First let me begin with this – a great Indian leader Mohatma Gandhi said, “You can’t change people, you must be the change you wish to see in people”.
In these lines of thoughts, I want to talk about those leaders who can manage and those leaders who can lead. On one hand, when we talk about leaders who manage, we are basically expressing thoughts about people who believe in luck. On the other hand, those leaders who lead are about people who believe in cause and effect.
To express something about cause and effect is a critic that came out of those breakthroughs in leadership practices. Every great leader must practice to change in order for others to change.
Under no circumstances, anyone can expect the ‘Political Party Integrity Bill Law’ to change the attitudes of the 50 MPs within their so-called Political organizations; never any Solomon Islander will anticipate Political Party Integrity Bill (PPIB) or Political Party Integrity Law (PPIL) to change the people’s perception about themselves (weaknesses) and others (threats); hard still, PPIB or PPIL will change the attitudes of people to becoming wise and strong.
Dear my good people of Solomon Islands, you can’t expect a leader to lead without self-recognition. You can’t even assume that the ‘PPIB’ or ‘PPIL’ will do something better for this nation without better analysis and assessment.
Better analysis and assessment come from those who are able to produce something of value and power in the might and strength of fellow workmen and workwomen of this country.
Dear my good people, it is good to know that the real power merely grow out of the process of empowerment. Perhaps, empowerment itself does not in any degree of change or any degree of involvement work hand- in- hand with those who are always running uphill and those who are running down people.
Believe me or not, PPIB or PPIL is just another political ideology that has nothing to do with people’s empowerment. PPIB or PPIL is all about Parliamentary Management Proceedings. In other words, PPIB or PPIL is all about the process of copy- and- cut-and- paste functions. Choosing to adopt PPIB or PPIL is choosing to running uphill and running down people.
Dear folks, perhaps, I have a little bit of facts to share with you about what I observed from another situation. Anyway, let me tell you about PNG Situation, if you don’t mind. Actually, I have spent about 8 years studying and working with the people of Papua New Guinea and I know some of the ‘insides’ and ‘outsides’ of what the ‘Political Party Integrity Law’ is like Hence, I am going to speak from the words of factual consideration. Moreover, I read about and I even went as far as writing and collecting extraneous information about the PPIL in PNG.
Perhaps, PPIL in Papua New Guinea has two things that very much demand our close consideration: One is about the association with which PPIL is all about Party’s Management efforts and less of party’s leadership efforts, and the other is about the question of balance of power within the system and function of leadership represented by PPIL.
I strongly worded this, because you can’t say that PPIB or PPIL will change the system of leadership. PPIB/PPIL will only change the function of management. Obviously, that is the very reason why Papua New Guinea, though, has good party mangers, still lacking good party leaders. Simply, I might as well say Papua New Guinea has good governance, but poor government.
In the same way, if PPIB is going to be passed in the house of Parliament, then I am pretty sure that what is affecting Papua New Guinea will also most likely to affect balance of power (in terms of strong governance and strong government) in Solomon Islands democratic system.
Dear folks, transformation of PPIB into PPIL will only allow leaders to see their jobs as managers. Thus, leaders who manage will continue to see themselves as being babysitters, problem-solvers and firefighters. And you know what will happen, folks? Those kinds of leaders will continue to produce babies; they will continue to produce problems; and they will continue to produce more fires around them.
In the face of change, this PPIB or PPIL is going to be another mirror of reflection for dysfunctional purposes. These dysfunctional purposes are going to be most painfully revealed in due course. The danger is that the flow of corrupt practices and ill-feelings within the Parliamentary System will continue to be passed down into hectic and disorganized minds.
Therefore, let me now ask my good Politicians, if they don’t mind, take another step far beyond PPIB or PPIL and impose strict and friendly guidelines to safeguard party’s operations and strategic policies. Otherwise, imposing strict guidelines alone with PPIB or PPIL will only limit liberal party system from integral participation and gender equity.
If PPIB is a need, then it is a must to establish strong and effective monitoring system to evaluate daily performances of both public servants and private servants. Fail to monitor will only give room for more abuses to corrupt the system. Papua New Guinea has faced it already and I don’t thing Solomon Islands will escape from it, if PPIB is going to be implemented.
My good MPs, every decision you make – every decision is not a decision about what to do. It is a decision about who you are. When you see the need of others, you think the thoughts of understanding those needs. When you understand those needs, everything changes. When everything changes, a new life begins.
And there you are, you begin to see life in a new way. All events, all occurrences, and all situations turn into opportunities to do what you are called to do both in and outside of the house of parliament.
The job of good leaders is not to lock oneself up in a ‘Chatterbox’ but to keep others cheered up; to keep others optimistic; and ready to play full – out in the face of change.
If leaders cannot change their hearts now, PPIB will never change their hearts for a better change. Dear folks, it is human nature to resist change. And to manage any resistance to change, it is important to anticipate the psychological reaction to change in your PPIB concepts and to see how if follows a predictable cycle.
Any good leader can make a change to political matters. However, any good followers hate to get into the shower and then hate to get out. Dear folks, what I am trying to say are any good leader will not buy-in to PPIB, but every good leader will always buy-in to change of attitude.
You really can’t instill good attitude into others. You don’t have to come off as an annoying positive thinker to be a true leader. All you have to do is just be realistic, honest, and upbeat. Once that is done, then I am pretty sure things should work out pretty well for both the makers and users of PPIB or PPIL.
Every internal change must be considered first before all other external changes could take place. Leaders, please, improve your viability and then PPIB or PPIL should function as expected. Otherwise, pre-emptying the half-baked information will only create undoable sounds and unbearable noises.
Any changes of Laws and policies must cater for the people. What I am saying is – PPIB should be responded well to owners demand – not to victims demand. I don’t want to see MPs and the people of this nation become victims to PPIB or PPIL. It is good for people to know and own their response to PPIB or PPIL, rather than victims blaming the PPIB or PPIL.
In the end, what transpires is: ‘Those who follow the part of themselves that is great will become great. Those that follow the part that is small will become small’.
Obviously, PPIB or PPIL is only a small matter from 1% inspiration. Attitude is great with 99% of perspiration. Above all, leaders’ great attitudes determine people’s aptitudes. This nation not only needs good leaders, but great leaders and great followers.
May God Bless Our Nation, Solomon Islands from Shore to Shore.
By JOHN IROMEA
Honiara
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