Nelson Mandela is a worldwide icon because he laid down the best years of his life for his people, was freed, became president of South Africa and left a legacy of a reconciled/reconciling beacon of African democracy for the world to see. The late Boris Yeltsin is hailed in the West as a brave leader who finally ushered Russia into the post-communist world, while Russians remember him as a drunk who broke up their nation, gave away nation assets creating Oligarchs and wasted a golden opportunity to democratise Russia, create a free but fair economy and above all took them into Chechnya. Uganda remembers Idi Amin with a shudder, Margaret Thatcher is remembered as the PM who privatised everything but the Queen. Deng Xiapong is now known as the Chinese leader who kicked off its current economy turbo charge. Lee Kuan Yew's authoritarian leadership in Singapore and that of Mahathir in Malaysia pulled their respective economies into the 21st century. In Kenya, we remember Jomo Kenyatta for his oratory skills, ushering in Kenyan economics (growing while allowing stealth corruption), tribalism and uttering unprintable names political assassinations. We have Moi to thank for the mkae hivyo hivyo economics, tribal clashes at every election, Goldenberg, Pattni, roadside cabinent reshuffles and Kibaki-free primary education and continuation of Kenya economics-I think apart from political assassinations this guy is Jomo Kenyatta true heir. The question, how many of these leaders ever think about the legacy they want to leave behind or how they will be remembered and is it important. What sort of qualities do leaders who have overhauled their nations and left a positive impact need or require?
In the private sector, you have your Henry Ford for the whole assembly concept; Warren Buffet for investing in value; George Soros for UK not being part of the Euro; Jack Welch for introducing Six Sigma to GE and the corporate world and succession planning in management. Sandy Weill/Chuck Prince have transformed Citigroup despite recent underperfomance as has Ken Lewis (and Hugh Mccoll before him) at BoA. Toyoda for Toyota; Chris Gent at Vodafone is a notable company builder in the UK. James Mwangi and Peter Munga with Equity Bank are on the way to building a banking concept of note in Kenya. However, there are few other CEOs/Chairmans that one can say have transformed the business landscape Kenya. In business as in politics, vision, intelligence, and special comparative advantages are required to be a transformer.
2 comments:
We are writing something not unrelated to this. It is sad that in our country there are not enough famous entrepreneurs to serve as role models. Far too many of our business people are tricksters, fraudsters, rent-seekers and plain old thugs.
Erm-that is bit harsh and unwarranted. Kenyan businessmen like our politicians, are the products of their environment. Typically, a lot of the peeps I have covered, have been successful by really doing business on the margins of legality or in some cases, what they've done has led to law changes to accomodate these changes.
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