I feel passionately about leadership and perhaps the passing of the late President Cory has inspired me to hammer away at my keyboard to reflect on the word leadership.
It used to be that leadership was summed up by having the biggest set of balls in the court. Being a leader meant someone who could order others around without having to listen to opinions – differing or not. I imagine that most organizations before succeeded because the underlings running it had their carrots in front of their eyes.
These days, that just doesn’t do it anymore. Today, leaders must inspire, not coerce. That is probably the reason why most authoritarian states have converted to democracies. There are still plenty of countries run by a single person or party but pockets of resistance are there. And, even if there is none, protests to the prevailing authority can be in the avenues of art, music or science.
Whatever the cause of this shift – be it women’s rights, more educated populace, the Internet, news, inherent human desire – what is in vogue today is consultative leadership. Unfortunately, change has been slower in this country when it comes to this new form of leadership. As yet, it has only been lip service.
Perhaps it is because the need for survival usurps the need for inspirational leadership. It is both a flaw and a puzzle that we allow ourselves to be subjected to abuse – oftentimes verbal – that we follow blindly and aimlessly so called leaders who we think provide us with our basic needs.
Imagine the employee who gets criticized heavily by his employer. Does he risk shouting or fighting back only to lose income for his family of 10?
Far too common is such a story that it remains the fabric of our lives here. Unless we are born of privileged pedigree or opulent wealth, we work in order to survive. In effect, we give power to already powerful people in high positions.
This is not a call to revolt as revolts do not always end in happy ever afters. This is just a slap on your face to wake up and realize that you do not have to subject yourselves to pity. There are better pastures out there and you need not go beyond the shores of these islands.
When your person is maligned, resign. People have a right to opine, but we do not have the right to shred the self-esteem and dignity of another.
In living, we can inspire. But when in death, to be able to draw hundreds of thousands of people to follow you, that is the consequence of true leadership. Only a few can claim to such immortality.
Thank you indeed Madame Cory. May you rest in heavenly peace.
