By Professor Hassan Sisay, USA.
Sierra Leone continues to face a plethora of problems. President Ernest Bai Koroma
(EBK) recently implored Sierra Leoneans to change their old ways and mindset so as to
tackle the mammoth problems confronting the nation head on.
Scholars of organizational
change posit that change is an activity that is sometimes difficult, time-consuming and even
to some irritating. Change is uncomfortable even when it is aimed at improving one’s
conditions. Change has a bad habit of attracting detractors and unnecessary criticisms
because it calls for new skills and change of old habits.
Although change often benefits the
majority of the people, experts believe that “in most organizations, the percentage of
people who are going to make change happen is very low.”
A prerequisite for change is openness to the possbilility of new ways of doing things or in
some cases, the ability to admit that we have made mistakes and are prepared to turn a new
leaf.
In the case of Sierra Leone, abandoning our parochial tribal and ethnic enclaves is a
must in order to facilitate working harmoniously for the common good of everyone.
Of course giving up the old ways is not going to be the proverbial “walk in the park.” To
many of us this would be tantamount to deserting the easy street to political jobs, and the
usual fast track to self-enrichment and group advancement.
Thus, giving up the old ways
will be resisted by many folks especially by those who have benefitted from the old system.
To be effective the president needs the support of all Sierra Leoneans, and most
importantly members of his own cabinet.
In any organization that is aspiring for change, there are usually three groups of people, and
this may be true with EBK’s current cabinet. For example there are those who will actively
support him, and do whatever it will take to make his programs succeed. This group is
referred to by experts as the “accepters,” who are openly commited to give up the old ways.
They are positive and upbeat.
On the other hand, the “sleepers” in his cabinet are those who will neither support nor prevent change. This group will be lukewarm towards the
president’s commitment to change from the “as-is” state to the new focus. They will stay in
the cabinet for self-serving motivations, and do very little to rock the boat or vigorously
promote change. In short these are the survivalists, and what is important to them is
hanging on to their jobs, and pretending to enjoy change. They are also the ones who are
most likely to react violently if their jobs are threatened.
The “blockers” are those who are
totally opposed to change, and would prefer to maintain the status quo. Blockers are often
openly supportive of their bosses, but use subterranean methods to undermine their
leaders’ efforts. They ‘talk the talk’ but refuse to ‘walk the walk.’
The success of the president’s vision and war against the ingrained cutlture of corruption,
nepotism and tribalism will depend on how well he is able to effectively handle the varying
interests and different personality styles of the above groups in his cabinet. Knowing the
backgrounds of each cabinet member, and familiarizing himself with their commitment to
change will help the president reach the crucial decision to either retain or discharge some
of them in the event of a cabinet reshuffle .
Further, there should be no exceptions to
holding people accountable when the rules are violated. I know this is difficult to do
especially if the guilty parties are related to the president or close friends of his friends.
However, succesfully implementing meaningful change requires that there should be no
sacred cows. Change must be done for the good of the country. Equally difficult but
necessary in the change process is minimizing influence peddling by banning relatives
from lobbying the president on behalf of long standing friends .
Efforts at promoting cronyism, patronage and graft by members of the ‘old boys club’ or
the so-called ‘golden circle’ must be resisted. EBK supporters should also not use the fight
against corruption to employ a savage mindset for naked revenge against political
opponents. Change and transparency are advanced by encouraging among others, freedom
of the press and freedom of speech, protection for whistleblowers, maintaining an effective
police force and, an independent judiciary.
The linchpin to a successful accomplishment of
all of the above is possessing the requisite political will power to act unfalteringly against
advocates of the old order. While it is necessary for our president to be virtuos, it is critical
that he should never aspire to be loved by everyone.
As with all leadership positions, it is
impossible to please everyone. He should deal decisively and without any reservations or
equivocation towards all obstructionists of change and advocates of maintaining the status quo.
Those who are close to the president and know him best indicate that he is a first rate
gentleman, with a pleasant deamenor, who is easy to deal with and quick to make friends
and defend old ones.
However, he should heed the words of Niccolo Machiavelli who
noted in his book, The Prince, that rulers have to learn how not to be good in order to be
successful and respected; and that they would have to “enter into evil” for the greater good.
Machiavelli warned that leaders who do not would invariably create “more evil by failing
to act”.
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