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Some of the questions often asked in Business management and leadership class include: why is it that so many smart, ambitious professionals and politicians are less productive and satisfied than they should be or could be? Why do many of them find their upward trajectories flattening into a plateau and they lose that spirit of discernment soon after acquiring that political power that has been their life ambition? Put differently, can a man with an idee fixe do a credible job? Way back in June 2011, Thomas J. Delong , a professor of Management, and Sarah Delong, a renowned psychiatrist, published their findings on the questions posed above in Harvard Business Review. According to them, high achievers often undermine their leadership by being afraid to show their limitations.
You can see why Nigeria seems jinxed on the leadership index. And, again, you ask, why is Nigeria always proving hard for its leaders, past and present, especially since the current democratic dispensation? If OBJ presidency failed to fix a broken Nigeria, that of Yar’Adua and Jonathan were far worse. And for what is no longer news, Tinubu began on false start with the infamous quote, “subsidy is gone”. Since then, every decision he has taken, has made the country worse, not better. All of these leaders suffer from one ‘occupational disease: they lack vision beyond their own personal interest and a sense of timing in most of the decisions they took. They all failed to understand when to invoke the prestige of the presidency and when to hold it in reserve.
Perhaps President Tinubu is the most guilty of this paradox of excellence syndrome. Remember how he expertly and desperately wanted to be President. He publicly said dreamed office of the President as his ‘life ambition ‘. Some analysts liken him as ‘power is where power goes’, a quote made popular by a former American President Lyndon Johnson. Even now, some have described Tinubu as the ‘most powerful politician in Nigeria, but not the most influential’. Perhaps this is because of how he came to power both in Lagos and now as Nigeria’s ‘president’, despite the odds. But in all of this, he has failed to acknowledge his limitations. That’s why the key economic decisions he has made so far, especially the removal of fuel subsidy, and the harmonisation of the exchange rate markets, which on paper seem good, have turned out to be his Achilles heel.
And this is why: the policies were ill-advised, ill-digested before they were implemented. Secondly, Tinubu’s pride is always stronger and more dangerous than his recognition of his limitations. He views admitting the truth as weakness. It is either his way or the highway. It was also the same mindset that OBJ exhibited as President, and almost ran himself aground in the office. Worse, Tinubu’s grasp of what leadership entails in turbulent times is wrapped self. That is why, in spite of repeated calls to hold the fire of threats of war in Nigeria Republic, he used his last option rather than the first, oblivious to the fact that the “first cut is the deepest”.
That is also why, despite repeated advice to have a lean Cabinet and save scarce resources, the President went ahead with the most bloated Cabinet of over 48 Ministers, which according to Daily Trust newspaper, will cost the Nigerian taxpayers at least N8.6bn in four years as salaries and allowances. The figure could rise even further by the time the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission(RMAFC) is through with the review of public servants’ renumeration. Amid soaring cost of governance, and harsh economic conditions in the country, The Guardian, had in its July 2 edition, reported that the President “entered the Guinness Book of Records” when he drove into Lagos from the airport with a 120- car convoy. That doesn’t show a leader who feels the pains of the suffering masses.
This is why three months into his presidency, his style of governance remains a constant topic for debate. It’s not for nothing. It’s about leadership and why Nigeria is not measuring up on the scale of good governance. To borrow the words of APC National vice chairman (North West) Salihu Lukman, “our expectations about Asiwaju Bola Tinubu have crashed”. Whatever “is distracting him”, he told Channels television , “Politics Today”, his attention should be drawn to the fact that the politics he has played so far is not the Tinubu that I know”. Lukman also claimed that many party members are aware of this unmet expectations but are afraid to voice out their feelings. He also alleged that what Nigerians have witnessed so far of Tinubu presidency “is either hope deferred or aborted”. Many Nigerians share same way as Lukman who voluntarily resigned his position recently. That’s what leaders do while they were trying to get power, it’s not necessarily what they do they have acquired power.
History has shown that leaders who have stumbled on the last rung of the ladder or failed at the top is primarily because they could not make a switch from being ambitious politicians to the highest office in the land, because without vision beyond one’s own advancement, a leader could be paralysed immediately that ambition has been achieved. For the few times I interacted with Tinubu(along with other Editors) when he was Governor, Lagos state, I saw an archetypical, kind politician who traded favours and flattering in generous measures. It worked for him. Note this: Niceness isn’t always nice. But this is not Lagos. This is a larger canvas. This is Nigeria. The present position, has already revealed the so-called “genius” in Tinubu as well as his shortcomings. That’s why power reveals more than it can hide. Being a governor is different from being a President and Commander-in-Chief. The so-called ‘Centre of Excellence’, is now a paradox of sorts. The question is, Can Tinubu as President, make that sea-change now, turning into a visionary of breathtaking scope? Maybe, time will tell.
One is not saying that Tinubu does not have a vision for Nigeria. However, this is the worry: having a larger end has always been more important for political leaders than corporate leaders and businesspeople. In politics, nothing could be more fatal than to have a false start. Tinubu has had a surfeit of it already. From the first day in office, he squandered that trust of those who voted for him. It may take him a pretty long time to regain that trust and confidence. Today, what we have across the country is a fear factor, an erosion of national unity, diversity and purpose. Millions of Nigerians are living each day as it comes, not sure where their next meal will come from. Disillusionment and pessimism have supplanted hope.
I am not sure if the President and his handlers know this, that for any democratically elected leader, politics and people are inseparable. Politics provides a good platform, a rare opportunity of a lifetime for a president to render selfless service to country and the people. Two weeks after his inauguration, Tinubu did acknowledge, matter-of-factly, that having “campaigned and danced for and won(?) the election”, he and state governors have no reason to complain the tough job ahead. That’s what it ought to be, learning and working hard every day to improve the lives of the people.
But that has not happened since Tinubu was sworn in as President. Instead, extreme hardship is what Nigerians are going through. His almost three months in office has left Nigerians poorer, frustrated and agitated. Cost of living is beyond what ordinary Nigerians can afford. Or could that be a confirmation that no leader can lead who does not know how to use power for the greater good of all? For emphasis, that’s what happens when citizens lose faith in government. That’s what happens when politics is overplayed above everything else. Nigeria is bleeding from all corners. It be repeated that what is happening in the country, at both states and federal levels, is an extreme breakdown in citizens’ support for those who govern them. As the President enjoined his ministers, it is time to serve the country, not ethnic or religious interests. It’s time to walk the talk. The President should lead by example. This is my unsolicited advice to him: he should not allow himself to be defined by critics as to what kind of President he wants to be remembered for in the next four years. He should learn useful lessons from Buhari’s disastrous presidency. Buhari allowed himself to be remembered as a President who brought tears and sorrow to Nigerians. The mess he left behind is still tormenting Nigeria and the citizens.
