1. He’s
a Team playing Leader
Team-playing leaders are indispensable from the top echelon
of management to the bottom of organizational operations, and in political leadership
- for their abilities to establish networks of partners with single focus.
World renowned Leadership trainer, John Maxwell teaches that “…leaders work with people”. This is why
model leaders use the team-word ‘We’ in place of the self-term ‘I’. And all through
the Governor’s address, every phrase that talks of responsibility and credit is
led by the word ‘We’. In other words, on the one hand, he creates room for all
to participate in the task of advancing Akwa Ibom, and on the other, he attributes
his successes to ‘us’ and not ‘me’.
2. He’s
a Man of Strong Memories
A high profile politician in Nigeria recently
showed some poverty of memory; he forgot his running mate’s name. And the media
feasted on him for it; understandably so.
Dr Tracy Alloway, from the University of Stirling, Scotland, discovered, in a study she carried out on 1,200 people within the age category of contemporary leaders, “…that people who have a high working memory tend to be more optimistic, more hopeful about life, more confident that they can cope with problems and adjust to situations” And the governor’s speech is replete with amazing references to events you could easily forget, but which shows, 1. The things that matter to the man; 2. His impressive grade of mnemonic capacities; and 3. His leadership competence. Alloway also found that; “People with a poor working memory tended to be more brooding and to spend more time fixated on problems when they arose in their life”. Nigeria, as we know it today, needs the quicker leaders than the later.
Dr Tracy Alloway, from the University of Stirling, Scotland, discovered, in a study she carried out on 1,200 people within the age category of contemporary leaders, “…that people who have a high working memory tend to be more optimistic, more hopeful about life, more confident that they can cope with problems and adjust to situations” And the governor’s speech is replete with amazing references to events you could easily forget, but which shows, 1. The things that matter to the man; 2. His impressive grade of mnemonic capacities; and 3. His leadership competence. Alloway also found that; “People with a poor working memory tended to be more brooding and to spend more time fixated on problems when they arose in their life”. Nigeria, as we know it today, needs the quicker leaders than the later.
3. He’s Committed to Political Inclusion
4. Togetherness Is Everything
How do you know a man who values unity? He uses the words
‘unity’, ‘together’, ‘us’, ‘our’ in his public addresses. Governor Udom
Emmanuel went further to demonstrate just how crucial this concept is to his administration
by using these words a whopping 58 times in his Philadelphia speech. He used
those 4 words to a minimum total of 58 times. Togetherness is everything to the
Governor; and Akwa Ibom is lucky.
5. Governor
of Both The Left & The Right Wing
It was Africa’s (arguably) greatest leader, Nelson Mandela,
who said “If you want to make peace with
your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner”.
Now, here’s what Mr. Udom said about working with both supporters and opposers;
“Quite a number of you
traveled to Nigeria to participate in the exercise and to show total fidelity
to our cause. I remain eternally indebted. I know there are some among you here
who did not support us, but as you guys say it here (in the US) “that’s the nature of the beast”.
Let us eschew zero-sum game approach… the real job of governance has
started. I am not standing here just as a PDP Governor of Akwa Ibom state, but
as a Governor for all Akwa Ibomites, irrespective of their political
affiliations.”
This address is truly a case study for Nigeria’s
and Africa’s leaders. We would have fared a lot better if our leaders had this
mindset.
6.
How
To Hit The Ground Running
The Etymology of the idiom ‘Hitting the ground running’ points
at troops being dropped onto a combat zone. And the task of developing Nigeria
is one that must be approached with combat mentality. There really is no time
to frolic about. And Mr. Udom is one of [less than a handful of] Nigeria’s leaders
who hit the ground running. He approached his elections with industrialization
written all over his brand; and then he went to work moments after being sworn
in, revisiting Akwa Ibom’s moribund factories, setting up committees and even
laying foundation for a mega auto industry; like he is in a hurry to see Akwa
Ibom people wearing helmets all over her streets. In his Philadelphia speech,
he said; “We came prepared to work”.
7 Operation
Industry
Akwa Ibom has been ripe for industries since the geographical
region that we were created out of was discovered. A land blessed with abundant
natural resources, a habitat with an auspicious climate-gift, inherently
hardworking and creative indigenes and enviable logistic advantage; the
disappointment of being ignored by past Nigerian administrations is best left
in the past. The man, Udom Emmanuel, who promised us industrialization has
already begun to fulfill his promise – and with fire in his belly.
8.
The
Role of the Diaspora
Mr. Udom is a man who has done his research homework and
understands the role of the Diaspora in developing homelands. The term ‘Diaspora’
literally refers to the community of Jews living all over the world, outside of
Israel. This community have, throughout history, shown loyalty to the cause of
the Jewish nation. They travel round the world, carrying their culture, values,
mores and pride along; they develop the places of their sojourn – as the Bible
records; and they never forget their homes. One of their fathers prayed; “If I
forget Jerusalem, may I lose my creativity”. This concept has brought about not
just the survival of their nation, but also mind-blowing prosperity to their
land. And lots of other nations have adopted the model to help develop their
countries. Mr. Udom successfully enlightened the Akwa Ibom community out there
on their role in Akwa Ibom’s vision for industrialization, empowerment and development,
making a strong emotional appeal to people who did not know what to expect as
at when they assembled at the event – he had them on their feet as his speech
ended with;
“…the seeds we have indeed planted in this fertile
American soil will bear fruits in Africa, and the world shall pick them from
Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria.”
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