti State, we remember Tinubu. When we read about the late and former president Muhammadu Buhari, we remember Tinubu. The list is endless.
 
My question is this: whom shall we see tomorrow and remember you? Whom shall we see tomorrow and remember me? Moment of truth! Let us invest in our people. Please, stop the rat race. Let us invest in our communities. Let us build our people. When we build the people, the people will build the city. The hallmark of a true leader is not merely the ability to reach his goals and live in absolute luxury, but the ability to nurture, groom associates and promote talents.
 
Are you in a position of authority? Can you help just one, two or three people in your neighbourhood or on this platform to succeed, to secure an appointment, or win a contract? I urge you to do so today. A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle. The greatest act of leadership is mentoring. My first witness this evening is Late Dr. Myles Munroe. Hear his testimony: “If what you learn, achieve, accumulate or accomplish dies with you, then you are a generational failure.”
 
Mentoring is the manifestation of the highest level of personal maturity, security and self-confidence. Insecure people will never train people; they will instead train thugs for self protection which course cannot last. Mature people create people; your assignment has a shelf life. You will die one day, so train your replacement. Your greatest gift to the world is your mentee. True leaders do not seek followers; followers are attracted to true leaders. The greatest obligation of true leadership is to transfer your deposit to the next generation.

Leadership success is measured by the success of your successor. No matter how great you may have been, if you didn’t produce a successor, you have failed. You preserve what you built through mentorship.

Legacy is about preserving all that you’ve built by raising other people. Success without a successor is failure. Leadership that serves only its generation is destined to fail. If your vision dies with you, you have failed. Legacy is about living beyond your grave. Leadership is not a sprint but a relay. The most important part of a relay is passing the baton — not running. The ultimate measure of true leadership is not to maintain followers, but to produce leaders. True leadership measures its success by the diminishing dependency of its followers. The ultimate measure of leadership is the ability to leave.

True leadership makes itself increasingly unnecessary. You are a successful leader when your followers can lead others. Your goal as a leader is to destroy the dependency of the people around you. You are a great leader when your people don’t need you. Make people greater than you and you will live forever.

True leaders do not seek power. True leaders seek to empower. True leaders make themselves increasingly unnecessary. Never confuse your position with your value. The ultimate goal of true leadership is not to maintain followers, but to produce leaders. The first act of a true leader is identifying your replacement — and you begin mentoring them. You become great by producing people greater than yourself.

When you produce someone greater than yourself, don’t get jealous. Take the credit. When you train your replacement, you are freed to expand your work. When you mentor people, your legacy will make your tombstone unnecessary.”

• Alabi Esq, a civil right campaigner and National Chairman, Ondo State Eminent Persons Group, is also the Alternate Chairman, Eti Osa Chapter of the Nigerian Bar Association.