A recent period of absence from New Zealand and a somber article titled ‘Warnings from New Zealand’s Birdcage’ (Time Magazine, July 3rd 2006) have caused me to reflect on the issue of leadership in the New Zealand context.

I believe we have been incredibly poorly led in all sectors of our country, over the last 20 years and we now face a critical malaise of the effects of chronic underinvestment in infrastructure, poor labour skills and philosophically driven governance. At all levels of government; national, regional and local, we are poorly led. Within trade union, employer groups, sector groups, the church and even sports groups, we are poorly led. How many of us could name the current leaders of the union movement, the churches, and the social commentators. Who are our leading academics? How many Cabinet Ministers can we name? Witness the debacle of the Football Kings / Knights, the Warriors, the loss of the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Who are the replacements for
Bill Sutch, Dr Beeby, Roger Douglas and the Maori renaissance leaders?

Only one New Zealand company (Telecom) was ranked in Forbes 2005 list of the top 2000 companies in the world. Despite the rhetoric about smart industries and value added exports we have essentially remained land related in terms of our exports. Less than 2% of our exporters produce 74% of our export receipts (Rod Oram, NZ Herald). Our current G.D.P. is close to 10%. Our unemployment figure is lower while the number of people on sickness benefits has doubled. Auckland and Wellington traffic is often grid locked and “sometimes the lights go out in Auckland.” (Time Magazine, 3rd July). There is a critical shortage of skilled trade labour due to cessation of traditional apprenticeship labour and our military hardware (although being replaced) dates back to the mid sixties. Local bodies are projecting concurrent high rate increases over the next decade to pay for historic underinvestment in infrastructure. Arguably the most influential social commentators and stimulants of debate and change in New Zealand currently, are business writers like Rod Oram and Fran O’Sullivan.

Why are we experiencing the trend of poor leadership and the absence of leaders over the two decades? In the same way it becomes the chicken and the egg situation. Because of our comparative poor economy and low wage structure, high tax rates and a perceived lack of opportunity, many of our potential and aspiring leaders leave the country. Our strong sense of egalitariasm leads to some tall poppy syndrome where no one is perceived to be any better than anyone else. (As a nation we don’t seem to value excellence, except in sport). Economy only air travel means that you might be seated next to a Chief Executive or Cabinet Minister as you might at any reasonable restaurant. Leaders are not held in ‘awe’ as such. M.M.P. government has certainly changed the political landscape and the make up of a multiplicity of boards, trusts and other government appointments. The expediency of M.M.P. sees first term M.P’s become Cabinet Ministers and ‘dance of the desperate’s made government appointees to boards and trusts as a price for coalition partnership. Where is the quality leadership stemming from this?

In arguing about an absence of strong leadership and the detrimental effects this is having on our country in terms of poor decision making, what then are the qualities of the leaders we are lacking? Any number of management books will list the traits of leadership. I offer my own characteristics of effective leaders. Essentially, leaders need to ‘lead’ and not be afraid of leading or making decisions. Good leaders will be decision makers, they will be decisive, they will have (and value) intellect, they will be innovative and risk takers and they will back their own judgments. They will be charismatic and be able to take people with them. Our political leaders can not continue to be compromised as they are now, such that there is little or no vision.

In every sector or our society – business, education, church, politics, ethnic groups or sport, we need stronger, more effective leadership. Lack of strong leadership is impacting on our economy, our opportunities, our standard of living and the quality of our lives. We need to be led out of the quagmire of mediocrity and become innovative, exciting and progressive as a nation.