Leadership Appoach – Mahinda Rajapaksa
Mankind Chanting” (Mankind Vision, 2005), a document that reflected his villous was welcomed by thousands of fellow citizens In 2005. This Is an example of his valorously leadership style. “My dream Is that of a free nation, a land In harmony with nature, a prosperous tomorrow, and a virtuous man”; these words of his was able to maintain high popularity and public approval as his villous appealed to the core values of the Sir Lankan public. Being a charismatic leader, Rajahs paid close attention to his image in the public.
He portrayed an optimistic outlook and charismatic personality to draw the attention of the public. Moral leadership accompanied with high emotional intelligence was another dimension of Arkansas leadership. He placed strong trust in his team and prioritize morally correct decisions over presidential popularity. This biography about Mankind Rajahs will highlight the practical use of relevant leadership concepts and theories. Rajahs is a visionary leader. Awakening Sir Lankan from the challenges of 27 year civil war, he set out his vision for Sir Lankan in his very first presidential election speech.
Harper (1991 characterizes visionary thinking as a process whereby executives are encouraged to extend their time horizons beyond the typical planning cycle. Rashness’s speech appealed to the masses and presented an idealized view of what the future of Sir Lankan beholds. His patriotism to the country is always reflected in his speeches. “This earth and its vegetation are yours. But they should be protected not only for your benefit but also for the benefit of future generations. A ruler is only a temporary trustee not an owner of your children’s heritage” (Rajahs, 2005).
These words set a wave of national pride and belonging in the country and developed a Sino in every Sir Lankan mind. Thousands of individuals Joined Sir Lankan forces to save the country from terrorists. Through his vision, Rajahs was able to connect with the core values of the Sir Lankan public such as defending freedom and hope. As he promised, early in the fourth year of his first six-year term, Rajahs etched his name In the records of Sir Lankan history as the national leader who ended a thirty year long war against the forces of separatist terrorism that threatened the sovereignty and territorial Integrity of the country.
He united the country under the ingle national flag by withstanding International pressure for a ceasefire with terrorists. He gave leadership to defeat the most ruthless terrorist organization In the world, bringing a new political vision that seeks both development and reconciliation to build a “New Sir Lankan” nation. Since, Rajahs fulfilled the dream January 2010. Souses & Poster (2009) stated that to be a successful leader it is necessary to create a shared vision. Rajahs further extended his vision of developing the country with “Thru Washstands” (Northern Spring) project.
It is a special initiative after the war to expedite development in the North. This program allowed northern Tamil partners to Join in the country’s progress. Rashness’s vision gave Sir Lankan a direction into the future. The multiple dimensions of his vision statement set a benchmark for a good vision. Rashness’s vision statement reflects that a good vision must be simple and direct, must be flexible, inclusive and optimistic and consistent with the intended audience’s values. Rashness’s visionary leadership is a defining characteristic of his success in politics as president of the Sir Lankan.
To emerge as a popular leader of the country, Rajahs further exhibited harmonistic leadership to instill belief of the people in his abilities. Sandburg and Norman (2011) describe charismatic leaders as people who possess an unusual power of attraction. Rajahs is a charismatic leader. Throughout his parliament career, until appointed as minister, he continued his law practice in southern province of Sir Lankan. This kept him in the public eye and managed to gain a reputation amongst the community as a lawyer. He was a strong believer in the art of public relations.
John, Marina, & Sue (2011) suggest that charisma can be taught and that it has an effect on leader outcomes. Rajahs used various techniques to build his charisma. Rajahs projected himself with an optimistic outlook to draw fondness from the Sir Lankan public. Rajahs appeared in public as a son to all mothers and as a friend to all citizens. He always has an optimistic smile, enthusiasm and almost casual yet serious demeanor. Other factors that contributed to his charisma are his dressing style and his personification in the media. He is usually dressed in Sir Lankan traditional dress even when attending international meetings.
This is to show his patriotism towards the nation and portray Sir Lankan culture to international community. Sandburg and Norman (2011) as well as the lessons learnt from Rashness’s careers reflect that charisma can be learnt and plays an important role in the success of a leader. They suggest that all charismatic leaders emerge in times of crisis and present their followers with a mission and a path to achieve it. Being charismatic is a leadership trait that allows leaders to attract people and create a following with an almost supernatural authority (Sandburg & Norman, 2011).
Apart from being charismatic, Rajahs also exhibited moral leadership. Moral leadership accompanied by his high emotional intelligence made Rajahs a popular leader. He was able to achieve intense devotion from his subordinates by ‘being a friend, but not a pal’. He placed a lot of trust in his team and believed that the team you put together to surround and advice you said a lot about your leadership. Following his election, Rajahs personally interviewed some of his staff to ensure he had the best people for the Job.
As mentioned in Economist (2010), he put blinded trust in his brothers and believed that to maintain power he always need people whom he can unconditionally trust. His brother lieutenant Colonel Gotcha Rajahs greatly supported him to win the civil war and now manage many development projects throughout the country as the Defense Secretary of Sir Lankan. Rajahs constantly uses his emotional intelligence and moral leadership to make understanding your own and other people’s emotional makeup, what motivates them and how to work cooperatively with them.
Strong following and support from his team and the Sir Lankan public is a clear example of Rashness’s high Emotional I. Q. Standing up to the rights of Sir Lankan Tamil amidst the civil rights movement is an example of Rajahs practicing moral leadership at risk of his presidential popularity. In addition, while defining Sir Land’s vision to unite under one flag, Rajahs practiced moral leadership by refraining from high power weapons such as air strikes in last stage of Civil war against the terrorists. This decision of his saved thousands of civilian lives and also lives of terrorists.
These key incidents are a clear reflection on Rashness’s high emotional intelligence and moral leadership traits. His leadership sends a message that moral and intelligent leadership can create strong following and guide the leader in difficult situations. Rashness’s leadership traits made him a successful leader with the highest presidential approval from the public in his tenure. His visionary leadership style is in alignment with my personal leadership traits. I regularly use techniques such as visualization to personally motivate myself and achieve my personal goals.
Vision provides inspiration and in the case of Rajahs provided him the ability to connect with the public that was in need of a new peaceful future. Rashness’s charismatic leadership is noteworthy. Followers seek someone they can idealize Road, Brown, Terrine, & Finniest, 2013) ND through the techniques used by Rajahs this can be achieved. Emotional Intelligence is really important in the success of a leader. From the stories of Rashness’s regime, practicing moral leadership with high emotional intelligence can be beneficiary in guiding the leader in difficult situations.
Rashness’s emphasis on the power of words is an important aspect of leadership that I had not previously considered. It has become evident through his biography how important words of a leader can be. Although mostly agreeing and learning from the biography of Rashness’s, his approach to challenge the international pressure seems a bit Hellenizing for my personal beliefs. Uprising against the existing system can be harmful to the reputation of the leader and must be managed carefully. Overall, I have discovered many leadership techniques and traits, which I can emulate from Rashness’s biography and grow myself as a strong leader.
In conclusion, Mankind Rajahs was a revolutionary leader. He was a true visionary guiding Sir Lankan during and after civil war while being able to assure Sir Lankan populations need through his vision. Rashness’s speeches appealed to the masses and presented an idealized view of what the future of Sir Lankan beholds. Mankind Rajahs possessed an unusual power of attraction. His charismatic leadership with a closely monitored public image was an important factor in his approval as the president.
