The Journey of life, its paths & destinations

 

I went for a walk in a nearby Valley Park. This comes after some emotional and thoughtful weeks after the sudden death of a university sister. I worked with her in the Leicester University Islamic Society, which I presided over 24 years ago. She died from an illness that she hid from her closest. Her death shocked all who knew her and worked with her.

 

She was loyal, shy, caring and principled. After leaving University, she took on her family business and expanded it. Many remember her conduct with family, employees, suppliers, and customers. She was a role model for many, and many relied on her for her leadership and the selfless care she gave to them.

 

Her death invoked memories among the group of her university friends. Although it had been 24 years since I had met or spoken to her, it also made me revisit my steps back then.

 

As I walked through the park, I contemplated my life journey. Strangely, the changing scenery and paths around me started to talk to me in my imaginary world. I began to paint a picture in my mind of my life journey.

 

This path led to other paths; sometimes, I took the wrong turn, turned back, and chose another path. This reminded me that our lives take similar paths and turns.

 

I started my walk in the park by choosing a path with a target destination: Swan Lake. This path led to other paths; sometimes, I took the wrong turn, turned back, and chose another path. This reminded me that our lives take similar paths and turns. After University, I took a path and made decisions that dictated my next 24 years. I started to revisit and question my paths as my memories returned to those moments 24 years ago.

 

The weight of the “what if” moments started to play heavily on my chest as if failures of lost opportunities underpinned my worldly successes.

 

Allhamdulillah, I may have had a promising career and life that many may desire. I discussed this in a recent radio interview (see link below). Yet, my mind started questioning this for all the paths I could have taken, the lost opportunities, and the many achievements that could have been different and perhaps better. The weight of the “what if” moments started to play heavily on my chest as if failures of lost opportunities underpinned my worldly successes.

 

I felt sadness and pain as I walked and crossed different paths. This was not about personal wealth but the impact on broader society and infrastructure.

 

Was I lost in my life journey? I questioned myself as I continued my walk. Lost in my thoughts, the path opened to my set destination. It is a beautiful lake with stunning majestic swans gliding through the water under a clear blue sky, making everything clear to observe and enjoy.

 

 

A painful reality hit me as I sat on the bench to soak in the moment, processing my thoughts. The sister’s death reminded me of the temporary nature of this destination, this world, these life paths that we choose to walk on, these destinations that we set ourselves, and all our life struggles. It all eventually dies and moves on.

 

What is left after we are gone is what matters. What matters are the memories of the moments we live, the impact we have on the lives of others, and how they remember us, just like the memories of this sister.

 

What is left after we are gone is what matters. What matters are the memories of the moments we live, the impact we have on the lives of others, and how they remember us, just like the memories of this sister. We remember her legacy, kindness, principles, leadership, and caring nature.

 

This realisation influenced me and replaced my immediate memory of my path choices. I remembered the sounds of the birds chirping, the cool breeze, the happiness of people who walked past me, and the kindness of the old couple who warned me of some rough paths ahead. I concluded that it is not the choices of the life paths that we take that matter; it’s what we do with them and how we conduct ourselves as we walk them that define us.

 

I revisited my life journey to find these moments. I was accompanied by a loving and caring wife, the childhood of my beautiful daughter, and our travels as a family, making every moment worth living for. During my professional work, solving and resolving problems in charities and successfully dealing with crises they find themselves in is an aspect of my life that matters, not career choices.

 

We may think we chose the wrong path or ended up in the incorrect destination—this does not matter, as it all ultimately dies. God decides our paths to test us.

 

We may think we chose the wrong path or ended up in the incorrect destination—this does not matter, as it all ultimately dies. God decides our paths to test us. We should focus on what stays and lives on: the memories and impact we leave on this temporary world. We need to fill our paths with these memories, regardless of the paths that we embark on.

 

Content with my conclusions, I returned to my car as if I had found a treasure in my quest as I remembered this special sister.

 

Having lived my old memories once more, one thoughtful memory braced me. A poetic verse of a famous Sufi poet, Altaf Hussain Hali. I read and memorized in Urdu as a kid. It went on something like this:

 

Valuable lessons are taught to us by graves.
We find this treasure from this burial.

 

I had found my treasure through the sad death of this special sister of ours. May Allah swt grant her the highest paradise. Ameen.

 

End.

 

Author: Nasir Rafiq is the Managing Partner of Dua Governance Chartered Accountants & Business Advisors. He is also a community leader and Chairs many initiatives and organizations.

He spoke about his career in a radio interview with local community radio station UnityFM. Man on a Mission – a Personal Story of Faith, Change and Impact (See link).

Governance – When it goes pear shaped

Dominic Cummings, the former senior strategy advisor to the then newly elected Prime Minster Boris Johnson was at the heart of government when the Covid 19 crisis folded and was privy to all that went on.

After being forced to leave government, he appeared before the MPs committee on 26 May 2021 to answer questions on how government responded to the Covid19 crisis, this was a fascinating and a shocking viewing.

 

This reminded me of issues I regularly experience in charity and business organisations.

 

I have never been a fan of the politics of Dominic Cummings but his fascinating insight and views on how the government machine worked really hit a nerve. He had many golden nuggets to share for those that understand the practicality of good governance in large and complex organisations. In crisis the cracks are all laid bare. 

 

In this blog, I will share some of these golden nuggets:

 

 1. The role of corporate planning

 

Yes, its important to have crisis management plans and risk registers. These should be regularly tested. A government can have all that in place at department level, however this is still not effective unless there is a central plan that brings it all together. 

 

In my line of work, often I see a silo working culture in large organisations. In this culture, staff in each department and division become inward looking and start to tick the box for their own sakes. They do not realise that when the organisation hits a crisis, it is not the department plans that matter anymore – the plan has to make sense in the context of corporate priorities and defense, led by the central leadership.

 

In my line of work, often I see a silo working culture in large organisations.

 

Organisations that often have an effective corporate strategy and plan backed by a corporate risk register are the ones that ensure work done at individual and department level is most effective for the wider organisation, its stakeholders and its beneficiaries.

 

There is no point of having a star performing individual or department, if it does not save the overall organisation from sinking.

 

There is no point of having a star performing individual or department, if it does not save the overall organisation from sinking.

 

2. Decision making in crisis

 

Cummings in his appearance talked about finger pointing of key roles and government departments at each other. He spoke about some great work and talent at junior levels that were being ignored. All this accumulated to a culture of chaos, as the government formulated a response to the pandemic.

 

In normal times, large and complex organisations can have conflicting priorities and policies between departments and official positions. However, in a crisis these can become a hurdle and hold back when there is culture of silo working.

 

The one strong leader needs to become the pilot taking over the reins while switching off the auto pilot.

 

It is at these times; the one strong leader needs to become the pilot taking over the reins while switching off the auto pilot. Those that have the titles may no longer be suitable anymore – others may need to be upgraded to speed up the decision making. Policies that governed the organisation in normal times, may now need to be flexed, removing red tape to create breathing space. All this is needed to respond to the crisis and to save the ship.

 

 

Consultation for decision making is good but it is a means to achieve a greater good not the end goal. Consultation should be meaningful in a crisis, not just for sake of it to please individual egos.

 

The leader and the wider executive may be appointed through a robust and fair recruitment process – these are for normal times. When the crisis hits the fan, the leader is expected to rise to the challenge taking difficult decisions and making most of the tools at his / her disposal. There is no time for hiding behind or blaming others.

 

An important consideration for those that appoint leaders and CEOs is this question: “Does this leader have the ability to steer the ship in a crisis”. Such focus can have an effect of changing the selection criteria and the value of the leader to the organisation.

 

The leader must be a leader for all times, not just for the happy times.

 

3. Data does not float in air

 

Having worked on data quality audits in the NHS and local government, I recognise the mechanism by which data is generated and checked. Data is not born from thin air, it requires fit for purpose systems, people and infrastructure.

 

The use of data for normal times can be different from its use in abnormal times. To make the data available in abnormal times, it is not always easy to train people, install systems and infrastructure at short notice – these changes require time and investment.

 

In my experience, organisations that invest in their IT and data infrastructure in good times are the ones that have readily available information to take the right decisions at the right time in a crisis as well as normal times.

 

Often organisation neglect the value of investing for the bad times and end up “stop” and “searching” for solutions during a crisis – this is the worst time for investing.

 

Often organisation neglect the value of investing for the bad times and end up “stop” and “searching” for solutions during a crisis – this is the worst time for investing.

 

A good leader needs to be able to “see” to navigate through the storm, using the tools at his / her disposal. This is only possible with advance planning and investing.

 

4. Be careful on who your advisor is

 

A strong leader will attract strong advisors. The leader will respect them and will know how and when to use their advice, maxmising their value to the whole organisation. Whereas weak leaders either disrespect their advisors and their advise or are led and controlled by them.

 

When the going gets tough, these advisors are not the ones taking responsibility for the decisions their leaders take. The buck will always stop with the leader. If a leader has to rely on the advisors to look good then the foundations are on shaky grounds.

 

If a leader has to rely on the advisors to look good then the foundations are on shaky grounds.

 

Leadership is about the grand plan, vision and strategy – the role of the advisor is to fill in the gaps on how this is best achieved.

 

If the leader lacks what it takes to lead than you can’t blame the advisor when it goes all wrong and the carpet is pulled under the feet when it was most needed.

 

Many lessons are to be learnt from this controversial advisor of a controversial Prime Minister during one of the most controversial times in British history.

 

Author: Nasir Rafiq is a widely experienced Fellow Chartered Accountant (ICAEW) and a Charity Financial Governance Expert.

He is the Managing Partner of Dua Governance, a Charity Governance specialist accountancy firm.

Nasir has held many senior finance positions within the UK charity sector and continues to advise many charities on financial governance matters.

Email: info@duagovernance.com