LETTER | Good leaders have right attitude, prioritise right issues

LETTER | A former education minister has urged the government to appoint academicians as ministers of education and higher education ministers. He opined they are more knowledgeable in issues related to education, thus making them better qualified to helm these two ministries.

I beg to differ. While academicians might have some advantages in terms of being more knowledgeable in specific academic subjects, this advantage does not naturally translate into better leadership.

What significant contribution has this former minister made in his 22 months of being education minister? Black shoes? Was the issue of white or black shoes a priority?

The appointment of ministers to head any ministry should be based on good leadership qualities. High paper qualifications are an added advantage on paper only.

Like any organisation, the CEO has to have good leadership to lead the organisation and at the same time, he must be good at what needs to be prioritised, especially when critical situations demand effective and smart decisions.

Expertise in any specific area or field could be made available by his senior management team. In the case of ministers, expert advice and input could be sourced from senior officers and an advisory committee and the latter should be made up of experienced people who are very knowledgeable, especially at the ground level.

Which academician would then be the best to be the prime minister, if I may ask?

Based on what the former minister said, every ministry should be helmed by an academician of a related discipline – Health Ministry by a doctor, Transport Ministry by a transport PhD holder, Sports Ministry by a former sportsperson and so forth.

This is a serious fallacy. The Transport Ministry was helmed by a PhD holder in Traffic Engineering and what has he done to warrant our LRT systems having dozens of lifts and escalators in disrepair?

Our current transport minister does not have any transportation degree, but he has what it takes to be a good leader – the right attitude and work ethic and he knows his priorities.

His priority is to enable the public to have an efficient transport system which is hassle-free and move about in comfort. He is on the ground all the time, using public transport as the public does, thus getting a first-hand feel of the public’s transportation woes.

By the same token, a good education minister should be at the ground level, visiting schools, district education offices (PPD), and Education Departments unannounced so that she gets to see the actual situation – the raw wounds of the ailing ministry.

Such incognito visits also allow her to interact with parents and stakeholders in order to empathise with them. At the same time, review the whole education system and structure, the curriculum and the delivery of lessons.

A bold approach is badly needed whereby the components that will move the nation ahead are retained. Add new components if needed, such as upgrading the curriculum with components which are relevant to progress. Science and mathematics cannot be ignored.

Let us be realistic. The most important attribute of a good leader is the right attitude and knowing what his priorities are. And the right attitude will propel him to lead by example, to learn as he moves along and to analyse critical areas plaguing a system.

All these actions will motivate those working with him to adopt a similar attitude and approach towards problem-solving. Good leadership qualities include having the right attitude and work ethic. Good leadership qualities include high analytical ability and an objectively focused mind towards problem-solving.

A good minister, regardless of which ministry he helms, must have all these attributes and most importantly, he must be a people-centric person, out there to make a difference in the rakyat’s life.

In short, his policies and strategies must serve the people well. He must not be self-serving and a great devotee of public service. We do have a handful of these but the country needs many more in order to achieve greatness.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.