Transforming UMNO

Everyone seems to be talking about change and transformation with some air of authority nowadays. The nameless ketua cawangan to the heavyweight ketua bahagian- they are all talking about the subject of transformation. The regularity by which the subject is reverentially spoken of, would suggest that UMNO is already on the mend. Let us hope, we don't fall prey to the popular expression that we are experts at arranging the chairs on the deck of the Titanic, but we can't prevent her from sinking.

Picture the following.

Some people say, they have never felt inspired like this. Some said, their hairs stood on end. Some say, Najib is our messiah. People in Pekan of course have been saying these things up to the point of being nauseatingly revolting. He is the bright star that shines on our gloomy shores, the diamond among the rough stones etc. I don't think PM Najib wants to hear this kind of kowtowing flattery all the time. He knows support for him is ephemeral. He remembers well the almost nightmarish episode in 1999. Even his relatives in Kampung Langgar rejected him by voting his opponent. So, when people come out gushing with all sort of hollow congratulatory comments, their antics can be unnerving.

Despite that, what can we make of such exuberance? I would say, PM Najib is on to a good start. He understands what it takes to carry out transformation. He has to offer hope and optimism. He offers an exciting vision. He knows that a transformational leader is measured first, in terms of his influence on the followers. He needs to imbibe in UMNO members, trust, admiration, loyalty and respect to him as leader. Judging from the almost childlike exuberance above, the UMNO president isn't deficient in this department.

As leader he needs to transform and motivate followers by charisma, intellectual arousal and individual consideration. In addition, this leader seeks for new working ways, while he tries to identify new opportunities versus threats and tries to get out of the status quo and alter the environment.

What DS Najib is offering is quite revolutionary to how things are done in UMNO. Allow me to explain.

I am sure PM Najib knows all about the theory of transformational leadership. His advisers would be explaining the concept to him countless times. The problem lies in the translation. When this problem arises, organizations decline as there is an increasingly disconnect between the way things should be done and the way we do things here.

The way UMNO does things are more attuned to horse trading, pork barrel politics variety or in theoretical term, what people know as transactional leadership. As the term implies, within such an organisation, between the leader and followers, there is a constant stream of trading and transactions.

The biggest question that needs to be answered, is UMNO ready at all to embrace transformational leadership style? This calls for a complete reversal of the existing UMNO culture steeped in the transactional style of leadership. Under this style for example, people are motivated by reward and punishment. Accordingly, the system most appropriate for conferring rewards and punishment is the system where there is a clear line of authority and command structure. The leader expects the followers to perform certain functions for which they are rewarded if they performed to expectations and punished if they failed. In exchange for being rewarded, authority is ceded to the leader. The leader who commands patronage and resources to muster submission will become supreme.

By his pronouncements PM Najib is ready to relinquish his authority, placing absolute faith in his shield of 146,000 delegates in future. In other words, the PM is saying he is ready to discount patronage. This is indeed a bold statement as it is revolutionary.

The trickier question is, are the UMNO people, rank and file, ready to forgo a system of rewards and punishment? Are they ready to embrace higher and nobler values in dispensing their duties? People will follow a person who inspires them. A person with vision and passion can achieve great things. The way to get things done is by injecting enthusiasm and energy.

The immediate problem is, enthusiasm and energy are not tangible rewards. The UMNO culture is one that is built on almost an article of faith-like system of rewards and punishment- more of the rewards in fact. No UMNO activity at ground level takes off without financial incentives. Even the crowds that make up the audience at functions are sometimes paid to attend. UMNO people doing skunk work in by elections needed to be paid. The UMNO faithfuls and purists are justified in decrying the diminishing level of idealism. Now UMNO appears to operate on the very system the President wants to transform.

Ok, the PM has developed a vision- it's called 1 Malaysia. It's a view of the future that will excite and convert potential followers. This vision is important to the PM. He is constantly selling the vision. A lot of energy has been expended to secure commitment. We see and hear the selling of this vision every day. It's a radical vision that requires time to set in and reception of the concept varies in terms of speed. Some will join the show much more slowly than others.

As a Transformational Leader, PM Najib needs to take every opportunity and will use whatever that works, to convince others to climb on board the bandwagon. He has to develop followers who share his vision who are motivated by enthusiasm and the higher values as opposed to immediate material rewards. How will he do this? He has to create trust among his key followers- let's call them, the change-masters. The most important characteristic that will allow them to gain trust is their personal integrity. Because in the vision conceived by the PM as the transformational leader, all those committed to selling the vision are selling themselves too.

How will PM Najib get his knights of his round table? Perhaps, because the PM recognises the paucity of the existing UMNO talent pool in this department, he has to widen the talent pool. Democratise the selection of leadership talent pool. Hence the decision to relax the rules relating to the way UMNO elects its leaders must be seen as means to achieve this goal. Supplying a talent pool of transformational leaders committed to achieving the PM's vision. It's not a means for political pranksters and irritable fellows to get power.