Corruption - A social disease (Part 142): What can Namibian leaders learn from emphatic and emotional intelligent leaders?

Johan Coetzee - Character traits of transformational leaders such as empathy and emotional intelligence are critical elements to inspire people and provide hope.

In dysfunctional societies such as Namibia people are overwhelmed with enormous complex challenges such as inequality (second highest Gini-coefficient in the world), unemployment of 37.3% and an average Transparency International corruption rating since 1998 of 4.8 out of 10 (10 means 100% corrupt). It is clear why people need inspiration.

Leaders with empathy have the ability that people can relate to them, they can identify with them. If people can relate to leaders, such leaders can inspire them. Leaders that act aloof and with status, find it very challenging to relate to people.

Leaders need to learn the ability to put themselves in the shoes of the people they want to influence. If people perceive leaders as so important that they will not be able to understand their challenges, people tend not to approach such leaders to solve their problems.

Emotional intelligent leaders can "read" people and their body language. This is the most influential form of communication and an illustration of emotional intelligence. Such leaders have exceptional listening skills, e.g. Abraham Lincoln.

Such leaders do not only have the ability to relate to people, they "serve" people. Servant leadership is not common in Namibia. In the Land of the Brave, it seems that leaders deliberately want to be untouchable. Our Members of Parliament (MPs) are not overwhelmingly accessible to people, except prior to elections.

EMPATHIC LEADERS

Some of the most influential empathic leaders are Oprah Winfrey and Princess Diana in providing hope to vulnerable people in society. Diana was extremely successful in changing peoples' perceptions about people affected with HIV/AIDS. Oprah Winfrey and Princess Diana are change agents in changing perceptions about religion, gender and culture. Oprah Winfrey pioneered empathy for the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender community (LGBT).

Winfrey made it acceptable for anybody – including leaders - to talk about their emotional challenges. She demonstrates that leaders can cry on television and can and should be emotional in order to relate to people. Showing emotion and being open about their weaknesses demonstrate leaders’ vulnerability in that they are the same as "normal" people – inherently all people have similar emotions. Such similarities between leaders and people provide hope to hopeless people without employment and without decent housing.

As a spiritual leader, Oprah demonstrates that positive thinking and emotional intelligence are critical in "vibrating" (sending and attracting) positive energy to enable positive change. She demonstrates that adversity can be overcome, for example, she had been sexually harassed and became pregnant at 14 years of age. Despite and/or partially as an indirect result of such enormous challenges, she excelled to become one of the most influential and benevolent women in the world.

Princess Diana has been so popular that her influence became a threat to the conservative British elite and Crown. She was the "Princess of the People", she challenged British traditions and changed the perceptions and hearts of people and the elite. She received so many flowers after her death that many streets in the vicinity of the Queen’s Palace were inaccessible – an illustration of her popularity and influence. She has broken down barriers between the people and the Crown.

Other great leaders with empathy include Mother Theresa (a nurse that took care of hundreds of thousands of wounded soldiers during World War II), and Florence Nightingale (English social reformer and founder of modern nursing). They served people with passion, commitment and all their energy. They demonstrated that the greatest wealth is not material wealth, but the legacy of love you leave in the hearts and minds of people.

Compared to our Namibian leaders, especially the most important decision makers, it is not clear what legacy they want to leave, except material wealth and greed. Namibian leaders need to learn how to relate to people, to be emphatic and emotionally matured.

References

Coetzee, J.J. 2012. Systemic corruption and corrective change management strategies: A study of the co-producers of systemic corruption and its negative impact on socio-economic development. Unpublished PhD dissertation. Stellenbosch: University of Stellenbosch.

King, M.E. 2006. The Corporate Citizen. Governance for all Entities. Johannesburg: Penguin Books.

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