Thursday Sep 19, 2024
Thursday Sep 19, 2024
Monday, 19 January 2015 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Catholic Mass to canonise Joseph Vaz, the first Sri Lankan saint. Reports also say that this was the largest gathering ever in Sri Lanka. St Joseph Vaz had to disguise himself as a beggar to minister and serve his people in his adopted country.
Statements by Pope Francis
To me as a Christian and a Catholic, two statements made by Pope Francis stand out. At the welcoming ceremony on his arrival in Sri Lanka: “The process of healing also needs to include the pursuit of truth, not for the sake of opening old wounds, but rather as a necessary means of promoting justice, healing and unity.”
My experience tells me that one must be prepared for the opening of old wounds if true and lasting healing and reconciliation is to take place in a war torn nation, in our organisations, in society and even in our families. I must stress that the opening of old wounds must not be the goal in any reconciliation process.
The second statement was made at the Madhu Shrine in the jungles of war-torn northern Sri Lanka: “Only when we come to understand, in the light of the cross, the evil we are capable of and have even been a part of, can we experience true remorse and true repentance. Only then can we receive the grace to approach one another in true contrition, offering and seeking true forgiveness.”
I hope my evangelical Christian and fellow Catholic friends understand this. It is very easy to ask God for forgiveness for our evil words, deeds and sins. It is painful and takes great humility to ask forgiveness from the people we have wronged. Jesus Christ was very clear: “If you do not ask for forgiveness and forgive one another, neither will your Father in heaven forgive you” (Matthew 6: 14).
The million dollar question
What must we and the newly-elected leaders in Government (and business leaders) now do on the morning after this extraordinary moral leader has left our shores? This is the million dollar question. The party is over.
Sri Lanka now has a new Government leader and a new leadership team. One newspaper headline in South Africa the morning after Nelson Mandela was elected President stated: “He can win an election. But can he govern a nation?” This is the greatest challenge facing the new President. I wish him well.
Over half the people who voted in the recent election voted for the new President. Those who voted for him also want him to succeed. They want 
him to now deliver on his promises. He has even made promises for the first 100 days. The nation is watching. The world is also watching.
Delivering on promises
Leadership is all about delivering on promises whether in business or in government. Governing is all about keeping promises. Anyone can make promises. But whether they succeed or fail depends on delivering on the promises. Grand gestures and grand strategies mean absolutely nothing to the masses. Promises must be kept, problems addressed and resolved, and the lives of the masses, not a select few, must be improved.
Let us take one example. The leader of the free world, Barack Obama, was elected with unprecedented expectations. He made several promises. Two that stood out were healthcare reform and closing down the Guantanamo Prison. He has addressed, with all the accompanying flaws, healthcare reform, especially to make healthcare in the USA accessible to all its citizens. This is very slowly happening.
The USA has the most sophisticated and expensive healthcare system in the industrialised world. Real cost control has still to be addressed. Obama has his critics. The Affordable Care Act is now the law of the land in the USA. It has a long way to go. But it is a start.
Guantanamo Prison? This promise has yet to be kept. Several inmates have been transferred to other countries. President Obama has faced severe challenges from Congress but he appears determined to shut it down before he leaves office. I hope he does. As he wound up the ugly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which were not started by him, I don’t think he ever imagined that Syria would explode internally and ISIS would be born.
Leadership by example
The only leadership that really matters and which results in sustained success is leadership by example. The new leaders in government and all business leaders must lead by example. Do as I do, not do as I say.
A few years ago I wrote an article titled ‘Do the Right Thing’. This was circulated in the public service in Sri Lanka and in the business community. In the article I stressed the importance of teaching right from wrong in our pre-schools, schools, colleges, universities and in all 
professional bodies. The new leaders in government must do the right thing and the right things. If they do not, they will fall.
Finally, to the leaders in business in Sri Lanka, the primary function of the board and management team of companies is not to increase shareholder value. This is putting the cart before the horse. Your primary function is to delight customers and employees. Only your customers and employees can increase shareholder value that is lasting, enduring and sustainable.
To the new leaders in Government, your primary function is to delight all your citizens and make their lives much better. Lead by example. You are servants not masters. This is one thing all Catholic, Christian, religious, government and business leaders can learn from Pope Francis.
[The writer is Adjunct Professor of Global Business, California, USA and Founder/Chairman, Center for Global Leadership Worldwide LLC (USA): [email protected].]
