Cuffe
THE FINANCIAL Gleaner in association with Growth Facilitators and Knowledgeworks present 'Dialogue in Leadership Development', a series of interviews and discussions about leadership development in Jamaica and the region.
The series will feature a cadre of resource persons who can speak to the topical issues surrounding leadership, by analysing the role of effective leadership in propelling Jamaica's social, political and economic growth. Relevant/appropriate individuals from academia, education, business, private and public sector will have the opportunity to share insights, real cases and findings about efficient and effective leadership and regional development.
This edition features Michael Anthony Cuffe, station manager of Radio Mona 93FM, who has shared his thoughts on the role of media in local leadership development.
FG: What do you believe are the qualities of a true leader?
MAC: First of all, leadership is essentially in a dialectic relationship with 'follower-ship'. Both of those are changing and are bringing about changes in each. As such, the definitions and criteria for assessing leaders and leadership are constantly in flux. Having said that, a true leader, in the contemporary sense, must see himself or herself as a manager of a team of which he is a central part. A good leader must be proactive, a visionary, a calculated risk-taker, and an empathic listener. He or she should also be responsive to change and open to innovative ideas and strategies.
FG: In you opinion, what role does the mainstream media play in contributing to leadership development in Jamaica?
MAC: The media, as an architect of the culture and social consciousness, does shape leadership development. The media presents to the public images, sounds and other representations of what leaders ought to be. Very often, the media's approval or disapproval is voiced very clearly in the material that editors allow to be aired or printed, which colours in people's minds - a perspective of who leaders should be and what we should demand of them.
EFFECTIVENESS
FG: Do you believe this role is being carried out sufficiently/effectively?
MAC: The media cannot help but play this role, because this role manifests itself in the way it handles issues related to leadership. This job can be carried out more effectively, however, in terms of the mainstream media being more proactive and engaging in the construction of a contemporary culture of leadership. For instance, media houses could do more by way of public awareness, so that people can make more informed decision about what they want from their leaders.
FG: As a media practitioner who has examined the Jamaican political, socio-cultural, economic and psychology structure, what do you think can be done to improve overall leadership development in Jamaica through media?
MAC: One must keep in mind that the media is only one institution in a society. Other institutions like the family, the school, the community, peer groups and religious organisations all help to shape people's affectations to leadership. So, the media can only do so much and no more. The media has to contend with leadership socialisation in all of these institutions. What the media can do, however, is to help bring about greater synergy among all the other institutions, that of society that shape leadership. The media has a unique position, because it is both a reflection and an influence on society. It needs to tap into both sides of that coin, to concretise the positive elements of political culture and to help remould the negative ones.
CREATION OF LEADERS
FG: Can the media 'create' leaders? What role does the media play in influencing the minds of the people in relation to who they consider to be leaders and how they perceive these leaders?
MAC: Again, the media is instrumental, as it presents and re-presents reality (or at least a perspective of reality). In doing this, a particular interpretation of the 'true leader' should emerge. Among many people, a leader is not good if he is not charismatic. Among others, the calm, cool 'statesman' is more desirable. What the media does is develops different levels of affective responsiveness to differing representations of what they see and hear of leaders. The media is instrumental here.
FG: Describe your own approach to leadership, and the steps you take to motivate your team.
MAC: My own approach is one that has evolved over time as a result of my own experiences with leaders and leadership. I have had the benefit of a long career in media and have interviewed some of the best and brightest minds. Not just politicians but the proverbial man on the street. I've come to believe that the Team Captain Approach works best for me. So I'm not one to shout at my team from the sidelines, telling them what to do. I am as much on the field as anyone else and I have to respond to the changes in the game as much as my other colleagues. So, that puts in my own mind the conception that "we're all in this thing together." I have an open-door policy and that door is literally made of glass for a reason. Some bosses close the door and all you see is a nameplate. Not me. Even when my office door is closed, there is still transparency. That is important to me.
FG: What is your perspective on the importance of 'heart, soul and spirit' in effective leadership.
MAC: The words 'heart, soul and spirit' are all very pregnant words. Leadership is more than what exists on the surface. Leadership manifests itself very differently when it is being powered by something bigger and deeper than what exists on the outside. For leadership to be effective, it must come from within. It must be driven by some inner passion and that passion must be transmittable and effectively transmitted to the rest of the team.
In every fax, memo or casual chat with staff, the leader must ooze passion for the mission ... or else no one else will. Followers must be able to draw inspiration from the leader; so much so that they are committed to him or her, as well as the cause. And finally, leading must become deeply engrained in the leader's person. Every leader has a different style and approach. That approach must be natural and come from somewhere within and not simply from an executive MBA. At the end of the day, all the things that they teach you in 'leadership school' we collated from years studying the people who simply did it from their heart and soul...and did a great job of it.
RADIO MONA INFLUENCE
FG: Radio Mona operates from the University of the West Indies, Mona campus. What part does Radio Mona play in helping the UWI to expose its students to leadership development?
MAC: Radio Mona FM93 prides itself in being 'The Station That Grows Your Mind!' As such, we present a wide range of programming that we believe will provide people with the necessary information to construct in their own minds and for their own best interest, a representation of good leadership that will take them where they need to go. We not only facilitate discussions between administrators, politicians, technocrats and students, but we also broadcast these discussions for the national listening audience. The many leadership conferences that happen on the UWI, Mona campus are played not only for the student population, but for the wider Jamaican listenership. There is always room for continued work, but we believe that we are doing our part in this regard.
