“The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limit.”
– John W. Gardner
First word
INDEPENDENCE Day came and went yesterday without fuss or fanfare. No one did much of anything, and no one noticed or heard anything of significance.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stirred himself enough to deliver a perfunctory message. Senators likewise displayed a sliver of patriotic sentiment.
It was one of the quietest flag day celebrations that I can remember from seven decades of watching our national history unfold and flow by.
In a way, the sense of inertia and reticence was not unexpected from the seat of government in Malacañang today. More things are happening today in the Senate than at the Palace. More news now are being generated by the chaos in the Senate and the bickering between Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Sherwin Gatchalian.
It is as if the center of gravity in our government has shifted to Congress from the presidency as colossal tales of plunder and the shameless exploits of legislators took center stage in national life.
This turn of events is chiefly the side effect of BBM’s laid-back style of leadership which eschews action for inertia and reticence. He and the first lady are most active and energetic only when they are traipsing in a foreign capital in another state visit.
Considering how gravely the nation has been damaged by the flood control funds scandal and corruption crisis, it should have been natural for the president in his Freedom Day address to call the nation to action and rally our people behind a resolute program of reform and rebuilding of confidence in national life.
It should have been a moment of renewal and recommitment to the national purpose.
In his book “On Leadership” that has been widely hailed as a masterpiece in leadership and management studies, the former education secretary, and management teacher and corporate executive John Gardner underscored the great importance of leadership to the health and future of organizations, including governments and nations.
He listed down 11 tasks or functions of leadership that lie at the heart of the leadership challenge. These tasks he wrote are: 1. Envisioning goals; 2. Affirming values; 3. The regeneration of values; 4. Motivating; 5. Managing; 6. Achieving workable unity; 7. Trust; 8. Communicating the vision; 9. Serving as a symbol of unity; 10. Representing the group; and 11. Leaders must master the process of renewal.
Gardner says farther that sharing leadership tasks is fundamental to the health and vitality of organizations.
“The only hope for vitality in large-scale organization is the willingness of a great many people scattered throughout the organization to take the initiative in identifying problems and solving them. Without that the organization becomes another of the sudden inert, nonadaptive bureaucracies that are the bane of modern corporate and government life — rigid and unimaginative, and unequipped to deal with the swiftly changing environment.”
The taking of responsibility is at the heart of leadership to the extent that tasks are shared, responsibility is shared.
One manifestation of sharing is a leadership team — the few individuals who work closely with the leader in the achievement of group purpose.
The best leader is one who ensures that the appropriate talent and skill are built into the team.
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