Herbert LewisMOST OF us gain our lessons of leadership, both good and bad, from our early childhood. The sources for many of us were the family, the school, the church, and from persons who share our values and those of our families.
At a very early age, I began noticing a pattern of leadership and 'followership'. A young friend of mine at school seemed to have the right stuff. Whatever he suggested, many students would follow automatically - going to a game, playing a sport, ditching school whatever it was, he would be followed; whereas when his brother suggested the same thing, the boys, curiously, declined. Nothing happened. I began wondering, "What is the difference between people who seem to have the capacity to enrol people in their vision, and those who do not?"
Over the years I have taken some time looking at leaders, trying to learn what they do, what others think of them, and identifying a group of competencies or qualities, which good leaders manifest.
Many organisations use seven criteria to evaluate good leaders: (1) technical competence (2) people skills (3) conceptual skills (the capacity to think big and make connections) (4) the ability to track and record results (5) people taste (i.e. do they choose people well?) (6) judgment the capacity to make critical decisions with imperfect data in a short time; (7) character what is the person really like.
When I look at leadership competencies, I usually start with two questions:
"What do people want? What are the needs of the constituent? I believe that what people want from their leadership are meaning, direction, trust, a measure of hope, optimism and ultimately results.
I believe that more than anything else leaders must provide purpose to enable genuine human relationship. Leaders must combine purpose with the expectation that things will work out well, a level of confidence that one has the ability to influence the circumstances of one's life, and an expectation of a good future.
Purpose contains three major dimensions: passion, perspective and meaning. I have never heard of a great leader without passion. Many leaders are quite soft-spoken, but when they talk they are quite passionate. When one listened to a former Prime Minister of England like Mrs. Thatcher one immediately detected extraordinary passion, conviction, and compelling beliefs.
And what of perspective? I believe that when one has perspective, one has discernment, insight and foresight. You seem to get the past, the present, and the future.
There is competition in every facet of our lives today and all Jamaicans need to understand that a competitive edge comes only from an ability to live in the fog of reality, and make rapid, excellent, interpretation of where the world is at this moment and where it is headed. That is anticipation. That is foresight. That is vision. I don't know how one teaches that trait. If our university and our students, if our businesses and our employees, if our government think we can run business in the next ten years, the way we have run it in the last ten years, we are crazy. If we are going to succeed in the future then we will have to disturb the present.
LEADING WITH TRUST
What is it that goes into a trusting relationship in business, marriage, friendship or family? What is it that makes you trust your boss, your employee, your colleague, your friend or your spouse? I think we can find the answer in five Cs.
Competence. As a leader people need to feel that they can trust your competence; they want someone they can rely on, who is responsible and accountable.
Constant. In a changing world, you have to be adaptive but, your principles have to be constant. You must demonstrate reliable standards of behaviour.
Caring. Caring is compassion, empathy, and the capacity to understand what other people are feeling. Caring is so lacking in many leaders because they fail to practise putting themselves in another person's shoes.
ADVICE AND GUIDANCE
This lack of caring was so blatantly demonstrated by the students of UWI Mona campus recently when they failed to call off their demonstration even for one day in order that the funeral of the late Professor Gladstone Mills could take place at the UWI chapel. Professor Mills was such a gentle and caring person who always found time to give a word of advice and guidance. If, for no other reason, I am most disappointed in the lack of understanding of the meaning of the word "caring" by those students. Was there no one among those students who had a sense of leadership to suggest that the decent thing to have done was to have allowed the funeral to take place as was arranged? God help us.
Candour. The lack of candour is one of the greatest tragedies. It is unbelievable the number of people who will not speak up even if they know that what their leader is going to do is going to get his or her followers into trouble. They are not encouraged to speak up. They see dissenters being sidelined, so the truth never gets out.
Character. Leadership has to do with character. It is not style; it is not dressing for success it is who we are as persons. I believe that becoming a leader is the same as becoming an integrated human being. Poor judgment; lack of a sense of responsibility; lack of a sense of caring; lack of a sense respect and lack of a sense of leadership were evidenced in the behaviour of those students at UWI who aspire to be leaders of this country one day. There is still much to be taught. Surely! We are missing something.
Herbert Lewis is an industrial relations specialist and past president of the Jamaica Employers' Federation.
