Biggest dilemma is all wisdom and leadership skills cease to exist immediately after you take over the government. Humanity, it would seem, performs worse on government than on almost any other human activity. In this realm, wisdom, defined as the exercise of judgment based on experience, common sense, and available information, is less operative and more thwarted than it should be.
Managing crisis, poverty elevation, information disorder and inadequacy for provision of jobs are fundamental issues the 21st leadership is unable to handle with.
It has never been more important to have political processes and institutions that we can trust to act in our best interests. Countries with trusted leadership are certainly handling challenges better than those who are not privileged to have visionary leadership.
As one grows in political career and assume more tasks, a defense mechanism is triggered that takes him/ her to survival mode, a state that each person lives differently, but that generally puts you on the defensive—more disconnected from emotions, less able to empathize with other people. Living in permanent conflict, defending positions, making decisions, and receiving criticism and attacks leads to an addictive model where tactical operations become the habitual drug.
In general, the formation of a politician is rational, and he tends to omit his personhood as his career progresses.
Added to this complicated dynamic are the trappings of fame and public exposure. Being well known in a hyper-communication society like the one we live in is something that has an impact on the individual and their family. It is neither neutral nor natural. It restricts your freedom, it has an impact on the people around you, and it redefines relationships. In short, it increases loneliness and unleashes those defense mechanisms.
An epidemic of misinformation and widespread mistrust of societal institutions has added more pressure on governance and leadership around the world.
The rise of authoritarianism, restricting inclusive debate and discussion and substituting it for divisive dictatorship, is yet another manifestation of this global crisis of trust.
All these developments serve as a clarion call for a complete reboot of our governance processes and institutions, to make them fit for the contemporary challenges we face, to better empower people’s voices on the issues that matter, and to hold decision-makers to better account.
Lack of empathy and self-awareness is problem of 21st century leaders, particularly in corporate sector.
The existing model of the heroic, ambitious, self-centred leader is increasingly irrelevant in the changing world of the 21st century.
There is no mechanism to train future leaders.
In this context of volatility, uncertainty, and complexity, we should look at the human dimension, seeing empathy and an emotional bond with the population as a basic and necessary condition. That requires moving away from caudillista, messianic, charismatic, or technocratic leadership models. Awareness of your humanity and connection with others is a path that helps prevent the evils of abuse of power or bad rulers. In ancient Rome, the Caesars had a slave whose task was to whisper in their ear that they were mortal. Since the existence of man, there has been insight into how power impacts the individual, how to prevent the madness of power, and how to ensure good rulers.
Political science in general does not focus on understanding fame and how it impacts a person. It is also something that has changed significantly in recent years with the advancement of digital communication. new communications reality is impacting these worlds.
New realities require new approaches.
we should rethink the leadership model. We need to prepare our politicians not only in ethical and moral values and in management capabilities, but also in understanding the world. We must also help them to fully know themselves; take care of themselves; and prepare mentally, emotionally, and physically for the hyper-demanding task of ruling without losing touch with their humanity, thus reducing the risk of Hubris Syndrome.Hubris syndrome occurs when someone in a position of power develops a magnified and embellished view of themselves and their capabilities, resulting in excessive self-confidence, obsession with personal image, and contempt for criticism.
We should also think of a more collective and group dimension to leadership, understanding that we should not expect a single person to effectively manage so much complexity. We should look at the models of groups, teams, and orchestras, where there is someone who leads more like a coordinator of a team of peers, not as a messianic leader. This leadership model can lead us to a breakthrough in thinking of ways for the electoral political supply to rest not on a single person, but rather on teams that put shared work as a value before society.
Another important aspect about leadership traits is his or her’s physical and mental health. What impact would it have for a politician to acknowledge that he suffers from problems with alcoholism, anxiety, some other disorders, insomnia, or panic attacks? Would it distance him from the general public, or would it connect him with the reality that a large part of society experiences? A leader must be prepared to face challenges of 21st century in all forms for benefit of the country.