EDITORIAL: Toward improving leadership

The subject of leadership was recently discussed at a one-day forum held at the Hilton, Barbados. Sponsored jointly by Scotiabank and the Caribbean Institute of Leadership and Coaching (CILC), the event was aimed at encouraging participants to take responsibility for their thoughts, behavior and actions.

Coming against the background of what many believe to be a renewed focus on getting things done at the highest level, both in the public and private sector, this conference explored all the avenues that are vital if we in Barbados and the Caribbean are to make more headway in this challenging regional and world environment. Issues that have come to the fore in this country relate to our public sector, which is not proactive enough in getting the job at hand done as efficiently and effectively as is possible.

While there are those who tend to bash the public sector, there can also be found many shortcomings in the private sector. Service quality is one such example and therefore both areas are guilty of not stepping up to the plate whenever it becomes necessary.

Prior to the start of the conference, Ian Blanchard, Managing Director, CILC, made it known that the organisation is very much committed to the facilitation of sustainable growth through people and business development. As such, they are on a quest to create leaders worth following. Roger Best of Scotiabank had also chipped in by saying that they at the Bank had considered leadership as one of their core competencies.

The session at the Hilton featured a link up with Leadercast where presentations were made in Atlanta Georgia, which were beamed to other parts of the world, Barbados included. This was followed by discussions. The focus was on individual leadership, which starts with leading oneself. “To become those leaders to the outside, we have to lead ourselves first, Blanchard reasoned, walk the walk,” he said. The programme therefore presented opportunities for the mainly Barbadian audience to step back and learn from leaders who have excelled in their field.

The subject of leadership is not very far removed from the current election campaign where both political parties are promoting their leader as one who the electorate can trust and who has the capacity to do things in the interest of the country. While not delving too much into this aspect of our governance, it is known that Barbados has prided itself with good leaders down through the years and that no one has a monopoly on this.

Currently there are certain things that our country requires to keep our development goals in our sight and to work towards them so as to improve the lot of our citizens. Bertrand had noted that today there is much talk about leadership and the qualities that make for a good leader. Being a leader can at times be lonely. At times it calls for hard decisions which can either hurt some or please others. That’s the name of the game. Since it is recognized also that results do not come easy and they do not do so overnight, those in leadership positions are expected to be in control and to give of their best. Nothing more, nothing less.

Our hope therefore is that this conference has set the ball rolling in promoting leadership in our country.

Barbados Advocate

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