In my recent "journey" through the information super highway, I stumbled into a piece aired by MSNBC. You can view the piece below:
http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?g=dee0cc92-4d61-494b-be38-d817a89eed01&f=00&fg=copy
I know the piece is primarily on President Bush, but to me this is an intriguing piece of a video. Primarily because it question raised in this video clip, trascends beyond the American political arena. The primary question asked here focuses on intelligence as one of the universal ingredients of leadership. I believe we can ask the very same question about Tanzanian leaders, if we do not want to be way too Pan-African and extend this into a continental question.
I know for sure that there have been a number of political figures in Tanzania who have been on the receiving end for their lack of (or a perceived lack of) intellectual powers. One of them is our beloved Rashid Mfaume Kawawa. Rumours have it that Mchonga loved the likes of Mr. Kawawa because it afforded him an opportunity to be a lone shining star in the game. Likewise, it is also rumoured that Mr. BWM followed the footsteps of his mentor by sticking to a less intellectual Mr. Sumaye in order to have the same stardom status.
Whether these rumours or perceptions are true, I would like to get my readers's opinion:
- Is intelligence that important in making one a good leader?
- Given the fact that most true intellectuals are typically sidelined in politics, could our lack of development in Bongoland be attributed to sideling intellectual capacity from politics and policymaking?
- What would one say about someone like Zimbabwe's Mugabe? Is it insanity or lack of intellectual capacity that is his plight?
3 comments:
People have different kinds of intelligence.
Some are great mobilisers, some are quick witted etc, personally I think a leader should use common sense than anything else.
Look at China of Mao and Deng Xiao ping. Mao rebuilt Chinese pride, he provided free education and health care,industrialised the country, he could mobilise people - sometimes at a great price but he did not use common sense when it came to pro-poor economics.
When Deng came he allowed peasantry to sell their crops without any distortions, being conservative, they saved. The market took over, rural areas could sustain themselves, he allowed local democracy - people could scream about any ineffiency or corruption and the corrupt know about death row there... then the educated and healthy society was ready for reforms. I think that was common sense.
Was Deng an intelligent person or did he seize the opportunity because it was more of a common sense to do what he did than follow what had repeatedly failed?
Suppression, burying the head in the sand and inefficiency have repeatedly failed. When a leader takes a path today that led to a dead end yesterday... well I think he doesn't use any common sense - if sense is common to all anyway.
Sibala & Mwandani,
Asanteni for your insight. I am leaning towards taking Mwandani's position - that all you need in common sense. I think common sense summarizes all the ingredients that Sibala pointed out, but in a simpler way.
It would be then be safe to say that the application of common sense is equated to the application of one's own intelligence. Given that fact, any kiongozi who fails to apply common sense in their decision-making, regardless of their level of education and intelligence, is equivalant to an idiot.
This realization begs for another intriguing question: is the ability to apply common sense synonimous to wisdom or these are two different concepts? Could it be that we make a mistake in Bongoland to assume that every old man is wise?
This is an interesting discussion. Let us begin by defining intelligence in the context of leadership - "The capacity to acquire and apply knowledge!" Now, let us not equate this with "book" knowledge..you may have "book" knowledge and still lack the capacity to apply that knowledge in real life situations, that to me is not intelligence!
We definately need intelligent leaders...no doubt about it. We also need to realize that leaders are both made and born. Here is what I gathered about the qualities of a leader:
1. Have vision. Leaders have a clear sense of where they want to go and how they intend to get there. They see the big picture, then create a strategic plan for achieving their goals.
2. Make decisions. Leaders aren’t afraid to make difficult or unpopular decisions because they have confidence in themselves and in their abilities. They know that indecision wastes resources and opportunities.
3. Take risks. Leaders have the courage to act in situations where results aren’t assured. They're willing to risk failure.
4. Motivate others. Leaders can articulate their vision and ideals to others, convincing them of the value of their ideas. They can inspire people to work toward common goals and to achieve things they never thought they could do.
5. Build teams. Leaders create productive teams that draw the best from people. They effectively coach teams in collaboration, consensus building, and conflict resolution.
6. Possess self-knowledge. Leaders know their own strengths and weaknesses and are able to view their behavior objectively. They recognize their shortcomings, open themselves to feedback, and are willing to make changes when necessary.
7. Display integrity. Leaders must be trustworthy before others will follow them. Warren Bennis, The Leadership Institute, University of Southern California, says qualities that establish trust are competence, constancy, caring, candor, and congruity, which he defines as authenticity, reliability, and feeling comfortable with oneself.
8. Pursue lifelong learning. Leaders have a desire to continually learn and grow and are open to new ideas.
9. Communicate effectively. Leaders can convey their ideas to diverse individuals and adjust their styles to meet the needs of the people they lead.
10. Help others succeed. Leaders empower others and go out of their way to help them achieve their full potential, thereby benefiting the organization.
Source: http://www.realtor.org/rmotoolkits.nsf/pages/brokerlead01a
Sounds like intelligence to me..what say you?
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