Will you choose comfort or growth? — by Bayo Adeyinka

About two weeks ago, a junior colleague sat with me in my office as he sought counsel. He had just moved to a role that stretched him. He was scared as he hadn’t settled in well. He was thinking of moving to a less ‘stressful’ role. The thought of not meeting his numbers kept him awake at night.

I listened to him as he shared his fears with me. I asked him a few questions about what he would do if he had a choice. He mentioned a particular role. I asked him what future did he see staying on his preferred role- what are the options for growth or career advancement? He couldn’t answer.

I shared my story with him. In 2009/2010, I saw an advert for a role in Lagos when I was a Branch Manager in Ibadan and decided to apply. After my application, the HR lady called me to find out why I wanted to leave Ibadan. I told her I wanted growth. I had plateaued in that city. There was really nothing inspiring me to push for more. The opportunity for advancement was limited. I felt I had ‘outgrown’ the location. Inwardly, I was dying.

The HR lady asked if I had ever worked in Lagos. I hadn’t-except for some short training stints. But I told her I was willing to give it all it takes. The folks working in Lagos don’t have two heads. She then dropped the bombshell- the location I applied for in Lagos was very challenged. It was a loss-making branch for years. I told her I was willing to take it. What is this life without taking a risk at least for once in your life? If you take a risk and you don’t succeed-at least you will have experience.

After my interview for the role, the HR lady told me she would leave my previous role in Ibadan vacant for 3 months so I could go back if I changed my mind. I know she meant well- she’s one of the very best HR personnel I’ve met in my career. Sometimes, it’s good for people to under-rate your capacity. You can come back and shock them pleasantly.

In Ibadan then, I lived in a 3-bedroom bungalow with a BQ at Ashi. My rent was N100,000 per annum. Yes, that’s correct. My compound was so big it could accommodate at least 30 cars. It was a beautiful compound with flowers and a pine tree in the middle of the premises. While in Ibadan then, I had never consciously saved to pay rent. I just paid when it was due. It was my comfort zone. I closed from work and was usually home before 7pm to watch my favourite shows on cable. Life was good or so it seemed.

When I moved to Lagos, I couldn’t afford to rent my own place. Since I requested for the redeployment, I wasn’t paid any relocation allowance. I moved at my own cost. I started squatting with a very close friend of mine at Ikosi-Ketu. He and his wife accommodated me for six months. It was from their house that I went to work at Apapa. And every weekend, I went back to Ibadan. My rent was still running. Imagine going to Ibadan by road every Friday evening and coming back to Lagos on Sunday night without fail for 6 months!

It was after six months that I was able to save some money to rent a studio apartment at Yaba. The amount I paid for the studio apartment was equivalent to seven years rent in Ibadan. It stretched me. The studio apartment- where I cooked in my living room and had just a bedroom- was a far cry to the comfortable life I had in the massive 3-bedroom bungalow in Ibadan.

When I resumed at Apapa, I reviewed the situation and it was really bad. I decided to go to work. During the day, I went round every street in Apapa and mapped them out. I would look at the signages, list the businesses where possible, knock on doors to get information and arranged all the streets in my diary. There was no Google maps then. The best we had was Yellow Pages. I shared the list with my Relationship Officers the next day for them to go after the prospects. Till date, I have the map of Apapa in my head. Those were the days Apapa had massive traffic from all the construction over the place. The earliest I closed from work was 11pm. Sometimes, I stayed at a place called Kingstine Jo for traffic to ease. By 6am, I was on my way to work. It was a very tough period for me. I was even shot by a robber in traffic during that period.

Long story short, we turned around the situation at Apapa. In a few months, we turned the corner to profitability. I shared part of this story in my book 40 Lessons I Learnt Along The Way and how I had an eureka moment while meditating. My team became so motivated that they could pull through any deal. They became warriors and I’m still very proud of what we achieved.

That achievement in Apapa was also the turning point in my career. It gave me a trajectory I never expected. I was redeployed to Victoria Island and history is still unfolding.

I shared this story with the young man who wanted my counsel. Do you want comfort or you want growth? Staying in your comfort zone is alluring but it will wear off shortly when you see others applying themselves and making significant progress. Growth comes with pain but it doesn’t leave you the same.

Comfort or growth? The choice is yours.

–Adeyinka is a banker and a senior executive at Fidelity Bank