Is Leadership in Simplicity shaping the outcome of Kenyan Politics?

 

Is Leadership in Simplicity shaping the outcome of Kenyan Politics?

 

 

It is extremely unlikely that the election of a boys high school football team will be chosen from among the members of the girl’s hockey team. No matter how talented the girls team is there is merit in having the captain of the boys team being elected from among the boys and the selection or election of the girl’s captain coming from the girls hockey team. In this matter the question of leadership is a closed shop. It is not open to debate or question so long as the boys football team plays football in school. However, should the school games teams face off with the neighboring school teams in various sports, it is just as likely that the school games captain may be chosen from the Chess club. I have used this example to illustrate that the context of leadership determines the selection of a suitable leader in a situation. There is positional leadership which is assigned for administrative purposes, but is more importantly, leadership in simplicity, leadership in complexity and leadership in diversity shape that the success of a team’s performance in different contexts.

While leadership in simplicity can be quickly assigned to a tribal chief charged with pursuing community interests, such a leader will find it difficult if not impossible to impose the will of his own community over the will of others. Leadership in simplicity sees the role of the leaders as a competition for resources. However, resources as we all know, are limited and thus leadership in simplicity leads to conflict in wider society. Leadership in complexity however, recognizes that there are different sports and different teams each with its own administration organization and order. The responsibility of the leader in this context is to maximize collaboration and harness the value of each team for the highest performance of the school. Such a leader, rather than begin by pushing their own interest, seeks to evaluate the strengths and compliment the short coming of each of their teams to ensure an overall victory for the school. A school attending international competition must step up its leadership to a whole new level. Leadership in diversity demands that a leader mobilizes the performance of the team within global standards fully appreciating that success of the team is only sustainable in the context of global coexistence. Leadership in the minor leagues is no match for the leadership required in international competition.

The leadership drama playing itself out in the Kenyan political arena, ahead of the 2022 general elections, clearly indicates that many political leaders see themselves as leaders in simplicity, charged with the responsibility to achieve maximum returns for their community without due regards for the need for leadership in complexity nor understanding the value of appreciating their role as leaders in diversity charged with ensuring the success of the leadership of enterprise Kenya. Voters would be well advised to elect leaders who embrace leadership in diversity as the key to ensuring a successful, sustainable and united Team Kenya rather than a balkanized federation of competing tribes. In this regard, political leaders need to step up their game from leadership in simplicity to leadership in diversity. It may not be practical or even necessary to wish away ethnicity, however, leadership in diversity requires statesmanship.