In my opinion, conflict resolution is the single most important relationship dynamic amongst friends, lovers and business partners. My conflict model is “instant clearing”. If you offend me I’m telling you. I don’t let it fester.

In fact I can start “clearing you” only to find out I’m wrong and the conversation will end in “ohh shit I’m sorry”. But if my relationship with you only allows issues to fester... it usually never ends well. Same goes for business- clear out your issues as they arise.

Best time to get into conflict with potential business partners is in the beginning. Get it out early before $M are invested. I once tried to buy an MFB from a not-so-gentleman. After taking our money he demanded that I repaired his car because it got damaged...

When he went to for a meeting to sign some documents pertaining to the transaction. He had been paid for a bank. He wanted 400k more to repair his car & was willing to scuttle the transaction. I felt my hand reach for his throat- & in that moment I knew this partnership wont work

For a month after he sent me text messages “the blood of Osoba has been placed at the foot of the mountain”. He sent this to my phone religiously everyday. He probably forgot I was from Benin. This kind of person can assasinate u based on a perceived infraction. Bad for business.

I pulled out of another transaction a few days ago because the person told me they needed huge sums within a week. I knew my partners and I needed more time. So I declined extremely politely and explained that since he and committed offers already I wouldn’t want to string him on

& he should take their money as he claimed. What followed my message to him was a flurry of abuses. This older man was seemingly one of the most cultured people I had ever met. The insults not so much. I chucked it up to being bipolar & moved on. Again, better early than later

I saw similar signs when I entered into a transaction with another man many years ago. But I was young, naive, broke and inexperienced. I hadn’t paid salary for 5months and my people were hanging on by a thread. In hindsight I should have let the company die. I didn’t.

I’m paying for that blunder right now. One day he told me that I was “nothing but an Ant to elephant”. I knew it was time to brace up for a long fight. My big bro @asemota said something to me in passing- “only do business with your peers”. Best advice ever.

Your peers aren’t only your mates. They are people who are like you and have similar principles as you. This is a fundamental truth in business. My former Oga Toyin Subair said one day of the late MD of GTB. He said “I like that man. He can tell you No with a glass of champagne”.