'Wanted: A good leader'

OVER THE last few weeks we have been forced to wrestle with the need for great leadership for this great country, Jamaica. But how do we choose great leaders for our beloved country? What criteria should we use? In this article, we will outline a number of criteria, some based on research which we believe our people should look for in a great leader.

Some criteria for selection of a great leader

First: A passion and love for our island home. This passion invokes a sense of responsibility under God for stewardship of the earth. The leader selected must, therefore, have the county's best interest at heart. He/she must not be focused on what is in it for him/her and how he/she can become rich out of the period in power. Instead, he/she must have a focus on improving the livelihood of our Jamaican people. "Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country".

Second: This person must have a track record of success. He/she must have a proven record in his/her chosen field. If this person is a lawyer, then that one must be a successful lawyer. The leader should display the ability to grow and lead an entity successfully.

Third: the leader must be a person of utmost integrity. You lead out of who you are, so the values a leader brings to the table will determine how and why decisions are made. The leaders selected must not only talk 'integrity' but must have a proven record of living 'integrity'. The person should be a sound money manager and should have a clean record of paying taxes.

Fourth: A leader suitable for high office must be able to lead his or her family well. He or she must have a stable family with children that are not unruly. A leader must first show the ability to lead in the home. The old Jamaican proverb applies here: 'dance a yaad first'. This is an indication that this person is capable of leading a team.

Above all, the team the leader chooses must also meet the same criteria.

Beside these fundamental criteria, we believe that our leader should also display transformational characteristics. Jamaica needs a transformational leader at this time of rapid technological change. According to Shriberg, A., Shriberg, D., and Lloyd, C., (2002):

1. Transformational leaders identify themselves as change agents.

2. Transformational leaders are courageous individuals.

3. Transformational leaders believe in people.

4.Transformational leaders are value-driven.

5. Transformational leaders are lifelong learners.

6.Transformational leaders can deal with complexity, ambiguity, and uncertainty.

7. Transformational leaders are visionaries.

The Gallup poll of United States president Barack Obama in 2009 provides another useful list of criteria for good leadership:

willing to make hard decisions;

strong and decisive leader;

can get things done;

shows empathy - understands the problems people face in their daily lives;

shares your values;

has mostly chosen good advisers and cabinet officers.

Do our proposed leaders meet these criteria?

Jamaica is at a crossroads. If we are to retrieve it from the brink of destruction it is critical that we choose good leaders. One of our problems is that the persons meeting the above criteria avoid politics and so we end up with leaders who are manipulative, lack integrity, indecisive and who have no track record of success. As Jamaicans, if we don't stand for good governance and leadership, we will, in fact, get leadership we deserve.

Jamaica deserves good leadership!

Contributed by the Centre for Leadership, which consists of Christian leaders from various sectors of society.