Focus on Africa

Here is the published book by

J. William Addai,Ph.D.

Catalyst for Leadership Reforms across Africa

Purposed for study, for practice and for teaching!

This book, in part, is provoked by the author's desire to find the factors that contribute to the making of effective and functional leaders in the African business, political, religious, and social context. Dr. William Addai believes leadership in Africa can and will be improved with understanding of African cultural values as formed from the past, present, and future aspirations, and communicated by our everyday metaphors.

The book introduces an ethno-leadership theory, a model, with a how-to-approach for leading across cultures. It provides the reader with metaphor-eyes to investigate leadership values underlying national, organizational and community behaviors that are crucial to effective leadership in a given context.

A must read for those practicing, studying and/or teaching leadership in Africa!

See PUBLICATIONS page for your copy.

Book Reviewed by: Kofi Akosah-Sarpong, University of Ottawa, Canada

Increasingly, leadership has emerged as a key factor in Africa's progress. Bewildered leadership schemes have seen a good part of post-independent Africa sinking, some leading to horrible civil wars and state paralysis. Africa's leadership jam reveals that African elites have not understood their environment in relation to Africa's progress, especially how to draw leadership materials from within their raw cultural values. Nigerians, Kenyans, Guineans and Central Africans will tell you they have everything but leadership.

This acknowledgement was revived when I read Reforming Leadership in Africa, a contribution to the on-going discussions continent-wide for the need to appropriate Africa's cultural values and institutions into Africa's progress, as a matter of psychology, confidence, dignity and logic. Such appropriation will help the continent's progress by fostering the required self-assurance considered necessary for progress.

The schism in Africa's leadership organization has come about because the ex-colonial structures have not been harmonized skillfully enough with Africa's indigenous ones, especially in the on-going decentralization exercises and the talk of developing new leaders for tomorrow's Africa.The propaganda have been that the ex-colonial structures are generally thought to be superior (though wrongly) to that of Africa's, not only by the ex-colonialists of yesteryears but also Africa's elites of today. Visit African bureaucracies and you will shocked whether they operate on African soil - the leadership organizational values (the nuances, for instance) are heavily non-African. The trick in resolving these contentious African leadership issues, argues the author, is to develop skills to appropriate the differences to bring out the best in Africa's leadership potential.

The author, an Ashanti himself, draws heavily from Ashanti traditional leadership values and institutions, which he describes as his "research test tube," to explain the leadership reforms Africa feverishly needs to drive its progress.In his bold attempts to locate where the African leadership-progress inadequacies come from (that's lack of Africa's cultural inputs), it is easy to see where Africa's developmental troubles come from - leadership mired in the notorious authoritarian, individualistic Big Man Syndrome cooked in ex-colonial European systems against Africa's traditional consensus building systems.

If Africa's development challenges are first and foremost leadership, then what value of leadership? Leadership that for historical and cultural reasons, flow from Africa's innate traditional values, and simultaneously balanced with Africa's ex-colonial heritage. The question is how African elites, as directors of progress, can draw from Africa's cultural values to reform their trembling leadership tests today. And short of that; continue to suffer, as African leaders repeat the old mistakes that have disturbed them and their people's progress.

Against the backdrop of global intercultural leadership studies, Joseph William Addai, an administrator, a religious and international development scholar, puts in extensive scholarly and practical work to provide matter-of-factly answers to Africa's leadership predicament. These are enriched by his participation in diverse programs in North America, Papua New Guinea, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Of particular note is his drawing from the Ashanti Kingdom's Manhyia Palace and the late heavyweight Ghanaian neo-liberal conservative political leader William Ofori-Atta (Paa Willie).

It is clear from Addai's work that from scratch African states were in leadership dilemma - that's if they are aware of that and that it is a pressing development issue, and how to reconcile ex-colonial Europe's individualist-oriented leadership organization with Africa's traditional group-oriented system. Underpinning all these systems are the foundational values of each society as drivers for effective leadership organization for progress.

Africa has leadership difficulty at the moment because its foundational cultural values do not flow dexterously into its modern state organization, as the Japanese have successfully done.In dealing with both inadequacies of the European leadership system imposed on Africa and the shortfalls of Africa's traditional leadership organization, Addai compellingly discusses various leadership theories and practices (as an opener to Africa's) and come out refreshingly with the view that some sort of hybridization of the European and the African systems is needed to make progress.

Perhaps, Addai's thesis, with the prominent argument that an understanding of African cultural values is indispensable to Africa's leadership organization and progress, will be of help to attempts to review Ghana's on-going 20-year old decentralization exercises, which have been more about the "political and fiscal" without weaving into it Ghana's cultural receptivity as an organizational necessity and progress mechanism.

The Case for Servant Leadership: What Africa Needs for Its Redemption Is Servant Leadership Instead of the Self-Serving Governance That the Continent Is Famed for. Our Leaders Should Add the Servanthood Attitude to Their Attributes and Demonstrate That Their Primary Motivation for Seeking to Lead the People Is Rooted in a Deep Desire to Serve and Help Out.

by William F. Kumuyi
Africa needs new leadership. The mode of leadership by which most of the countries on the continent have been run since independence lacks remedial capacity because it isn't development compliant. African leadership lacks the radicalising edge. I know some African nationalists might oppose this opinion alleging pandering to the well-worn Western view that attributes Africa's poverty to poor leadership. That is part of the problem.
We cop out of paying the painful price of Africa's rebirth, reconstruction and development by blaming colonisation for Africa's woes. Yet, no amount of anti-Western bashing for colonialism can heal Africa of inertia. It might take the flare off the nationalists' temper and give the false feeling of relief. But Africa won't be freed from the crushing grips of poverty and stagnation by our raving and ranting with anti-Western scapegoat mentality.
Yes, I admit colonialism devastated Africa. By cunning and coercion, Europe took over Africa bit by bit and fleeced the continent to feed and fund its own. It's a historical fact that Europe was once fortified by the nutrients of African soil and the sweat of its people.
The West redrew the boundaries of African nation-states and kingdoms, creating disproportionate amalgams for easy colonial administration. In the process, differing people with dissimilar cultures were un-equally yoked together. Consequently, some African nations have had to spill much blood fighting many civil and inter-ethnic wars to preserve the monolithic structures the West created out of naturally dissimilar blocks of cultures and peoples. Thus, politically, colonialism has put some African nations in a constant state of flux.
I equally admit that though colonialism is dead in Africa, the West is still at the helm in most parts of the continent. Apart from the mechanisms of neo-colonialism that help the West rule Africa by proxy, Europe is in charge of the world's economy through globalisation. A result of creative endeavours of the West, globalisation removes trade barriers and throws the world's markets open to all buyers and sellers. Nations that buy less but sell more, gain. Those that buy more but sell less, lose.
Globalisation hasn't paid off well in Africa because its design concedes much advantage to Europe and industrialised Asia. Presently, Africa is a "loser" in the world's free markets. Oduor Orgwen of Seatini Kenya has noted that Africa extracts and exports primary commodities and imports and consumes value-added products. Thus, as regards global free trade, Africa is a consumer of what it doesn't produce and a producer of what it doesn't consume.
Nor has globalisation attracted investors from the North to Africa as it has done to South Korea, Taiwan and Malaysia; and the balance of trade between the South and North is mostly in the latter's favour. Even capital flows which has been the only noticeable economic change that Africa appears to have reaped from globalisation, has created money markets steeped in speculative buying.
Besides, African countries lack the control instruments needed to tame the high rate in fiscal industry. In all, as has been noted by UNCTAD'S Yilmaz Akyui: "The gains from liberalisation has mainly proceeded in high skill intensive manufactures, financial and service sectors, where the developed countries have a comparative advantage". Thus, the inherited incapacitations of colonialism and the impact of Western-influenced post-colonial creations don't make all-round development in Africa smooth to plan and implement.
Yet, it's in such an uneasy situation that the relevance of leadership is proved. Instead of heaping maledictions on the West for Africa's misery and assuaging people's thirst for change with delectable elegy, why can't we fall back on leadership to help turn the tide? By blaming the system, we unwittingly give inept leaders a cheap alibi to justify their flaws, failures and fouls.
The characterisation of African leadership in Western literature is disquietingly sad. While some of the writers might appear too harsh in their portrayals, the conclusions of virtually all the writers can hardly be faulted. Robert I. Rotberge, the president of the World Peace Forum, in his emotional article, "The Roots of Africa's Leadership Deficit", gave a dismal but factual summary of African leadership performances. "During the past three decades," Rotberge wrote, "roughly 90% of sub-Saharan African leaders have behaved despotically, governed poorly, eliminated their people's human and civil rights, initiated or exacerbated existing civil conflicts, decelerated per capital economic growth, and proved corrupt".
Now, check the records and see if they invalidate Rotberg's verdict. It's crooked thinking to blame the system for such demonising characterisation. Performance records of some African leaders will render such line of thought unacceptable. Botswana's Seretse Khama who led his nation to independence displayed purposeful, visionary and selfless leadership that helped launch Botswana unto the path of economic growth and political stability. Khama's legacy marks Botswana out as a flourishing nation that Rotberge described as a "paragon of leadership excellence in Africa".
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Mauritius' Sir Seewoosagor Ramgoolam who ruled his nation for eight years (1968-1976) laid the foundations of economic progress and political harmony in his 1.2 million multi-racial island. The peace and prosperity of Mauritius today, are a function of good leadership beginning with Ramgoolam. Nelson Mandela was another effective leader in Africa. His tactically inclusive leadership helped suppress post-apartheid misapprehension and forged new climate for racial harmony and majority rule in volatile South Africa. The flashes of progress and reform in Kufuor's Ghana, Johnson-Sirleaf's Liberia, Yar'adua's Nigeria, Guebuza's Mozambique and Kibaki's Kenya are equally remarkable. Another bright star is former President Albert Rene who turned a resource-poor Seychelles into the thriving island-nation of today.
The bright performances of these outstanding African leaders put a lie to the impression that Africans are incapable of evolving effective self-government, and in want of knowledge and inspiration needed to design, develop and implement visions using indigenous resources and native wisdom. But why are other African nations not so blessed with outstanding, pragmatic human change machines? Why is African leadership in general a housing of despotic, thieving bosses who are poor at visioning and bereft of knowledge?
Reason: Many African leaders are politicians who see governance as a business venture, invest their money and time in it, and exact huge returns. Such transactional self-serving capitalist leadership triggers despotism, kleptomania and official corruption.
Where all this operates, the sheep's survival and welfare aren't the leader's pre-occupation. The official concern would be focused on how to fleece the flock for the shepherd's coat and flake and fry them for the master's table. That's why some African leaders would rather suppress the opposition and oppress the citizenry in order to ensure that they milk the sheep for their morning tea and get spiced steaks of mutton for their family's supper. So long as the leader's present and future welfare is fed and funded by state funds, the nation may sail on the economic sea with tempestuous winds of IMF, the servitude rudder of the Paris Club, and the faulty compass of alien ideology.
But political leadership is about serving to secure and promote people's welfare, their collective ethos and positive aspects of their socio-cultural norm. Leaders in the mould of Khama, Rene, Ramgoolam and Mandela understand this purpose and devote their energy and their cabinet's synergy to achieve it. Africa's disfiguring examples of leadership miss this point. So they fail to take their nations to higher levels of real peace, security and prosperity. True development is a myth where the leader's idea of leadership is flawed.
Apparently, what Africa needs for its redemption is servant leadership instead of the self-serving governance that the continent is famed for. The leaders should add the servanthood attitude to their leadership attributes and demonstrate to their nations that their primary motivation for seeking to lead the people is rooted in a deep desire to serve and help out.
To be a servant-leader, the African must reject the concept of leadership as a money-spinning business venture; or a rare opportunity to feather one's nest and bequeath material security to one's offspring. He must repent of past misdeeds, adopt transparency and make appropriate restitutions.
To practise servant leadership, Africa's politicians seeking to rule must study the nitty-gritty of this leadership mode and inject its principles into their personality and politicking. No leadership style succeeds in creating enabling environment for corporate trust and a fertile nursery for viable seeds of all-round growth like servant leadership.
The distinctive mode of this leadership and its dynamics will form the subject of our next discourse.
Dr William F. Kumuyi
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Questia Media America, Inc. www.questia.com

Publication Information: Article Title: The Case for Servant Leadership: What Africa Needs for Its Redemption Is Servant Leadership Instead of the Self-Serving Governance That the Continent Is Famed for. Our Leaders Should Add the Servanthood Attitude to Their Attributes and Demonstrate That Their Primary Motivation for Seeking to Lead the People Is Rooted in a Deep Desire to Serve and Help Out. Contributors: William F. Kumuyi - author. Magazine Title: New African. Issue: 467. Publication Date: November 2007. Page Number: 18+. COPYRIGHT 2007 IC Publications Ltd.; COPYRIGHT

AFRICA AS I KNOW IT
Dr. J. William Addai

Africa - an historic legend, the world’s second largest continent, four times larger than the United States with twice as many people is the continent in focus here. Africa spans seven time zones inhibited by over 200 ethnic groups who speak one of its 750 tribal languages and comprise almost 840 million people (half of which are under the age of 15).

Africa, an enchanting and spectacularly beautiful continent, rich in natural resources: holding the largest reserves of untapped natural resources in the world. Africa holds 40% of the world’s potential hydroelectric power supply; the bulk of the world’s diamonds and chromium; 50% of the world’s gold, 90% of its cobalt, 50% of its phosphates, 40% of its platinum, plus great measures of coal, petroleum, uranium, natural gas and iron ores. There is no other continent that parallels such abundance and diversity.

Yet, Africa remains a continent dangling on the precipice of both tragedy and hope. The tribal wars, rebel uprisings, religious insurgence, continuing civil strife, famine, heightened poverty and illiteracy, AIDS, all seems to paint a bleak picture of Africa’s political, religious, economic and social future. Africa is a continent in crisis. Some African leaders have rightly observed: “We spoke and acted as if given the opportunity for self government we would quickly create utopias. Instead injustice, even tyranny is rampant.” (Julius Nyerere, former President of the Republic of Tanzania). “Our ancient continent … is now on the brink of disaster, hurtling towards the abyss of confrontation, caught in the grip of violence, sinking into the dark night of bloodshed and death.” (Eden Kodjo, former Secretary General of Organization of African Unity.

Africa is in the throes of birth pains. For the past fifty years, the transition out of colonialism has been very difficult for the newly independent Africa. The problem - religious, political, social and economic is leadership in the “Independent Africa.” In the words of Edward Jaycox, former Vice President of World Bank, Africa region, “Africa’s economic crisis has been in a large part a crisis of leadership and management; and the challenge for the 21^st century is to develop effective leaders and managers.” We must focus on facilitating world view change in African leadership. Another thing we must do is revitalizing higher education for production in Africa instead of consumption worldview.

Facilitating World View Change in African Leadership

Before the colonial era, African leadership transition had been automatic, via age, royal family line or spiritual ordination. Many past leaders adopted the traditional regency or age system and often declared themselves “leaders for life.” This view was imposed in the halls of politics, the church and the boardroom. This long-held tradition however, would have been relatively innocuous, had it not been altered by the intrusion of western leadership world view - - a world view that respects neither age nor regency as basis of leadership.

Besides, colonial administration from Europe brought into Africa a leadership style of “military power” and “privilege.” Leaders during the colonial period were seen as those who possessed authority to “enjoy” the many privileges. For example, in Ghana, a common post-colonial word for one who holds a leadership position is dibea, “where you eat.” In Zambia a similar word for governor has the same root as “dibea” and translates into “where you get.”

The present view of many of Africa’s leaders is steeped in a mixture of pre-colonial and colonial thought. African leadership today puts a high premium on privilege and lifetime power, a potentially and often corruptible combination. We need to consciously facilitate necessary world view change in African leadership in the 21^st
century.

Revitalizing Higher Education for Production in Africa

The Ashantis of Ghana have created a metaphor for a better life: “Aburokyire”. This reflects the problem of brain drain. In 1960, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana decried the abandonment of the intellectual class from their home country. Today, millions of Africans, gifted and trained intellectuals of high character live outside the continent. This abandonment of their government and their people is a common feature of modern underdeveloped countries. There may be several reasons for this brain drain. Let me mention two.

The current educational systems in Africa have been inherited from Europe, which not so subtly encourages “brain-drain.” For the most part, the education system is far more relevant to the west than to an African context, largely because western styles of teaching are implemented in every corridor, be it curriculum, books, issues for analogies. The need is for contextually appropriate education - - the kind that will help graduates solve the problems around them. In other words there is a need to “revitalize higher education on the threshold of the 21^st century”.

The second is the craving for good life now. It takes a particular sacrifice on the part of many well-educated Africans to return to their countries to work, after training overseas. They, like every world citizen, desires to live where they can best sell their skills, afford necessities and enjoy life. Families encourage their children and relatives to stay abroad for the same reason. Some have become financial ambassadors for their families, carrying the burden of supporting parents or family members with material resources which, as they perceive, can only be generated outside the continent of Africa. Africa needs sacrificial leadership - - Christ-like leaders for the 21^st century.

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