IN diplomacy and politics the saying is quite true that there are no permanent enemies but permanent interests. What this means is that people and leaders can change their alliances and the company they keep based on new realities and facts. It is the same thing as saying that politicians and leaders should be flexible and pragmatic in reacting to new events and situations and need not be unnecessarily rigid on political situations and circumstances as they arise. Nevertheless if leaders switch positions too often and cannot hold any opinion for any length of time they are deemed as chameleonic and unreliable. Such leaders invariably generate and create credibility problems for themselves which negatively affect their authority, especially amongst their followers. Today we look at global leadership in terms of credibility, authority and legitimacy in the light of global events and news in the last one week and pass judgment on the decisions and actions of world leaders in their various spheres of operations, and decision making. In this context we use the NLC strike in Nigeria on fuel price increase from 86 naira to 145 naira as a case study. We also look at the US presidential campaign and the utterances and credibility of the political actors on the scene. We then sift through the Brexit arguments in Britain and scrutinize the credibility of the two sides as they argue to convince the British people on whether Britain will benefit or lose by staying or leaving the EU in a referendum slated for June this year. Let us go back to the strike on the fuel price increase called by the Nigerian Labor Congress which from all indications has failed because workers have ignored the call not to go to work as the NLC ordered. Worse still the TUC did not go along with the strike which indeed was called by a faction of the NLC. This simply means that the NLC lacked credibility with Nigerian workers or else they would not disobey its orders so brazenly and so massively. In simple terms the NLC’s authority on the matter can be said to be in shambles perhaps because of the factionalisation of its leadership or because of other leadership voices that the workers listened to, to defy their union leadership and I can point out two such voices. The first is Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who asked Nigerians to bear the pain and yoke of the price increase as it was something that has to be done anyway if Nigeria was to move forward economically. The second leadership voice was Mr Kwokori the former NUPENG leader against fuel price increase who in an interview last Sunday asked Nigerians to bear the pain and not take to the streets as he led them in the past. There is no doubt that the NLC strike has failed so far because workers believed these two leaders who had led such protests in the past. In effect they had credibility with the workers even though their authority is not formal as that of the NLC over the workers who disobeyed its directive. Kwokori’s informal authority was his reputation as a worthy leader who fought for the masses on such fuel hike in the past at great risk to his life. Asiwaju Tinubu’s authority was the mandate he secured for his party that made success possible for the APC in the 2015 elections and the fact that he has always been on the side of the Nigerian people even though he has no position in today’s formal APC government. Tinubu has deftly and politically manipulated empathy and understanding for an unpopular government decision and he could only have done it because the people have given him credibility arising from the successful role he played in securing the presidency for his party in the 2015 presidential elections. Tinubu has used his political stature in industrial relations to thwart the authority of the NLC and the NLC has an uphill task in regaining that authority for the foreseeable future unless it finds a way to reclaim its jaded leadership credibility. Our second case is that of the US presidential campaign in which it is becoming apparent that Donald Trump of the Republican Party will have to face Hillary Clinton of the Democratic Party for the Presidential elections this year. Yet it is clear that Donald Trump has a credibility problem having changed his positions and opinions on several issues including banning Muslims from entering the US and building a wall to bar Mexicans from entering the us. In spite of this Trump has garnered over 11m votes in his presidential quest. Far more than any Republican presidential candidate in US history as acknowledged by House of Representatives Speaker Ryan, also a Republican who refused to endorse Trump still, in spite of that fact. Which means that Trump’s popularity has not made him a credible candidate with the Speaker who is the highest ranking elected Republican in the US. Yet again in spite of Trump’s lack of credibility with the US public or his party leadership the masses of Republican voters love him and a poll has shown that these voters want the party leadership to endorse him as the party’s presidential candidate even before the convention in July. What the Trump leadership phenomenon has shown is that in politics it is the people who decide who their leaders will be in any democracy. They also decide who to elect, who to obey, ignore or disobey as the NLC strike has so vividly demonstrated. With regard to the Brexit issue in Britain there is no doubt that credibility is very much at stake. The Prime Minister David Cameron wants Britain to stay and has been speaking eloquently on that and has even said he has no apologies if he is accused of using government money in that regard. But those who want Britain to leave are equally credible leaders like the former Mayor of London Boris Johnson who likened the EU to an attempt by its creators and champions to recreate the Ancient Roman Empire which it said collapsed from the weight of its expansion and size. Those who want Britain to go it alone also point to the exploits of Hitler and Napoleon and wonder why such ambitions which ended in tragedy for Europe can be allowed to continue in the form of the present EU. Undoubtedly the EU debate will be decided by the arguments and credibility of the exponents on both the quit or stay divide. To me it is a robust lesson on leadership, articulation, and credibility although as in any democracy it is the people who will decide who to believe at the end of the day when they cast their vote in the referendum next month. That really is the essence of democracy in spite of its many ups and downs and apparent inconsistencies in leadership, credibility and authority.
Tag: leadership
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Develop leadership skills now, pupils told
A teen motivator, Mr Mattew Ebare, has charged pupils of Wellspring Secondary School, Omole Phase two on the advantages of building leadership skills from their teenage years.
Ebare addressed the pupils at the school premises through ‘Real star leaders club”, a leadership oriented group with the objective of raising a new generation of leaders.
Participants were advised to cultivate the different traits and skills of leadership which will eventually ripen and be useful whenever they are given leadership positions.
“A leader will see an opportunity and pursue it to the end. He is someone who sees the end from the beginning. He pursues what he sees through self-denial, denying instant gratification for future reward”, Ebare said.
He said the kind of leadership that is commonplace in Nigeria lacks good intent, knowledge and motives, adding that leaders are not culpable but the society which failed to develop the right traits in them from their tender ages.
He said: “It is not surprising that our leaders betray public trust by breaking the law, rules and order. They are found in financial and sexual scandals and other vices.”
He added that leadership determines the direction of the society hence the need for our leaders to be nation builders as their decisions either make or mar the society they lead.
“Society has produced good leaders without conviction, powerful leaders without morals or integrity. We have people who have led us without conscience. Leadership is about leaving footprint for the next generation,”Ebare added.
Principal of the school, Mrs Yemisi Oloriade, said the programme was to enlighten the pupils on how good character can mould them to be better leaders.
She said: “Character is something that you cannot see but you can feel its impact. A leader with morality and values is one with character. Character helps somebody not to defile himself.”
An SS2 Pupil of the school, Mary Akhimien said: “I have learnt to explore my feelings and thoughts. I have learnt how to use my weakness and temperament to my advantage.”
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‘National Assembly leadership crisis not well handled’
Alhaji Tijani Musa Tunmsa was the Interim National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In this interview with Tony Akowe, Tunmsa speaks on a number of issues affecting the party and other national issues. Excerpts
In the next few days, the APC will be one year as a ruling party. How would you access the performance of the party so far?
Normally, when you are trying to transform a system that has been there for a while, you find challenges. There is usually resistance to change and transformational things. This is not uncommon in the world stage of politics and so, I believe that by the time we cross this threshold of a year and the transformational programmes start to take place, the general public in Nigeria will understand what the party has been trying to put in place. Right now, it is getting to be a situation whereby an opposition party is transiting to governance. When that happens, there are some teething problems that normally occur and this is what we are seeing unfolding right now. However, I have every confidence that as the period extends, the opinion polls will begin to shift and they will rise in trajectory with the delivery of the party and its programmes.
One of the areas people have tried to pick holes in the administration of the APC is economic management. People believe that not much was done in this area except for the anti corruption fight. What would you say has been the economic direction of the APC-led government in the last one year?
You can see that the leakages have been blocked and with that, the economic balance has begun to hit base for a substantial progression, particularly on the issue of devaluation, which has been burning. I think that the government is on the right track by trying to maintain our currency the way it is so that it can grow in converse with how really the true picture of our economy is. Debasing our currency does not translate to economic growth. The singular product that we have for sale, which is oil, is not a sufficient reason to have your currency devalued, given the fact that a lot of people do not really depend on this foreign exchange and access to foreign currency. If you take the example of Argentina, Venezuela and Zimbabwe, if debasing the currency were to be the solution, these countries would have progressed tremendously. Certainly, devaluing the currency is not a solution.
One of the cardinal principles of the Buhari government is the fight against corruption and we can attest to the fact that this is ongoing. But there are those who believe that the fight is only targeted at members of the PDP. What is your take on this?
I think it is over blotted because what you have is a previous government structure that involved a lot of people in corruption. If we go forward and there is substantial period of time spent by the APC in governance and there are people who are corrupt, that will also be looked into. But as it is now, my understanding is that if you are in government in the previous years and you are involved in transactional misrepresentation or corruption, it is only fair that you get questioned for those things. Even as it is right now, it is not everybody that is being investigated yet. So, the basket is just too large and so, you have to pick those that come to mind immediately and begin to deal with it. Don’t forget that our capacity at law enforcement and investigating corruption has also been corrupted over the previous years. So, this is what has to happen now and when they say it is selective, it is a way of discrediting the exercise and put in people’s mind that it is truly selective. But of course, the corruption was also done selectively.
You were the pioneer National Secretary of the APC. There is a lot of concern right now that the unity in the party is seriously shaken to the extent that some of the national officers are not allowed to perform their functions. What do you think is responsible for this?
I have not been able to get a picture of what you just described. I do understand that there are party dynamics that happened whenever a coalition comes into being. As they say, there is a thesis, an antithesis and there is a synthesis. We are now getting into a synthesis where everybody will now be woven into one. Whatever comes out of this synthesis is the new APC.
One issue that people felt was not well handled by the party after its inauguration last year was the emergence of leaders for the National Assembly. As a former Secretary of the party, what would you have done differently if you were in charge of the affairs of the party?
I will not say that anything would have been particularly handled differently. I agree with you that the issue of the National Assembly was probably not well handled; it was not handled with the same thought process like it should have so that we avoid the crisis in the first place. I will decline to tell you if I would have handled it differently or not, given the fact that I don’t know what the particular situation was at that time. But it was obvious to everybody that it was not handled appropriately.
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A case for transformational leadership
In 1973, James Downton, an American sociologist coined the term ‘transformational leadership’ in his book “Rebel Leadership: Commitment and Charisma in a Revolutionary Process.” Five years later, James MacGregor Burns took it steps further in his 1978 book on leadership during his expanded study of political leadership. This term is now widely used in organizational psychology as well.
Burns described it not as a set of specific behaviours, but rather an ongoing process by which “leaders and followers raise one another to higher levels of morality and motivation.” Transformational leaders therefore offer a purpose that transcends short-term goals and focuses on higher order intrinsic needs.
Burns was one of the first scholars to assert that true leadership not only creates change and achieves goals within the environment, but changes the people involved in the necessary actions for the better as well: both followers and leaders are ennobled. He became famous among alternative leadership scholars because his model of transformational leadership included an ethical/moral dimension that – prior to 1978 – had not been infused into any leadership theory.
Today, even the most casual observer of our country knows we’ve been having serious challenges in the area of leadership for decades because of our understanding of what leadership entails. To some of our so called leaders – both past and present – waste is part and parcel of leadership. Now that we are in an economic dire strait adjusting to current realities is proving difficult. But adjust we must, which is why I’m making a case for transformational leadership today.
Transformational Leadership has evolved from and contains elements of preceding leadership types. There are four components of transformational leadership: Charisma or idealised influence. This is the degree to which the leader behaves in admirable ways that cause followers to identify with such leader. Charismatic leaders display convictions, take stands and appeal to followers on an emotional level. This is about the leader having a clear set of values and demonstrating them in every action thus providing a role model for their followers.
A key component in this regard is genuine trust which must be built between leaders and followers. Trust – for both leader and follower is built on a solid moral and ethical foundation. A charismatic leader must also inspire. Inspirational motivation refers to the degree to which the leader articulates a vision that is appealing and inspiring to followers. Leaders with inspirational motivation challenge followers with high standards, communicate optimism about future goals, and provide meaning for the task at hand.
On the other hand, followers need to have a strong sense of purpose if they are to be motivated to act. It is also important that this visionary aspect of leadership be supported by communication skills that allow the leader to articulate his or her vision with precision and power in a compelling and persuasive way.
It is instructive to note that for a leader to be charismatic he or she must be stimulated intellectually. With this, the leader challenges assumptions, takes risks and solicits followers’ ideas. Leaders with this trait stimulate and encourage creativity in their followers. The leader’s vision provides the framework for followers to see how they connect to the leader. Once they have this big picture view and are allowed freedom from convention they can creatively overcome any obstacles in the way of the mission.
So how does a transformational leader work? He begins with awareness – awareness of his own thoughts and feelings, and how these affect our actions, and the states of others. As our awareness grows, we begin to see our own inner motivating force, what drives us – our passions and values – and how these affect our thoughts, feelings and actions, and that of others. As we become more aware our perception increases, and we are able to choose actions that directly meet the needs of the situation and people around us.
I’m making a case for transformational leadership because it is about leading with an integrity and authenticity mindset that resonates with others, and inspires them to follow. Not only does it inspire others to follow, but to become leaders themselves. This approach to leadership takes us from a constricting model of competition between individuals, teams or nations, to a connection with the whole of a situation, and leadership for the good of all.
What are the characteristics of this leader of change? What is it about certain leaders that enables them to successfully lead their country or organisations through change? They are often patriots who are inspired in their heart and mind, and show it. They put the interest of their nation first and often weigh the long term implications of their actions. They are conscious of themselves, the world and the people around them without losing touch of reality.
Fundamentally, they must have a vision and communicate it with passion and purpose. The late Lee Kwan Yew of Singapore is a classic example. He paid personal attention to others in a way that engages them and generates trust and commitment; he genuinely cared about them, what they want, and how he can serve them. It was therefore not surprising that the country rose from the status of being a third to a first world in less than three decades.
I need to point out here that we don’t have a one size fits all scenario when discussing transformational leadership. The key word is authenticity. What works in Singapore, for instance, may not work in Nigeria. Why has the capitalist system that succeeds in other countries not succeeding in Nigeria? We tried our hands in a mixed economic system for decades and it took us nowhere. Now that the country is gradually transiting to a full blown capitalist economy, most people are resisting the change because capitalism has “no human face.”
So what is the ‘magical ingredient’ to leading that makes it work? Anyone that has ever attempted to create anything worthwhile knows that it is often challenging. If it were easy, there would be little transformation of the person involved to create the result. It is often in the process and the journey that we ourselves transform, and that becomes the main reason why we succeed. We develop our own unique and special way of doing and being that really works, and creates the results we are looking for. Often a setback on a project can trigger a decision to do what it takes, pay the price, and get it right.
This is what I see in most Nigerians today. We know leadership has failed us hence our optimism in Muhammadu Buhari who brought one key component you can’t buy with money to the table: Trust. Why would Nigerians endure months of fuel scarcity with stoic perseverance? Times are really tough with Nigerians stretched to their limit, but it is reassuring to have a leader who says he feels our pains. That ray of hope can keep millions going if the vision is continuously well articulated and communicated.
Leadership plays a crucial role in the development of any society; a look at the leadership structure of a society says a whole lot about that society. Let’s take three Southern African nations as a brief case study to drive home the importance of leadership. South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia all share a common thread of history; they were at a point ruled by whites with vocal and militant black opposition movements in tow. In South Africa we had the ANC, in Namibia there was the SWAPO and in Zimbabwe there was ZANU-PF. All these liberation movements later transformed into political parties after self-rule was actualised and they rule the countries to date.
While South Africa and Namibia were able to rise above the bitterness and oppression of colonial rule and domination to make headway into the 21st century, Zimbabwe remains a basket case of monumental failure, all because of leadership. Is Muhammadu Buhari our version of transformational leader? If he is not; will he, in the end raise one? Time will tell.
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Comparative politics, leadership and security
I am very much in the mood for comparative politics today given the myriad of stories I came across both locally and abroad during the week. I have tried to look at the stories from the leadership perspective as well as from the grass root. I have also found time to muse from the realm of security and its implications for those in the industry not only in terms of being in uniform and the braided hat but also those in the business of procuring arms and ammunition both locally and abroad . So join me in my Odyssey today.
Let me start with the sickening news from Abbottabad in Pakistan where 15 men have been charged with the murder of a16 year old girl who was allegedly beaten, poisoned and tied to a cart and dragged on the ground till she died on the orders of the elders of the village in which she lived. Her crime was that she helped a couple to elope which was against the tradition of the place and this was supposed to be an honor killing . Even her mother has been arrested because she had the information that the elders were coming for the girl buy did nothing to alert or help her escape.
The second story is the lamentation of a Northern body that wondered how Nigerians expect the herdsmen to feed their over 20million cows that have to graze when they had been driven from the North East by Boko Haram and from the major North West towns and cities by cattle rustlers and all Nigerians eat meat daily. This was supposed to be a defence of the incursion of Fulani herdsmen into the farmlands of the Southern part of the country where they have raped and killed and destroyed the crops of the farmers in their wake .In addition a state governor on behalf of the Northern Governors said it was an insult to call the herdsmen Fulani . The third is the news is that Julius Malema the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters in S Africa is suspected of instigating the army to topple the government of S Africa headed by President Jacob Zuma who was heckled in Parliament he presented the budget and opposition members were bundled physically out of Parliament in the ensuing confusion. One Opposition member was quoted as saying that Zuma had been condemned by the courts for misuse of public funds and should not be asking for more money to misuse.
. This was supposed to be a defence of the incursion of Fulani herdsmen into the farmlands of the Southern part of the country where they have raped and killed and destroyed the crops of the farmers in their wake .In addition a state governor on behalf of the Northern Governors said it was an insult to call the herdsmen Fulani . The third is the news is that Julius Malema the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters in S Africa is suspected of instigating the army to topple the government of S Africa headed by President Jacob Zuma who was heckled in Parliament he presented the budget and opposition members were bundled physically out of Parliament in the ensuing confusion . One Opposition member was quoted as saying that Zuma had been condemned by the courts for misuse of public funds and should not be asking for more money to misuse .
The fourth event was the reported reluctance of the highest ranking elected Republican Party official Paul Ryan , Speaker of the US House of Representatives and two former Republican Party presidents to endorse Donald Trump , the only remaining Republican presidential candidate for the US presidential elections in November for various reasons we shall discuss later .
It is obvious that we have a delicious dish of extraordinary events for analysis in such way that we can learn lessons to live peacefully not only locally but also globally as the world has indeed become a global village as the modern saying goes. We therefore start with the Pakistan horror story on the 16 year old girl burnt to death on the orders of the village elders . It is barbaric act that can not be ascribed to the stone age or anytime or place of human existence. It makes a mockery of the concept of ethnocentrism which allows any culture to be respected and for an individual to flatter his or herself in thinking that his or her culture is the best .Incidentally this same village Abbottabad was where US marines called Seals kidnaped Bin Laden ,the architect of 9/11 and the master mind of Al Qada .Except of course the spelling of the two places are the same. Even then while the capture of Bin Laden was the highpoint of the Obama administration fight against terrorism, it was a disgrace to the proud Pakistani Military and nation which had received enormous amount from the US government as an incentive to locate Bin Laden whose whereabout the Pakistani army had insisted it could not find. Till the Americans located the Al Qada leader in Abbottabad, near a military academy and carted him away to be buried at sea.
The only silver lining, albeit lamentably belated, on the cloudy horizon of the murdered 16 year old Pakistani girl is that the assailants have been apprehended together with her mother and they will be tried in court. The lesson to learn is that – Culture Matters – and this really is the title of a book which identifies progressive cultures that are forward looking, modern and make for human progress. As well as Regressive Cultures such as the one that allowed horror in the name of honor in Pakistan this week . Such cultures are backward looking, parochial and are averse to change in their environment and can be quite beastly as we have seen in this unfortunate case.
In the second event of seeming indignation by those insisting that the herdsmen must be allowed to graze in the Southern part of Nigerian, I think such indignation is misplaced and mischievous. It is an insult to the intelligence of Nigerians generally to say that because we all eat meat we must allow cows to eat what we plant to earn a living and feed ourselves. Nigerians are not Hindus and Nigeria is not India. This sort of attitude used to defend the actions of the herdsmen dislocates the anger of the governor who said it was and insult to call the herdsmen Fulani .Such a view point is polemic , dangerous and divisive especially on ethnic and religious lines . We should call a spade and nip this problem in the bud before it consumes us. We do not need a Donald Trump in our midst to tell us what he said Hillary Clinton and her boss the US president could not do . He said they could not call IS its real name of Islamic State until it was too late . They called it at first religious militancy , then Islamic militancy until it started creating borderless caliphates and they now saw it has become the beheading monster IS. A word is enough for the wise.
In the case of Julius Malema instigating a coup in S Africa, I do not think that is going to happen even though the ruling party ANC has accused him of treason . But then the ANC is sitting on a low moral ground and is tarnishing its own record as a political party in terms of transparency, accountability ,and collective integrity . I believe somewhere along the line the Elders of the Party will come along to tell President Zuma to vacate office to save the integrity of the ANC. Just like they did to his predecessor Thabo Mbeki who they thought was behind the corruption charges against Zuma who was his Vice President then . Now the elders know better because the chicken has come home to roost for Zuma on corruption charges and the die is cast.
The fourth issue is that of Speaker Paul Ryan refusing to endorse his party’s presidential candidate Donald Trump . His excuse was that the standard bearer of the party must respect the standards of the party . Which is a good excuse except of course for the simple fact that that does not remove Donald Trump as a presidential nominee of the Republican Party at least for now or till election time . The two former presidents that have refused to endorse him are a father and his son, George Bush Snr and George Bush Jnr who both fought wars in the Middle East from which the US is paying a huge price in terms of credibility and integrity and whose policies were roundly condemned by Donald Trump in his recent foreign policy speech . It is a clear case of sour grapes and the two presidents should be state man like and sporting enough to admit that the times have changed and they should be accommodating enough at least to save their party from total disintegration or disgrace if they do not endorse its legally elected presidential nominee .Once again long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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100 young Nigerians selected for entrepreneurship, leadership in U.S.
United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James Entwistle, says 100 young Nigerians have been selected for entrepreneurship and leadership training in the 2016 Mandela Washington Fellowship in U.S.
Entwistle, stated this in Abuja during a reception organised by the U.S. Embassy for the participants who were selected from six geo-political zones in the country and the Federal Capital Territory.
He said that the participants would participate in an intensive, six-week programme on academic excellence and leadership on business and entrepreneurship, civic leadership, public management, and renewable energy at U.S. colleges and universities.
“The Mandela Washington Fellowship is the flagship programme of the President’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and a key component of President Barack Obama’s commitment to invest in the future of Africa.
“YALI is an integral part of President Obama’s commitment to invest in the future of Africa.“The White House developed this initiative in recognition of the critical and increasing role that young Africans are playing in strengthening democratic institutions, spurring economic growth, and enhancing peace and security in Africa,” he said.
The envoy congratulated the new fellows on their competitive selection amongst 10,000 Nigerian applicants and tens of thousands of others throughout Africa.
“Our goal is to select a diverse group, both geographically and socio-economically, representing all segments of Nigeria.
“You represent the best of Nigeria’s youth and the future of the country.“Your selection says a lot about who you are as young leaders and the level of impact you are having on your communities as entrepreneurs, civic leaders, public servants, and champions of renewable energy,” he said.
He said that 86 Nigerians have participated in the Mandela Washington Fellowship since 2014.
He urged the participants to share what they learn with members of their communities upon returns.
“We hope that you will leverage the U.S. and African connections you have established to their maximum potential,” he said.
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How to Develop Exceptional Leaders
The key to exceptional leadership is understanding that Leadership is a Process.
Leadership is the most important resource needed to improve an organisation, a community or a nation. Leaders are the ones who have a vision, take initiative, motivate and develop others, and also take responsibility for outcomes. However, the true worth of a leader is in their ability to develop and create other leaders; a legacy is created only when a person puts his organisation into the position to do great things without him. Therefore, a key task for leaders/managers is to develop the next generation of leaders for their organisation.
Although corporations spend huge sums per year on training, permanent change will occur only when an organisation’s infrastructure elicits, reinforces, and even demands desired leadership behaviours. Research shows that only about 10-20% of the knowledge gained from training actually transfers to the job. The challenge and opportunity is to translate knowledge and skills into practices that actually improve organisational performance.
Roger K. Allen, Ph.D. offers some guidelines to achieve that objective. The guidelines proffered represent tested and proven ways of making desired leadership behaviours a permanent part of your organisation’s culture. The implementation of these guidelines requires deep thought and consistent hard work; leadership development is not a “quick fix”, but a process.
The Leadership Development Process
#1. Establish a culture of leadership
Clearly define what your organisation means by leadership. In order to provide excellent and consistent leadership across the organisation, it is necessary that everyone be grounded in a shared understanding of the leadership role. This knowledge forms the foundation upon which an excellent leadership team is built. It provides a foundation that will create and sustain appropriate leadership behaviour over time. This is the foundation that a leadership culture builds on.
To Do
- Create and stick to a master plan
- Establish a foundation of stability
- Establish performance requirements and core competencies for each position
#2. Set the example
In truth, actions speak louder than words. It’s not what we say that informs people about what is important and how they should behave, but rather how we act. If you want your direct reports to treat people with respect, then you must treat others with respect. If you want them to empower and allow others more authority and involvement, then you must not micro-manage but allow others more authority. If you want your managers to become proactive and focused on the important instead of always reactive and attending to the urgent, then you must find a better balance between the urgent and important.
If you don’t like what you see in your organisation’s culture, then you must look into the mirror at your own example. This requires that you continually evaluate yourselves and ask how well you have been a living example of the behaviour you want others to model.
To Do
- Create a Team Charter
- Leaders should act as a team by setting common goals, metrics, and meeting regularly to develop plans and assess how they are doing.
- Design systems to support high performance leadership behaviours
#3. Create a forum for feedback
One powerful way that leaders can hold themselves accountable is to have regular feedback sessions with employees. The purpose of these sessions is to ensure that their day-to-day practices (as well as policies, procedures, and systems) are in alignment with their espoused values and philosophy.
Feedback sessions should be scheduled for the entire year, at least on a monthly basis. Participants may be selected by some random method but every employee should participate in at least one session a year.
To Do
- Hold regular personal accountability interviews
- Request for feedback
- Create a personal leadership development plan
Building Organisational Leadership Capability
General Electric, whose motto is “imagination at work,” is famous for developing leaders who are dedicated to turning imaginative ideas into leading products and services. A GE manager can be trusted to be a strong conceptualist as well as a decisive thinker; an inclusive, competent team leader; and a confident expert in his field.
Johnson & Johnson, whose credo begins, “We believe our first responsibility is to the doctors, nurses and patients, to mothers and fathers and all others who use our products and services,” is celebrated for developing leaders who provide scientifically sound, high-quality products and services that help heal and cure disease and improve the quality of life. A J&J manager is known for being socially responsible and a stickler for product development and differentiation. She takes a product to market in a disciplined way; she is committed to building consumer trust, to product quality, and to safety.
One obvious connection between these firms and several others like them is that they consistently turn out strong leaders, such that their managers are well equipped to run other organisations. Instead of merely strengthening the abilities of individual leaders, these companies focus on building a more general leadership capability.
It Starts at the Top
It is not enough to share theory and knowledge, however correct it may be. Old habits are hard to break, especially when those habits are reinforced, albeit unintentionally, by cultural norms which are contrary to new values and behaviours. Culture change must start at the top. Not only must senior leaders clarify the kinds of practices they expect of themselves, managers, and supervisors, but they must create the processes and methods to maintain a consistent message and reinforce desired behaviours.
An African proverb says it takes a whole village to raise a child, in the same vein; it takes a whole organisation to raise a leader.
Courtesy Workforce group.
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Buhari’s leadership crucial to victory over Boko Haram, says AIG Ogunsakin
Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 12, Tunde Ogunsakin, yesterday said the political will of President Muhammadu Buhari and logistic support have assisted the military, the Police and other security agencies to win the war against Boko Haram.
He said there is no local government in the North-East that is under the control of Boko Haram insurgents.
He said the military and the police have reclaimed the Police Mobile College in Gwoza in Borno State and the flag of the Nigeria Police is already hoisted in the place.
He also confirmed that Inspector-General of Police Solomon Arase has redeployed more police officers and men to the Northeast.
Ogunsakin said Boko Haram suicide bombers have become frustrated in the last two weeks such that they have started killing themselves.
He said: “Well, I was not in the Northeast. But I can tell you that as far as I am concerned by the time I got there, President Buhari had assumed leadership of this nation.
“If the leadership is sound, the followership will equally follow suit. So, because of the leadership the President has shown to the military, the police and other security agencies, we have decimated or considerably weakened the insurgents.
“The President has given us the impetus and logistics to deal with the insurgents. You know he is somebody who wants to go to war; he is somebody who tells you and does what he tells you too.
“The impetus was there and when I went there, it was easy for me to go to all the nooks and crannies of the state with my officers and men. With the political will which the president has given, it was easy for me to follow suit. That is what I mean by leadership. If you have good leadership then the followership will be good.”
On the situation in the Northeast, Ogunsakin said: “There is no local government that is under the control of insurgents now; there is no local government that is under them. All the local governments in the Northeast as we speak now are being controlled by the Nigerian troops.
“So that is why I said the war is won. What we are now trying to do is to keep the peace. As we speak now, even the police force is taking over the control of some areas in Maiduguri and its environs.
“The police have taken over check points in Maiduguri and we have police taking over security in the mosque, in the churches and in the markets in Maiduguri.
“I can tell you that just last week, the road between Maiduguri and Biu was reopened to enable people conduct their lawful activities and businesses. The same thing applies to Damaturu-Biu road.
“Do not forget for the past four years, these roads have been impassable. “Consequent upon this, the IDPs in the seven camps in Damaturu have moved, even without prior prompting, to their towns and villages.
“Peace has returned to Biu axis and the police force is putting on a lot to ensure that the environment is conducive for these IDPs to go to their places of abode.”
Ogunsakin said the police had put measures in place to guarantee the safety of these returnee IDPs in their towns and villages.
He added:” Yes we are guaranteeing their safety. The military is still giving coverage too. You know the military has not moved out totally. The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, has redeployed more officers and men from all commands to improve on the strength of the police in the Northeast
“So the police are moving with these IDPs into those areas, they are returning to. As we move into Maiduguri and others, we still have pockets of military presence at the outskirts so that in case of any problem, they can bring the troops. But so far, we are on top of the situation.”
Regarding suicide bombing, Ogunsakin said: “In the past two weeks, the suicide bombers have been killing themselves and there has been less collateral damage to other persons and properties. I think it is just cowardly on them while running away from the military and the police.
“They are running away by trying to bring attention to themselves by going into suicide bombing.”
Responding to a question on the Police Mobile College in Gwoza, he said: “The place has been secured. I think about a month ago the DIG operations hoisted the Nigerian Police flag back there.
“We have police presence there but you know the structures have been destroyed but gradually we will rebuild it because for you to have effective training, good structures have to be put in place.”
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College floats leadership training centre
Henry Alex-Duduyemi Memorial College (HAMEC), Ile Ife, Osun State, has establisehd a Leadership and Entrepreneurship Centre to train secondary school studentson how to start and run successful businesses in the future.
The school was established in 1997, by renowned businessman, Chief Oyekunle Alex-Duduyemi, in memory of his late father Henry Alex-Duduyemi.
According to the Principal of the college,Mrs. Deborah Akinpelu, the centre will have five major departments.
She said, “We have the training department, the incubation point, the enterprise farm, the brand development department and the operation (equipment) division. With a co-curricular timetable approved by the Federal Ministry of Education for training and more than 10 GoVenture game boards and simulations fully installed on 30 computers for direct gaming programmes, our students will enjoy competitions amongst themselves.
“Also, each student will receive the ‘Start your Business Workbooks’ while JSS and SSS students will receive N30, 000 and N50, 000 cash loan deposits respectively in accounts in their names to invest in guided businesses. Our visiting days will be our market and exhibition days.”
Mrs.Akinpelu added: “We run a full boarding programme, hence, students will have prep periods, weekends and extra-curricular periods to run the programme. The programme will improve their mathematics and other key subjects while mentors advice will inspire them to excel and keep them grounded. What we hope to achieve is enmesh our students with incredible ideas to make them successful.”
“Furthermore, under the educate, play compete process developed by a company that operates the GoVenture Canada franchise in Nigeria, the school will be exposing all students in the programme to excursion programmes to key corporate institutions while they will also receive education on standardisation of products with guidelines from the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
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ARTISTES GEAR UP FOR DAYLIGHT ANNUAL LEADERSHIP AWARDS
AS the date for the maiden edition of Daylight Annual Leadership Awards (DALA) 2016, inches closer, organisers have announced that some tested and trusted comedians have been painstakingly chosen to thrill guests at the gathering.
The awards ceremony, which holds on Sunday, May 22, at the prestigious Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, will parade the likes of Klint da Drunk who will be leading the team of comedians waiting to serenade the venue with his rich repertoire of jokes and exhilarating performances.
Also, the hilarious quartet of De Don, Elder O, D’Lectura, Baba de Baba and a few others, will also be teaming up with Klint da Drunk on the big stage to further electrify guests with their widely acclaimed rich reservoir of jokes.
According to a statement issued today by the Chairman and Founder of the awards scheme, Azuh Amatus, the star-studded list of comedians expected to crack ribs at the ceremony is tight and carefully selected to add fun and undiluted entertainment at the high-net-worth event.
“DALA is a glamorous awards ceremony and we are bringing the very best on board to make the event memorable and fun-filled,” stated Azuh who is also the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of online newspaper, Daylight.ng.
Meanwhile, in separate brief chats, all the elated comedians confirmed they are ready to storm #DALA 2016.