Latest update January 9th, 2025 4:10 AM
Latest News
- Gov’t fearful of what investigation of lopsided oil contract would reveal- Chris Ram
- Hess hopes govt. 7th oil project will be approved by April
- ‘Ceasefire, captives deal in Gaza ‘very close’—Blinken
- Guyana protests as Venezuela plans to elect governor for Essequibo
- Woman dies while relaxing in car with boyfriend
Book Review…Making the Case for Ethics in Public Life
Book: Leadership in the New Millennium: Avoiding The Culture of Corruption
Author: Mahin Gosine, PhD
Critic: Glenville Ashby, PhD
With some twenty books to his credit, Dr Mahin Gosine’s prolific authorship has commanded considerable respect among academia.
Not much has changed since Dr Gosine penned this book seven years ago. The pervasive stench of institutionalized corruption and ineptitude continues to weigh heavily on citizens the world over.
Leadership in the New Millennium—Avoiding the Culture of Corruption, cries for attention at the highest rungs of political power. Dr Gosine appeals to reason and what’s left of man’s humanity.
With veritable insight he injects the timeless counsel of history’s political and religious giants, giving a new platform to Krishna, Jesus, Gandhi, Calvin and King. His overarching spiritual tone is not surprising given his duties as resident pundit at the Govinda Mandir in Queens, New York.
But his scholastic thrust is never put on the back burner. He leans heavily on organizational theories and the work of ethicists, arguing that capitalism in its authentic form (as a means to self-realization and social mobility) has been hijacked by arrogance, narcissism and avarice.
His socio-political diagnosis is sweeping. Business professionals, politicians and even the clergy, have betrayed the unsuspecting, soiling the sanctity of human relations in the process.
Where is the humility, accountability, transparency, the fair play? Why aren’t schools teaching ethics? Why is tertiary education void of this “living word?”
Karma, though, has never failed to exact justice.
The mighty will get their comeuppance. No doubt.
In unabashedly challenging the United States and its leaders, Dr Gosine has challenged the world. The magnitude of social recklessness demands action.
Dr Gosine attributes anemic economic growth and social decay to private and governmental institutions that have abandoned ethical codes and morals.
How else can you explain the sub-prime loan debacle, the crippling effects of insider trading, and the disappearing acts of some Wall Street institutions? The Madoff scandal he argues, is symptomatic of a pathological society. Every country is at risk, some more than others.
Why? Why do the well-heeled sabotage their careers, social standing and character? The answer is self-evident. They are victims of a warped capitalism that strives on greed and unbridled, naked competition.
But how do we explain the insidious, licentious exploits of the clergy on society’s most vulnerable?
Such acts of sexual assault on children speak of a gaping wound in the humanity of a people, a kind of infectious disease that must be exigently addressed legally, socially and spiritually.
Dr Gosine writes, “In life, thinking about what is right is not good enough. Ethical behavior must be lived, not talked about. And this is when we know that equity and true transparency are true concerns of the leader.”
A proponent of the “rugged individualism concept,” he posits that, inevitably, we are forced to make decisions almost daily. It is here that deliberation and mindfulness are essential. We must be judicious or face dire consequences. Leaders and those who are trusted by virtue of their office will reap what they have sown. Of the fallen, he concludes, “No one else put them in these positions but themselves.”
His message is unswerving: A society that ignores or fails to stem its shortcomings will pay an enduring fine.
Dr Gosine later establishes the blueprint for a success without compromising productivity, and more importantly, the dignity and character of leaders. Institutions must harness its human, social and cultural capital. Uniformity of values, he asserts, is a marker for success. And so too are humanistic attributes, such as, altruism, compassion and empathy, that are vital to the work environment. His is a holistic approach to management and leadership, and a promising blueprint for social and political restoration. I hate to think that such clear answers to our metastasizing problems could be ignored.
(The above review has been revised. It first appeared in The Guardian Media Limited – September 22, 2011)
Feedback: glenvilleashby@ gmail.com or follow him on Twitter@glenvilleashby
Book: Leadership in the New Millennium: Avoiding The Culture of Corruption by Mahine Gosine, PhD
Paperback: 380 pages
Publisher: Pearson Learning Solutions; 1 edition (June 25, 2011)
ISBN-13: 978-1256095576
Ratings: Highly recommended
Available at Amazon
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Jagdeo’s policies were a disaster
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- Bharrat Jagdeo’s proclamation of his party’s approach to reducing income inequality... more
Forget Begging Rich Nations: Caribbean Countries Should Act to Save Themselves
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- It has long been evident that the world’s richest nations, especially those responsible... more
Weekend Cartoon
