‘A leader loves to work ’
For today’s youth leadership, there is ample opportunity to work on education, ICT, accountability and transparency, says BRAC’s country director in Afghanistan M Anowar Hossain, who also thinks Bangladesh’s service sector has massive scope to work for a ‘better tomorrow’.
However, he regrets, “today’s youth are too focused on ‘me’ instead of ‘us’”. “Our youth lack in social capital - ethics, morality, transparency and responsibility to the nation... Today’s youth are not aware of that,” he observes.
The development practitioner is also critical of the ‘so-called motivators or motivational speakers’ who “speak of building youth like a good product to be sold out in the market”.
In an interview with Prothom Alo, Anowar Hossain has spoken in detail about youth leadership and related issues. The text of the interview is given below:
Prothom Alo: How would you define a leader?
M Anowar Hossain: In our society, there is a kind of understanding that whoever has money becomes a leader overnight. It’s true that money has great influence in the process of being a leader, but that is not all and not always. Leadership is an art of motivating a group of people to act towards achieving a common goal. A leader is a person who loves to work, to bring changes in society and to work for the wellbeing of the people. A leader wants to transform society to an equitable and just one. He or she must be inspired by principles of humanity.
In brief, a true leader dreams and helps the dreams of others to come true by modeling the way, inspiring a shared vision and providing encouragement.
PA: Is leadership a natural ability?
Anowar: Leadership is an idea. To me, a leader must live in the dream of what he or she does and wants to do. That is composed of certain ideas. A leader should possess certain criteria including a sacrificing mentality, love for the people, honesty, a sense of courtesy, courage, self-confidence, keen observing capacity as well as principles of equality. That is why leadership is basically the ability and art to motivate and inspire common people towards shared goals under a common idea.
I agree with that natural ability helps a leader do better, but it’s just an additional matter. For example, being a good political leader one supposed to be a good speaker. And if he or she has that natural well-modulated voice, it helps to attract the audience better than others. Also, unless a person feels something from the core of his heart, he does not attain that.
In most cases, people learn in the process.
PA: What about youth leadership in the development sector of the county?
Anowar: Different kinds of leaders have emerged at various times in Bangladesh. The development trends over the last six decades were quite different. During the 1960s, it was all about growth and productivity. In the 1970s, it was all about state policy and reconstruction against the backdrop of the war-torn infant Bangladesh. The idea of sustainability gain priority during the 1980s. In the 1990s, we started talking about participation focusing on decentralisation. Now, we need decentralisation, accountability and transparency. The idea of leadership has been changed over time. There is ample opportunity to work particular on education, ICT, accountability and transparency. The service sector also has massive scope where we can work for a better tomorrow.
PA: How do you evaluate Bangladesh’s youth?
Anowar: Our youth lack in social capital - ethics, morality, transparency and responsibility to the nation. I think today’s youth are not aware of that. The youth nowadays have a propensity towards financial capitalisation. But, social capital is essential for the sustainable wellbeing of a society. They have a common misconception that anyone with money is a leader. But, having financial capital is not only thing that makes a leader. Today’s youth are too focused on ‘me’ instead of ‘us’. Ethics, morality and transparency are the foundation of social capital.
PA: Are youth getting enough supports from their surroundings?
Anowar: Youth are the potential of the country. Almost 30 per cent of the total population is youth. There are 50-55 million youth aged between 20 and 30 years in the country. That is why the country should have a specific and dedicated policy for them. But, unfortunately, we do not have any separate and specific policy for them.
PA: What qualities should a leader have?
Anowar: Those who want to be leaders, must have responsibility towards society. Unfortunately, a number of so-called motivators or motivational speakers have appeared in our country and speak of building youth like a good product to be sold out in the market.
Our business is dealing with profit only. But, ethical and social development issues should also be included. Youth leaders can push that forward. Youth should come up with innovative ideas. Collectively, new ideas can change a society.
PA: What scopes do they have?
Anowar: As Bangladesh’s economy is in between takeoff and way-to-maturity stages, the service sector, ICT-based business, regional connectivity and such sectors are on the rise. Youth have enormous scope to grab these opportunities and go towards manifold development. They have scope to be entrepreneurs in the new era of growing service sectors.
It’s a kind of cycle. Many initiatives which were taken during the 1970s and 1980s are losing steam, creating new scope for the new generation.
There are a lot of social issues and issues to make the government more responsible and strategically inclined towards the youth. The youth can work on that.