Choosing our leaders

The Singaporean selection model

Lee Kuan Yew, serving Singapore as prime minister for around 30 years and later as senior advisor and holding positions in ministry for the rest of his life, passed away on 23^rd March 2015 but he left an indelible mark of his wonderful memories and extra-ordinary leadership qualities not only in the hearts and minds of Singaporeans but the whole world. He was one of the wisest, most knowledgeable and most effective leaders in any part of the world for the last fifty years, according to former US president Bill Clinton. What he has given to Singapore, perhaps no one else would have been able to achieve that much. He took Singapore from rags to riches and from third to first world country during his lifetime and created a system by which they can produce more such leaders. I wish Pakistan had also produced a leader of the ilk of Lee Kuan Yew, so that it could not have been left so far behind in comparison to a formerly poor country like Singapore.
Government officials are the builders of any country. If right candidates are not selected, the consequences could be disastrous. I am amazed to know the criteria of choosing executives and government officials of Singapore. They say that it is not nearly enough to find a person who is a graduate from a top university, or who is a good orator, or famous at the polls. The government employs a rigorous process of selection for its executive members. Character, motivation and the ability to assess situations through analysis, sense of reality and imagination are the key factors they look for in prospective officials and executives. They define “talent” not only in terms of raw academic or professional success, but also the fuzzier concept of a good personality and outlook. Integrity and honesty are the vital factors in their selection criteria.
The procedure does not end here; talented professionals are invited to tea and are observed thoroughly. Their mettle and moral values are tested and they even undergo psychological analysis, including emotional intelligence tests. They value EQ more than IQ in selecting their executives. I wish Pakistan had also prioritised EQ over IQ so that the executives and governmental officials could have a high resilience level, less emotional problems, less anger issues and more emotional stability in order to successfully deal with various issues, inside and outside of Parliament. We often see how parliamentarians of Pakistan react and what kind of language they use while responding to other members. Such embarrassment!

A leader has thousands of followers. If a leader is emotionally unstable, untruthful or has anger issues, it is very unlikely that the followers will be the opposite. I wish Pakistan also had the criteria of psychological testing and assessment before selecting leaders and executives for its government. Even more, after being assigned to posts, executives and ministers should be helped by professional psychologists to deal with their anger issues for mental well-being and daily life stresses to also keep the work-life balance.

At the end comes the chance of proving themselves before the voting public. This is how government officials and executives of Singapore are selected, out of which some become prominent leading figures. A holistic 360 degree approach, including interviews, observation and tests, is followed without compromise to select political leaders and fill governmental senior positions.

In Pakistan, before running out a campaign, all of those who are interested in fighting elections should be evaluated the way discussed above and after that they should be allowed to prove themselves before public and win the real hearts of people, unlike the current electoral system of Pakistan in which interested candidates are just given party tickets on the basis of personal judgment, strong relations or strong chances of winning due to his/her demand or popularity amongst public because of the explicit persona (of commitment and devotion) they keep wearing till the election procedure goes through. The inclusion of the steps discussed would ensure honest, charismatic, motivated, dedicated and right and smart minded people to take government and executive seats to represent our country on national and international platforms. This would be the very step through which we can nip nepotism, corruption, dishonesty and selfishness in the bud. Young leading prodigies who are interested in politics would also get a chance to win a party ticket, contest, win, sit in the parliament and deliver. Let the true democracy rule but through the hands of truthful, committed and selfless souls and who are visionary and can think in a right manner and with logic.

When an educated and dedicated person is not given a party ticket, we do not really have an option to vote a well-mannered and charismatic personality, and we are bound to vote between the two who we may not like at all. It is just shameful to see “the representatives of Pakistan” using foul language inside and outside of parliament, and the heart wrenches when they do not deliver what they promise.

No country can progress where yardstick of recognition runs in terms of wealth plus influence rather than veritable merit and aptitude.
The success behind Lee’s long-term premiership (almost 30 years) is based on one formula that he himself admitted in his speeches. That formula is (in his own words): “Every time I got elected, I delivered.” I truly wish that not only had Pakistan’s leaders started delivering exactly what they promised before the elections, but that they had also left a chain of leaders behind them to keep the country progressing. That is the real secret to long term growth and prosperity for a nation. I wish we will find that soon.