The Office and Person of a Public Leader

The Office and Person of a Public Leader

Leadership may be simply described as influence. Leadership prowess is the ability to make others do what they ordinarily wouldn’t have done to achieve a worthwhile common goal. In the public leadership context, it is when a public officers by election, appointment or elevation in public service among other individual influence drivers, can make subordinates and the public to achieve a goal in national/public interest.

There is a distinction between the office and the person of a leader, particularly a public leader. Though the personality of a leader will most likely inform his style of leadership but from the words of John C. Maxwell, ‘Leadership is more important than the leader’. So, when there is conflict between the office of a leader and the person of a leader, the office should prevail. The line can be thin, so, people don’t know when they cross it or care when they realise.

The person of a leader is shaped by his/her personality type, values, education, exposure, maturity and experiences while the office of a leader is guided by ethics and principles. The crux of ethics and principles is ‘national interest or public interest’ as the case may be.

A number of subjects of public concern including but not limited to national unity, public properties, infrastructure development, education, management of public resources and finance, and human capital development have been influenced more by the person of leaders than the ethics and standards of public leadership. The standard is high and the test hinges on discipline.

Discipline is what helps to strike the balance to know what decision to make when the office of leadership has not rubbed off on the person of a leader.

For the overall interest of the nation and public in every constituent, every leader and emerging leader should strive to identify the boundaries between his/her person as a leader and the office of leadership. Public leadership is more than the office euphoria or sense of self fulfillment or gain, it is about selfless service for national/public interest.

Olusola Akinyemi Esq.

President

Joseph Initiative