Dave Ikiedei Asei
09/05/2019
In the second part of this article, we shall be looking at five additional qualities of a good leader with reference to Honourable Doodei Week. They are as follow -
1. Decision-Making Capabilities
Apart from having a futuristic vision, a leader should have the ability to take the right decision at the right time. Decisions taken by leaders have a profound impact on masses. A leader should think long and hard before taking a decision but once the decision is taken, stand by it. Although, most leaders take decisions on their own, but it is highly recommended that you consult key stakeholders before taking a decision. After all, they are the ones who will benefit or suffer from your decisions.
In this regard, Honourable Doodei Agbabou Week is an outstanding example. Right from his days as CDC Chairman of his community, as a teacher in the Secondary School, as a leader of some Political organizations, as Chairman of the Development Centre of Tarakiri Area council, as Deputy Director of NDDC and now the Honourable Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources in Bayelsa State, he consults widely before reaching any decision. That is why in all the above places he served, his followers didn’t have problems in accepting them and working with him happily. He has a lot of success stories to tell which I wouldn’t be able to enumerate. He no doubt has the capacity to make viable decisions which have affected the organizations he has led, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources that he leads.
2. Accountability
When it comes to accountability, you need to follow the approach highlighted by Arnold H Glasow when he said, “A good leader takes little more than his share of the blame and little less than his share of the credit.” Make sure that every one of your subordinates is accountable for what they are doing. If they do well, give them a pat on the back but if they struggle, make them realize their mistakes and work together to improve. Holding them accountable for their actions will create a sense of responsibility among your subordinates and they will go about the business more seriously.
This is another area Doodei has applied strictly. In fact, he takes responsibility of whatever he handles and allow his subordinates to account for their duties assigned to them. He gives credit to those who performs well in any organization he finds himself as enumerated above. He has always supported those working with him to reach organizational goals. In the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources that he heads, the success stories we are hearing is due to this principle of accountability which he applies on a daily bases.
3. Delegation and Empowerment
You cannot do everything, right. It is important for a leader to focus on key responsibilities while leaving the rest to others. By that, I mean empowering your followers and delegating tasks to them. If you continue to micromanage your subordinates, it will develop a lack of trust and more importantly, you will not be able to focus on important matters, as you should be. Delegate tasks to your subordinates and see how they perform. Provide them with all the resources and support they need to achieve the objective and give them a chance to bear the responsibility.
If there is one area Doodei Week has practiced is delegation and empowerment. As an unassuming person, humble, meek and kind, that he is, he has often delegated and empowered his team players to fulfill their individual roles. No wonder, majority of those who worked/and still working with him in the different organizations could attest to this fact. He is no doubts a wonderful leader.
4. Creativity and Innovation
What separates a leader from a follower? Steve Jobs, the greatest visionary of our time answers this question this way, “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” In order to get ahead in today’s fast-paced world, a leader must be creative and innovative at the same time. Creative thinking and constant innovation is what makes you and your team stand out from the crowd. Think out of the box to come up with unique ideas and turn those ideas and goals into reality.
Creativity and innovative ideas are some of the very realistic tools Honourable Doodei Week has deployed in all the establishments he has served. In fact, these qualities are more evident in the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources. For the past 3 years he has served in the Ministry, numerous creative and innovative ideas have been put in motion to drive the processes of farming and Aquaculture activities of the state into higher levels.
For example, it was during this period that the Aquaculture village received a great boost, as the farm was expanded with modern Aquaculture equipment and infrastructure. When you get there, you will be amazed with the great potentials this project alone will create in terms of job creation, empowerment of our people and generation of internally generated revenue (IGR) for the state government.
500 large fish bonds are constructed already and allocated to private business men and women to manage. This is creativity and innovation in action, made possible by Honourable Doodei Week.
5. Empathy
Last but certainly not the least, is empathy. Leaders should develop empathy with their followers. Unfortunately, most leaders follow a dictatorial style and neglect empathy altogether. Due to this, they fail to make a closer connection with their followers. Understanding the problems of your followers and feeling their pain is the first step to become an effective leader. Even that is not enough until you work hard and provide your followers with the suitable solution to their problems.
In this regard, you will see Honourable Doodei in action. He is one man that feels for the people, not just those who work with him, but all who come his way. That is why he has provided job opportunities and helping indigent students in his domain. He has helped countless number of students with school fees and other academic needs. Honourable Doodei does not wait for people to come to him before rendering assistance, he helps whenever he notices that help is needed regardless of who you are. This is one quality making him stand out among his contemporaries.
I can say that Honourable Doodei Week is Mr Empathy himself. Thank God for given mankind such a gentle man who has provided succor to countless helpless individuals.
Conclusion
To become a good leader, you must have all these qualities but if you lack some of these qualities, then you might struggle to make the mark in the world of leadership. You will have to set a good example for others to follow. That is where your commitment, passion, empathy, honesty and integrity come into play. Good communication skills and decision-making capabilities also play a vital role in success and failure of a leader. Lastly, innovation and creative thinking, as well as the futuristic vision, are a couple of key traits which make a leader stand out.
In all of the above, Honourable Doodei stands tall and I can say without fear nor Favour that he is a good leader by all standards
No comments:
Post a Comment