Pakistan’s leadership problem
By Ibrahim Akhtar Khan

A leadership deficit is perhaps Pakistan’s most pressing problem. Pick up any newspaper or magazine, turn on the television or ask the person sitting next to you and they will agree that Pakistan has a serious dearth of leaders. While there is agreement on the existence of our leadership problem, a solution is rarely suggested. This absence of a solution is not an accident; it exists because leadership is difficult to define.

Leadership is less science and more art. It is not something you can create with the correct set of ingredients; the sum is generally greater than the parts and there is, unfortunately, no formula. Yes, there are dozens of good examples of leadership but combining them does not lead to an elegant, one-size-fits-all solution.

Effective leadership varies based on circumstances. While there is no blanket answer to Pakistan’s leadership problem, there is something to be gained by considering Pakistan’s specific circumstances.

If you have lived in Pakistan for any amount of time, you know that within our borders, things can change in an instant. A leader must be nimble across situations, ignoring egos and allow facts to trump personalities.

Indeed, Pakistan has never been a country for the faint-hearted. Our resilience is extolled and rightly so. Pakistanis endure (and will continue do so for years to come), but the same cannot be said about our leadership. Courage is not something that can be easily instilled. And yet, it is the need of the hour. Bold decisions have to be made and bold individuals are the only ones who can make those decisions.

A flexible and courageous leader may get us far, but without basic intelligence, the package is incomplete. Raw intelligence and an appreciation of logic and reasoning are required, but just as important is a heightened level of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is required to wade through the maze of government. Our leaders have to be able to deal with heads of state at the UN meetings just as comfortably as they can deal with a large landowner in Balochistan who might have broken the law. The Pakistani public and the rest of the world are slaves for charisma. In times like these, we need a popular leader; not a Punjabi or a Sindhi leader, but a national one.

The question that naturally follows from the exposition above is how can we develop these traits in the future leaders of our country. In his January 14, 2014 column for The New York Times, David Brooks outlines three steps public leaders should take.

Firstly, he says, “apprentice yourself to a master craftsman.” Brooks believes there is much to be learned from observing experienced political leaders negotiating the maze of government. “Practical knowledge is hard to see, but it is embedded in traditions of behaviour.”

Secondly, he encourages aspiring leaders to “take a reality bath”. According to Brooks, leaving your country for a temporary period can freshen your perspective and help you break out of the vicious cycle of inefficiency our governance system has created.

Third, Brooks encourages public officials to specialise. There is a natural tendency for public officials to leave options open as this is what is best for their political ambitions. But by doing so, politicians fail to make an impact. In order to leave your mark, you must focus on something in which you can make a difference.

Around the world, citizens are concerned about their public leadership. But, there is hope. Brooks’ assessment of America holds here in Pakistan: “We live in a nation of good people and ineffective government.” This scenario is a state of disequilibrium. Any student of economics will tell you that disequilibrium is an unstable state in the long run. As we look forward to the day we reach equilibrium — the day our nation of good people is governed by effective leadership — let us look for the three traits above in the leaders of our future.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 21st, 2014.