There are over 7 billion humans on earth. Africa is the world’s second most populated continent, and one in every five Africans is a Nigerian. In the real sense of it Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation and is often compared to South Africa with over 53 million and Ghana with over 26 million. Over 170 million people and counting make up Nigeria’s population; should Nigerians become refugees no single African country can accommodate our numbers.
The journey to independence from the hands of our teachers the colonial masters in 1960 signified to the world we were capable and have come of age to handle our own business and take our destiny in our hands. Like all other beginnings, it was never smooth sailing. From independence our founding fathers led us with the passion of nationalism: they protected our interest and at some time they betrayed our Social Contract however we kept evolving with every leader reminding us of how complex a state we are with over 250 ethnic groups and diverse interests. We believed our leadership journey was the learning curve and our Eldorado remained in our minds.
In this year 2015, the people of my country of birth would witness an opportunity for her citizens to choose a leader who would lead the affairs of the state for the next four years and among all the questions on my mind is the cliché question, what is required of the leader of the Nigeria of my dreams?
The Nigeria of my dreams should be run by systems which can stand global best practices.
The fact that our population has grown beyond our reach as experienced over the years is expected. It’s time we stopped playing small and face the fact that we must be run by systems. My country of birth in the 21st century should have a standard operating system that outlives personalities. Like the rest of the world has moved on, we must rely on systems and not human cabals. If we must do it right then a 360 systemic approach must be one we should consider. The world has evolved and even though politicking is seen as a way of life, a systemic approach to running affairs remains global best practice. The world has gone far beyond influential leaders, and operates with standard operating systems.
A leader with full customer reality:
This is a marketing term though: the fact that we require systems, statistics and all the methods of getting figures is a good approach. However the reality is that the Nigerian people must be viewed as humans. A leader must have empathy and insight. The average Nigerian still wants a leader who would walk in his shoes, one who is still connected to the
Naija story of survival
; the
Naija spirit is the never die spirit, one which survives against all odds. Amidst the tears and smiles, Nigerians have this belief that all would be well. Call it gullible as this normally comes off in so many scenarios, the average Nigerian still wants to earn your trust and believes you wouldn’t take his happy nature for granted. He is one who is full of awareness.
Integrity is non-negotiable
A global research was carried out as to which is the number one feature people would love their leaders to have and the word i
ntegrity reoccurred several times. Integrity is non-negotiable. A good name is better than all the riches in the world. Irrespective of what anyone thinks people would follow a man whose integrity isn’t in doubt yesterday and tomorrow.
Leadership without successful succession is always bad news.
Lovers of the round leather game can easily relate to this one: One of the best football managers of all time Sir Alex Ferguson resigned from being the coach of the premiership champions Manchester United. Interestingly, after Sir Fergie left United, his immediate successor couldn’t match or even step up to his achievements and this led to United’s tailspin. So many reasons have been cited for this but the bottom line was that they couldn’t win games and defend their titles. The Manchester United experience ended up becoming a case study for scholars in the academics.
Every great leader must have a successor who is capable of sustaining the tempo when the ovation is done. Successors are groomed and a leader must be willing to go the extra mile to groom them, especially when he is in the spotlight.
Ability to co-create and synergize
No nation has survived in isolation for long. The United States isolationism policy from global politics was a good strategy that never lasted for long and irrespective of her being the most revered nation in the world, the United States never dominates in isolation. The world has learnt the power of co-creating and synergizing. The leader who must understand our comparative advantage and coast on it is one to be revered. America’s war in Afghanistan was never done alone, she fought with her allies.
Zero tolerance for mediocrity
A leader with zero tolerance for mediocrity is one who would never compromise quality. Mediocrity is mediocrity. Every leader must be an enemy of mediocrity, that’s all!
Must be sound spiritually and mentally
As humans we are made up of soul, body and spirit. A great leader must have struck a balance between these aspects of his life and should be able to handle health issues because his life has ceased to be his personal affair but the interest of over 170 million.
Must learn the art of listening, speaking and acting
Words can inspire, words can dampen, words can change a life. Take time to listen to an Obama speech (you don’t need to be present, just search via Google). One with the responsibility of holding the affairs of 170 million people must learn the art of speaking words from the heart and never be scared of being vulnerable. If he doesn’t know how to speak, he must learn the art of speaking and acting on spoken words. Demosthenes was a Greek stammerer. In the beginning all it took him to become one of the best orators of all time was practice.
Everyone has a checklist of what their
#idealleader should be and that’s okay. The beauty and irony about life is that irrespective of what we wish its only right we be the change we seek from our own corner of the world.
By voting we add our voice to the many, however we must never forget our life doesn’t end after the elections and if we claim to know better we must plan for life after the election which is a reality we must be courageous to face.
About the Author: Charismatic Charles as he is fondly called is a millennial influencer, personal development coach and Management Consultant. His natural skills are tied around galvanizing the gifts of others, making people more aware of their capabilities and pushing them to be better versions of self by taking responsibility of their lives. He is open to coaching Individuals and firms with team building sessions.He renews his knowledge by learning, un-learning, and relearning through Interactions/engagements.He is also an author of
#BreakingtheCoconut– A book that profiles 11 African change makers share their experiences across different endeavor and how they beat life’s odds on their life journey you can email him on
Charismaticcharles@gmail.com, follow him on Twitter @charismacharles and visist his
blog.
Related
You might also like:
This article was first published on 24th January 2015
Comments (0)
