I looked up with a resigned expression, my spirit weighed down like an anchor in a storm. My thoughts clashed like thunderclouds in my mind. I was seated across the one man no one dared cross—the stern, unflinching Chairman of Hearings at the bank that had once been the platform of my rising star.
But now? Now it was the scene of what I believed to be my professional funeral.
It was a moment that didn’t just shake my world—it rewrote my story. That is the day I met my turning point.
You see, I wasn’t sitting there because I had missed a deadline or miscalculated a decimal. I was there because I had become too big for the system to ignore. I was the loudest voice in a storm of voices. The chief architect behind what would go down as the most crippling strike in the bank’s history. My name didn’t just circulate—it echoed through every corridor, boardroom, and breakroom. Depending on who you asked, I was either a hero of justice or a saboteur of order.
I wore the title “champion of workers’ rights” like a badge of honor. But behind the passion burned a dangerous fire—one that didn’t just illuminate truth but scorched everything in its path.
And now, here I was. The fire had become smoke. My battle cry had become a whisper. I was ready to kiss my beloved career goodbye.
I had overstepped, and there was no denying it. I hadn’t just pushed boundaries—I had trampled over them. By every rule in the book, I was ripe for dismissal. The verdict felt inevitable, and strangely, I was prepared to embrace it.
But then, something happened. Something that would change me forever.
Chairman Mhlanga—the man whose name alone sent shivers down spines—did the unthinkable.
He looked at me with eyes that didn’t just see a troublemaker. They saw potential. He leaned in, not with the force of judgment, but with the calm of wisdom. And then he said words that still echo in my soul today:
“You have tremendous influence. You are young. What you need is not punishment. What you need is redirection.”
And just like that, the hammer of judgment never fell. Instead, grace reached out and pulled me back from the edge.
That was the day I met my turning point.
That single act of unexpected mercy shook me to my core. It disrupted the narrative I had written for myself. It forced me to ask the questions I had long ignored:
Was I using my voice to build or to break? Was I driven by ego or by purpose? Was I leading with light or with heat?
From that moment, something shifted within me. I didn’t just change—I evolved.
I began studying not only the mechanics of leadership but the power of attitude. I came to discover that attitude isn’t just a posture—it’s a force. It shapes decisions, defines influence, and ultimately crafts destiny. My reflections, failures, and breakthroughs gave birth to a book that would transform many lives:
“Success Is an Attitude—Let’s Meet at the Top.”
But that book was more than just pages and print. It was my confession. My transformation. My calling card to purpose.
Since then, I have coached, mentored, and empowered thousands—business leaders, aspiring entrepreneurs, church ministers, young professionals, and dreamers who needed to believe again. I have helped many move from being reactive to being responsible, from being toxic movers and shakers to transformational trailblazers.
Today, I sit at tables I once thought I would never reach. I receive recognition I never dreamed of. I am honored to be seen as a leadership voice across nations. And yet, none of that matters more than what happened in that small, silent room many years ago.
Because that was where the revolution in my life began.
And later, I discovered something else—Chairman Mhlanga was a Christian man. A follower of Jesus Christ, the ultimate leader. The accused who stood before the powers of this world and yet emerged as the victorious Saviour. The one who turned judgment into grace, and execution into elevation.
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That’s when it all made sense.
Today, I too am a follower of Jesus Christ. I don’t just stand in boardrooms—I sit in His presence. I understand now what it means when people speak of the God of second chances—and third, and fourth, and more.
He didn’t just save my job.
He ignited the revolution of my life.
If you’re reading this and you feel like you’ve hit rock bottom—if you’ve crossed lines, burned bridges, or feel written off by the world—I want to say this to you:
You can always pick up the broken pieces and begin again.
No matter how far you’ve fallen, you are not beyond redemption. You may feel unqualified, disqualified, or forgotten. But remember:
With Jehovah God, all things are possible.
Never write anyone off. Not even yourself. You’re not their God—and they’re not yours. The story isn’t over until He says it is.
So rise up.
Wipe the tears.
Dust off the shame.
Let the bells of heaven ring as you step forward with renewed hope.
Get up, stand up, and move forward.
The road to purpose awaits.
The best version of you is not behind—it’s still ahead.
Dr Ted Msipa is Pastor, Author, Visionary, Entrepreneur and Public Speaker based in Maseru, Lesotho. He is a leading voice in leadership, personnel development, organisational thinking, transformational leader and people builder in sub-Sahara Africa and Beyond. He writes here in his personal capacity and views shared here do not necessarily reflect those of Africa News 24. Dr Ted can be reached on Coachted117@gmail.com or on +266 63177309.
