Effective leadership

It is heartening to note that a Leadership Development Course on Effective Leadership, the first of its kind in Bangladesh, has been introduced (Daily Star, dated December 9, 2004).

Like many other underdeveloped countries, Bangladesh is suffering from Leadership crisis in almost every sphere of life. A person who desires to be a leader must integrate certain principles and habits deep within his/her nature.

Dr. Stephen Covey, the American Socrates, has focused in his famous book, "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People", that, things like integrity, humility, fidelity, temperance, courage, justice, patience, industry, simplicity and modesty are the Character Ethics that are the foundation of an Effective Leader. In short, an Effective Leader must be a person of moral character.

According to Dr. Covey, Management is the bottom line focus: How can I best accomplish certain things? Leadership, on the other hand, deals with the top line: What are the things I want to accomplish? In the words of Peter Drucker and Warren Bennis, "Management is doing things right, Leadership is doing the right things". Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; Leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall i.e. Character Ethics.

Management without honesty is just like playing cricket with a baseball bat.