THE QUALITIES OF A GREAT LEADER

Nov 02, 2008 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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Happy Birthday Uncle Adam! Every time I think of Uncle Adam’s career as a journalist, I think of our boss here at Kaieteur News, Glenn Lall.
It was Glenn who, against great opposition, took on Uncle Adam to work at this newspaper. What many people may not know is how much Glenn and the Kaieteur News have suffered over the years because of Glenn’s refusal to let Uncle Adam go. Glenn has never spoken about it but it is no secret that suggestions were made to him on more than one occasion that Kaieteur News would be better without Uncle Adam.
Glenn knew that his paper would suffer because of his principled stand not to let go of Uncle Adam. The paper did suffer for many years. And Glenn never once thought about abandoning Uncle Adam.
This is the sort of character of which strong leaders are made of. Glenn Lall is made of that stuff.
Great leaders also have presence. Glenn also has that. Great leaders have conviction and principles. Glenn Lall stands up for what he believes.
But what I think distinguishes him more than anything else is something that few leaders have and that is real courage. Any leader can make bold decisions and be deemed courageous. But real grit is when you are faced with the easy road or the more difficult route, and when it is more convenient and profitable to go the easy route but you choose instead to go the more difficult route so as not to compromise what you believe in.
Glenn Lall is the most courageous individual that I have met. Not because he does crazy things but because he makes choices that he knows will be painful to him and his company but he is prepared to do so because he believes in his heart that what he is doing is right.
One thing you can be sure of in life is that Glenn Lall is not going to sell out. He is not going to buckle under pressure. Never!
Kaieteur News faced ten years of hard times. It endured those difficult years because Glenn would not allow his newspaper to become anybody’s mouthpiece. He believes in his heart that it was fate that led him into this newspaper business. It may have started out as a business venture but Glenn feels that this marriage between him and this newspaper was destined to make a difference in this country, to improve things for Guyana. And this is what he is all about and this is what Kaieteur News is all about. He took his knocks in the early years including the ridicule that his newspaper is a rag and a tabloid.
We all at Kaieteur News know that there are powerful forces that are arraigned against us. We take seriously the threat that was issued against us about strategies to be devised to “deal with Kaieteur News.”  We are not naïve to believe that those threats were just an emotional outburst. We understand the type of individuals we are dealing with and how petty and vindictive they can become and therefore we are ever alert and vigilant against those that wish to punish this newspaper for the stand we have taken on certain issues.
We find inspiration in our boss who does not hold grouses but who is prepared to tell anyone to their face how he feels and do so without any bad feelings. This is yet another of the qualities of Glenn Lall. He is as candid as anyone can be and he speaks his mind and speaks his mind fully without any hard feelings.
I think one of our first editors, Henry Skerritt, will recall an incident in Glenn’ s office not long after this newspaper started up. A once powerful figure in this country came with his entourage into Kaieteur News and asked to see the publisher. He was taken into Glenn’s office where courtesies were exchanged.
The person who still commanded respect told Glenn that he was there to seek assistance for his campaign for the Presidency. Glenn did what was unthinkable in those days. Glenn looked at the gentleman and asked him to his face how he, who was responsible for destroying this country, could have the temerity to be asking Kaieteur News for coverage and financial assistance.
No one I believe had ever spoken that way to this former powerful official in Guyana. Even our own editor at the time, who was part of the meeting, was shocked at the candidness of Glenn. If you had cut the editor after Glenn spoke you would not have found blood, so pale he had become at the manner in which Glenn had spoken to this former powerhouse.
But this is Glenn. He does not care whether you are a former or present powerhouse. He will tell you how he feels; he will speak his mind with you but he will also be the first to invite you over the road for a beer to show there is no personal enmity because he has character, convictions and courage – the qualities of true leadership.

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