Ambassador Perry's Speeches

Leadership and Management Seminar (25 March 2008)

Ladies and gentlemen, Good Morning

Thank you all for coming today.  It is heartening to see see so many representatives from the Maritime Wing, Army and Air Force today to discuss the importance of leadership and management.   The key to the success of any organization lies in the cooperative efforts of the management and staff of the organization.  Without effective communication and management running from supervisor to subordinate and back up, and organization can never meet its full potential.

This week you will learn what it takes to be a leader and how leadership feeds into management.  Leaders have followers, while managers have subordinates. Leaders inspire their followers through passion and connecting to the follower’s heart. Managers get subordinates to work for them because of their position, authority and because the subordinate is paid to do so. Leaders have a vision and work towards that vision appealing and persuading others to also have the same vision and same dream. Managers are paid to get things done and direct their subordinates to accomplish the tasks needing to be accomplished. Anyone can be a manager, but not everyone can be a leader! 

I have had the pleasure of working for someone who has been acknowledged as one of the great leaders our government has seen in modern times.  General Colin Powell led not only our military but also our Department of State adeptly, and his style of leadership and management was renowned.  He summarized his theories with his thirteen “rules,” which I’ve brought with me today.

I won’t go through all of them, but I thought there were a few I should highlight to start off today’s seminar, and I invite you to review them in their entirety at your leisure. 
Rule number six is: “Don’t be buffaloed by experts and elites.  Experts often possess more data than judgment.”  I think this is particularly true in Sierra Leone, where circumstances are often less than ideal.  It is important to make the best decisions you can with the facts that you have before you, no matter what the experts say.  If your subordinates know that you have the mission and their best interests in mind, they will always respect your judgment.

Rule number nine is: “Organization doesn’t really accomplish anything.  Plans don’t accomplish anything, either… Endeavors succeed or fall because of the people involved.  Only by attracting the best people will you accomplish great deeds.”  Selecting and nurturing people is the single most important job of a leader.  To General Powell’s rule, I would add that it is crucial to always share credit for accomplishments.  There are few things worse than a boss who never lets his superiors see the work of his subordinates.  A leader realizes that when he or she gives credit where credit is due, not only does the organization thrive, but the leader will be credited with nurturing an effective and talented team.

Finally, rule number twelve is “Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.”  Again, I think this is essential when difficult circumstances are the norm.  Optimism and pessimism are contagious, and a leader’s attitude will trickle down to the subordinates.  Particularly in trying times, encouraging words and support can make the difference between an employee who is stressed and ineffective and one who is committed and diligent.
The thing we all must remember is that leaders are made, not born, and anyone can harness his or her own talents to become a leader.  I look forward to hearing the positive results of this seminar and wish you all the best of luck.

Thank you again for coming.