The Role of Leadership Management In National Sustainable Development

Abstract

Our rapidly changing and integrating world is facing numerous challenges  such as wars, insurgencies, outbreaks of epidemics, rising poverty and inequality, etc which only effective Leadership Management at all institutional levels, including public and private sector, civil society, community organizations, etc can solve. Leadership is simply the ability of an individual to influence a group of people to achieve a pre-determined goal as leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, John Wooden, Reverend Martin Luther King Junior, Lee Kuan Yew, Bill Clinton, Jaime Lerner were all known to have had a great, lasting  impact on their followers and societies. Effective leadership requires the use of negotiation skills and understanding how to operationalise the principles of Sustainable Development. In general, a leader sets the goal and vision of the institution while the manager manages the human and material resources available to achieve the goal and vision if the Leader lacks the capacity to do so.

In Nigeria, the country has made significant improvements in its democratic and socio-economic status, although numerous challenges which are related to Leadership Management remain. They include the prevalence of bribery and corruption, nepotism, ethnicity and tribalism and frauds, embezzlements and misappropriations. Some suggested practical strategies for improving Leadership Management include the institutionalization of Monitoring and Evaluation of the effectiveness of Leadership Management, Strategic Planning which include Pre-emptive Decision Making.

Time Management Skill Development and Innovative Leadership Training which includes logical reasoning, regular review of literature for research and drawing lessons from Military History. Some best practices of good Leadership Management in Nigeria include the outstanding reforms of Governors Fashola, Amaechi and Godswill Akpabio of Lagos, Rivers and Akwa-Ibom States respectively. Policy recommendations include all stakeholders taking collective responsibility to improve the quality of Leadership Management in their institutions, effective identification of youth leaders who demonstrate character traits such as integrity for Leadership Training, expanding the scope of operation of mentors who can work with young people on projects that promote accountability in institutions such as Monitoring and Evaluation and the strengthening of ‘Participatory Governance Structures’ in institutions involved in Leadership Management.