PNC/R Leadership Crisis and Finding a Solution

Aug 27, 2020 Letters

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Dear Editor,

More and more I am developing a better understanding of the reasons why companies, political parties, groups fail, and even why some governments fail. One of the main reasons companies, political parties and groups fail, is because of the quality and relevance of the leadership, not merely the leader but the leadership.

Let us examine the leadership challenge in the PNC/R at this point. While I do not always agree with Freddie Kissoon, I must state that his article published in the Kaieteur News on 25 August, 2020 ‘Granger will destroy the PNC before 2021’, while it may seem harsh on the surface, it has some merit and I will explain why.

Now, I like Mr. David Granger. During the recent protracted elections period, I fought with my pen, for former President Granger’s administration, on a point of principle. However, even though I like Mr. Granger and respect him a lot as a person and as a former President, I have to be practical. There is too much at stake for the PNC/R and its supporters, and the country needs a strong, solid, focused Opposition.

Based on some of what I have been reading, the members of the PNC/R are currently having some tough conversations and reflections. However, after the hard conversations, the party would have to make some tough decisions.
Firstly, the PNC/R needs to understand it’s strengths and weaknesses; secondly, they need to understand that an organization or government takes on the form of its leadership or leader; and thirdly, they need to evaluate their present leadership, their ways-of-working, and future, in the context of a Guyana moving almost overnight, from being the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere to becoming one of the richest countries in the world. How are they going to make the PNC/R fit-for-purpose as an opposition or as a part of government?

It is widely felt that the APNU+AFC needed to improve on its governance and leadership capacity and capability. Specifically, in areas of management, administration, decision-making, importance of institutions and their interconnectedness in the various components of the society, business, and investment, etc.
Mr. Granger, while he was a leader in the military, leadership in the military and civilian leadership require very different approaches. Some of Mr. Granger’s areas of weakness are governance, organization, process, and decision-making. Since people do not develop these qualities overnight, a key concern is, how different will Mr. Granger lead in the critical role of Leader of the Opposition at this point, where leadership is critical for the PNC/R’s survival and revival?
One of the key competencies for persons in executive or top leadership positions these days, is high emotional intelligence. If the PNC/R would like to win an election in the near future, they have to get Carl Greenidge back into the leadership of the organization. Greenidge is respected by PPP/C, PNC/R, APNU and AFC supporters. He has international exposure and experience, he is credible in finance and he is seen as someone who is amenable to bringing the country together in an inclusive way.
Many times, organisations, companies, governments fail because people are too afraid to tell their leaders that they need to know when to let go. I am not saying that Mr. Granger must leave the leadership of the PNC/R but he must recognize that the survivability of the PNC/R in the short, medium and long term, that is, if they want to win, would require a fundamentally different approach to leadership and he has to be flexible enough to take on other roles in the party.
About the Parliamentary team, I am of the view that persons who should have been included in the parliamentary team for the party, at this point, are: Volda Lawrence, Aubrey Norton and possibly James Bond, even if a rotation system had to have been put in place. Also, Vanessa Kissoon and Sharma Solomon should be brought back into the mainstream of the PNC/R, not necessarily as parliamentarians at this stage. These are people who have institutional knowledge and understanding of the intricacies of the PNC, how it works as an organization and about the environment in which it operates. Some of the new individuals can be integrated in other ways and levels into the party at this stage. A key aspect of the sustainability of an organisation or group is hinged on loyalty. Organisations do not change overnight.
Mr. Granger needs to be very concerned about why both internal and external critical partners are leaving, resisting or just quietly stepping back, the ‘A Partnership for National Unity’ (APNU) and the party needs to immediately develop a strategy to re-engage some of those partners. It is not always the other person’s fault, but we must be humble enough to realize that sometimes it is about me, or it is our fault.
In 2006, I was doing a postgraduate course in ‘Cross-sector Partnerships’ and the class had about 42 persons who were mostly very qualified and held very senior and executive positions in their organisations and companies, but they were back in the classroom to learn the science art of partnering. There is a science and art to developing, managing, and sustaining working relationships and relations, collaborations, alliances, partnerships.
Some quick recommendations for the PNC/R are: some tough decisions are needed, for example, Mr. Granger should opt for different roles while Carl Greenidge takes up the role as functional leader of the party, in this way a ‘team of leaders’ can be developed and Mr. Granger should be a member of that team; develop a strategy to bring the Justice for All Party, Working People’s Alliance and Alliance for Change back to the table and partnership, and develop strategy for making the partnership more functional, for example, building internal cohesion.

Yours truly,
Audreyanna Thomas

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