TRADEMARKS OF WRONG-HEADED LEADERSHIP

Garowe, May 15, 2019LEADERSHIP

If you talk to the same people everyday, see same persons, eat the same food over again and visit same places everyday, listen to same news channel and read same paper, you are not growing personally. Worse than that is when you love to listen to the stories and news you like most. Still worse than that is when you choose wrong advisors and friends for the wrong reasons.

But, worst of all is when you are fond of sycophancy and flattery. This is what happens to most politicians and companies’ CEOs, especially the dictators. This is what had happened to late President Siyad Barre of Somalia. Here in Puntland, that was what had happened to late President of Puntland, General Adde Muse and even Jama Ali Jama, that led to armed clashes and a brief political conflict in Puntland in 2000-2001. This is how the City of Las Anod in Sool Region had fallen to Somaliland.

Back in Canada, General Adde Muse was talking to the same sub-clan opposition politicians of his own to rely on their take on Puntland current issues and news. He was hoodwinked to believing that the conflict here was between two related sub-clans, not a political conflict between the regime and the opposition. He blindedly jumped in to the conflict based on the distorted information he had been exposed to for over sometime and over again by friends and relatives he naively trusted.

The first biggest mistake a politician could make, however, is when he or she hires partial and self-interested advisors, who couldn’t give fearlessly objective and unbiased advices to the boss.
The 2nd biggest mistake politicians could make is when they allow close relatives and immediate household members to interfere in the administration or sometimes run the show as it happened in Faroole Administration, a similar situation the late President of TFG, Abdullahi Yusuf, found himself in as he grew senile in his late days of his administration.

Hardening of political mindset, opinion or attitudes is another danger in leadership as was former president and vice-president of Puntland, Mohamed Abdi Hashi.
Ivory-tower attitude and knowing all alone character of Abdiweli Gaas-style is fatally wrong-headed and detrimental to the normal functioning of a government or business.

These problems may be happening to Farmaajo and Khaire now. Certainly, Ahmed Madoobe of Jubaland has most of these vices and more.
Any effective leader has these known and tested leadership qualities:

1. Knowing how to find quality personnel and aides
2. Knowing how to delegate various duties and what to delegate.
3. Having listening abilities
4. Trusting and supporting able aides
5. Recognizing and thanking people for jobs well done.
6. Most importantly, motivating people to reach new heights in their careers, always acting as a role model for others. Be a teacher,advisor and godfather for personal development and growth.
7. Avoiding pressure, fear and tension at workplace environment. Making people feel comfortable, confident and easy with your presence. Be patient with personnel as they get used to what they are doing.
   Another important political lesson one should learn is “never outshine your boss” whether you are cabinet minister, an ambassador or an advisor or simply somebody else in any kind of an administration.
   https;//Ismailwarsame.blog @ismailwarsame

Garowe, June 20, 2019

EDITORIAL

Forty years of political and security turmoil had its toil and trauma on the people of Somalia. People had survived merely on their legendary stamina and unmatched patience to wait it out the upheals of the times, hoping that things will eventually turn out better.That kept them going.They believed that when things get taugh, only the taugh keeps going.

Add this to the never-ending feuds between and bickering of Somali leaders of the day. Add this to their lack of inspiration and vision for Somalia. Add this to their self-interest and corruption at all levels. Add this to their reluctance to learn from the recent history of civil war, violence and religious extremism, and add this to their dangerous tendency to ignore the most important of all priorities: National Reconciliation and Peace Process.

The main thrust in Somali thinking was how to revive the public institutions of the Somali State that had totally disappeared. They found out that was easier said than done, with so many internal and external forces preventing that possibility happening anytime sooner. That is because when a country breaks up, it creates other lucrative businesses for a lot of competing interests that are not interested in the re-instatement of a failed State.

In the light of the above, people reasonably got tired; some in despair and disillusionment, giving in to political cynicism. This new attitude is very damaging to the people’s collective efforts towards their historical struggle to fight on.

Somali leaders at Federal and state levels bear the burden of full responsibility for this new political cynicism and fatigue. This is a wake-up call too for all Somalis.

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@ismailwarsame