EMBRACING IDEALS OF TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP

Jan 22, 2017 Editorial, Features / Columnists

In his book titled “Transforming Leadership” published in 1978, American Historian and Pulitzer Prize winner James MacGregor Burns states that transformative leadership is a process where leaders are engaged in motivating and uplifting people to higher standards and levels of morality. Transformative leaders inspire their followers by appealing to their higher ideals and values. They are enlightened leaders whose single most essential quality should be honesty, transparency and accountability.
The consensus is that some in authority do not fit into the transformative leadership model because of their insensitivity to the needs of the people and the failure to inspire them. It is leadership from the front and the communication of ideas and policies to the people. Transformative leaders are not perfect human beings. They are likely to make mistakes, misjudge situations, misinterpret information, and underestimate one’s ability. However, identifying, acknowledging and correcting the mistakes represent the true test of a transformative leader.
Transformative leaders very seldom break their promises to the people or overlook the need to address their issues and the problems facing the nation. They turn words into actions and set the standards of how one should lead. One of their foremost duties is to accept responsibility for their failures, which is consistent with being accountable. It is raising the bar in terms of morality, civility and credibility.
Our current leaders would do very well if they follow the examples above and put the nation’s interest ahead of theirs. They should not be selfish, vindictive or greedy and must sanction wrongdoing committed by public officials. Transformative leaders tend to respect the wishes of the people and treat them with utmost respect.
Our current leaders should strive to help people avoid the pain and embarrassment suffered under the last administration. They should not tolerate misbehaviour by public officials or condone blatant wrongdoing and awkward scandals. They are also required to explain to the nation why in some instances, glaring double standards are being encouraged.
If our leaders are to be seen as credible and want to have the trust and confidence of the people, they have to be fair to all, irrespective of their race, political affiliations or status. It is neither right nor fair to employ people based on personal relationships and not on merit. Further, public officials should not have their reputations and careers tarnished by the powers that be for alleged corruption and illegal activities if they do not have the evidence to file criminal charges against them. It should not be allowed to happen.
Transformative leadership is needed to grow the economy, create jobs, shrink the national debt, reduce corruption as well as crime, and generally improve the lives of the citizenry. Most people will remember the manner in which this government when in opposition had ridiculed the last administration for its failure to boost the economy, create employment and effectively address crime, among other unsettling issues.
The shoe is now firmly on the other foot, and joblessness and poverty remain in crippling proportions. The GDP growth rate has slid by nearly two percent in the last year and it is becoming ever more evident that money is not circulating. The administration opines that this has been the case since the underground economy has collapsed.
Some financial analysts, however, have suggested that the slide in GDP is due largely to poor economic policies, reduced production in almost all sectors, and the failure to attract any substantial amount of foreign investment in the country in over a year.
Most of the macroeconomic indicators have suggested that the economy will continue to slide this year due to rising oil prices and lower prices for commodities on the world market. Moving Guyana forward requires transformative leaders. Such individuals would need to embrace the necessary ideals. Do we have them among us?

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