LEADERSHIP WANTED NOW !

The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.
Max DePree (The Art of Leadership)
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Leaders and leadership are hot topics right now . Our nation is looking for and demanding great leadership NOW and especially from the GCC. Ro Teimumu and Ratu Bokini you are both standing up, you have defined what our reality is and it is marvellous to see . Vinaka to you both for your courage. Can you take us further ?. To paraphrase Shakespeare, some people are born leaders, some achieve leadership, and others have leadership thrust upon them.

I would like to talk about what WE THE PEOPLE OF FIJI should be looking for in our Leaders and we should bear this in mind in readiness for the next elections which should take us to the polls in true democratic fashion as we have a collective say in who takes us over the horizon into the next decade. Don't worry people - we will get there. With the help of our few good leaders we will get there ! GCC chiefs - please don't forget to take that step up for your people.

1. Our Leaders must demonstrate COURAGE. Many of us fail to achieve the quality of life we seek because we are afraid of stepping out of our comfort zone. The courageous leader also will have experienced this fear like the rest of us too, but they have what it takes and the the will to press on. They do what is right and what is necessary to overcome obstacles even when afraid. The only medicine for fear is courage but hand in hand with Courage, our leaders must demonstrate HUMILITY which is the opposite of arrogance and narcissism. Humility in our Leaders does not mean diminishing themselves, but neither does it mean exalting themselves. Our humble leaders recognize all of us citizens as equal in value and know that their position does not make them a god as they are there to serve their people.

2. Our Leaders must demonstrate CONFIDENCE . Confidence is the unshakable belief in themselves that they can make happen what you want to happen. It’s not the self-doubt that limits a leader - it is the reaction to that self-doubt. Confidence allows the leader to keep trying until things get better, to seek help and advice, to listen , and with MAGNANIMITY, give credit where credit is due in fairness and take personal responsibility for failures.

3. Even if a leader is courageous and confident, if he or she does not have the capacity for intense CONCENTRATION, DEDICATION to the task, that leader is likely to drift off course. Concentration means persisting until the goal is achieved but not at cost to Citizenry. Persistence requires only determination and does not need any talent. The ability to focus on the job and to stay on track, to organize oneself, and reduce debilitating distractions is another must. Great leaders have the ability to separate what is immediately pressing from what is truly important. Above all they must continue to be FAIR to all.

4. Our Leaders must INSPIRE us . They should have the CREATIVITY and a PASSION for what they do and what they believe in, in order to inspire us. They should be consistently enthusiastic, upbeat, and optimistic. They should bring a genuine joy to whatever they do - not doom and gloom. Even when things are not going well, they can instill in others the belief that together they can make the situation better. Great leaders are also committed to what they undertake and this means throwing themselves into whatever they do with everything they have. It has been said that some people drink from the fountain of knowledge while others only gargle (aka Bainigargle). True Leaders do not gargle - they are able to get outside the box , think well for their citizens and take a consultative, considerate and different viewpoint on things.

5. Finally, leaders must have a strong sense of VALUES if they are to succeed in the long term. Values are our enduring standards of behavior and must be backed up with INTEGRITY (words and actions must marry) . Values help us determine who we can count on, how people will react in given situations, and whom we want as friends.

If we follow the golden rule, if we do the right thing even when nobody is looking, and we live our lives the way our Bubu's taught us we will be demonstrating a sense of values that others will readily respect and follow.

Our Leaders should be able to attract powerful and effective cultural values , and possess OPENNESS which means being able to listen to ideas that are outside one's current mental models, being able to suspend judgement until after one has heard someone else's ideas. An open leader listens to their people without trying to shut them down early, which demonstrates care and builds trust. Openness also treats other people's ideas as potentially better than one's own ideas and being able to openly consider alternatives is a very important skill.

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When the leadership is right and the time is right, the people can always be counted upon to follow—to the end and at all costs.
Harold J. Seymour

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Open Letter to the army

You are NOT our Leaders, you have illegally taken us hostage, you are bullies, and you are not qualified to make or push laws through.

We do not want you spending our hard-earned tax money on what YOU think is good for us - did we ask you? NO we did not !

We did not ask for your self-righteousness.

We want our elected governances back , we want to be able to trust our neighbour again, we want our everyday certainties and our rights of expression and creativity back.

We do not wish to wake depressed everyday wondering how we are going to feed our makabuna and afford to send them to school when we have lost our earnings because of your stupidness and idiocy.

We don't want your illegal regime and illegal ministers and your illegal boards, and we are sick of your propoganda and double standards.

Enough - go back to barracks , disband and seek forgiveness from your vanua !