The raging debate in this forum about politics in KW is not only riveting and mind-boggling; it is a perfect epitome of democracy in the constituency! It is true that sycophants, boot-lickers, and tail wagers make the worst of leaders because they cannot tell the truth since they don’t have the capacity to ‘think’ but can only ‘feel’. Truth is the outcome of hard thinking, careful corroboration of facts and reflection. To me leadership requires a delicate act of balancing because it is not possible to please everybody. In fact at times the criticism of your opponents and competitors can do better than the praises of your friends (if taken positively), especially when one is still learning the ropes of leadership because as John F. Kennedy observed, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” This does not mean one should dispense with his true friends after he succeeds but should instead handle them prudently to avoid easy political oblivion. On one hand to reward friends only with key positions in the constituency is setting the stage for political backlash because as Moi told Saitoti, friendship and leadership do not always share the same bed. I agree with Theodore Roosevelt when he stated wisely that “The best leader is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and the self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.
Posted on: Sun, 19 Oct 2014 16:05:56 +0000