Dear Editor,
Transformational leadership has become a rather popular topic these days, but we often ignore the importance of effective followership in determining the quality of a leader.
Jamaica is a like a company in which the shareholders and employees alike do not expect superb performance from management. This apathetic attitude has resulted in declining profits, lower returns on investments for shareholders, and eventually massive lay-offs for employees, since a failing company will no longer be able to afford wages.
Operating a country is more complicated than running a business, therefore, we expect the criteria for selecting public officials to be more rigorous. But, unfortunately, this is not the case when partisan politics trumps meritocracy. For example years ago, a newspaper editorial entitled 'Pickersgill's contempt' gave an apt description of Minister Pickersgill, who is still a cabinet minister. It read: "After several years in government, as a Cabinet Minister in different ministries, Robert Pickersgill has yet to distinguish himself either as a performer or visionary."
Operating a country is more complicated than running a business, therefore, we expect the criteria for selecting public officials to be more rigorous. But, unfortunately, this is not the case when partisan politics trumps meritocracy. For example years ago, a newspaper editorial entitled 'Pickersgill's contempt' gave an apt description of Minister Pickersgill, who is still a cabinet minister. It read: "After several years in government, as a Cabinet Minister in different ministries, Robert Pickersgill has yet to distinguish himself either as a performer or visionary."
We know that some parliamentarians are wanton failures yet we continue to elect them on political lines. And, when they fail to deliver we wallow in self-pity. When the standard of Jamaicans are so low and citizens seem to think that public officials are superior beings, we shouldn't be surprise at the quality of public service.
Like other government agencies, the Tourism Product Development Company is not efficient, but when it's reported in the media that the agency only spent 15.2 per cent of its capital budget on special projects for the period 2013/2014 up to January 2014, with the majority of its funding going to salaries, public outcry is necessary. Unfortunately, however, this is Jamaica and the board members have not been fired.
Notwithstanding, nothing is more disheartening than the public's attitude to the parlous state of the Capital Development Fund. The fund had assets of about US$4b. In the early years its proceeds were used to finance tertiary education, but overall most of its assets were wasted on imprudent financial investments. Again the Jamaican people remain silent. We can continue to lament the present state of affairs, and lambast Pickersgill for his ineffectiveness, but we must not forget the fact that it is our apathy which created the present situation. Maybe it's time for Jamaicans to take a page out of the Tea Party's book
Lipton Matthews
Our apathy has caused our parlous state
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Transformational leadership has become a rather popular topic these days, but we often ignore the importance of effective followership in determining the quality of a leader.
Jamaica is a like a company in which the shareholders and employees alike do not expect superb performance from management. This apathetic attitude has resulted in declining profits, lower returns on investments for shareholders, and eventually massive lay-offs for employees, since a failing company will no longer be able to afford wages.
Operating a country is more complicated than running a business, therefore, we expect the criteria for selecting public officials to be more rigorous. But, unfortunately, this is not the case when partisan politics trumps meritocracy. For example years ago, a newspaper editorial entitled 'Pickersgill's contempt' gave an apt description of Minister Pickersgill, who is still a cabinet minister. It read: "After several years in government, as a Cabinet Minister in different ministries, Robert Pickersgill has yet to distinguish himself either as a performer or visionary."
Operating a country is more complicated than running a business, therefore, we expect the criteria for selecting public officials to be more rigorous. But, unfortunately, this is not the case when partisan politics trumps meritocracy. For example years ago, a newspaper editorial entitled 'Pickersgill's contempt' gave an apt description of Minister Pickersgill, who is still a cabinet minister. It read: "After several years in government, as a Cabinet Minister in different ministries, Robert Pickersgill has yet to distinguish himself either as a performer or visionary."
We know that some parliamentarians are wanton failures yet we continue to elect them on political lines. And, when they fail to deliver we wallow in self-pity. When the standard of Jamaicans are so low and citizens seem to think that public officials are superior beings, we shouldn't be surprise at the quality of public service.
Like other government agencies, the Tourism Product Development Company is not efficient, but when it's reported in the media that the agency only spent 15.2 per cent of its capital budget on special projects for the period 2013/2014 up to January 2014, with the majority of its funding going to salaries, public outcry is necessary. Unfortunately, however, this is Jamaica and the board members have not been fired.
Notwithstanding, nothing is more disheartening than the public's attitude to the parlous state of the Capital Development Fund. The fund had assets of about US$4b. In the early years its proceeds were used to finance tertiary education, but overall most of its assets were wasted on imprudent financial investments. Again the Jamaican people remain silent. We can continue to lament the present state of affairs, and lambast Pickersgill for his ineffectiveness, but we must not forget the fact that it is our apathy which created the present situation. Maybe it's time for Jamaicans to take a page out of the Tea Party's book
Lipton Matthews
Our apathy has caused our parlous state
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