Khan Sahib: Fix the Problems, Not the People - 1
By Mohammad Ashraf Chaudhry
Pittsburg, CA
“Smooth seas do not make seasoned sailors.” - An African saying.”
“The impediment to action advances action; What stands in the way becomes the way.” - Marcus Aurelius.
Over six continents, namely Africa, North America, South America, Asia, Europe, and Australia, a survey was conducted as to what constitutes a real, great leader? The majority of the respondents, on the average, say 60% plus, said that they were willing to follow willingly a leader if he/she possessed these qualities: at the top was ranked HONESTY; second, the leader should be FORWARD-LOOKING; third, be COMPETENT; and lastly, must be INSPIRING.
The research was conducted by James Kouzes and Barry Posner as mentioned in their book, “The Leadership Challenge.”. The writers agreed that leadership is all about relationship; about putting things together; about credibility; about inspiring a shared vision; about enlisting others; about challenging the process; about looking for novelty and making bold experiments; about enabling others to act; about recognizing contributions, and about celebrating the values and victories. It is never a solo venture in the modern times.
Khan Sahib, which fool whispered in your ears that power is a bed of roses. Power for which you had been yearning for years, and which finally came to you some 10 months ago, is not a cone of ice-cream that you may enjoy licking it inversely, from downside to upward. Power has an element of paradox in it: it either makes, or it destroys its holder completely. The third aspect about it is that it is never free of obstacles and unforeseen hardships.
Overcoming obstacles is the litmus test of true leadership. It is more of a matter of discipline than luck, as it entails three vital dimensions: one, how you look at those specific problems that you had vowed so loudly to solve; second, your attitude or approach while solving them, and lastly and most importantly, your creativity and energy in breaking them down first, and then converting them to your own benefit. Obstacles should be way, and not a cause for lamentation, and whining. Whipping the past relentlessly is a sign of weakness in leadership. Being a prisoner of the past, is the tried formula for being totally self- destructive. You should have been familiar with the Lobster or Crab Mentality Syndrome: Lobster hunters do not put a lid on the bucket in which they store them. Why? They know the secret. Each lobster makes efforts to climb out of the bucket; but it is the others who pull him back. The result is their “Collective Death”. Like political leaders in Pakistan, these lobsters also believe, “If we cannot play, then you can’t, either”
Your obsession with the past leadership will definitely destroy your present and darken your future. Khan Sahib, liberate yourself from your own self. It is a favor you will be doing to your own self. Avoid using such clichés, “I will hang them. I will not let them go away. I will make them rot in the prison,” etc. You work under a system. Unfortunately, you derided the system when you were out of power. Strengthen the parliament and let the courts of the country administer justice. Build solid cases against them. You are popular, but not as much as Bhutto was. It was his ego that destroyed his leadership. Eschew this monster as early as possible.
Negativity is a curse, a trap. The people of Pakistan do not need a Thucydides to come and tell them how bad and miserable their condition is, and what a Hell they are living in. A good doctor diagnoses the disease and starts the cure from day one. He postpones his derision of the past Messiahs to a later stage. Focus on the problems, and leave the fixing of people to the courts of law. Or tabulate laws in the Parliament that ensure severe punishment for the transgressors. Start with small changes that render big, positive results. Already you have squandered away 10 months, your precious honeymoon time. A campaign for cleanliness; solid measures in improving the health care centers; positive changes in the existing educational institutions; a tangible improvement in law and order; punctuality in offices, and removing hurdles in redressing the grievances of people; controlling adulteration, restoring merit, and many other such acts did not entail an IMF loan. Modi started with the installation of millions of public toilets; with running clean water in pipes; and got re-elected with overwhelming majority. The existing system even with tiny improvements would have sent positive signals about the authenticity of the new leadership. You let the moment pass with your hollow and meaningless lofty assertions and bragging.
Much will depend, onward, on what kind of leadership role you assume for yourself. Your tone appears to be tilted towards being an authoritarian, a charismatic kind of leader, rather than being an authentic and solid leader. Being authoritarian or over-confident as may be the demand of the time, but leaders in this mode do not go very far. Leaders who are authentic and competent are often humble, self-effacing. They are seekers of truth, are gracious, mild-mannered, and above all, are willing to learn even from their opponents. Power and authority do not send them overboard. Vulnerability for them is not a weakness, it is a virtue. It keeps reminding such authentic leaders that they are humans. This feeling further keeps goading them to stay connected with the ordinary people. Such leaders are ever willing to admit their mistakes and are ever ready to rectify them. Failures act for such leaders as friends, and set-backs and difficulties play a vital role in their self-improvement. People love to follow them from their hearts; while leaders who rule by authority and title may be effective for a time being, but they are never able to find a lasting place in the list of great leaders.
People elected you, not because you played cricket well; or built a hospital and a university, or that you were good-looking. Many in Pakistan’s history have had such, or even better credentials. What placed you finally in the driving seat of the country is your personal honesty, and the ideal bliss of the timings. It is said with concern that both your honesty and integrity are currently under erosion due to your own obsession for being a jack of all trades, like Musharraf was, for being egotistical as Nawaz Sharif and Bhutto were, for sounding vindictive, and above all for being hyperbolical and self-contradictory as most leaders in Pakistan are. “The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and the self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919). The Founding Father of Pakistan, accommodated Hindus and Ahmedis in his first cabinet, you could not handle the inclusion of one AtifMian, a man destined to be a Nobel Prize winner within the next five years.
Back to Pakistanlink Homepage
