Photo Courtesy: The Hindu
By:- Erendro Leichombam
We have the tendency to await charismatic & messianic authority figures to solve all our complicated problems. When our leaders aren’t able to meet these expectations we are disappointed. So disappointed, either we become cynical and completely give up, or we resign to our current situation and tend to focus on the failure of our current leadership. Rarely do we modify, manage, or redefine the model of leadership we hold as ideal. Yes, we do need leaders with integrity, of quality, and of moral strength. But we don’t need to place them near godliness. Instead, we also need to engage in public reflection and responsibility.
A surgeon does diagnosis, prognosis, & treatment. They solve the problems for us. But the solutions to the most complicated problems in a community lies only with the people, not one godlike figure. The ideal leadership model, thus, should be more like the work of a psychiatrist; they help people see the problem at its root, and then suggest organic solutions through lasting inner transformations. In other words, its about the people, not the leaders per se (Heifetz).
Therefore, perhaps we could start expecting leaders to be more human: one who communicates more honestly with the public, educates, facilitates a more inclusive dialogue for mutual understanding of the challenges, unites more effectively, and then share the responsibility of implementing policies that address major issues in our community. I think the people are inherently smart enough to start accepting humans as leaders. Not messiah.
