OVER the past 15 years, we, the people of Trinidad and Tobago have experienced two very different styles of leadership from two very different leaders.
Both have had their strengths and their weaknesses. Both, however, erred in their separate approaches to provide the population with what is wanted and what is needed.
Let us look at these two forms of leadership as styles of parenting.
For five years, we had the spoiler, the overindulger, the sensitive parent, the mother of the nation. The People’s Partnership and United National Congress leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, exuded “we care about you, we will give you what you want, my sweet, precious angels.”
We went from Patrick Manning, who gave pure “Uncle Phil” from the Fresh Prince vibes, to this pleasant lady, with a swanky new haircut, who spent her first day as PM clad in rubber boots, emotionally supporting flood victims.
Ohhhh, she was the bleeding heart we wanted. VAT removals, grants, special funds for children, she went above and beyond to make us feel loved. And for a while we ate it up as genuine.
Soon, however, the happy family that was the PP would fall apart. No longer being showered in love and gifts distracts us from some less-than-savory happenings taking place behind closed doors. The jig was up, not even the pre-election Baby Grant could now distract the population from the parental bickering, scheming and arguing in the backrooms of the house.
Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar
We were spoilt; never disciplined (except for a brief state of emergency, which purpose we were loving assured was for our best), we overindulged, given everything we wanted, except for the attention and structure we needed. Eventually, like many spoiled children do, we turned our backs on our enabler when it became clear the giving train couldn’t last forever and was falling apart at the seams.
Enter the mother’s opposite. For the last nine years we have been led by the no-nonsense, “yuh big and have sense,” Dr Keith Rowley, who at times has the emotional range of a brick wall.
Once referred too as a “raging bull,” Rowley came with his whipping switch in hand and was more than willing (especially during the pandemic) to lay a scathing buff on us.
It wasn’t a free, loving ride anymore. Our belts were tightened. Bedtime stories of jubjubs and sunshine, turned into lectures of sacrifice, doom and gloom. Everything was our fault. We were chastised for being undisciplined and unwilling to follow rules. We were always at fault and no matter how good we behaved, it was never enough to gain the open affection we desperately craved.
Frankly, we do need some discipline… but we need conscious, ethics-driven discipline that comes from a sense of national and communal pride that is built through education, trust and the emulation of our leaders’ actions. But nah, we got buff and licks, and like with children, eventually we stopped responding, caring about what our parent’s opinion of us and have begun to rebel.
On the one hand we had a leader who made us obese, with rotting teeth, so that we would always love her and another whose tough love approach has left us feeling neglected and broken.
When raising children, or managing a population, there needs to be a system of balance. Good behaviour rewarded, bad behaviour punished, efforts acknowledged and the willingness to work towards correcting failures.
One also needs to teach through example, something our leaders never have. What goes for them, doesn’t for us. So why should we respect one another when our leaders are busy hurling insults at each other at political meetings and in the big red playhouse? Why should we be honest when historically we have seen many of our leaders get away with dishonesty? Why should we be good children when our parents are rotten adults?
With Dr Rowley stepping down in two days, it should be interesting to see which form of leadership his successor Minister of Energy and Energy Affairs Stuart Young adopts. Will he be the spoiler, the authoritarian, or a much-needed balance of both?
T&T’s Two Leadership Styles – ‘Mother of the Nation, ‘Raging Bull’
OVER the past 15 years, we, the people of Trinidad and Tobago have experienced two very different styles of leadership from two very different leaders.
Both have had their strengths and their weaknesses. Both, however, erred in their separate approaches to provide the population with what is wanted and what is needed.
Let us look at these two forms of leadership as styles of parenting.
For five years, we had the spoiler, the overindulger, the sensitive parent, the mother of the nation. The People’s Partnership and United National Congress leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, exuded “we care about you, we will give you what you want, my sweet, precious angels.”
We went from Patrick Manning, who gave pure “Uncle Phil” from the Fresh Prince vibes, to this pleasant lady, with a swanky new haircut, who spent her first day as PM clad in rubber boots, emotionally supporting flood victims.
Ohhhh, she was the bleeding heart we wanted. VAT removals, grants, special funds for children, she went above and beyond to make us feel loved. And for a while we ate it up as genuine.
Soon, however, the happy family that was the PP would fall apart. No longer being showered in love and gifts distracts us from some less-than-savory happenings taking place behind closed doors. The jig was up, not even the pre-election Baby Grant could now distract the population from the parental bickering, scheming and arguing in the backrooms of the house.
We were spoilt; never disciplined (except for a brief state of emergency, which purpose we were loving assured was for our best), we overindulged, given everything we wanted, except for the attention and structure we needed. Eventually, like many spoiled children do, we turned our backs on our enabler when it became clear the giving train couldn’t last forever and was falling apart at the seams.
Enter the mother’s opposite. For the last nine years we have been led by the no-nonsense, “yuh big and have sense,” Dr Keith Rowley, who at times has the emotional range of a brick wall.
Once referred too as a “raging bull,” Rowley came with his whipping switch in hand and was more than willing (especially during the pandemic) to lay a scathing buff on us.
It wasn’t a free, loving ride anymore. Our belts were tightened. Bedtime stories of jubjubs and sunshine, turned into lectures of sacrifice, doom and gloom. Everything was our fault. We were chastised for being undisciplined and unwilling to follow rules. We were always at fault and no matter how good we behaved, it was never enough to gain the open affection we desperately craved.
Frankly, we do need some discipline… but we need conscious, ethics-driven discipline that comes from a sense of national and communal pride that is built through education, trust and the emulation of our leaders’ actions. But nah, we got buff and licks, and like with children, eventually we stopped responding, caring about what our parent’s opinion of us and have begun to rebel.
On the one hand we had a leader who made us obese, with rotting teeth, so that we would always love her and another whose tough love approach has left us feeling neglected and broken.
When raising children, or managing a population, there needs to be a system of balance. Good behaviour rewarded, bad behaviour punished, efforts acknowledged and the willingness to work towards correcting failures.
One also needs to teach through example, something our leaders never have. What goes for them, doesn’t for us. So why should we respect one another when our leaders are busy hurling insults at each other at political meetings and in the big red playhouse? Why should we be honest when historically we have seen many of our leaders get away with dishonesty? Why should we be good children when our parents are rotten adults?
With Dr Rowley stepping down in two days, it should be interesting to see which form of leadership his successor Minister of Energy and Energy Affairs Stuart Young adopts. Will he be the spoiler, the authoritarian, or a much-needed balance of both?