GLOBAL LEADERSHIP IN UNCERTAIN TIMES
Covid-19! That’s been the health crisis global leaders in public and private sectors have been battling with since the beginning of the year. The coronavirus pandemic has caused the death of close to a million people, resulted in economic meltdown, disrupted social lives, and created fear in countries across the globe. Since the coronavirus has no precisely determined form of treatment, nor is there available vaccination, yet, to prevent its transmission, global leaders have faced the unknown since February this year, unsure how long the pandemic will last, confused about the nature of the disease, doubtful about the right medication, and walking in the shadows of the unknown towards the future. This is the uncertainty of the times.
Leadership in such a time makes the difference between survival and collapse, future prosperity and poverty, and life and death. The leadership of different countries are daily struggling to manage the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on their economy, and their people. And the degree of success varies in accordance to each country’s understanding of the ambiguity, their flexibility, and adaptation of plans.
Difficult as it is leading in uncertain times, there can be no hard and fast rules. Russell Reynolds Associates, however, highlights 10 enduring lessons: communicate, communicate, communicate, and then communicate more; help others lead; plan for long and short terms; focus on core values; look outwards; create order from chaos; engage early, with purpose and humility; know when to pivot; exude realistic optimism; and demonstrate grit. What is certain though is that leaders, at whatever level, shouldn’t, in this time of uncertainty, be gripped by paralysis; they should find a way of establishing stability in the chaos.
It is interesting that at such uncertain times, some Nigerians are walking the tight rope of global leadership and thriving. Dr. Akinwumi Adesina was a few days ago unanimously reelected as president of African Development Bank for another 5-year term, surviving spurious allegations of misdemeanour, having been cleared after an internal investigation and an external review of the probe report.
Dr. Benedict Okey Aramah has been President and Chairman of the Board of African ExportImport Bank since September 2015. He is still leading Afreximbank in this turbulent time. Ms Amina Mohammed was appointed the
5th Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations in January 2017. She is helping the UN work with other global organisations and world leaders to find solutions to the Covid-19 pandemic. Mallam Tijjani Mohammad-Bande has been president of United Nations General Assembly since September 2019, an office he’s still occupying in times uncertain as this.
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a top contender as Director General of the World Trade Organisation. With her academic background and international pedigree, the general expectation is that she would have little problem emerging as WTO chief executive.
Therefore, at this time of general uncertainty, Nigerians are not hiding.
They are standing up abroad, and they are thriving. Their successes and achievements on the global stage are not theirs alone; the Nigerian government and people are walking proudly in their shadows. They represent the positive side of a country which the Hushpuppies of this world have flamboyantly presented as that of scammers; they are the symbols of our national pride. It is their kind of leadership, the quality leadership that our people make available at the global stage, that we sorely miss back home.