Leadership In A Time Of Crisis

Eze Onyekpere

The challenge of leadership can be defined as the challenge of development. No nation, society or group of people develops beyond the competence, character and foresight of its leadership. There is a certain degree of universality of concepts, ideas, thoughts, etc. expressed as successful leadership. Although they may differ according to cultures and traditions, they are all geared towards the same goal of effectiveness and getting things done to solve social challenges. They hardly contradict each other in their realism. This discourse reviews a few ideas that should qualify good leadership in a time of crisis such as the present corona pandemic.

Crisis, as a challenge, presents an opportunity to learn, to develop new capacity to overcome the danger, to adapt and to mitigate the crisis. Thus, a new vista of ideas, concepts and action points open to leadership in the response to a crisis which this pandemic represents. Necessity is said to be the mother of invention and leadership motivates followers to inventions and innovations through strategic and targeted encouragement and incentives. Leadership channels the hardship of adversity as the tonic for disruptions leading to positive change. Difficulties are also about mindsets, information and resources available to the leader and society. The difficulty of today, may be the easiest of interventions of tomorrow. Adversity is the canvass of the artist (leader), to make a wonderful and marvelous work of art. This crisis presents an opportunity to tap the innovation of our youthful population and convert available local scientific knowledge into technology. The federal and state governments can set up challenge funds in very critical sectors to tap new knowledge and scientific innovations. Leadership can facilitate the process of collating the innovations of our research institutes and a selection made of the most feasible designs. These designs will be mass produced without requiring a lot of imported components.

This is not a time for the outdated idea of thinking out of the box but a time for leadership to come out of the box because the box itself is a self-imposed limitation. Leadership as motivation is incomplete without charismatic qualities, quotable quotes and a reassuring calm and confidence which flows from the boldness and courage of a leader. What are the new ideas or old ones that Nigeria seeks to achieve in this pandemic? Self-reliance and improvement in productivity? We need face masks- but must we import? If we want to make them locally, are the specifications available for our local tailors to begin to sow them? Can leadership give marching orders for the local production of personal protective equipment? All the institutions that have produced ventilators – what are waiting for to move research to production?

Leadership must think, plan, conceptualize, etc. But there comes a time when the leader must practicalize all the planning through action. He cannot be contemplating forever. It is not about what she thinks or dreams of, but about what she does that eventually counts in solving a societal problem.The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) provides for the federal legislature to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (S.4) and a similar provision is made for the state legislature. This is at the level of revving up the engine. Implementation is the execution and shoving it into a gear which is what S.5 of the Constitution provides for. S.5 deals with the functions of the President who is the head of the federal executive. In this pandemic, the collaboration of the executive and legislature is imperative to provide solutions for the health and economic challenge. Again, the judiciary comes in to interpret laws and we have quickly set up mobile courts to try violators of sit at home orders without having a single legislation which provides solutions.

Action leads to results and by acting, leadership creates the chance or opportunity of success. It is not just every kind of action that is desired in leadership, not the movement in a barber’s chair that produces no real motion, but that, which is targeted at ends, already agreed and designated in policy and planning as desirable goals of social evolution. This brings home the truth about planning and policy making. Plans and policies designate conceived ends to which executive and legislative action will be geared towards achieving. Where is the National Health Policy that seeks to promote the health of all Nigerians to accelerate socio-economic development and the National Strategic Health Development Plan 2018-2022 in the fight against the pandemic? Do we seek to reinvent the wheel? Has the National Council on Health ever met over the pandemic and or when last did the Council meet? Why are we not taking advantage of the Council to direct action on the pandemic across the states?

Change is a constant factor in life and human relationships. Change is the march of civilization. It cannot be stopped; it can only be managed. The pandemic has introduced a collapsing economy due to the dwindling oil price. How have our leaders responded? Have they volunteered to cut down their humongous legal and illegal perks of office? Leadership is expected to lead the change process. Change should begin from the top, not the bottom. It is easier to achieve results when the leadership cadre buys into it. The leader is expected to lead through clarity of purpose and examples and use same to inspire others to follow. Any change that starts from the bottom may lead to a revolution or a change of leadership. Nigerians hate to think that while they are making sacrifices, leaders are still holding on to their extravagant lifestyle.

The concept of leadership is about motivation, persuasion, laying out the bright ideas that attracts the following to embark on a successful journey. It is about the power of convincing people to understand the big picture embedded in leadership ideas; to see the win-win for everyone. It is about charisma and moral authority, not the fear of sanctions. It is about legitimacy. Leadership is about inspiration and confidence. Inspiring others to do great things that solve existential challenges. The confidence that people have in their leader’s ability to do good and the confidence the leaders breathes into the citizenry, being the “can do” spirit to begin to solve challenges themselves is paramount in a crisis. Leadership is about positive influence. Now, this contrasts with the quality of leadership we witness today where the President and Vice-President are not seen leading from the front; where the governor of Kano State is in denial of hundreds that have died under his watch. Over 50 per cent of the 36 states have no testing facilities and construction of isolation centres is taking forever.

In the final analysis, every society must mount pressure on leadership to deliver on socially accepted goals. Otherwise lethargy will set in and society will be stagnated.