Dear Editor,
"The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In-between, the leader is a servant." -- Max DePree
Whatever definition we use for leadership, whatever quotation we can find. Leadership as an ideal, as a reality, as a discussion point, as the way forward for this country -- I can't speak for any other -- does not exist in the quantity and quality that is helpful.
Yes it exists. I have met, in my 50 years, wonderful leaders. But unfortunately I have met some very bad leaders who put to shame the concept, the practice and the reality.
Before I go any further, I have to confess that I am an Anglican and anything I may say about St Hilda's is tainted or coloured by that.
I have looked at leadership in the last few weeks and I have seen examples of good leadership somewhat, and examples of bad leadership in spades. Am I saying that our leaders have to be perfect? Absolutely not, we humans learn from our mistakes. What I am saying is that how we manage the process of coming to decisions and handling the invariable errors defines leadership.
In the recent past we have had the minister of health's faux pas in Parliament over the issue of the newborn deaths due to infections in hospital, the issue surrounding how the head girl of St Hilda's lost the position and what we did as a society to force the school to reinstate her, the prime minister's response to the deaths of the babies, the actions of the president of the Senate, and the reactions of its members.
Let me state very clearly this is not about making mistakes. None of us are perfect, to err is human. It is what we do when we make a mistake, it is how we look challenges in the face, it is how we inspire those around us to do their very best, it is how we engender trust, it is how we get things to happen that is in question.
The minister of health did not show empathy for the plight of the families who lost their children, we were hearing it all along and it was proven by his slip in Parliament. The principal of St Hilda's made a decision that lacked natural justice, the steps that would have shown the society that the decision made was correct were not done and we crucified her. We crucified her and the school on an altar that will have long-term negative repercussions. That young lady in question learned nothing that will be beneficial to her. She learned that if you don't like something, bully the offending party into submission.
However, the same measure was not applied to the president of the Senate, who did the same thing, and worse, because he had advisors, and he was dealing with someone who played a major role in the judicial system of this country and would have expected negotiation, which is what adults do. This is not about being vindictive, this is about leadership.
And most troubling of all our prime minister, who has set an agenda for herself which focuses on family, has said nothing much about the deaths of the 19 babies. The silence is sad.
I live in hope for a better Jamaica, a grown up Jamaica.
Christopher Givans
christopher.givans@gmail.com
Leadership, or the lack thereof
-->
"The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In-between, the leader is a servant." -- Max DePree
Whatever definition we use for leadership, whatever quotation we can find. Leadership as an ideal, as a reality, as a discussion point, as the way forward for this country -- I can't speak for any other -- does not exist in the quantity and quality that is helpful.
Yes it exists. I have met, in my 50 years, wonderful leaders. But unfortunately I have met some very bad leaders who put to shame the concept, the practice and the reality.
Before I go any further, I have to confess that I am an Anglican and anything I may say about St Hilda's is tainted or coloured by that.
I have looked at leadership in the last few weeks and I have seen examples of good leadership somewhat, and examples of bad leadership in spades. Am I saying that our leaders have to be perfect? Absolutely not, we humans learn from our mistakes. What I am saying is that how we manage the process of coming to decisions and handling the invariable errors defines leadership.
In the recent past we have had the minister of health's faux pas in Parliament over the issue of the newborn deaths due to infections in hospital, the issue surrounding how the head girl of St Hilda's lost the position and what we did as a society to force the school to reinstate her, the prime minister's response to the deaths of the babies, the actions of the president of the Senate, and the reactions of its members.
Let me state very clearly this is not about making mistakes. None of us are perfect, to err is human. It is what we do when we make a mistake, it is how we look challenges in the face, it is how we inspire those around us to do their very best, it is how we engender trust, it is how we get things to happen that is in question.
The minister of health did not show empathy for the plight of the families who lost their children, we were hearing it all along and it was proven by his slip in Parliament. The principal of St Hilda's made a decision that lacked natural justice, the steps that would have shown the society that the decision made was correct were not done and we crucified her. We crucified her and the school on an altar that will have long-term negative repercussions. That young lady in question learned nothing that will be beneficial to her. She learned that if you don't like something, bully the offending party into submission.
However, the same measure was not applied to the president of the Senate, who did the same thing, and worse, because he had advisors, and he was dealing with someone who played a major role in the judicial system of this country and would have expected negotiation, which is what adults do. This is not about being vindictive, this is about leadership.
And most troubling of all our prime minister, who has set an agenda for herself which focuses on family, has said nothing much about the deaths of the 19 babies. The silence is sad.
I live in hope for a better Jamaica, a grown up Jamaica.
Christopher Givans
christopher.givans@gmail.com
Leadership, or the lack thereof
-->