THERE are at least four kinds of leadership. They are leadership by instruction, leadership by initiative, leadership by sacrifice and leadership by compromise.
1. Leadership by instruction
Is about depending on others to tell you what to do; little of what is called brainstorming by oneself. Putting it quite crudely, leadership that is commonly understood as being pulled by the nose.
2. Leadership by initiative
Is the notion that is indicative of a leader who initiates or makes things happen without being told all the time: leaders who act out what they plan; leaders who are not afraid to take risks or are prepared to take the consequences of their decisions.
3. Leadership by sacrifice
Leadership by sacrifice or sacrificial leadership involves or refers to being poor for the rest and is quite difficult to come by. What you own is everyone else’s. Our members of the present generation, is a good example of this type and it is a sad affair. Taking it biblically, only Jesus’ kind of leadership can fall squarely on leadership by sacrifice.
4. Leadership by compromise
This is based on influences of others and the security of those who are around. Leaders who seek fame not criticism. Leaders who seek to please those whom they lead so as to keep their comfort zones.
Here is an example of compromise leadership. There is a saying that goes like this………
“Don’t walk in front of me, for I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me for I may not lead. But walk beside me and be my friend.’’
The 4th (No. 4 above) type of leadership is the one that creates or is prone to corruption and this is what is evident of the leaders of today.
Solomon Islands is ranking at the upper bracket in this category of leadership in the Pacific.
May be because of our culture and tradition is anyone’s guess. When I say Solomon Islands, it is inclusive of all and every type of leadership, government and churches included.
Besides corruption or being corrupt, stagnation is obvious, resulting in little or no development at all and the status quo remains unabated.
Blaming and figure pointing is the order of the day and no one dares to admit his/her shortcomings and probable failures for the sake of losing his /her integrity.
Little do such leaders understand that when they lead in the way people do not expect of someone as a leader, they are already losing that very integrity they want to protect by being passive in their decision and in what their actions show.
There is another kind of leadership not mentioned above and that is a leadership by example. Leaders must lead by their words and action.
You talk about it. You do it to put simple. The days where leaders talk and their subjects do what is expected, are gone.
This is sadly so because of foreign education, concepts and leisure such as TV, radio and newspaper and other influences.
Oral tradition in which families sitting around an evening meal with elders or parents lecture on custom and tradition, culture norms and values; genealogies, generations, human relationships and friendships are no longer entertained.
That connectedness and link between families and others around, no longer exist. It does not mean that leaders on marco level must lead applying that kind of family leadership.
Rather, people who inspire to lead should posses some qualities of that communal type of leadership.
A leader should be kind; loving and gentle but authoritative. He must be someone who has authority of some kind.
That is the quality of leadership we need very much in these days in both in government and the churches.
Leaders must be able to command the attention of the people they lead.
That is not to say that they must be dictatorial, rather, the authority they have as leaders must be shown in their personality, integrity, and most of all their actions.
That is why we chose some years ago to have national motto “To lead is to serve”.
This is simply to say, you do what you say or you do what you stand for; really to be servant of all is the connotation.
National General Election is at our doorsteps and many aspiring men and women will be going around the constituencies with all kind of promises, about what they would do and say when they got elected, despite them not knowing what they talk about, let alone going about doing what they say.
They think that parliament is where they train leaders. Far from that!
Parliament is where one exhibits his/her quality of leadership to the public from which people can say he/she is a capable leader.
A good place to train as a leader is at your community before going to parliament or anywhere else.
However, needless to say that leadership is not only limited parliament or government but the churches and other organisation as well.
An organisation that develops and progresses with time is an organisation that has quality and visionary leaders to leaders.
Stagnation or just keeping the seat warm until the next one comes in is not the kind leadership people need.
This is what is evident in many organisation at this present time and if some are finding themselves in this, the best thing to do is “throw in your towel” and exit.
Humility is a virtue and people need to be honest with their shortcomings and inadequacies. That is good leadership.
If you cannot lead, you let go, so that those who are able can, because leadership by election or appointment is changeable unlike leadership by inheritance.
Traditional leaders are normally by inheritance, whist government and church leaders are by election or appointment.
As such those leaders are susceptible to being removed at random by certain provisions from the laws that give such mandates to lead.
In other words, such leadership is dependent mainly on people and people’s power.
People’s power can build or destroy hence a leader must learn to judge his own actions and decisions as well.
Not to compromise but be tactful and firm when making decisions and be brave to stand by whatever decision or decisions he/she makes.
A leader who says one thing today and says another thing minutes later, is not a good leader. There are many of that type in our country today.
This year is a very crucial year as we are gearing up for the elections of our national members of parliament: another lot of sleeping beauties may I add.
To have a good government, is to begin with the voters, we the public. The public is responsible for the outcome of any elected government.
To choose quality leaders into parliament we need good electors who are visionary and developmental minded.
When we the electorates do no process that ability to decide what is the best that status quo will always be the result and as such there will be no development and progress of any kind, in whatever situation we anticipate such to happen.
Possible result is stagnation or else regression in some cases.
By JOHN TINONIBONA
Tulagi, Gela
