PROBLEMS OF LEADERSHIP IN AFRICA

PROBLEMS OF LEADERSHIP IN AFRICA

For half a century leaders have fooled the masses. By all standards, leadership is not supposed to be a tea party like many have taken it to be. Leadership is strictly an instrument for development, unity, peace, and security. Society is usually exposed to varying degrees of threats, whenever leadership fails.

It often said that bad workmen quarrel with their tools. The same thing applies to leadership. Bad leaders are fond of blaming others for their failures. One prominent characteristic of bad leaders is the readiness to invest in recruitment of orators and propaganda wizards to help deceive and pin down the patience of hapless citizens.

The blame culture our leaders indulge in has helped to expose one painful fact, most public office holders do not understand the true meaning of leadership. Some, therefore, see leadership as opportunities to advance tribal or religious agenda. Others simply see leadership as platforms to amass wealth. Except our leaders begin to appreciate what leadership truly is, Africa might continue to suffer underdevelopment, unemployment, poverty, crime and insecurity.

It will be an understatement to declare that Africa has lacked purposeful leadership for the most part of its existence, there is no doubt that Africa has one time or the other, been blessed with honest leaders. The problem has been that these honest leaders mostly surround themselves with dishonest people in the form of advisers, ministers, and confidants. It is natural for honest leaders that accept support from dishonest people, to become dishonourable within a very short period of time.

Leadership Attributes

LEADERSHIP

A true leader has the confidence of stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. They are much like eagles. They don’t flock, you find them one at a time.

Leaders lead with integrity. They believe that the person whom you compete with most is the person you see when you look at the mirror. Todd Duncan says, “integrity is not automatic it results from self-discipline, hard-found character, solidified beliefs, and relent less pursuit of honesty.” Mac Anderson  [founder of Successories] says “wisdom is knowing the right path to take, integrity is taking it.”

Leader must lead with value. When it come to leadership values work, as a leader, is critical. First you must make sure everyone understand the values, and secondly you must guide your people to practice them. Most importantly, however, you must walk the talk. He must know the way, show the way, and go the way. By doing this you will have earned the right to insist that others do the same.

The great leader, whether they’re presidents, teachers, coaches, soldier or CEO’s, know they are there not to feed their egos, but to serve others. This humble, caring, service-oriented attitude, more than anything else, fosters admiration and respect among the people being led.

‘You’ll always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take’. Therefore leaders must take action. Bold ideas are worth nothing until a leader has the courage to take action. The only way leader can learn and grow is to leave his comfort zone to risk. Along the line many people will tell you that what you are doing will not work that u are wasting your time, leaders never mind they continue.

Leadership In Nigeria

Leadership has been a global problem for a long time now and years to come. How we understand the term "Leadership" will help us to use the concept of leadership and improve the lot of the citizenry of any country but especially Nigeria.

The issue of leadership in Nigeria has been bedeviled with institutionalized  corruption and the people are now apathetic about the issue of leadership for any successive leader that come to the stag will always behave exactly like his predecessor, for this the people are no more interested of whom their leader is or will be. This could be seen from the perspective of African Leaders who always perpetuate themselves in power and will not want to leave the stag when the ovation is loudest.

From a dictionary definition of the term "Leadership" which is " " it will be understood that we lacked the political and economic will to assume proper leadership position in Nigeria. It could be noted that a leader is he that can sacrifice himself to make others happy, that can climb the tallest tree and survey the area and tell others how the environment is like. 

A leader is unassuming, self sacrificing and pathetic to the plight of his followers, he does not self- spare  himself and do not procrastinate be takes actions as at when due or needed. This kind of leader could be seen in the person of Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King jnr., Mahatma Gandi, etc.