With a global value of $41.2 billion as at the end of 2023, the self-help industry marshaled by motivational speakers and bestselling authors, often peddles a very simplistic formula for success: work hard, stay focused, and believe in yourself. While these principles are essential, they overlook the most important factors that significantly influence an individual's potential for success like privilege and systemic inequalities. The lady who wakes up at 4:00 AM to go to Soweto Market to order vegetables for her corner stand doesn't need to read the 5AM Club to boost her mental focus and reach peak performance. The bus driver and conductor who wake up even earlier to pick her up with other passengers, do not need to read 48 Laws of Power. The vegetable farmer who despite the drought still travels all night from Shimabala to reach Soweto Market early enough for the vegetable lady does not need to read Who Moved My Cheese. The farm worker who picks vegetables to take kids to school and cater for her livelihood doesn't need to read Rich Dad Poor Dad. Privileged people wrote these books and they often claim that poor people are poor because they do not work hard or/and aren't smart enough. They overlook the immense effort and dedication that many individuals put into their daily lives just to make ends meet and exist.
The reality is that success is not a linear journey, but depends on a number of intrinsic and extrinsic factors usually outside a person’s control. Nothing in life is liner because our existence and success is contingent of how the ecosystem react and support our journeys. For instance, a person born into a low-income household may need both hard work and a kiss from Tyche (Greek mythology) or Fortuna (Latin) or Lady Luck in accessing quality education, healthcare, and opportunities. In this article, I acknowledge what I term the social determinants of success.
One's background and the surname they carry plays a significant
role in determining their chances of success. We are all too familiar with the
concept of powerful and influential names in Zambia. There are names which are
found in every sector and everyone knows them. Unfortunately, I cannot help the
uninitiated and list these names here because I cannot afford neither a lawyer
or food whilst in police cells. But having those name alone opens doors and
gives you access to opportunities. And that group has subsets made of those
that benefited from post-independence politics and loyalty; those born into
royalty, and; those who benefited from the privatization program that happened
in the 1990s. The newest new money group got its money between 2011 and 2021.
And since life isn’t a movie and wealth doesn’t have the emotions of humans,
all these families have created a great generational wealth, education
standards and family values that are still standing today. These are names that
have controlled pretty much everything in Zambia since Independence. A familial
backdrop, thus can either provide a springboard or create obstacles to
overcome. Working hard doesn’t sort out this problem.
The second issue is the enabling environment. The ecosystem or
environment surrounding an individual can either foster or hinder their growth.
While working in the Pondo area of Chama district, I encountered a boy (let’s
call him John Doe) who had been in Grade 7 for 4 consecutive years. This
wasn't due to a lack of nearby secondary schools; in fact, Chikwa Boarding
School was only about 10 to 20 kilometers away. However, his family lacked the
resources to send him there. What made his situation particularly heartbreaking
was that he was the best student in his class, consistently acing the Grade 7
exams each year. Still in Chama and now in Sitwe of Chief Kambombo,
a young boy who was a community school teacher and grade 4 girl (let’s call her
Jane Doe) who was his student decided to elope. When asked why they did that,
the girl boldly stated that she is the one who initiated the relationship
because she wanted to be respected in the community as a ‘Mrs Teacher’ and she
felt she was to dull to be in school. Now, both Jane and John were hard workers
in every definition of the word. But the environments were not supportive, in
fact the environments were an anchor tied to their respective ankles dragging them down
the abyssal plain. Even the great escapologist Harry Houdini would find it hard
to escape in such an environment. Things like access to quality community
support and mentorship can provide the necessary tools and resources to help
individuals thrive. Conversely, systemic barriers can stifle potential no
matter how hard one works or the exuberance they exhibit.
The last but not the least thing I want to talk about is network
or connections. Who you know can be just as important as what you know because
in addition to doing everything already discussed above, it can enhance
credibility and reputation. Motivational speakers will say building and leveraging a network requires
intentional effort. But connections are influenced by factors outside one's control,
such as socioeconomic status or geographic location. For instance,
individuals from affluent backgrounds may have more opportunities to attend prestigious
schools, join exclusive clubs, or participate in high-profile events where they
can meet influential people. The digital age has introduced new dynamics to
networking inequalities because digital networking still requires access to
technology like a smartphone and the internet even a SoChe Bundle, which is a
barrier to Zambians since 60% of us are poor.
Let me conclude by stating that when I find a motivational book or speaker who doesn’t use the oversimplified "work hard and succeed" narrative, someone who acknowledges the social determinants of success, maybe I will start listening to them. A motivational speaker who acknowledges that a person from a low-income background may face limited access to quality education, which affects their network and future opportunities. Someone that acknowledges that an individual with a disability may encounter environmental barriers, limiting their access to resources and social connections. Success is not solely the result of individual effort. No. The background, enabling environment, and connections, while not exhaustive, play a significant role in shaping our outcomes.
“'If wealth was the inevitable result of hard work and enterprise, every woman in Africa would be a millionaire.”
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