Dr Sigqibo Biggz Mfuywa
In 2012, during a Nedbank event, Dr Ruel Khosa gave a powerful oration about the leadership dilemma. He argued that the main ingredients of attuned leadership were connectivity, compassion, honesty, humility, reasonableness and the will to be effective based on knowledgeability.
A leader who establishes strong, long-lasting connections based on reciprocity within the community or organisation may confidently face an unpredictable future knowing that their followers will have their back.
A leader needs to be perceptive and sympathetic, to have both sense and sensibility, as well as cognition and feeling.
A leader should not isolate themselves; instead, they should unite with their followers, provide guidance, assist in achieving their objectives, and inspire them to conquer life’s challenges. The interactions with the community shape the moral authority of the leader.
Prioritising the needs of others, giving regard to their choices and answering to them are requirements for all leaders and those aspiring to be leaders.
This requires us as leaders to give selflessly, make inclusive choices, behave modestly, and inspire others by our actions. If we follow this path, our happiness will not come from our ability to rise in status, acquire fortune, or hold positions of authority.
It must come from a deeper, more special place where our acts make others better off or bring blessings to them.
These principles formed the foundation for the social compact that our constitution’s framers created, outlining obligations for both the people and the government.
The consent of the governed is a key component of the social contract theory. Not because the government is infallible, but rather because the people grant it legitimacy by agreeing to be governed.
Those who ascend to power have a responsibility to serve the electorate with integrity, dignity and honesty.
Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, who delivered Walter Sisulu’s lecture in 2011, stated that the sins of incumbency are often defined by the betrayal of ideals related to freedom when a former liberation movement becomes a monster that eats the very freedom that it was created to defend and has sustained throughout history.
As the leaders of our society, we ought to demonstrate virtue, not vices. Leaders should be motivated by a determination to serve and uphold social justice, human rights, and democracy as enshrined in our constitution.
The sins of incumbency derive in large measure from patronage and corruption. People who are chosen for leadership roles ought to be ready to carry out their responsibilities without abusing their power to plunder resources for their own benefit.
As we gravitate towards the general elections this month, the country is in dire need for ethical, competent and decisive leadership. Those elected to govern must be obsessed with changing the economic architecture of the country which still resembles the apartheid regime.
A leadership template for different roles should exist in the nation, and meritocracy should be the basis for elevating people to positions of authority.
After 1994, when we became integrated into the global economy, the nation had to acquire the necessary abilities to deal with the complexity of the outside world.
As part of our response to world demands, the nation must be deliberate in making significant investments in innovation, research and development.
Professionalisation of the public sector has been a dominant discourse in the recent past. The proposed public sector reforms are premised on improving service delivery and improving people’s livelihood, especially the poor. This is to be achieved by making state or government institutional apparatus market-friendly, lean, managerial, decentralised, and customer-friendly.
These are among the key tenets of the reforms that have emerged in South Africa post-apartheid. State capability is a requirement for the successful implementation of public sector reforms.
In 2017, Deputy President Paul Mashatile said: “We need to look back to where we come from and where we are currently, so as we not only draw lessons that will assist in ensuring that we rediscover our moral compass but also inspire us to return to the path that will lead to our dream of creating a better life for all our people becoming a reality”.
The best among us must lead.
Pula!! (Blessings)
Dr Sigqibo Biggz Mfuywa is the Gauteng Provincial Chair of BMF, he writes in his personal capacity.
* The views in this column are independent of Business Report and Independent Media.
BUSINESS REPORT