learning from the master: some Confucian traits of Leadership?
In a few months, UMNO members will select their leaders. Some will go on to become leaders of the country. We hope they are the best of the lot. It is imperative for UMNO members to select carefully. The leaders we select reflect our own class/quality.
It is worthwhile to remember, that in selecting leaders, we choose them based on their abilities.
Quickness of tongue is not a particularly high leadership characteristic. In most cases it is not required. Quickness of tongue, acerbic, sarcastic will only invoke hatred and contempt.
So when Zahid Hamidi, who is readily inclined to acerbic repartees, declares that the grassroots want him to contest for deputy president, we ask, which section of the grassroots? The riffraff? The combative and easily given to temperamental conflagrations? People who will fly off the handle and are easily aroused to go physical if they cannot win arguments? Yes, Zahid will like this kind.
Instead UMNO members should look for 3 characteristics of good leadership.
- Decisiveness.
- Intelligence
- Talented.
In a fast changing world, we want leaders who are decisive. Because decisiveness imparts a sense of confidence and mental solidity. It reflects command of any given situation.
Decisiveness also reflects determination and application of the mind to a given task. That in turn generates all round confidence and a sense of urgency. A person who is indecisive, hiding behind the over rated virtue of consensus building, shillying and shallying, wavering can only generate loss of confidence in the leadership. It means matters of state cannot be resolved promptly. It will also mean, such a person, is likely to be accommodative, compromising most of the times and prone to playing to the gallery.
Most of all, decisiveness reflect inner courage. Of all characteristics of a good leadership, courage occupies the top position. From courage emanates all other leadership qualities.
Naturally, we want leaders who are intelligent. it helps if we have a leader where it is not necessary to go over and over again over some matters before he can understand them. It is also self defeating to have brainy assistants around on levels 4 or 5, if the leader does not have the mental ability to administer them.
To have a talented leader is best of all. If he is multi talented, this means he can master any given situation quickly.
Muhyiddin has shown some of the characteristics recently. His readiness to go against the grain by agitating a faster change in leadership, shows he has decisiveness. He has shown great courage to criticise the weak leadership of our PM and by extension, the DPM. He is to a large extent, an intelligent enough leader. We assume that he has sufficient talent that has enabled him to be placed in different ministries.
9 comments:
Habis-lah UMNO.
Najib as PM?
*kaboom*
OH Hail Rosmah, The Imperial Empress of the House of UMNO..
;)
Here are the Top 10 Qualities of a Good Leader
By David Hakala
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Leadership can be defined as one's ability to get others to willingly follow. Every organization needs leaders at every level. Leaders can be found and nurtured if you look for the following character traits:
A leader with vision has a clear, vivid picture of where to go, as well as a firm grasp on what success looks like and how to achieve it. But it’s not enough to have a vision; leaders must also share it and act upon it. Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO of General Electric Co., said, "Good leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision and relentlessly drive it to completion."
A leader must be able to communicate his or her vision in terms that cause followers to buy into it. He or she must communicate clearly and passionately, as passion is contagious.
A good leader must have the discipline to work toward his or her vision single-mindedly, as well as to direct his or her actions and those of the team toward the goal. Action is the mark of a leader. A leader does not suffer “analysis paralysis” but is always doing something in pursuit of the vision, inspiring others to do the same.
Integrity is the integration of outward actions and inner values. A person of integrity is the same on the outside and on the inside. Such an individual can be trusted because he or she never veers from inner values, even when it might be expeditious to do so. A leader must have the trust of followers and therefore must display integrity.
Honest dealings, predictable reactions, well-controlled emotions, and an absence of tantrums and harsh outbursts are all signs of integrity. A leader who is centered in integrity will be more approachable by followers.
Dedication means spending whatever time or energy is necessary to accomplish the task at hand. A leader inspires dedication by example, doing whatever it takes to complete the next step toward the vision. By setting an excellent example, leaders can show followers that there are no nine-to-five jobs on the team, only opportunities to achieve something great.
Magnanimity means giving credit where it is due. A magnanimous leader ensures that credit for successes is spread as widely as possible throughout the organization. Conversely, a good leader takes personal responsibility for failures. This sort of reverse magnanimity helps other people feel good about themselves and draws the team closer together. To spread the fame and take the blame is a hallmark of effective leadership.
Leaders with humility recognize that they are no better or worse than other members of the team. A humble leader is not self-effacing but rather tries to elevate everyone. Leaders with humility also understand that their status does not make them a god. Mahatma Gandhi is a role model for Indian leaders, and he pursued a “follower-centric” leadership role.
Openness means being able to listen to new ideas, even if they do not conform to the usual way of thinking. Good leaders are able to suspend judgment while listening to others’ ideas, as well as accept new ways of doing things that someone else thought of. Openness builds mutual respect and trust between leaders and followers, and it also keeps the team well supplied with new ideas that can further its vision.
Creativity is the ability to think differently, to get outside of the box that constrains solutions. Creativity gives leaders the ability to see things that others have not seen and thus lead followers in new directions. The most important question that a leader can ask is, “What if … ?” Possibly the worst thing a leader can say is, “I know this is a dumb question ... ”
Fairness means dealing with others consistently and justly. A leader must check all the facts and hear everyone out before passing judgment. He or she must avoid leaping to conclusions based on incomplete evidence. When people feel they that are being treated fairly, they reward a leader with loyalty and dedication.
Assertiveness is not the same as aggressiveness. Rather, it is the ability to clearly state what one expects so that there will be no misunderstandings. A leader must be assertive to get the desired results. Along with assertiveness comes the responsibility to clearly understand what followers expect from their leader.
Many leaders have difficulty striking the right amount of assertiveness, according to a study in the February 2007 issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, published by the APA (American Psychological Association). It seems that being underassertive or overassertive may be the most common weakness among aspiring leaders.
A sense of humor is vital to relieve tension and boredom, as well as to defuse hostility. Effective leaders know how to use humor to energize followers. Humor is a form of power that provides some control over the work environment. And simply put, humor fosters good camaraderie.
Intrinsic traits such as intelligence, good looks, height and so on are not necessary to become a leader. Anyone can cultivate these leadership qualities.
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the problem with a laundry list of leadership qualities is its practicality. nobody is a walking lexicon. the list should be kept to the minimum. we can go on quoting good business leadership culled from jack welch or from the numerous books on leadership. Lee Kuan Yew used the leadership qualities of Shell of which i am familiar with- all summed up by the acronym- HAIR- helicopter quality comprising of powers of analysis/intelligence, imagination and realistic. the secret of good leadership is then reduced to 3 which makes it more practical. i am afraid, even the 3 cannot be shouldered by most of our leaders, what more 10. good only for some.
jed yoong,
nanti dulu. i havent start analysing najib yet. that will come.
Salam, Tuan.
In a way, you've answered some of my questions in your earlier posting. Thank you.
Muhyiddin is - in my opinion - the most suitable candidate for deputy president.
However, Muhyiddin's critics may badmouth him on his alleged 'land sale to the Singaporeans' during his tenure as the Johor MB. These critics I'm talking about are of course, PAS members so it seems that to them, non-PAS leaders are all 'tainted'.
I DON'T trust politicians macam Zahid Hamidi yang tak perlu memeras otak untuk mendapatkan PhD Lalang! Ini SHORTCUT/INSTANT mentality yang tak harus ada pada setiap pemimpin yang credible... apahal terbawak2 dengan trend Dr sampai sanggup usahakan Dr. jualan murah!? Nanti seluruh kepentingan bangsa & negara dilacurkan nya!!
matthew thomas in his very pleasant book- Tales from the Court and other stories, writes about Mike Kumar or MK;
MK's docorate was from Angotta Northern University. it was a 6 weeks correspondence course where you submit yr life's workd in the form of yr personal profile with a fee of USD6000 payable in 3 easy installments.
hence, one sees a koay teow seller who has never been to college or uni, suddenly has a Ph.D to his name. Zaid hamidi who speaks terrible English has a Ph.D. Ph.D's are now a dime a dozen. cheers to MK.
You should provide a ranking list of those ministers who are capable and with good leadership..
Salam Sakmongkol & readers of this blog,
After being informed I have to admit my mistake for saying Datuk Dr. Zahid Hamidi "membeli" ijazah PhD beliau. Saya menerima hakikat bahawa "Senat UPM meluluskan pengurniaan Ijazah PhD kepada Datuk Zahid Hamidi pada 21-2-2008 setelah beliau menyiapkan tesis bertajuk "Manifesto Barisan Nasional Sebagai Agenda Akhbar Bahasa Melayu Semasa Tempuh Pilihan Raya Umum 1982, 1986, 1990, 1995 dan 1999".
Kesilapan ini amat dikesalkan.
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