Tag: Political Leadership

Rugby on 9/11

If you enjoy Rugby Union it’s a feast right now. There’s always something less tense about watching two teams other than your own battle it and the England vs Argentina and South Africa vs Wales games had plenty of tension with a result that any one-eyed ABs supporter could live with. Although you’d have to say surely that penalty goal was in?! Lots of the action was happening while American was remembering the murder of its people on September 2001 in New York and Washington DC. Was I the only one that realised I was much more interested in the Rugby than in remembering 9/11? I guess 9/11 will go (and perhaps already has gone) down in history as one of those dates like Friday 13 where we remember bad things happen and to be cautious about.

On Friday 13 October 1307  French King Phillipe IV conspiring with Pope Clement V commenced the arrest of the Knights Templar. Most of their alleged crimes were related to the sort of claptrap we now view as laughable such as denying religion, idolising false gods (how do you choose which one is false!?) etc. As you can imagine, many were killed including being burned at the stake for (as the arrest warrants asserted) causing displeasure to God (not a false one I presume). There’s no universal agreement that this is the cause of our fear of Black Friday, but it’s a good start for thinking about 9/11 in a weekend consumed by that (false?) god of Aotearoa, Rugby.

A man called Rick Perry  who is the governor of Texas would like to be the next president of our most powerful country, USA. He has expressed skepticism about evolution as scientifically valid and claimed that the two “theories”  – evolution and creationism were taught in Texas. Turns out he was wrong on the teaching part as it’s been ruled unconstitutional to teach a religion, which is what creationism is part of, in school. He has used phrases like “it’s only a theory” and “there are gaps” to somehow put down what is, frankly, beyond any doubt. As far as scientific theories go, the court will rule beyond any doubt that it’s true.

The events of 9/11 were obscene and as I’ve blogged here in the past, murder. It is inescapable that those who put this together and executed the plan used religion as some sort of twisted justification either to themselves, their families and the global population.  Included in this justification was a “belief” that there would be a reward in the metaphysical world for their actions. Communities far and wide including the Muslim world were and are repulsed by this. As intelligent beings we are entitled to a belief. But that belief must be based on credible and justifiable propositions, facts and reasoning. As a potential leader of the USA Rick Perry shows the same dark-ages belief system as those who controlled the events of 13 October 1307 and 11 September 2001. No, Rick Perry isn’t burning anyone at the stake (although his state has executed 473 of the 1266 people executed in the US since 1976), or flying plane loads of innocent passengers to a terrifying death.

My gig in leadership is authenticity. Everyone knows that. Being authentic in leadership means being real. Being yourself. It also means being real and true. Hanging on to absurd, middle-aged and demonstrably false “beliefs” when aspiring to the highest leadership in this world is dangerous role-modelling at its worst. There’s always going to be crackpots who say, deny the Holocaust, but our most powerful, would be “world’s policeman” shouldn’t be anywhere near this. Even being in the argument as he must inevitably be provokes the worst in those who are denied or have limited access to science. He has no excuse.

We know Rugby is our false god. That’s okay. We’ll be gutted if we don’t win the World Cup. But we’ll survive and no-one will (I hope!) get hurt or suffer irrational consequences for enjoying their false-god religion. In fact, come to think of it, we should encourage everyone to support a false god like Rugby. It’s a heck of a lot safer than the true one!

Go the ABs!

Stephen

Two days of leadership

In many backward countries there are military leaders who are also political leaders. It usually arises because of  view that “managing” a country can only be done though force, micro-managing events and the public necessarily involving a loss of freedom, both physical and emotional.

We’re pretty fortunate in New Zealand to be a democracy with a reasonable amount of freedom. I can write pretty well anything I wish to express a view here on this blog, without interference. I felt uneasy when it was announced that the new governor-general was to be a man who was a public servant heading the spy agency and very recently had headed the defence force. Part of that was his reputation for being a micro-manager which didn’t inspire the sort of leadership that we might expect from our head of state’s representative. He said on his first day in the job that he was looking forward to getting to know New Zealanders and it’s been reported that he will bring an informal style to the role.

On day two he’s back to where he was – responding with indignation that anyone should question the integrity of the defence force. This followed Nicky Hagar’s book making allegations about the defence’s actual role in Afghanistan and Iraq. The rights or wrongs of whatever Hagar says is not relevant to Mataparae’s reaction. What I think is most concerning is that our supposedly independent governor-general has breached that impartiality almost immediately. What if a government is to be sworn in that has a commitment to dismantling parts of the defence force? Would Mr Mataparae have a view on that, that he would similarly feel the need to share?  On current form, you would have to say he would, which would be totally inappropriate as his comments now are.

In leadership development we often talk about a leader’s inability to obtain appropriate feedback at the most senior levels from those around them. Having watched the sycophancy displayed by those that support politicians and senior civil servants, I can imagine no-one said anything. And being a micro-manager, he wouldn’t have welcomed such feedback. I hope that those who are there to support our new GG will have the courage to help the man in what is obviously a difficult leadership step up for him.

The defence force can speak for itself and the head of state’s representative, whatever his intimate knowledge, has no role in launching into the topic. Count to ten next time! You’ve got 4 years and 363 days to go.

Stephen

Murderous leadership

There’s a big scrap and when the offender is handcuffed and dragged to the police car, there’s always that humourous moment when the police officer, in a moment of compassion, gently places his hand on the suspects head, to make sure he doesn’t hurt it when he enters the cop car. Like I’ll taser you, put you in a headlock, but my friend, don’t knock your head on the rubber seal of the car!

Wanted “dead or alive” said former President Bush after 9/11 when speaking of the terrorist Osama bin laden. You have to admit as unpalatable as it might appear, that he was a very clever man bin Laden. From dusty caves (we thought), he lead a large number of young men to kill themselves while murdering about 3000 others. Like a Texas ranger, the west lead by the US, went hunting for their man. In the years of the hunt an organisation like the world has not known (or has it?) grew and killed (and kills) it seems, at places it can get to, when it can. The objective is clear enough – drive forward a view of how the world should live (suppressed women, old testament rules other religions abolished), vaguely underpinned by fanatical religious beliefs, that I doubt many really believe. Though I guess those young men who drove the aeroplanes into the Trade Towers must have. Pity they will never know how deluded they were. Murderers.

When I heard that bin Laden was dead, or more particularly that he had been killed by US forces, I wondered immediately how it was done – was there a fight? did they execute him? was he bombed? We might never know, but somehow even if it did happen in a fight, it was okay to kill him. I don’t feel the slightest sympathy for the murderer, in fact I feel very strongly about any religious extremism or fundamentalism for the physical and emotional violence that always follows.  I do wonder about the “dead or alive” message that the west sends to the middle east though. The dancing in New York and Washington looked a bit like the celebration in Iran (for example) after 9/11. We might think we’re right, but can we honestly put our hands on our hearts and say that a large number of people in the middle east are dishonest in their beliefs about how the west has treated them? Even if they’ve got it wrong from their dictatorial propaganda machines at home, shouldn’t the west set an example? Or is it easy for me to say ‘cos I didn’t know anyone lost in say 9/11. Maybe, but I bet the pictures of dancing in New York are going down a treat in Libya right now.

Mature and forward thinking leadership will recognise that the signals the west sends to the middle east on killing this murderer, must not include gloating at an ‘eye for an eye’. But when the President of the United States gives a sober and thoughtful delivery about it, and ends with “God Bless America” I groan inside.

It’s the same invisible force that justified 9/11 for the terrorists, justifying America. It’s not needed or helpful. You did the right think America, don’t thank invisible forces, as it’s the same invisible force that’s been used to kill your citizens.

President Obama should take it for himself, for the west and for the middle east and proclaim that justice was delivered, not in an orthodox or civilised way, but in the way that only a mass murderer in hiding could be dealt with. Much of the world will be happy that bin Laden is gone – I am sure that most of the thoughtful citizens of Pakistan are happy about it too. They’ve been tarnished badly by this murderer and his organisation.

And he was buried in accordance with Islamic tradition, that was important the US military said. Really? Will it all be okay when he gets to heaven now!? Or am I totally lacking in understanding of what really matters here. I think the ‘eye for an eye’ dancing in the streets is far more significant for our peace.  Like mind your head as you’re dragged into the cop car.

Can we learn from this? Watch out who you’re fighting for or with. Bin Laden befriended the Taliban who the US helped in driving out the opposing forces. Wonder if that’s being done in Libya now. Hope not. Political leadership that learns and sees patterns (like we can all see happening in Libya now), is the leadership I want.

There we go: religion, politics, a reference to sex via the 72 virgins hoped for and a bloody story of a murdering leader that’s ended.

Stephen

ps the FBI don’t seem to know as he’s still on the top 10 wanted list as of this evening. There’s $25mil up for grabs if you want to tell them.

Leadership and reality

If you listen to talkback radio it’s not a pretty picture painted of our country. We’re broke, it feels like a recession, those that can least afford it can afford it even less, crime is rampant.

An opinion poll came out this evening which showed the National Party on 57.5% compared with Labour’s 28%. All of this in the middle of a lot of crises – the earthquakes, the AMI guarantee, South Canterbury Finance, all of which put together are going to leave us no change from $10 billion. Notice how suddenly everything seems to cost in the billions now? When did that happen? We hardly blinked for more than a day when AMI was guaranteed by us for up to $1 billion. A few days later the Treasury produced a report that said government agencies could save $245 million through efficiencies. Seemed to me (slightly cynically!) that if we have $1 billion for AMI, why bother with all the pain of saving $245 million? Or put another way, let AMI fail and there’s a billion saved just like that, or maybe not.

Anyway I digress. Somehow in the midst of all of this the leadership of the government has managed to keep the majority of New Zealand in support. Some people comment that John Key appears genuine, mixes well and tells it as it is. And whatever the crisis him and Bill English keep telling us that this latest 1 or 5 billion will be allowed for in the budget. Seems like we accept that and on we go. I should also observe that those who don’t think John Key is so flash, have become sharply more critical of what they say is a facade.

What exercises my mind in all of this is whether leadership can be so good that we ignore reality, maybe because it’s too much to grapple with, or we think it’s not our problem.

I’m no economist, but $8.5 billion for earthquakes, $2 billion is it for South Canterbury Finance and up to $1 billion for AMI sounds like a lot of money for us. And must put the economy and our lifestyle at serious risk – even if for all the things that we won’t be able to do while resources are directed to Canterbury (all of it!).

Collision course or to the rescue?

Are we turning a blind eye? Do we think that the leadership knows what it’s doing so we keep on supporting? Do we think that a lot of it is out of the leadership’s control? Or what?

I was a teenager in the mid to late 1970s when the Muldoon government borrowed us into oblivion. Yes there were outside forces, such as the oil crisis, and UK joining the EU, but it all seemed to be well, not quite real. Then.

The discussions about political leadership seem to me to be way too superficial for intelligent people (I know some intelligent people who told me!).

We’re in a big financial crisis, living on an expectation that our political leadership, who appear to majority to be reasonable people, have some reality behind the photo opportunities.

Why do I keep thinking “I hope they know what they’re doing”. Is your organisation like this?

Stephen