MANAGER OR LEADER? PNoys latest apology — for the failure of national government to aid the Tacloban LGU and residents in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda — has been hit by people from the Senate and the media pundits and in cyberspace/social networks, as his ampaw style of governance. Ironically, thats what PNoy himself is also admonishing people to avoid in the next election — ampaw leaders/politicians. Sen. Serge Osmeñas pronouncement that PNoy is an awful manager is because PNoy has not been able to properly marshal the might and resources of national government to be able to respond to the needs of local communities — like Tacloban in its calamity — and the whole countryside, in general. After all, Metro Manila is not the Philippines; the president has just been playing politics within the confines of the National Capital Region (read: within the national government level and with apparatchiks in the executive, legislative and judiciary branches). Sen. Miriam Santiagos defense of PNoy should be taken in the context of the presidencys chief role as leader of the whole nation — to serve as inspiration for and enabler of the rest of government to perform as expected by the general public. The general public is actually composed of many publics, or sub-groups if you will. One is the local government publics (regional, provincial, city/municipal, and the barangay as the lowest level). Sen. Santiago points to this leadership role with reference to PNoys personal image of apparently being free from the taint of corruption. But what is the difference between being a manager and a leader, anyway? The manager does things right — and the leader does the right thing. The manager uses his authority and know-how to produce what are the required outputs. The leader inspires people to reach their goals and enables them to accomplish desired outcomes. Being capable, knowledgeable, ethical, and all other inherent character traits are the content, and being able to accomplish objectives and goals, efficiently and effectively, etc. are the periphery — in the content and periphery syndrome that constantly accompanies any and all efforts to define and distinguish management and leadership from each other. Joseph C. Rost (Leadership for the 21st Century) says: “The changes that leaders and followers intend must reflect their mutual purposes. Mutual purposes are common purposes, not only because they are forged from the influence relationship, which is inherently non-coercive, not only because they develop over time from the multi-directional nature of the relationship, but because the followers and leaders together do leadership. Leadership is their common enterprise, the essence of the relationship, the process by which they exert influence.” [Rosts definition of leadership — Leadership is an influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend real changes that reflect their mutual purposes — was already posted here earlier, but with no takers in discussing it...] The majority of the people themselves must know, and should strongly desire where they want to go and how they want to go there — if they want their leaders (who will have to come from among themselves) to also toe the line. Otherwise, we will just continue to have the situation of “the blind leading the blind” — or worse, still remain as no more than slaves (like in our colonial days) to the consequences of our own lack of will, while the powerful and privileged few will lord it over and demonstrate their ‘superiority’ and strength of resolve (to perpetuate themselves, of course) by any and all means at their command. It is up to us to use our power to influence our leaders. It is up to our leaders to pursue the mutual purposes that they share with us, their followers. Together, we make REAL changes possible... It is the characteristic excellence of the strong man that he can bring momentous issues to the fore and make a decision about them. The weak are always forced to decide between alternatives they have not chosen themselves. ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer Sometimes you make the right decision, sometimes you make the decision right. ~ Phil McGraw ~ pag me alam, este time pala :p
Posted on: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 07:20:32 +0000
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