NAPO’s Self-aggrandizement comment a leadership deficiency

Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh’s Self-aggrandizement comment a leadership deficiency. The proverbial statement “Salt does not praise itself” has stood the test of time because of managers like the minister of education Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh

Many political appointees and politicians across the world although are holding leadership positions, perform managerial functions instead of leadership related functions.

Permit me to use my layman’s novice and understanding to explain the shortfall in the above approach to governance and leadership.

Leadership must not take to complaining and accusing others but fix the problems. I am of the view that many politicians have become mere managers of organizations ministries and institutions left in their hands.

When you hear politicians say, “We have managed the economy better” ask your self who is leading then? It is a sign of deficiency. Leaders don’t manage, they lead organizations.

Is the minister of education, Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh leading the ministry in its entirety or he is managing it?

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Ministers are supposed to lead their ministries, NAPO’s constant strategy to force down our throats his self-acclaimed better performance and comments that suggest it live much to be desired. Such attempts are aimed at making followers see the short term success from the lens of the leader turned manager in any organization and this holds in politics as well.

The truth of the matter is that leaders don’t focus on short term success but on long term goals. They see short term successes as signs of their long term goals and not the result they want.

However, managers do look at short term success and praise themselves because they want to judge their own performance looking at short term achievements. Such a leadership lens is rather myopic.

For many Ghanaians, their opinions about NAPO contradict his conviction about his performance. Alas, “The one drawing the line can not tell whether it is crooked or not”

The minister must stop stretching the truth about his accomplishments to make him look like an all-time best.

My humble view is that Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh can not make it to the hall of fame and is not the finest minister of education this nation has gotten if he uses the yardsticks he is looking at.

The basis of his belief that the former minister has been the worse ever for education is rather an empty one conclusion. Has he conducted any empirical research on the subject matter?

How many ministers of education has Ghana had before he took over and what we’re their performances? The conditions prevailing now were not the same as today. Are there any standard criteria used in analyzing before he up came out with the ‘flawed findings’ and conclusions he has put out there?

True leaders don’t blow their trumpets, their followers and customers must willingly say tell you your performance. Your duty is to target long term results and delegate, guide, direct, motivate and provide the needed resources and support systems to realize the long term goals.

The former minister of education, Nana Opoku Agyeman can also say, it was under her leadership that all the E blocks were built. On the basis of that, she could say NAPO is the worse minister of education.

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Leaders with poor communication skills and deficient emotional intelligence will have tough times facing the reality of their leadership and tenure in office.

It’s important that our political leaders like Napo know that, when teachers and educationists smile at him at national events and functions, it does not mean they believe in his success but that they are only according to respect as a result of the positional power he draws from the post he holds as the minister of education.

The GES is struggling to provide common staff ID, what leadership can our minister of education with his team bring to bear and wow teachers who are critical customers of the MoE?

It’s time our minister of education reinvents his leadership approach if not Ghanaians will end up judging him as the most controversial, unliked manager of education who never had the people’s skills and leadership qualities to provide innovative leadership. Leave your performance to be judged by those your decisions affect if you want to be a leader.

If you are holding any leadership postion just like NAPO and you’re certain that your ego is hurting your leader (or a person) then I urge you to answer the following questions.

Do you:

1. Overstate your experience and accomplishments?
2. Fantasize about power and fame?
3. Believe you are superior and deserving of special privileges?
4. Think that others rightly admire you?
5. Rarely consider other’s perspectives to round-out your thinking?
6. Take advantage of people through exaggeration and self-aggrandizement?
7. Are indifferent to what other’s need or want?
8. Focus on maintaining power and control?
9. Think you’re able to manipulate others because of your superior intelligence?
10. Generally, feel superior to others?

If you start answering yes, to the 1-10 questions, then I am sorry you are failing as a leader. Stop it and reinvent your leadership.

It is time for leaders turned managers to do a self-reflection,  keep their ego in check, train yourself to know when you’re about to exaggerate and unabashedly self-promote and do your best to stop the little narcissistic voice in your head from uttering a single word.

Source: Wisdom Hammond | newsghana24.com