Ombion: Leaders must level up their game

Ombion: Leaders must level up their game

FOR a purpose greater than life, nobler than feeding ego and superior to the ways of animals.

Sad to say, not a few of our leaders today, and some of the aspiring ones, are nowhere better than I said because they have been chained and blinded by their blinkered concept of life and self-image imposed upon them by our society’s iniquity and decadence.

It’s true that we live in a modern, more organized, and structured society, labeled under various forms of modern republics, where people are the sovereign, ideas and mindsets flourish freely and programmatically, culture and ideas blossom and fused, leaders govern by the will of the people, and where behaviors and activities of citizens and leaders are regulated by defined laws, contracts, obligations and ethics enforced by social institutions.

Even wars and battles in modern republics are humanized to prevent wanton bloodshed, to ensure that sufferings and damages inflicted are not bigger than the objective and conduct of wars and battles.

Yet many of our leaders seem to live the ways and rules of the barbarians, not in the ways of modern republics, much less in the ways of humanity.

Dog eat dog environment, survival of the fittest, pulling down those given the chance to lead and rule, cutting each other’s throat, treachery and traitorship, party vs party battles, machoism, advancing not humanity’s wellbeing but vested interests, and so on – are the characteristics of the kind of life and society many of our leaders today are indulged.

Day in day out, year to year, term to term, the leaders struggle to outdo and outlive each other, weaken and destroy each other - continue unrelentless, and each time, rearing their ugly and dreaded heads and brains, often worse than the barbarians of the dark times yet they seem to enjoy it like having a constant foray in a festival of spoils.

As a result, our governance is in continuous disconnect, programs fragile, development unstable and not sustainable.

It is true that the terms of office of our local chief executives, from governor down, is short, two terms or 6 years, or depending on the outcomes of elections every 6 years. Whereas the growth maturity process of programs and projects take longer than 6 years, and whose impact on people’s lives could only be felt or tangible 6 years and longer.

The problem is not only short term governance but the culture of political barbarism of our leaders, where newly elected leaders are already beaten and bruised by their losing opponents on the first day of their office, and onward and unrelentless if they survive the onslaughts.

While still trying to prove their worth and development agenda, others already judged them like this and that. And worse, little errors and shortcomings are blown up not proportionately and use as weapon of mass destruction instead of helping correct or find better solutions.

In this, I challenge everyone, that it is time to level up the game.

For those in authority and power, have a clear purpose and goals in governance, have focus, learn to communicate one’s thrust, policies and programs more effectively, trust the people you govern, be attentive and responsive to their sentiments and needs, keep flexibility and innovations in concepts and approaches; listen and learn from the wisdom of those who came ahead of you; get rid of fears; practice openness, humility, and gratitude to everyone.

Don’t confuse your authority and powers as entitlement, but as gifts and vehicles for providing humanity the best service, respect, and love they deserve.

For those aspiring to be in such a position, or to return to the same, extend your arms and hearts to help the governance, instead of rushing your personal agenda by waging campaign of vilification, demonization, fault finding and demolition.

Don’t fan other's frustrations, discontentment, hate, biases, prejudices, because you will end up in the same losing end like them. Instead, help clarify their issues and concerns, put them in order, and have them reach the minds and hearts of those in power for answers.

Critique as you may and you should, it is your right and it is necessary at times, but don’t work always, on the contrary, never counterflow; just struggle and unite and struggle and unite again and again until the greater good for broadest citizens are achieved.

Be a humanist, not an animal in your thinking and ways.

When your time comes by God’s grace, you will just be surprised by the outcomes of your political maturity and endurance, the requisites for leveling up the game.

And don’t forget, live for something that is greater than life. That will make all the difference.

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