Business school academics invariably discuss with their students the qualities of good leaders in industry. Political parties also delve deeply in this critical issue as success often depends on the quality of the leaders presenting themselves for election. So what qualities do we look for before deciding to follow people who project themselves as leaders?
The US elections revealed some lessons on what the majority of people want their leaders to be.
The two contenders were both septuagenarians. Advanced age is perceived by some as a big minus in the CV of a leadership candidate.
However, age did not seem to bother the great majority of US voters who this year voted in record numbers for their preferred leader. This reality is indeed remarkable as ageism permeates in most Western societies.
Writing off leaders because they are past their statutory retirement age shows how shallow some of us can be.
Of course, a blend of young and older people in a leadership team is ideal.
Sadly there are many older adults who seem to have learned nothing from life and behave like children. Unfortunately, some youngsters also seem to be afflicted with premature intellectual senility.
The cliché that new blood is always a positive element in good governance is often not supported by what happens in reality. I remember being impressed by the young Matteo Renzi presenting himself as the rottamatore (demolition man) of the then struggling social democratic party in Italy.
But rather than reforming his party, he deepened its unpopularity. Renzi is currently being investigated for alleged corruption. He has now formed his minuscule party, trying to act as the determining factor in the balance of power between the right and the left of the Italian political spectrum.
The world today is populated by many political orphans who believe that traditional political leaders no longer understand their needs and aspirations
I believe that those who do not suffer from an ageist mindset look for the three Cs when they vet those who they want to lead them.
Character is, undoubtedly, an essential quality. The elements that define good character include integrity, honesty, open-mindedness and so much more. It certainly has nothing to do with age.
Competence is also a crucial requirement. Not all well-meaning do-gooders qualify as ideal leaders. Age often has nothing to do with competence. One can identify competence or incompetence in people of all ages.
It is also wrong to assume that the length of service in a particular role is necessarily equivalent to enhanced competence.
Charisma is the last C that matters in leadership qualifications. This quality is not just about personal charm. It is about caring, empathy and the ability to make people feel at ease when you communicate with them.
Charisma is, undoubtedly, much more than projecting oneself in a favourable light in social media to try and leave an indelible, lasting impression on those who will eventually determine who to choose as their leaders.
Many rightly argue that the world at present lacks good leaders. It would be wrong to explain this by saying that this is because there is not much space being given to young people to become leaders.
For instance, the leader of the Catholic Church is a frail older person who struggles with the infirmities of old age. But he is arguably the best reformist the Church has had in the last four decades.
The three Cs of bad leaders are corruption, cronyism and close-mindedness.
Dyed-in-the-wool career politicians hone their skills to stay in power for as long as possible. Because political careers are often precarious, short-term tactics can act as an insurance policy against failure to survive in the political arena.
The younger generations are generally not inspired by the behaviour of today’s mainstream politicians. Of course, some ambitious young people aspire to pursue a political career. They soon discover the secrets of success in politics.
They recognise the effectiveness of political patronage and the swapping of votes for undeserving favours to their constituents. They envy older politicians who perfect the art of survival by surrounding themselves with cronies who aid and abet in their masters’ pursuit of illegal gain.
Close-minded politicians adhere to the divide and rule principle to consolidate the loyalty of their electoral base.
The world today is populated by many political orphans who believe that traditional political leaders no longer understand their needs and aspirations. This is the reason behind the rise in populism. But populist leaders will eventually become the establishment.
A renaissance in politics must be built on truly inspirational leaders who dare to challenge Machiavelli’s political strategies in The Prince.