The real test of leadership or the character of a leader emerges only when faced with challenges emanating from the unknown. In the last quarter of 2019, all of us looked forward to the advent of the year 2020, filled with great hope and enthusiasm, to arrest all the declining numbers in the economy, both locally and at international level. Until then it was focus on the regular challenges of economy, social upliftment, unemployment, inflation, etc. Nobody dreamt or foresaw in their wildest imagination that a virus called “Corona Virus-19”, would unleash itself, first as a mere jolt in the industrial city of Wuhan, in China’s Hubei province; and that it will conflagrate later and envelope the entire globe, acquiring catastrophic global implications for economies, politics and society.
The reality being that no country, whatsoever, was ready for an epidemic that would in a very short time become a pandemic. Each country reacted to it by its own level of firstly political maturity and secondly by virtue of their respective peculiar economic status and circumstances. It took China, Korea (south) and Europe by surprise and storm; it later crossed over the Atlantic, with cruel speed. China, and a handful of European countries resorted to strict lockdown, the former more seriously effective than later, in its enforcement. Given China’s system of governance in a short span of 8 to 12 weeks, they not only confined and controlled the situation but also regained some of the economic losses. Chinese leadership takes decision and implements.
New Zealand, at the farthest end of the world is the only country that has officially claimed and celebrated the elimination of Covid-19. Jacinda Ardern has already proven her mettle as a great leader, in the handling of the terror attack last year; but as former US President Richard Nixon put it once, there are small events/nations and great leaders; Lee Kuan Yew was his case in point; could Lee be as successful as he was in Singapore, if he were to be leading Egypt? So without taking away the well-deserved kudos from, Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand is not Pakistan! We cannot berate Imran Khan on that count; similarly Pakistan is not Saudi Arabia, where the monarch orders and people “have to” comply with; so again IK is seen pleading with the nation, “please wear masks”; his threats of action are hollow, because the legal structure doesn’t support him or his warnings.
The acrid criticism of the Government/leadership by the opposition is not totally unjustified. The presence of so many aficionado on Covid-19 around the Prime Minister aren’t serving his cause well. On many an occasion IK actually appeared to be a leader lost to the coterie of unsound advisors. The airy-fairy, idealistic, impractical and vague asinine suggestions, by these zealots, lead to mockery of the government or more accurately the leader.
We have witnessed here, antithetical statements of the PM, who first called Covid-19, “regular flu” and four weeks later down the road, he implored upon the nation to take it seriously, as it is potentially a deadly virus! No wonder, we see the opposition in an overdrive with acerbic comments upon the leadership. A political leader has gone to the extent of describing the PM “a bundle of confused thinking; indecisive and unsure.”
The government and the corporate/business world would have to demonstrate great skills and an adroit posture towards the management of the critical sensitivities, which are/will be a natural fallout to this pandemic.
Businesses, at this point, are merely worried looking at the decline in their numbers; they are immune to their responsibility to assist the government. The impact of the pandemic on the economy is largely dependent on how business leadership responds to declining sales and lower profitability. A major retail outlet of fabric/lawns has begun to shed off the already low and underpaid counter staff. If this is going to be the response of businesses to a few months of low profitability, then one can only woefully imagine the number of unemployed by the end of this year. An additional plight for the government is the returning overseas Pakistanis, skilled and non-skilled; blue and white collar, who will be job seekers, too.
Those organizations (including public sectors, like the PSM) contemplating carrying out layoffs will have to move with extreme caution that is laced with necessary empathy. A layoff is not just about an employee being shunned off; it is an ethical and social dilemma, with far reaching effect. Families are emotionally routed and that’s when their need for an anodyne becomes crucial. It can come only where leadership takes into consideration besides the actual impact upon the family, of how to offset the possible pain of being stigmatized as “non-essential” person for the entity, by society at large. This can be very traumatic on large scale, layoffs.
Mass disappointments will emerge from any massive layoffs. Although the government, through the central bank, has come up with a refinance facility for payment of salaries by commercial organization facing liquidity crunch; this writer suspects (based on history) that like all other types of concessional financing, this too will be grossly abused. Funds availability at 3 percent, when the discount rate is 8 percent, is a good source to paying off higher costing debts. A cash rich organization shouldn’t be permitted to avail refinancing for payment of salaries.
Political and business leaders will have to bring to fore their ethical responsibility towards society and engage with workforce, during the most tough times of their lives. Clean leadership must be so, not by inertia, but by performance. If nothing is done, there is no likelihood of anything going wrong. A leader has to take decisions, adopt a posture and appear at the same time, one who has conviction of the validity of his thoughts and actions. Not oscillate like a pendulum, from one extreme to another. While writing these lines, this writer is surprised to recall and be reminded of a plaque he had seen on the desk of a Chinese colleague in Hong Kong; it read, ” If a cluttered desk reminds you of a cluttered mind, what does an empty desk signify?”.
A vision not backed by a concrete action plan is an illusion. Leaders are dreamers, but it is certainly ill affordable for a nation to have day-dreaming leadership. Everybody, all citizens of this hapless nation share IK’s enthusiasm to build and govern Pakistan like done in the “city state of Medina”. But today, even in Medina, they are not the same Medinites, who had excellence of character. We must accept and be realistic. How about beginning with say “Insaf” first? Legal aid and framework should be made available at the lowest cost. And, justice dispensed with speed. That is the closest first step, in a five year tenure that IK can look to achieve, towards building the city of Medina status for Pakistan.
It is only delusional to think honesty alone is the trait required for a leader. Nay, honesty, should be a given thing, that must be backed by solid knowledge, intellect and proficiency; or at the minimum the leader should have the profundity to sift through the counsel and advice received, to see if it is feasible, worthwhile and above all makes sense; calling Covid-19 flu and common colds, did not make sense!
The economic anodyne to COVID-19 is a charged leadership, willing to take bold decisions. COVID-19 outbreak happened in February, and to the commercial capital of the country, the PM decides to visit after almost five months the alacrity, needed for a leader to act, is grossly missing. Ambivalent leadership can never move forward. It has to be decisive. Not, unsure. Not undecided.
Individuals who can transcend from being a Leader to being a statesman are those who can set aside prejudice, biases and anger and substitute them with magnanimity, empathy, kindness and grace. It was disappointing that PM-IK did not meet the Chief Executive of this Province, Murad Ali Shah, who in comparison to other CMs has been proactive and visibly in the forefront of the fight against Covid-19. Wisdom is divine ability blessed upon those who have it in them to listen to other people; with unqualified attention, respect and humility. By doing so, no leader surrenders to others.
The end of Covid-19 is nowhere in sight. It may sneak into year 2021 as well. In its wake, the repercussion are manifold ranging from economy, social issues to health and mental health disorders. To deal with this requires now of our PM to exhibit a different mettle. Reluctant leadership cannot be had adinfinitim. Proactive response is the need of the hour. The PM must show a decisive action. The half-baked PID sessions, by ill-prepared ministers and advisors, with even more inaccurate or conflicting numbers, aren’t much help to PM’s cause and vision.
