Must-have leadership in these noisy times

In the newspapers as well as on television and radio, just about everyone has something to say about the kind of leaders Filipinos must have given our fractious, contentious and increasingly noisy times. There is a well-developed sense that our numerous crises would lend themselves to productive resolution if only the appropriate leadership were around.

Behind this sentiment is the idea that national leaders in the past 100 years had not lacked for public trust and active support; still, the nation’s history is sadly regressive compared to that of others in the region and elsewhere in the world. Thus, more and more Filipinos are inclined to raise the question of leadership and more candidly scrutinize the ability and seriousness of their leaders in addressing the most urgent issues of national governance.

In numerous surveys of public opinion conducted in the last decade, Filipinos generally called for leaders who show concern for others particularly the poor (may malasakit lalo na para sa mga mahihirap), those who are approachable (madaling lapitan), those who are humane (makatao), moral and godly (maka-Diyos). Especially during elections, these qualities get to be bruited around very much and candidates who are able to project accordingly are more successful at the polls. (The unfortunate thing, of course, is that hardly any of these candidates practiced in office what they religiously projected in their electoral campaigns.)

Pulse Asia in its most recent national survey of Filipino perceptions, sentiments and attitudes – its end of the year Ulat ng Bayan – tried to probe contemporary ideas regarding qualities leaders running the country optimally must have. Given the economic difficulties besetting the Philippines and most of the world, a crisis which has spawned much partisan political commentary and therefore all sorts of noise serving to aggravate an already serious situation, the responses of those surveyed – a nationally representative sample of 1200 adults eighteen years old and above – proved extremely edifying.

The respondents were given a pre-listed set of 11 qualities with a provision for adding any other quality they felt might be most important but had not been included in the list. They were asked: Sa panahong ito, alin sa mga sumusunod na katangian ang pinakamahalagang magkaruon ang sinumang namumuno ng ating bansa? Pumili lamang ng isa. (In these times, which of the following characteristics or traits is most important for whoever is leading the country to possess? Choose only one.)

The traditionally preferred leadership qualities noted above took a backseat to traits that pragmatically assume that a leader is able to confront and help the country do well in times of crisis. Knowledge and skills in governmental management and forceful determination to have the law govern equally emerge as the most vital in the eyes of the public.

Close to three out of ten (28%) would have a leader who is intelligent and knowledgeable about managing the government "matalino at may nalalaman sa pagpapatakbo ng pamahalaan." A second preference (17%) is someone who is strong-willed and can enforce the law equally on ordinary as well as influential people "may lakas ng loob at kakayahang magpatupad ng batas sa ordinaryo o sa maimpluwensiyang tao man." Being godly and prayerful (maka-Diyos, mapanalangin, 8%), pro-poor (makamahirap, 8%) and relating well to others in a humane way (may pakikipagkapwa-tao 6%) – all traditionally valued leadership traits as gleaned from opinion polls in the last decade – are clearly not as important to Filipinos currently in deep economic crisis, fearing for their public safety amidst much criminality and becoming increasingly impatient with their leaders’ political posturings, wranglings and mutual recriminations.

Knowledge and capability, lawfulness and political will, justice and equity have never been demanded of their leaders by Filipinos as urgently and strongly as now. There may still be hope in this country. After all, a properly demanding people is a sine qua non of national redemption and eventually of sustained national development.