A great nation’s direction and its success is determined by its leadership. A leadership’s vision will determine whether a corporation wins or loses. When the leadership has no vision or goal to press forward, you will note that followers suffer immensely and headed for annihilation.
Let’s briefly review 4 leadership styles.
1. SERVANT LEADERSHIP:
Many people love sits of fame and honour. But many miss it where it counts the most. Honour and fame comes after service. Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison. He sacrificed everything; his life and family for his convictions. Guess what? He died highly respected around the world. Martin Luther King, Elijah Muhammad, King Selassie II also fit the description as servant leadership.
• Takes care of the needs of their followers first before they take care of their own.
• Act as a servant to followers, instead of acting like a king.
• Serves their followers rather than force upon them want they want.
2. TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP:
All the money, fame and propaganda in the world doesn’t make you a great leader. Malcolm X was not the kind of person who would complain about problems without any solutions. He was not responsible for the effects of racism/white supremacy on the African community in America, but he took the initiative to lead his people and it was a position where he excelled.
In “The ballot or the bullet,” Malcolm X made remarks on the race problem in America and solutions as well. He also greatly motivated the African American community that was demoralised by first slavery and later, atrocious Jim Crow laws. Other feature of transformational leadership like Marcus Garvey, Martin Delany and Kwame Ture strongly believed that the struggles of Africans in America is not tied to America. But it is an international struggle.
• Motivates their followers.
• Appeals to their followers’ ideals and morals.
• Empowers their followers using their own beliefs and personal strength.
3. CHARISMATIC LEADERSHIP:
Amilcar Cabral, One of the greatest of modern theoreticians of the African Revolution. Born in Bafatá, Guinea. The description of him which was written by Mário de Andrade: “Everybody talked about him . . . they praised his intelligence and, on top of that, he was very pleasant and easygoing.” 2
Another friend made similar observations “... . He is charming and women are easily attracted to him. "He was the best dressed and groomed of all of us," recalls his friend, the journalist Carlos Veiga Pereira.
He was well aware of the problems of colonialism and racism/white supremacy in his native country of Cape Verde, and believed that every person in the street should be informed and knowledgeable about these difficulties. As a result, he was quoted saying “"The members of the organization must bring light to those who live in ignorance." Patrice Lumumba, Oliver Tambo, and Kwame Nkrumah qualified as Charismatic leadership.
For instance, Oliver Tambo, the ex-ANC president was very intelligent and analytically studied the problems of his people, who were excruciatingly oppressed by grossly inhuman and exceedingly wicked Dutch Boers (so-called Afrikaners) and he proposed both a political and economic viable alternative to combat genocidal apartheid laws.
• Uses the charm to get admiration of their followers
• Shows concerns for their people and looks after their people’s needs.
• Creates a friendly and comfortable atmosphere for their followers by listening and making followers feel heard.
4. PARTICIPATIVE LEADERSHIP:
Khalid Abdul Muhammad set warriorhood for the African youth. He was a good organiser and strategist. The interview with Phil Donahue in 1994, he perfectly illustrated what a real freedom fighter should do in order to liberate his people—no cheek turning, no Uncle Tomming , but complete liberation and total empowerment of the African people.
In a revolution you don’t beg the system of economic exploitation and social degradation to integrate you into it. Also, you don’t jump into bed and making love to your enemies. Chris Hani, Robert Sobukwe, Steve Biko, Thomas Sankara and Dr. Amos Wilson fit the bill.
The misuse or lack of power explains why our people are still begging at the feet of Europeans and Asians for bread crumbs such as beggary integration, pathetic civil rights, inferior housing, local income jobs etc. For this reason, it prompt Dr. Amos Wilson to say “A people who do not develop power, who cannot exercise power, are a people who are ultimately headed for DEATH & GENOCIDE!”
• Acts more like facilitators rather than dictators.
• Facilitates ideas and sharing of information with the end goal of arriving at a decision.
• Considers and factors opinions of the collective mind of the group.
In conclusion, a NEGRO-INTEGRATED REVOLT says , “We want equality between the legs of European and Asian peoples.”
But the AFRICAN REVOLUTION says, “We want freedom by any means necessary. We want justice by any means necessary. We want equality by any means necessary.”
A NEGRO-INTEGRATED REVOLT says, “If we jump into bed with our European and Asian oppressors and beg the system of economic exploitation and social degradation to integrate us into it, we’ll be seen as human beings.”
But the AFRICAN REVOLUTION says, “To hell with interracial love; we’re not going to hide between the legs of Europeans and Asians. We’re going to fight like brave men and women, even if it means taking the fight to the battlefields right up to the moment when it’s POSSIBLE for the African people to establish REVOLUTIONARY POLITICAL power.”
A NEGRO-INTEGRATED REVOLT says, “We’re going to send our children to white schools, live in white communities and shop at Asian businesses and work for the Europeans and Asians.”
But the AFRICAN REVOLUTION says, “We are going to create an African-centred curriculum for our schools and colleges, create employment for our young people, support African businesses, armed seizure of African lands in European/Asian colonialists, promote marriage within our own people and build strong African communities.”
References
1. Click 4 Compliance
2. ChickenBones: A Journal, Amilcar Cabral, http://www.nathanielturner.com/amilcarcabral.htm ( accessed 31 December 2016)
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