Most of us are familiar with the phrase ‘20/20 vision’, or at least have been reminded of it, on our visits to the ophthalmologist and or optician. It, of course, describes the best optical performance of human eyes through which we could have the perfect vision of physical objects. The image created on the retina is then processed by our brain, comparing it with the images and the information we have stored, up to that time, to identify it. If the new image doesn’t match with anything in our memory, then we will not recognise it and not know what it is.
What we see is what we know
Extending the meaning of the word ‘see’ beyond the optical process of image mapping takes us to the world of thoughts where the input of the information can be through any one or more of the five senses and the output, a thought. Vision in this context will also be a thought or an ideology created by processing a set of information in the thought field of one or more individuals. A CEO may have a vision for the company, a principal for the school, a vice chancellor for the university, a President or Prime Minister for the country and of course parents for their children’s future.
I mean realistic expectations and implementable plans arrived at through acquired knowledge, intellectual discussions and logical reasoning, not those beautifully framed vision statements hanging in the lobbies of institutions. These will be visions for the future of a country, an institution or an individual. It is extremely important to understand how interconnected they are, even though they may not be seen as such at first glance. If the CEO’s vision for his/her future as an individual is not compatible with his vision for the institution, then there will be crossroads at which one will have to settle for less for the benefit of the other. More often than not it is the institution which would have to settle for less. The same goes for an individual as an employee and his/her employer or a leader of a country, as an individual and the country as the institution. Perfect harmony is achieved if all the main components of the two visions, individual’s and the relevant institution’s, are in agreement with common goals of mutual benefit. Perfect or near-perfect fusions of such visions can be seen through successful countries, companies and individuals.
Good understanding
A good understanding of the concept of ‘what we see is what we know’ and how closely entwined one’s own vision is with those of other clusters one belongs to, all the way to one’s own country and even beyond, is going to be a crucial factor in the year 2020 for Sri Lankans since they will be facing the task of electing their leaders in a couple of months. One would normally decide to elect a particular candidate by analysing the character of the person, his/her track record in politics and in other areas and his/her vision for the future of the electorate and of the country. The candidate with a vision closest to one’s own will be one’s first preference.
Therefore, the elections are not just about the visions and manifestos of candidates and political parties but about the visions, expectations and goals of each individual for himself, his family, neighbourhood, electorate, district and the country. If one has a vision of living in a crime free, corruption free country which respects and upholds the law of the land protecting human rights, treating every citizen equally while making genuine efforts of uplifting the standard of living for each and every citizen of the country, then one will look for a candidate with a similar vision to vote for. If there are no such candidates, of course, one may refrain from voting since that is also a choice available to the voter.
At the same time, if one’s own vision is at the other end of the spectrum with extremely selfish motives, such as getting a job, getting school admission for a child and or making some money out of government contracts then one will most certainly find a candidate whose vision matches with those motives.
If one is looking for a true leader having pure intentions for the country, then one should identify that leader in the group of candidates without being manipulated by the rhetoric of the politicians and political parties. One is not able to do that if one doesn’t know who a true leader is and/or doesn’t have the power to think independently.
This is where the education system of a country becomes the most important factor of the country’s destiny. It is not enough to produce engineers, doctors, accountants, BAs, BScs, MAs, MScs and PhDs if they cannot think independently and if they do not have any idea about what a true leader is and how a true leader behaves, then not only will they themselves be enslaved even by those with less educational qualifications but will not be able to select a capable leader for their institutions and or for the country. If the children of the country see these types of enslaved personalities as their parents, teachers and professors from their kindergarten days all the way to adulthood then they will only be able to identify another such enslaved personality as a leader. What one sees is what one knows.
A good education system should provide opportunities for students to recognise and develop their natural talents, develop their creativity through independent thinking and learn as many things as possible while being trained to be law-abiding citizens. The principal and the teachers of such a school or lecturers in such a university have to be true leaders to guide students on a path like that where students’ freedom to express their innovative ideas is not considered as a threat to the teachers and lecturers. Students of such a school or university will certainly recognise a true leader when they see one.
Some of the main characteristics one will see in a true leader are: enthusiasm, integrity, warmth and the courage to be fair while being tough.
Leadership positions never give the right to command. It only imposes on the leader, the duty of living his life so that others may receive his directions without feeling any inferiority and/or humiliation. A true leader will accept the overall accountability for the operation of the organisation.
Leaders will make things happen by getting the strategies and policies right, by encouraging people at every level and also by developing future leaders.
True leaders know that they awake in others the same attitude of mind they hold towards them.
These are just a few things that one could look for in one’s search of a true leader. At the same time, if one remembers that humans, starting from our hunter-gatherer days, have resorted to group living where advancement and or deterioration of one will affect the whole group and vice-versa and if one makes a genuine attempt, at least, to know this much about the characteristics of a leader and develops a vision that wishes for the same or better for the others as one wishes for oneself, then we may all be able to sleep well thinking that the voters of the country will elect true leaders to be their representatives for the highest decision making body of the country.
As the famous Greek General, Pericles, once said: “It does not matter if a man prospers: if his country is destroyed he is lost along with it.”
The writer has served in the higher education sector as an academic over twenty years in the USA and thirteen years in Sri Lanka and can be contacted at [email protected]