Not Just Lonely At The Top; It’s Hot Up There | Ganiu Bamgbose, PhD

You’ll think it’s only lonely at the top as Asake confirmed. It’s equally hot and stressful at the top. The top is demanding. If anything, the persons you know at the top deserve your compassion, love, support and prayer.

It is often easy for us to say our friend who is now a commissioner has become proud, our sibling who is now a superstar does not take our calls regularly, our mentee who is now a vice chancellor does not do our bidding. But it is frankly not so easy sustaining any height of life. A careless rolling on the bed gets you on the floor whereas no one falls from the floor. Life is tougher, hotter and harder once anyone begins to attain heights. Sustaining a height is almost more difficult than attaining it. We owe everyone up there some level of understanding and compassion. Your person becomes everyone’s person once they are at the top and the rule of the game demands that they answer all at that point. Your person at the top remembers you. They still love you. They too long for you. Life has just placed much more in their care.

In another short piece, I’ll discuss the need for those up there to always look back too in affection and connection. But don’t sell your brother at the top. Don’t join others to say your sister has become bad since she got a post. Remember, if your envy, backbiting or other malicious acts bring them down, you’re not likely going to replace them. They are still yours. Love and tolerate them. You might be next in their shoes.

(c) 2025 Ganiu Bamgbose, PhD

Credit | Titilope Gbadamosi (Facebook page)