Introduction:
This post is the continuation of the earlier post called " The presidency
of Farmaajo: How things are and major issues". Here I write about the
major issue of Tranformational Leadership needed to achieve change and prosperous,
secure, democratic future for Somali Republic Nation-state in a Federal system.
Meaning of
Trasformational Leadership.
Never a Nation-State or peoples in the history of Mankind has ever changed its
predicament, advanced, made progressive social changes, political and
technological changes without a Transformational Leaderships at the
"helm" of the Nation-State, communities which have a clear
"vision" of its "role" in "history" and personal
"legacy". Today Somali Republic is at a cross road: after years of
clan based civil wars, some camouflaged as religious wars, after so called
governments installed by Ethiopia in Somalia with the Salafist Business Cartels
as allies and Endemic corruption/ Organized crimes as business as usual; we
have came at a time when we need a National Transformational Leadership which
Unites, brings change, rallies together all Clan communities, citizens of the
Somali Republic and brings social, economic and political development for the
Somali Republic Nation-State in a federal system. Before I go into detail on
what is needed in Somali Republic-as I see it- let explain in a scholastic
way what is Transformational Leadership. On Wikipedia.org its said:
"Transformational leadership is a style of leadership
where a leader works with subordinates to identify needed change, creating a vision to guide the change through
inspiration, and executing the change in tandem with committed members of a
group.[1]
Transformational leadership serves to enhance the motivation, morale, and job
performance of followers through a variety of
mechanisms; these include connecting the follower's sense of identity
and self to a project
and to the collective identity of the organization; being
a role
model for followers in order to inspire them and to raise their interest in
the project; challenging followers to take greater ownership
for their work, and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of followers,
allowing the leader to align followers with tasks that enhance their
performance." Still from Wikipedia.org:
"Transformational leaders look towards changing the future to inspire
followers and accomplish goals, whereas transactional leaders seek to maintain
the status quo, not aiming for progress."
The concept of transformational
leadership was initially introduced by James V. Downton, the first to coin the
term "Transformational leadership", a concept further developed by
leadership expert and presidential biographer James MacGregor Burns. According to Burns,
transformational leadership can be seen when "leaders and followers make
each other advance to a higher level of morality and motivation."[3
Still from Wikipedia.org
"Transformational leaders are described
to hold positive expectations for followers, believing that they can do their best.
As a result, they inspire, empower, and stimulate followers to exceed normal
levels of performance. Transformational leaders also focus on and care about
followers and their personal needs and development.[7]
Transformational leaders fit well in leading and working with complex work
groups and organizations, where beyond seeking an inspirational leader to help
guide them through an uncertain environment, followers are also challenged and
feel empowered; this nurtures them into becoming loyal, high performers."
Period.
I relied the professional, scholastic and knowledge based of what we call
Transformational Leadership. How we can apply this principles and political
theory to our society and dysfunctional Somali political system? Did President
#Farmaajo fits in this kind of Leadership style? Did the present Leadership
part of the team of President Farmaajo can be Transformational Leaders?
The answers to this
question are Yes if they promote National Agenda, Unity, change Clan-Enclaves
cantonal subdivision of the Republic and make a real federal system, promote
social justice, have government role in the economy on national resources
exploitation, and promote government based on Rule of law. No if they cannot
stop endemic corruption and cannot change Clan Enclaves subdivision, total
control of the economy and education by Salafist Business Cartels. Yes
president #Farmaajo has had a message and style based on the Unity of the Somali citizens and
a project to bring change and better future to Somali Republic citizens from
when he was PM. But the week point is there is not a planned "
comprehensive vision/project" and the capacity of the Elites governing is
mostly uneducated on governance issues, without any idealistic-Nationalistic
thinking or are elites put there through so called election( in parliament)
supported by foreign powers and not representing the interests
of the people citizens. Those who have the capacity and honesty to work
for their Nation-State are in the minority in government, civil servants and
security services. But in the last election the two chambers has been infused
with elites who have National outlook and values and stand for the rights of
Somali citizens from whatever Clan or sub clan.
Historical
Background
In the Somali history the pre-independence Political parties in the north and
south and the National State as institutions were agents of Change or what we
can call today Transformation Leadership institutions. After independence they
established our modern legal system, the modern education system, the civil servants
system and a private sectors including banks. The leaders of those independent
parties were Transformational Leaders for a short time and lost their visions
due to the ideological weakness of the political elites and reverted to Clan
sectarianism for power grabbing/corruption. But mostly the neo-colonial state
itself had a goal to preserve the interests of the former Colonial powers and
not nurture democracy and Rule of Law.
The Siad
barre military regime used a so called populist socialist agenda and a
-so-called scientific socialism which cannot be implemented in practice in a
pastoral/nomadic society- but brought social change in education,health,
promotion of National culture- writing of Somali language and using it for
education- and used the state machine forcefully to implement its policies
abolishing independent civil society groups and political parties except
his own Socialist party and state controlled civil society organizations. But
after the 77" war and from 80" reverted to Clan sectarianism
and become just a ruling elites who lost direction and had not any vision anymore.
The regime left the Warsaw pact group alliance of the Soviet Union and never
fully joined the Western alliance led by US.(today our ally are those who
assist us to fight against the Jihadist and assist us with Nation building for
a government based on the Rule of the Law, just society in a federal
system). This is one of the reasons the West and East bloc’s stood aside or
participated in the collapse economically and politically, security wise of the
Siad barre regime and assisted the emergence of Ethiopia as regional sub
colonizing power. But unfortunately also become a power to be reckoned
the Somali Salafist Movement which flexed its muscles from the 90" in the
Somali Republic (they had a secret alliance with Ethiopian regimes from
80") while the ETHIOPIA-IGAD group supported warlords first and later
Puppet leaders for regional Clan Enclaves political systems.
Clan Enclaves Sectarianism/ Salafist Jihadist Models.
The Clan sectarianism of the
last 30 years has made great inroads in our social, political and cultural
thinking that we totally lost what we acquired in the 40 years before it. We
lost the concept of civil society in Trade Unions, Farmers associations, Business
associations, lawyers association( some revived from 90" by foreign NGOs
but still localized as Clan Enclaves groups), political parties based on
ideological National values, the Nation-state( as a model for the
country) as neutral institution between Clans and political competing ideas;
the role of state security services as enforcer of Law and defender of National
Borders, paying of taxes to service public service, all that has been lost.
Having one Nation state to whom we are all citizens have been lost, we advocate
a secession like Somaliland and a quasi-like confederate system by leaders
of Puntland, Jubbaland and South West etc. Now days every aspect has to be
based on Clan affiliation and clan loyalty and Somalis are sub divided in Clan
Enclaves regional states as for jurisdiction. The mind set of Somalis has been
changed all this years by following the role model of Clan Enclaves Leaders,
Salafist Business Cartels to be greedy, corrupt and divisive. Only personal
gain and Clan culture, Salafist model are emulated and seen to be best. Our
beloved religion Islam has been wrongly interpreted by Salafist Jihadist
and made a so- called ideological tool to kill, oppress Somalis of the Republic
and make Fatwa against anybody who oppose Salafist Jihadist Agenda and stands
for a National state. The concept of Nation hood has been changed to make
Somali citizens without any Nation state except so called Clan Enclave regions
and our young men fighting for Jihadist in foreign Lands for so called
"Caliphate"; while homeland is safe haven and controlled by Jihadist,
Salafist Business Cartels, criminals and puppet Leaders of Clan
Enclaves.
National
Trasformational Leadership with a "Comprehensive Vision/
Project".
Even
Transformational Leadership must a have a vision for the country which tries to
solve all its ills like Jihadism, Clan sectarianism and social, political and economic
problems. First we a need a Leadership which can restore the trust of
people-citizens in their rulers. The people/citizens must be convinced to
sacrifice for a project in which they “believe” and which can
"change" their livelihoods and the country will be changed for the
better future for all. They must be convinced theoretically by explaining to
them the “vision/project” that will bring change and see that the Leaders
are themselves sacrificing for the good of the Federal Nation State. We need
politicians who are Role Models and are not Puppet Leaders to foreign powers,
allied with Salafist groups and Leaders who are free from corruption and
Clan Sectarianism. Nobody is perfect but at least we don’t need
re-cycled so called politicians who are only servants to Salafist Business Cartels
some even criminals using politics as cover. We need politicians and
bureaucrats who promote government by Rule of Law and social justice,
meritocracy for all people-citizens. We need a law after the next election-in 4
years’ time- where Somali politicians, bureaucrats, security services, Army
officers, must carry Somali passports and be Somali citizenship and therefore
accountable to the citizens and Somali law. In the next constitution we must
have a vision/project agreed by all Somali communities/citizens as
principles in the constitutional norms of the Federal Republic and also agreed
by a Constituent assembly made by a National community Elders, civil society groups,
parliamentarians of the two chambers before any referendum. The #Farmaajo
government must spell to the Somali people-citizens how its sees this
vision/project and have a dialogue, discussion about it with all Somali
intellectuals and start in the Media a dialogue about how they see the next
constitution. This diplomatic style of running the national affairs makes the
enemies of Somali republic use always the media to influence negatively the
people and divulge misinformation. After the trip to Puntland and
Galmudug the Somalis have convinced of the national Agenda of the government and
that its promoting the National interest of the Somali federal Nation-State in
an inclusive way.
