In his book, How to Achieve Your Dreams 2025, Former ZBC News Presenter And Real Estate Businessman, Kenni Gambo challenges conventional wisdom on team building and leadership. Gambo argues that true leaders must set aside ego and insecurity to actively recruit exceptionally gifted individuals, even if those individuals possess strong personalities.
Drawing on powerful examples from the world of sports, including the legendary signings of Teenage Dladla for Kaizer Chiefs and Diego Maradona for Argentina, Gambo highlights the transformative power of a single, extraordinary talent. He asserts that great teams are not built by waiting for talent to come to them, but by proactively seeking out those who can elevate the entire group. Gambo’s message is a bold reminder that success often requires valuing unique individual gifts as much as collective efforts, and that a leader’s greatest enemy can be their own fear of being overshadowed. This excerpt serves as a powerful call to action for anyone seeking to build a winning and competitive team.
When u seek to run or have a winning and competitive team, and you get word of extraordinarily gifted individuals who can help you achieve your goals, you have to go out there and get them. Approach them respectfully, lay out your plans succinctly and ask them respectfully if they would like to be a part of that project.
You do NOT say “Let THEM come to us, we dont need them.” Learn from the Teenage Dladla example.
When Kaizer Chiefs heard about this lanky gifted player they immediately despatched the late Ewert Nene to sign him. Tragically Nene lost his life after signing a player who helped transform Chiefs into a powerhouse and top sports brand in SA.
If you want to build a successful team you cannot let your ego stand in the way of your goals. Diego Maradona had to be fetched from far and wide to make sure Argentina won tournaments. Those sent to fetch him never asked “Who does he think he is?” Nor did they say “He is just like all the other players so why must he be treated like a king.” That is thinking like a fruitcake and u will be the main destroyer of your own dreams.
Gifts are rare and you do NOT get two Maradonnas in one lifetime. Even his team mates told coach Cesar Menotti once that “with Diego we WILL win the World Cup and they did.” They knew he was their leader. At his command they gel and play like they lost their minds.
That is why we should value exceptional individual gifts as much as we do collective team ones. The problem today is that weak leaders choose weaker people that will pose no threat to their own positions instead of going out to get what the team needs. That is why some fail and others succeed. Don’t let your own insecurity, ego or fear sabotage your chances of success. An exceptionally gifted person will remain just that even if you dont like them. So swallow yr tennis ball and get off your high horse. if the team needs them, go get them and learn to manage the genius instead of trying to minimize them.
Written by Kenni Gambo from the book How to Achieve Your Dreams 2025. Copyrighted and Published by Koolooma Publishing.
