There’s no mystery here. Regardless of whether you’re talking about business, politics, sports or the military, the best leaders are first-rate communicators.
Communication: The most important key to leadership success
BU will continue to flog the point that good leaders find the best way to communicate effectively. Good communication is about sending a message which is situation specific. The case of Prime Minister Stuart and whether he is a good communicator must be assessed against a landscape of what is the role of the prime minister in a harsh economic period.
If Prime Minister Stuart is a student of history he is aware of how Sir Winston Churchill used language to infuse a nation with confidence during a war. Truth be told Barbados appears to lack quality leaders in many spheres at this juncture in our history. Why should the Governor of the Central Bank feel constrained to speak (or write) about economic issues every quarter? Isn’t the country gripped in the throes of an economic meltdown which creates the ideal opportunity for him to comment? What about the cadre of academics at Cave Hill? Isn’t this a perfect time for Bajan-academics to share their knowledge and ideas incubated deep in the bowels of academia on the Hill with an expectant public?
Governor Delisle Worrell stated in his last quarter economic review in 2012 that the tourism performance in the quarter was make or break for Barbados (words to the effect). The tourism numbers for the last quarter of 2012 and first quarter of 2013 have been disappointing therefore the Governor’s second quarter economic review will be interesting for many.
As far as BU is aware the country has not been able to hive off strategic assets to local private sector or foreign interest in the second quarter. With tourist receipts on the decline, based on current trending a good prediction is that our foreign reserves will take a big hit. BU will be glad to be proved wrong!
In the post 2008 period there was a good argument that government’s stabilization program was a sensible strategy. Many had projected that the poor global economic condition would last no longer than three years. It is evident that the prolong global depression has exposed structural flaws in our economy which has combined with a shift in how a future global market will perform. It should be evident given North South capital flows as well as changing behaviours of tourist from our traditional destinations Barbados cannot hope to sustain historical trends by doing the same things.
Now more than at any time in our history Barbados is crying out for leadership. And this is not only from the political front. Daily we have to listen to the BCCI, ICAB, BHTA, BFSA and others demonstrating (bickering) displeasure at government’s policies. Whether the government is right or wrong is far from the point. Government has clearly not been able to convince key stakeholders to buy in to its policies. One one have thought having been given a second mandate, albeit a narrow one, the government deserves some support. Unfortunately this appears not to be the case.
BU agrees with Native Son, we are a country adrift akin to a deer trapped in the beam of oncoming headlights.
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