Many African countries are often described as naturally endowed but plagued with bad leadership.  What is the benefit of having leaders if they are visionless or lacking in courage to take difficult decisions.  The Asian tigers, countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong etc., on the other hand seem to have gotten their acts together by having leaders who are purposeful and focused on the task of national development. While many African countries continue to battle with rudimentary task of living, the Asian tigers have become developed with much of Africa continue to languish in the ancient world of 19th century. The infrastructural development in the Asian Tigers’ country is the envy of all until Dubai came on the scene. Where were the African leaders? Why are we still battling with basic task of road construction, generation of electricity and simple basic hygiene?

Leadership is intentional and it would appear that many-would-be leaders in Africa are only concerned about the glory of the office and not suited for the responsibility of the office.  Consequently, they do not possess the skills and vision necessary to lead their people to better life or engender better economy, and higher standard of living. Leading with vision is having a clear idea of a desirable future and helping those around you to see the same picture and motivating them to work together to realize it, no matter how difficult the challenges may be. Leading with vision does not happen overnight. Leading so that others may follow has never been easy, but it is possible.

Leaders anxious to lead others and accomplish their goals must develop themselves.  The discipline to be formed to lead is important and without it those who aspire to lead will be dissipating their energies in countless directions. Life is complex as it is, and one must know what one wants to get out of life and focus on that goal at a time. Distraction is dangerous and the desire to be seen as good in many area is a serious temptation for many people. Yet, studies have shown that while many people covert multi-tasking, developing a clear vision and purpose for the future means that one must learn to set one’s priorities right. This will help to ensure that one’s attention and energies are directed towards the essentials.

Every sphere of human life needs leaders with vision, including the Church. And as they say in politics, we must grow our visionary leaders from the grassroots. It is thus imperative that there be in place a leadership development programme that should benefit members. The Church needs leaders at all levels and training them ahead of time is important. As we begin the year, parish organizations and groups should endeavour to train leaders.  Training is not only critical for the future, but also for the present. The future we desire must be conceived today and we need leaders at all levels to make this a reality. In a world of changing values and conflicting values at that, we need leaders who know their purpose and are motivated enough to actualize them. Visionary leaders stay true to themselves and to their core values. This is why it is not surprising today that we don’t have many leaders with vision. The ones we have, their own agenda are mostly centred around themselves and their small cliques.

Leaders with vision are also people oriented and work to better the lots of their people.  Their vision is principally geared towards making life better for others. The happiness of their people is their own happiness, and they feel a sense of fulfilment when they see their people living a more purposeful life. Leaders with vision are also problem solvers. Leaders must face challenges and stand up to them. Problems are opportunities for growth and success and if one runs away from them, then growth cannot take place and there will be little or nothing for the people to benefit from.

If we are without visionary leaders, could it be because we have demanded other things from them other than good vision? Have we focused more on self-adulation instead of integrity? Have we covert stomach infrastructure instead of community projects? Have we demanded for quantity instead of quality? If our leaders know that the people are without clear and good vision for themselves, then, they are not likely to be motivated enough to lead them far.  This is not good for us, and we must reject it. It is thus imperative for us to demand from our leaders clear vision, purposeful thinking, and planning and strength of character to accomplish goals that would have been unattainable for many. 

The year is still young, where do you see yourself? Where are you headed to? Who is leading you? Are you sure you know where you are going and how to get there? For Christians, the answer is simple enough, we know someone who told us “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”   Here we find a vision that is realistic and attainable for those with the determination to change the course of their own life. It is worth trying!