OBA: A SELFLESS LEADER NOT SELF-SERVING By Uduak Bassey It is commonly argued that supporting people to influence the policy-making process and participating in decision-making is critical to the development of policies that reflect the needs and interests of the poor. Promoting political participation is an important way of improving state accountability and responsiveness, while empowering the poor and political power is the ability to shape and control the political behaviour of others and to lead and guide their behaviours in the direction desired by the person, group, or institution wielding the political power. Political power is the capacity to influence, condition, mould, and control human behaviours for the accomplishment of political objectives and the virtues that make one to be able to wield such prowess such influences of course, include cardinal factors such as generosity, honesty, humility and a personal life achievements. And generosity is freely sharing what you have with others in order to uplifting their lives in areas that they are weak. This include being willing to offer money, help or time when it is needed. To be generous means giving something that is valuable to others without expectation of reward or return. Many background measures of generosity not by the size of the gift, but by what it costs the giver. And when we give, we reap the pleasure of knowing that we have made someone elses life a little happier. Generosity is not about helping those less fortunate than us. It is about giving freely, without condition, without judgement, and without need of explanation. In today’s world philanthropists are influential in the making of political decisions in their various societies because their lives influence the people they touch. The reason is simple, the sacrifices they make in being care-giver turn out to endear them to both direct beneficiaries and the onlookers who also appreciate such kind gestures in those lives or some of them may also be beneficiaries from the direct -receiver of the gestures. This kindness may pass to hundred families; hence increase the giver’s fame. Mr Bassey Albert is one philanthropist who has been able to use his proceeds to better the lot of other people. This has endeared him to both the youth, women and political class. This was clearly seen during the 2011 elections where he used his good will borne out of his humility, generosity and steadfastness in making sure that people who were nothing become something. The Akwa Ibom Former Finance commissioner was intercessor for career politician who were never accepted by the people because of their self-centeredness, but he will approach the people on behalf of such candidates and pleaded, his goodwill rob on the ailing politicians, today some of them are in the upper house, the senate, while some are chairmen, house of representatives and some are in the State House of Assembly. The Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Philippi encouraging them to give precedence to one another rather than to show “selfish ambition” or “vain conceit.” This was what Mr Albert did, as Paul said that they should have the attitude that Jesus had. Being in the very nature of God but did not consider equality with God is something to be grasped: Obong Bassey Albert in spite of everything and kindness he has shown to others made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. In Philippians 2: 6-7 Jesus, whose rank was very high (to put it mildly, made himself into a servant both of God and of humankind out of a passionate concern for us. Paul’s point about Jesus’ humility is graphically illustrated in the feet-washing scene in John’s Gospel. There in the upper room on the night before he was to die for them, during their dinner together Jesus began to wash his disciples’ feet as only a lowly kind of servant would do. This gesture was to symbolize the attitude the disciples should take toward one another and toward those for whose wellbeing they were to work in Jesus’ name, by symbolizing what Jesus was going to do for the world the next day. As regards the nature of the humility depicted here, note that Jesus was perfectly knowledgeable about his rank, even while he treated it as nothing. He told His disciples that though he is their Lord and Teacher, he was washing their feet to illustrate for them how their minds should be oriented to whatever status they themselves have. Humility then on this model, is a non-preoccupation or unconcern about one’s rank and status and worth, but not an ignorance of it. This is the style of the leadership status Obong Bassey Albert embraces. He is a servant leader who always cares for everyone. He would displease himself to please others. At all-times he makes himself available to all who come around to see him and will travel to most interior rural community to see a youth who is down with one problem or the other, making sure that if he or she was sick is taken to hospital and those who have domestic crisis, the matter will be resolved, a true care-giver. Being a servant leader makes him to wield so much political powers which make his voice become a command. And any candidate he supports, the people vote for them not because of them but because of the servant-leader Obong Bassey Albert. Servant leadership is a blend and balance between leader and servant. You don’t lose leadership qualities when becoming a servant leader. A servant leader is one who values diverse opinions, values everyone’s contributions and regularly seeks out opinions. If you must parrot back the leader’s opinion, you are not in a servant-led organization, cultivate a culture of trust and develop other leaders. It means teaching others to lead, providing opportunities for growth and demonstrating by example. That means the leader is not always leading, but instead giving up power and deputizing others to lead, helps people with life issues (not just work issues).The hallmark of a servant leader is encouragement. And a true servant leader says, “Let’s go do it,” not, “You go do it”. A servant leader is the opposite of a dictator. It’s a style all about persuading, not commanding, thinks “you”, not “me”. There’s a selfless quality about a servant leader. Someone who is thinking only, “How does this benefit me?” is disqualified. A servant leader is thinking about the next generation, the next leader, the next opportunity. That means a trade-off between what’s important today versus tomorrow, and making choices to benefit the future and acts with humility. The leader doesn’t wear a title as a way to show who’s in charge, doesn’t think he’s better than everyone else, and acts in a way to care for others. He may in fact, pick up the trash or clean up a table. Setting an example of service, the servant leader understands that it is not about the leader, but about others. The above extract is to enumerate the nature of Obong Bassey Albert as a servant leader who cares not about himself but others, whose life ambition is to make leaders out of youths and men who amount to nothing, as a servant leader. He empowers others to become better at what they do, to achieve greater levels of skill and ability, and become better, more productive people in the process. Albert indulges in Team work which is a natural by-product of servant leadership because the servant leader doesnt make everything about him. The typical leader uses words like me and I while the servant leader uses words like us and we. Team work is achieved because everyone feels a part of the process and not just a faceless cog in the wheel.Obong Bassey Albert naturally fosters a servant mentality in the overall team and as a result, productivity and creativity increases because there is an absence of competition. He thrives in a team atmosphere. As the saying goes, that he that cleans the tears of the poor will never lack those that will hold him up when his steps slip. When he sort for assistance, the men he has empowered will not allow his voice to be heard by his enemies that he is in want. When he rises to walk, the youths will place him on their shoulders, instead of hunting his meals, his meals will hunt him. As he raises his arms a thousand of soldiers will pull their trigger to defend, thinking he is in danger. When he coughs the healers will assemble to nurse and render back to him peace. As he searches for higher grounds to build his tent, the people will become voluntary labourers, the women will humbly become his load carrier without wages, as a respectable young man who is cheering his elders, he would lack no counsel for the elders will be his career council of advisers. Obong Bassey Albert will not have the reason to regret his generosity on the lives of Akwa Ibom people over years because today, everyone in the State wants him to be the next governor, is clear resultant effect from his goodwill and selflessness .
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 08:27:26 +0000
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