TRAVAILS OF LEADERSHIP
Leadership has never been an easy task, whether as the head of the family, organisation, unit, social group or whatever the position might be. It is a position that wields so much power and yet makes one vulnerable because, it constantly puts you on the spotlight where you have little or no opportunity to defend yourself from many or any accusation that may arise.
You are held accountable for anything that goes wrong with the people. You are expected to take full responsibility for any wrong anyone might do on your behalf. You are condemned for not knowing certain things. Your every step is always under scrutiny.
You must always be on guard for who may want to assassinate you or harm you .You are hated by your detractors and booed by your subjects who are most likely very angry at you sometimes or most times depending on how favourable your overall plans and policies especially on the economic front works.
People tend to see leaders as superhumans, all knowing, and who must not do wrong or go wrong. But leaders are humans too…
They are mere mortals like you and I.
In the subject of economics, there is something called division of labour and the essence of division of labour as you and I know is for speed, efficiency, increase in productivity and swift discharge of functions and duties.
Leaders no doubt employ this method in their leadership style hoping to gain speed, increase productivity and be efficient in function, which any result oriented person will definitely opt for.
Leadership, both in the past and present have been faced with so much travails. In times past, leaders had the advantage of having good and loyal people around them, people who believed in their dreams and were ready to help them translate their dreams into workable realities, people who believe in the assertion that “a good name is better than money.”
They proudly and tirelessly worked for the good of their names as well as the pride of the communities and the nation in general. People who were ready to fall out with a leader because they told the truth, irrespective of what it cost . . . It was also a time where politics was not lucrative, neither was it seen as such ventures. It was a time when people felt honoured to serve other than to be served, a time where being in power didnt mean come and loot. . . it was a time of qualitative representation, a time where people valued service and felt privileged to be elected or chosen by their people in such capacities to lead or represent them according to what they stand for and achieve good results. It was a time when people around leaders looked for ways to aid good governance and provide better lives for the general whole. It was a time when “values were core and morals uncompromising”. . . It was a time where division of labour made sense and as a result, productivity was unquestionable. It was a time when there were less politicians and more of nationalists with integrity. A time when patrotisim was not only preached but lived as opposed to what we have now.
Today, leaders are faced with modern day idealistic politicians whose interests have long evolved from nationalist quest to stomach infrastructure. Leaders, whose interests is no longer for the general good of all but for family and friends. Appointments no longer on merit but on lines of sentiments of ethno political, social, cultural, economic and religious divide or the “do my bid” kind of arrangement where the appointee is just a miserable pawn in the game of chess.
Today, leaders are faced with the burden of who will tell them the truth! The irony is, those who sum up the courage to do so are always considered traitors and at worse the enemy, while those who mislead government are handsomely rewarded for their tales of lies and unreal representation of issues.
Today, in most parts of the world, bad leadership has become a trend the very reason massive protests are seen from time to time in different places around the globe. We also see leaders projecting different bills and passing into law life immunity for themselves against any form of persecution that may want to arise after they have left office or rather the corridors of power.
Knowing this much, one question remains sacrosanct: how do we go back to where things worked?
