Lessons from My Father — A Reflection on Leadership & Values | James Akaba

Leadership is not announced; it is earned quietly through consistency, integrity, and service.

As a teenager during the Christmas break, my father invited me to accompany him to his workplace. In a polygamous home with many siblings, that moment of personal attention was rare and unforgettable.

We woke before dawn and walked nearly two hours through hilly roads to the Institute of Zootechnical Research (IRZ), where my father joined others for the routine agronomy and pastoral activities. By sunrise, dozens of workers waited as the supervisor prepared to read the list of those selected for the most demanding and rewarding assignment of the day in another field far away. Selection was not random; it was reserved for those who had proven themselves through discipline and commitment.

When the list was read, my father’s name was missing. Before anyone else at the top could react, the workers spoke with one voice: “Akaba! Akaba! Akaba!”

The supervisor paused, exclaimed, acknowledged the omission, and added my father’s name, so we could join the wagon for the expedition. That moment defined leadership for me.

At Open Dreams, we believe that leadership is not about titles or proximity to power. It is about how you work when no one is watching, how you treat others, and how your consistency builds trust.

True leadership creates advocates and admirers. When you lead with values, even in your absence, your work speaks for you. Your name becomes your credential. And your legacy can open doors for others, strengthen communities, and inspire others.

This is the kind of leadership Open Dreams seeks to cultivate: earned, ethical, community-rooted, and enduring.

... Inspired by Barack Obama's classic: "Dreams from My Father" (1995), a deeply personal memoir about identity, race, family, and belonging, which traces Obama’s early life, his relationship with his absent father, and his search for meaning.