Leaders are born, not made

Papua New Guinea will conduct its 2017 National Election and Local Level Government Elections simultaneously in a matter of weeks. According to schedules the issue of writs and nomination will be opened on the 20th of April, 2017 and choosing genuine and ultimate leaders at this crucial time is of paramount importance. Elections in PNG over the years have fallen short of ideal standards and resort to electoral fraud. The choices we freely and fairly make through the ballot boxes now will determine the future of our upcoming generations.

Leadership in today’s circuses are perhaps more challenging than it has ever been however, a leader who is worth his salt is a born leader and not made as we assume.Voters have different perceptions and assessments in judging a leader before making choices. If we chose a leader by the way they are made, it is the greatest misconception ever concocted by man.
Society presents circumstances that enable one to be fashioned or molded into a leader. That’s the greatest contribution of society to mankind; it identifies a genuine leader from its surroundings.
Unlike other democracies, Papua New Guinea is an indigenous society with diverse and integrated cultures where people are obliged by inheritance to submit to traditional leadership values and circles regardless of unwarranted ruling or corruption. We should encourage and promote leaders whose visions are based on policy-driven ideologies and principles, rather than material wealth and tribal allegiances that often create disharmony and corruption in societies.

Tribal allegiance practices have increasingly been part of PNG’s political system ever since independence. Traditionally, tribal allegiances often played a critical role in deciding voters’ preferences. People align with a candidate in their own tribe or clan despite the candidate lacking meaningful leadership qualities to successfully represent them in parliament. This was predominant during the ‘first past the post’ system where a voter has only one preference.
As this is the situation, distinction has to be made between true leaders and quack leaders. True leaders know that they are born for a purpose. Society is their laboratory. They experiment and display various leadership skills which benefit society as a whole. They initiate and open doors for unforeseen possibilities, and for new ways of thinking and working to improve the electorates they represent.

Sadly, there are also mandated leaders who are a bane and nuisance to society. They mask themselves as autocrats, dictators and manipulators. Aren’t they born leaders? Hitler is a case in point. He whipped German society into accepting and carrying out his wicked activities unto the world. The world nearly came to a standstill watching his atrocities.

Tyrants and dictators who have a complete power consider people and society as their playground. Voters are pawns in a great game of chess - the ‘chess of life’. Use one pawn against another to silence opposition or kill foes. The majority are slaves or compliant individuals ever ready to do their wills. Dissatisfied and distressed individuals express disappointment and anger only in private.
Quack leaders are aplenty in our societies today. They have this foolish notion that they are true leaders. But they don’t seem to lead their stated business in any new form or concept. Most of it is just picking up from what their predecessors have been doing but a born leader is possessed with innovation of thoughts and initiatives that create more benefits to society and inspire and teach others to do the same. They possess thoughts that jolt others to rethink the usefulness of their present worth and have special set of qualities which are fundamentally part of their personality. Most of all, a born leader is instilled with boundless courage to stick to his views, goals and objectives decisively regardless of any political dilemma.

Actually leaders are made by the commitments they honor. It is one’s pledge to a possibility yet to be realized. Leaders are the people who commit to changing the future in the way everyone agrees and to make something happen that otherwise wouldn’t without them. They achieve results that are unprecedented and delivering performances that go beyond what is predictable. A true leader’s power and effectiveness emerges from making bold decisions and commitments, engaging others about what are possible and legitimate.

Good leaders are hard to find now-a-days. Some of the set of traits that you will find in born leaders are visionary, energetic, dynamic, fair, inspiring, courageous, charismatic, and so on. That is a true value of a born leader.

Quack leaders are the opposite. They follow the trends of society and do not want to upset society from its continual slumber. That will mean a dip in their earning power and influence and just do what others do. They pretend to portray an appearance of bravery acting to be courageous.  
The solid truth is that nobody really knows how and why leaders behave as they do. Nobody can explain who is a leader from a follower. There are no scientific explanations for discovering and choosing a true leader. At best, only certain pattern of behavioral tendencies exhibited to identify leaders but a true and ‘born leader’ is only chosen by God. Leaders are born and not made.


About the Author: Sebastian Yuwette is a Papua New Guinea student currently studying Food Science and Technology at Soegijapranata Catholic University, Republic of Indonesia under the Darmasiswa Scholarship Program
REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA