Leadership for country’s success

By Sunil Karunanayake

Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Lee Kuan Yew, Mikhail Gorbachev and Dr Mahathir Mohamed are some of the leaders who reshaped the history in contemporary times. Whether leaders are born or made it is they who could influence their followers and build up strong teams. This is something common in most fields such as Politics, War, Economy and even sports. In team sports like Soccer, Cricket and Rugby we have heard of many leaders who have led their countries with admiration to success. It was just a decade ago that Arjuna Ranatunga led Sri Lanka to World Championship honours beating the mighty Aussies amidst many obstacles. The year 1996 remains a landmark year where Sri Lanka gained International recognition and built a successful foundation for a lucrative Cricket Industry.

Churchill became a post war hero having given leadership to the allies and ending years of misery and war for his people thus paving the way for an energized and modern Europe. Mandela having formed the African National Congress led an underground freedom struggle that earned him a prison term of nearly three decades. Having being awarded the Nobel Prize in 1993 Mandela emerged victorious in South Africa’s first ever multiracial elections 1994 to end centuries of white dominance in South Africa.
Britons who ruled Singapore from 1819 owing to its valuable deep water Port and strategic location relinquished their power in 1959 and in the elections held in 1959 Lee became the Prime Minister until he quit the position in 1990 after 31 remarkable years. It was during this period that Singapore maintained a growth rate of 8%, per capita income of excess of US$25,000, a significant increase in quality of life, reduction in the income inequality, and rise in life expectancy and to date continues to be a global super power. Lee’s other major achievement was establishing communal harmony among diverse but small population.

The models above represent; Churchill – who governed and led the political process in business style, Mandela- a freedom fighter who having led his struggle from the prison for a greater part of his life unified a war conflict ridden nation, Lee - who beginning from the basics built one of the greatest economic miracles and a disciplined nation and Mahathir - who converted an agricultural economy into a leading prospering industrial nation. Gorbachev provided unity and stability to Europe.

These are different styles of successful leadership that caused economic and political miracles Sri Lanka has been plagued with the war for well over a decade thus escalating defence expenditure, retarding the country’s progress, further aggravated by deteriorating global conditions seriously affecting energy and food imports and a series of fiscal issues causing high inflationary trends. The poor and the fixed income earning middle class are fighting for survival amidst ever increasing prices. War has left many innocents homeless and normal life in conflict areas seriously curtailed. Politically the country seems to be in chaos with hung parliaments and thin majorities forcing the ruling party to struggle for political majority giving rise to a series of other adverse economic issues.

Lower living costs, improved infrastructure facilities, higher quality of life, eradication of poverty, law and order, peace and harmony, etc have been dream words of every Sri Lankan for decades; the distant dawn seems to be moving away each year. This situation could only be changed by honest, committed law abiding leadership that could win the confidence of people. People are simply fed up of rhetoric speeches, street demonstrations, false promises that have prevailed over our country ever since independence.

We often hear the cry we do not have leaders, this is not the reality; if we do not we must pressurize the political leadership to move in the correct direction. Though this is a task for the entire nation it could be best handled by an independent business sector as it is they who provide public revenue and foreign exchange.

Business leaders are well familiar with leadership as in business difference between success and failure rests with leadership. Churchill has earned fame as one of 20th century’s greatest leaders who is also said to have governed with a business sense.
He is said to have run his government like a large business corporation mastering with ease the day to day challenges. Difficult times require leaders with uncommon characteristics.

Let’s not forget leadership attributes of rulers like Dutugemunu and Parakramabahu and Dhatusena whose great treasured legacies still adorn the NCP of Sri Lanka. The New Year resolution and the dream of every Sri Lanka is good honest leadership that could take us out of the present crisis.

Email - suvink@eureka.lk