Dear Editor,

The migration of the Reverend Stanley Redwood, former president of the Senate, along with his family, once again brings into sharp focus the question of leadership. Mr. Redwood seemingly agreed with Vision 2030 to make Jamaica a place to live, work, raise family and do business, but just not for his family or himself.

Leadership in its strictest sense can be defined as the art of inducing subordinates to accomplish their assignments with zeal and confidence. A leader inspires people to follow him/her willingly even with little immediate reward.

Michael Manley was a leader with that rare quality called charisma, he could charm milk out of coffee, but he wasn’t a manager and Jamaica suffered severe economic downturn because of that, we lost 25% of GDP. Manley was able to inspire us to put work into Labour Day, to voluntarily assist those who couldn’t read or write through JAMAL, along with a raft of social changes.

Edward Seaga, on the other hand, was a manager, not a leader; Jamaica has been unable to produce a leader/manager throughout its history. Seaga showed exceptional management skills when the country suffered the devastation of Hurricane Gilbert. He had to restore confidence in the economy after Manley’s polices created havoc and fear. By the end of the 1980s the Jamaican economy was back on track and the growth continued into the early 1990s.

Edward Seaga, on the other hand, was a manager, not a leader; Jamaica has been unable to produce a leader/manager throughout its history. Seaga showed exceptional management skills when the country suffered the devastation of Hurricane Gilbert. He had to restore confidence in the economy after Manley’s polices created havoc and fear. By the end of the 1980s the Jamaican economy was back on track and the growth continued into the early 1990s.

PJ Patterson was a leader, Patterson’s reign was defined by corruption and a laissez faire attitude. It was a free-for-all, anything goes, you can do as you please style. He made excuses for everything and everyone. By the time the Trafigura scandal came along, preceeded by so many other scandals, Jamaicans were sick and tired of the Patterson People’s National Party.

Bruce Golding was a manager, but like Manley and the Middle East oil crisis, he encountered the world’s worst recession since the 1930s. This however didn’t lead to his downfall, the Jamaica Labour Party could have weathered the storm, but Golding had surprisingly accepted leadership of Tivoli Gardens, described as the mother of all garrisons. Initially he steared clear of the Christopher “Dudus” Coke extradition request, but he eventually succumbed to the lure of defending a JLP benefactor.

Mrs Simpson Miller is a leader. Portia can make people vote for her by promising them oxtail and curried goat and still deliver to them chicken back, without a single murmur. Her policies will no doubt wreck the National Housing Trust, there will be no review of the buggery act, the poor will end up poorer by the time she decides to relinquish power and the Jamaican economy will be in tatters. But the majority of Jamaicans would still vote for her.

We all need to look at the people we give power, whether they be heads of school boards, managers of businesses, councillors, mayors, pastors, heads of community organisations, hospital administrators, senators, parliamentarians or other professionals or none professionals. We have to decide if we want a leader, manager or a leader who can also manage. Jamaica will never be better unless she is able to somehow obtain a leader/manager.

We use the terms managers and leaders interchangeably, but there are significant differences. Among the rare qualities of managers, the ability to lead is highly prized.

Mark Clarke

Siloah PO, St Elizabeth