- The PM seems badly advised
The real test of leadership comes, and the character of a leader emerges, only when he or she faces challenges emanating from the unknown. In the last quarter of 2019, all of us looked forward 2020, filled with great hope and enthusiasm, to arrest the declining numbers in the economy, both locally and internationally. Until then it was focus on the regular challenges of economy, social upliftment, unemployment, inflation, etc. Nobody dreamt or foresaw in their wildest imagination that a virus called “Corona Virus-19”, would unleash itself, first as a mere jolt in the industrial city of Wuhan, in China’s Hubei province ; and later envelop the entire globe, with catastrophic implications for economies, politics and society.
No country whatsoever was ready for a virus that would become a pandemic. Each country reacted according to its own level of firstly political maturity and secondly its economic. It took China, South Korea and Europe by surprise; then crossed the Atlantic, with cruel speed. China, and a handful of European countries resorted to serous lockdown, the former more seriously effective in its enforcement. Given China’s system of governance, in just 8-12 weeks, it not only confined the situation but also regained some of the economic losses. Chinese leaders take decision and implement them.
The end of covid-19 is nowhere in sight. It may sneak into year 2021, as well. In its wake, the repercussions are manifold ranging from economy, social issues to health and mental health disorders. To deal with this requires now of our PM, to exhibit a different mettle
New Zealand, at the farthest end of the world, is the only country that has officially claimed and celebrated the elimination of covid-19. Rime Minister Jacinda Ardern, had already proven her mettle as a great leader, in handling last year’s terror attack; but as former US President Richard Nixon put it once, there are small events or nations and great leaders; Lee Kuan Yew was his case in point; could he be as successful as he was in Singapore, if he were leading Egypt? New Zealand is not Pakistan! We cannot berate Imran Khan on that count; similarly Pakistan is not Saudi Arabia, where the Monarch orders and people “have to” comply; so again Imran is seen pleading with the nation, “Please wear masks”; his threats of action are hollow, because the legal structure doesn’t support him or his threats.
The acrid criticism of the Government by the opposition is not totally unjustified. The presence of so many Covid18 experts around the PM, aren’t serving his cause well. Many an occasion Imran actually appears a leader lost to the coterie of unsound advisors. The airy-fairy, idealistic, impractical and vague asinine suggestions, by these zealots, lead to mockery of the government or rather the leader.
We have witnessed the PM’s antithetical statements, who first called covid19, “regular flu” and four weeks later, implored upon the nation to take it seriously, as it is potentially a deadly virus! No, wonder, we see the opposition in overdrive with acerbic comments upon the leadership. A political leader has gone to the extent of calling the PM a bundle of confused thinking.
The Government and the corporate/business world would have to demonstrate great skills and an adroit posture towards managing critical sensitivities, which are or will be a natural fallout to this pandemic.
Businesses, at this point are merely worried looking at the decline in their numbers; immune to their responsibility to assist the government. The pandemic’s impact on the economy is largely dependent on how business leadership responds to declining sales and lower profitability. A major fabric retailer has begun to shed already low and underpaid counter staff. If this is going to be the response of business to a few months of low profitability, then one can only woefully imagine the number of unemployed, at the end of this year. An additional problem for the government are the returning overseas Pakistanis, skilled and non-skilled; blue and white collar, who will be job seekers, too.
Organizations (including the public sector, like PSM) contemplating layoffs will have to move with extreme caution laced with empathy. A lay-off is not just about an employee let go; it is an ethical and social dilemma, with far reaching effects. Families are emotionally gutted and that’s when their need for an anodyne becomes crucial. It can come only, where leadership takes into consideration besides the actual impact upon the family, of how to off-set the possible pain of being stigmatized as a “nonessential” person for the entity, and society at large. This can be very traumatic on large scale, lay-offs.
Mass disappointments will emerge from any massive lay-offs. Although the government, through the central Bank, has come up with a refinance facility for payment of salaries by commercial organizations facing liquidity crunch; this scribe suspects (based on history),that like all other types of concessional financing, this too will be grossly abused. Funds availability at 3 percent, when the discount rate is 8 percent, is a good source to paying off higher-costing debts. A cash-rich organization shouldn’t be permitted to avail refinancing for payment of salaries.
Political and business leaders will have to bring to the fore their ethical responsibility towards society and engage with workers during the toughest times of their lives. Clean leadership must be so, not by inertia, but performance. If nothing is done, there is no likelihood of anything going wrong. A leader has to take decisions, adopt a posture and appear to have the conviction of the validity of his thoughts and actions. Not oscillate from one extreme to another. While writing these lines, I am reminded of a plaque I had seen on the desk of a Chinese colleague in Hongkong; it read, “ If a cluttered desk reminds you of a cluttered mind, what does an empty desk signify?”.
Vision not backed by a concrete action plan is an illusion. Leaders are dreamers, but certainly a nation ill affords a day-dreaming leadership. All citizens of this hapless nation share IK’s enthusiasm to build and govern Pakistan like the “city State of Medina ”. But today, even in Medina, they are not the same Medinites, who had excellence of character. We must accept and be realistic. How about beginning with say “Insaf”, first? Legal aid and framework should be made available at the lowest cost. And justice dispensed with speed. That is the closest first step, in a five=year tenure that IK can look to achieve, towards building city-of-Medina status for Pakistan.
It is delusional to think honesty alone is the trait required for a leader. Honesty should be a given, but backed by solid knowledge, intellect and proficiency; or at the minimum the leader should have the profundity to sift through the advice received, to see if it is feasible, and above all makes sense; calling covid-19, flu and common colds, did not make sense!
The economic anodyne to covid-19 is a charged leadership, willing to take bold decisions. The outbreak happened in February, and to the country’s commercial capital the PM decides to visit after almost five months the alacrity, needed for a leader to act, is grossly missing . Ambivalent leadership can never move forward. It has to be decisive. Not unsure.
Individuals who can transcend being a Leader to becoming a statesman are those who can replace prejudice, biases and anger with magnanimity, empathy, kindness and grace. It was dis-appointing that Imran did not meet the Chief Executive of this Province Murad Ali Shah, who in comparison to other CMs has been proactive in the fight against covid19. Wisdom is the ability divinely gifted to those who have it in them to listen to other people; with unqualified attention, respect and humility. By doing so, no leader surrenders to others.
The end of covid-19 is nowhere in sight. It may sneak into year 2021, as well. In its wake, the repercussions are manifold ranging from economy, social issues to health and mental health disorders. To deal with this requires now of our PM, to exhibit a different mettle. Reluctant leadership cannot be had ad infinitum. Proactive responses are needed. The PM must show decisive action. The half-baked PID sessions , by ill-prepared ministers and advisors, with even more inaccurate or conflicting numbers, isn’t much help to the PM’s cause.