Who is what type of leader in Bangladesh?(বাংলাদেশে আমাদের নেতারা কে কেমন নেতা। )

To know who is what type of leader among the Bangladeshi leaders, first we need to know the desired quality and skills of leader. Then we can evaluate the Bangladeshi leaders.(আমাদের বাংলাদেশী নেতাদের মধ্যে কে কেমন নেতা তা মূল্যায়ন করতে হলে আগে জানতে হবে , একজন নেতার কি কি গুন আর কি কি বিষয়ে দক্ষতা থাকতে হয়। এসব জানার পরই না আমরা আমাদের নেতাদের মূল্যায়ন করতে পারব, বুঝতে পারব আমার প্রিয় নেতার কি দুর্বলতা ছিল, কি শক্তি ছিল।) তাহলে চলুন দেখি, নেতাদের কি কি গুন এবং দক্ষতা   থাকতে বা অর্জন করতে হয়)।

Leaders should have the following quality

Integrity – Leaders must have integrity in his character - strength of character. They are steadfast, resolute, walk the talk, do what was promised, authentic, straightforward, what's on the inside is displayed on the outside. Open, honest and direct in their dealings with others; have clear and uncompromised values, and clarity about what's right and wrong. They are committed, with the courage of their convictions, behaviours match values. Leaders are self aware and self-reflective.We can hardly find any Bangladeshi leader with total integrity. However, who had better integrity, Mujib or Zia? Who has better integrity, Hasina or Khaleda?

Credibility- leaders are credible, trustworthy. If the people don’t trust some one, they will not follow him. Without followers, whom he will lead, how come one can become leader? So credibility is very important. So leaders do what they say, promise. If can’t they don’t show excuse. Rather show the real reason. If they change decision, for that also they give proper explanation. Leaders don’t think hat people should understand themselves why he has changed decision. Rather give due reason and make them understand what he is doing and why he is doing it. Who is more credible, Khaleda or Hasina?

Humane - leaders are humane in nature, to them people are most important, be it from his side or other side. They don't ask his followers or strive for revenge. If someone from his/her team is tortured or killed, he wants to stop it. He usually doesn’t ask to take revenge. Don't want ten dead bodies against one; rather ask for no more dead bodies. Strive for justice. Who is more humane, Hasina or Khaleda?

Follow principles - leaders follow principle, not emotion. Hence they are predictable. It can be predicted what leader will do under specific circumstances. Because principle doesn't change with circumstances or lucrative offer. Those who don't follow principle, they change their decision overnight. সে বলতে পারে, যে বা যারা এই সরকারের অধীনে নির্বাচনে অংশগ্রহন করবে তারা বেইমান। একথা বলে পরদিন নির্বাচনে অংশগ্রহনের ঘোষনা দিতে পারে। Who is more predictable, Hasina or Khaleda?

Organisational interest, not own - leaders protect organisations interest, they don't sell organisation for personal benefit. 

Learn continuously-because without continuous learning no way he can remain ahead of his followers. So "leaders are reader". If some one is not reader, he can hardly can be a leader, failure is his destiny.

Persistent - people hardly succeed in the first try. Leaders keep trying until successful. Robert The Bruce: Warrior King of Scotland is a great example of persistence.

Emotionally resilient- leaders recover from difficult situation if they face any and not submit to any such situation. They don't submit to torture, physical or mental.

Emotionally Intelligent

To be successful leader, one must be emotionally intelligent. If not enough, then must improve it as much as possible. Emotional intelligence means, leader must understand emotion of his own and that of others with whom he is dealing, negotiating, struggling or fighting. He must also understand the emotion of his followers and respond accordingly. if any one is weak in understanding others emotion and can not respond accordingly, he must study for it. Emotional intelligence is more important then cognitive intelligence.

                                               

Forgiveness, not revenge - leaders forgive followers and others if doesn't become a threat for his security or go against justice. He doesn't strive for revenge as it cause wastage of time, money and strength.

Positive- leaders see that a glass with half water is half full, not half empty. When nobody sees any positive side of an event, he can see that. For followers when "Opportunity no where”, for leaders "opportunity now here"

Not arrogant- To leaders, Ego means no go

Innovative - Open to new ideas and able to give new ideas to do something in a better way or do something better.

Initiative - Act without being told. Without initiative, how come it will be possible to lead by example?

Leaders should have the following skills-

Communicate With- in and with- out powerfully and prolifically - This is most important skill for leaders. This means, he understand his followers and make them understand him. If leader and followers don't understand each other, then one can't be followed or follower. Linkage between leader and followers breaks. On the other hand, blind followers, without understanding each other, are dangerous for both. Leaders regularly passes message to followers and in such away that it energizes the followers, inspire them and motivate them.

Seek feedback - leaders seek feedback from followers, mentors and well wishers. They respond positively to feedback, whether it is positive or negative feedback. They react to feedback in such way that people feel encouraged to give feedback. Those who don't like or know how to react to feedback, they are destined to doom even if they are in leadership position for family dynasty or whatever reason. Our history is rich with example of such failure.

Collaboration, not competitiveness, let go and grow - Great leaders don't encourage competition, rather encourage cooperation/collaboration. In competition, someone may fall behind and feel discouraged, demotivated. Someone may stab other from behind. But in collaboration, everyone put efforts and synergized energy always give better results than competetion, where individual give separate efforts.

Decisive – leader can take decision at the right time. Leader once takes decision, does best to implement it. Does review of decision if need, but once decide implement the decision. Leaders don’t suffer from dilemma. Who can take decision promptly, Hasina or Khaleda ? Who remains stick to her decision, Hasina or Khaleda?

Inspiring- leader knows how to inspire him and others. If he doesn't know how to inspire people , then how come he will get people working to fulfil the goal oft he organisation or party/

Empowering - doesn't concentrate power at his/her hand. Give power to followers’ hand. If leader doesn't know how to empower other, then he also doesn’t know how to delegate. Because without power, no delegation possible. No delegation, leader himself doing everything, he is not a leader any more, become manager.

Resolve conflicts effectively - resolve conflicts among followers in such way that it doesn't surface again. To do so develop system for conflict management and make sure that no side involved in conflict have any resentment or think that other side got favour or they have been treated unjustly. Leaders are not happy just doing justice but make both sides understand that justice has been done to all. Which party is better in conflict management, BNP  or AL?

Influence people upward- Influence people so that people feel inspired to learn more, do more, do better and sacrifice more for the party or organisation

Build others self esteem - Never treat people in such a way that they feel humiliated, suffer from inferiority complex. Rather treat in such a way, talk with word and tone that people get better idea about them. For this, he needs to know strength and weakness of the followers. Talk vividly about his strength and talk about weakness in a suggestive way so that followers don’t feel ashamed of his weakness, rather try to improve in area of weakness. Shortly "Focus on their strength. Identify their weakness and make them irrelevant"

Reward and Motivate - based on performance leader rewards his followers by giving better position, responsibilities, recognition and thus motive them.

Become a team member- leader always think himself as one of the team, not above the team and actively participate in activities of the party, organisation.

Ownership - leader develops sense of ownership, this is our organisation or party. However, this ownership should be ours, not mine. Who used the word my more than we, Mujib or Zia?  Can you find any speech from Mujib where he said  our party instead of my party ?

Listen - no listening means no understanding followers, no feedback from anywhere. No feedback, no improvement. Without improving himself, how come one remain leader? So without listening how come one become leader?

Know to say no- success in life doesn't depend on how many yes one can say, rather on how many no one can say to unnecessary things, trivial program, receptions, inauguration ceremony etc.

When needed terminate a friend- if friends exploit the leader or his relationship with the leader, leader doesn't hesitate to terminate the friend from a position or friendship. This is an area where our leaders are weak.

Find a mentor- Without mentor, from whom or how they can learn continuously? If suitable person is not available as mentor, leaders make religious books, bibliography of leaders and books (on leadership, Management and various topics) as mentor.

Excellence is the journey. Perfection is the destination - leaders do excellently whatever they do. They want to be perfect but that expectation doesn't demoralize them. They do everything excellent persistently to become perfect which is hardly achievable. But this doesn’t stop them from doing, because they are persistent.

Last but not least,

“Once one decides to become a leader, he is a born one;

Once one is a born leader, one can be made better leader"

এখন আপনিই বিচার করতে পারেন আপনার দলের বা পছন্দের নেতা কেমন নেতা। কি পারবেন না?