Leadership self-deception: a Malaysian illness?

 

Let me ask you this; like me, do you believe that our country needs strong leadership?

But how can this be achieved if our communal suspicions and polarising attitudes just make for a fertile ground that opportunistic, manipulative and self-serving leaders thrive on.

Here’s an example.

This past week, we have had a major ruckus about the government instructing “kopitiams” or coffee shops to apply for a liquor license before being able to serve beer or stout.

Of course, there was a public outcry.

Accusations of government insensitivity towards certain communities were hurled, and arguments were made that this new directive was intruding on the freedoms of some.

Conversely, supporters of this instruction claimed that it was in keeping with international standards, and was absolutely necessary for curbing alcoholism, and the other social ills associated with it.

As the debate went into overdrive, we were abruptly informed that the government did an about turn. The finance ministry asked the customs department to cancel this instruction to state governments and local governments.

Most curiously, it was the Minister of Transport who made this public announcement about the rescinding of the directive. This minister is one of the five non-Muslims in a cabinet of 32 ministers.

Incidentally, his portfolio has nothing to do with coffee-shops or alcohol licenses, but he was the one chosen to make this announcement.

So, from the government’s choice of “deliverer of good news for some”, it seems like alcohol, which is taxed heavily and is a significant contributor to the nation’s revenue, is deemed exclusively of interest only for the minority communities.

The government taxes this so-called “evil” product heftily. Then Malaysians are advised to curb its consumption, or they try to make it as difficult as possible to buy or sell it.

And all of this, notwithstanding that the income generated from the taxes on its sale are enjoyed by all citizens, regardless of race and religion.

It’s a pretty deceptive problem, isn’t it?

You would think that strong leadership of the nation would countermand these types of useless national dialogues, and allow the country to focus on the more important task of rebuilding our economy.

You would expect that the government would be inclusive to all its citizens, regardless of their beliefs.

And if someone is diagnosed with an alcohol problem, just like if a person is diagnosed with an addiction to prescription drugs, they will receive the appropriate treatment.

But, no.

On a regular basis, we have to worry about and deal with these rather parochial irritations and prickly issues that further stoke communal insensitivities and continue to cause deep-seated suspicions of each other.

Is the dilemma faced by our country simply because we struggle to find high potential leaders with the emotional intelligence to govern and direct a multiracial, and multi-facetted nation?

I don’t think this is the problem.

We have some very capable leaders. They just don’t actually concentrate on inspiring, nurturing, and empowering us or the country they lead.

This is the ultimate stumbling block to Malaysia’s success; self-deception.

I regularly refer to this book called Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box. It’s a very useful tool in my own leadership journey, and the ideas in this book aptly sum up the state of leadership in our nation.

Self-deception prevents leaders from actually seeing what is happening around them.

This then stops them from providing honest leadership, and offering effective solutions for Malaysia. Their self-deception obscures the truth about themselves, and their circumstances, and in turn corrupts their view of others.

This is a bipartisan problem that occurs on all sides of the Malaysian political divide.

For example, we have a former prime minister who insists on his innocence and keeps rallying his supporters and sycophants. All this while the courts and the court of public opinion have found him guilty. He soldiers on with the appeals process with the hope of being exonerated.

On the other side of the political divide, we also have a former finance minister who gets hauled in and out of court for alleged malfeasance, and argues that he is a victim of political persecution. And, he also rallies his supporters.

Self-deception thwarts many Malaysian politicians from making wise, helpful, and prudent decisions in the national interest. This, in turn, undermines our ability to have the proper leadership our country so desperately needs.

The influence of leaders is powerful on the national psyche.

Good leaders rise above their own needs and truly focus on the wellbeing of the nation. These types of leaders inspire commitment, and will lead by setting the example for the rest of us to follow.

Leaders with self-deception are so focused on themselves. They’ll accentuate other people’s faults, and concentrate on waxing lyrical about their own merits. Most of all, they inflate the value of the things they do and say, to justify their own agenda.

Sounds familiar? Well, this is the Malaysian leadership illness.

Strong leadership can and must empower all Malaysians in a fair, just and inclusive manner. But this is impossible without our leaders thinking about their own limitations and potential self-deception.

Our job is to make them aware of their self-deception by not being sheeple, and by standing up to them. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.