Workplace Multiplier by Tola Akinsulire

May 20, 2025

Welcome to the Workplace Multiplier newsletter. Published Monday to Friday, equipping you to achieve your professional goals faster and without burnout or overwhelm by leveraging The Triple Win Method.

Why I Gave Away My Own Wedding Gift

When I was younger, I read a book with advice that stuck with me for life.

The father told his son, "If you want to stand out, go into a profession known for dishonesty and be the honest man there."

I loved the context of the advice. No…I'm not talking about looking for a dishonest profession. The substance of the advice is this: raise your standards above what everyone else lives by.

By doing that, you become the new standard that others aspire to reach.

Setting Your Own Bar

To become a standard, you must first define your personal standards and live by them consistently, even when it looks unusual or goes unrecognized.

Let me share a tale from my not-too-distant past.

Many years ago, when I had my wedding, a business counterparty I'd worked with on a project decided to give me a cash gift as my wedding present.

There's no problem with that, right?

Well, for me, there was a potential issue. My company had a policy that any cash or non-cash gift valued above ₦5,000 received in the course of our duties needed to be declared. I received a gift 10 times that amount.

This wasn't technically given "in the course of my duties." I was having a wedding, and someone decided to celebrate my special day with a generous gift.

It seemed acceptable. Maybe to others.

But I went to the Human Resources department to tell them what had happened. I was instructed to pay the money into the company's charity pool for the end-of-year outreach.

And no, I did not get any "thumbs up" for that decision.

But it built my capacity to choose actions aligned with my personal standards, standards higher than what was commonly expected.

Living Beyond the Minimum

I am not trying to live up to the standards around me. I am living up to the standards I set for myself.

This is what I invite you into today: Choose to live by standards consistent with your highest ideals and values, probably higher than what you commonly see at work.

When you become the standard, you transform not just your own work experience but potentially your entire workplace.

Keep winning at work and in life.

Tola Akinsulire

Your Strategic Workplace Mentor

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Want to get in on some of the lessons I have picked up in my career? Get my eBook "21 Lessons I Learned in My Career - A Primer to Help You Become Better at Work". Get it here

Do you work in a new country, or does your work involve working with people outside your country? Get my acclaimed book "Winning Beyond Borders: Achieving Success at Work in a New Country". Get it here

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