Vote out bad politicians, Jonathan tells electorate


On September 4, 2012 · In News

1:00 am
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By Ben Agande

Abuja— President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, called on Nigerians to vote out bad politicians in order to make them accountable and committed to their electoral promises.

He spoke in Abuja, at the inauguration of the 2nd edition of the Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria, YouWin.

The president said his administration would ensure the sanitisation of the electoral system in the country.

Jonathan said: “We feel that for a political dispensation to be relevant to the people, to endure, the electoral process must be sanitised. The voter card of Nigerians must make them vote out the bad politicians, that is the only way we politicians will be committed and do what is right and for that we promised to change the electoral process, we have not reached where we want to go but Nigerians and indeed, all the people that have been monitoring our elections have observed that this is a different face of Nigeria and we will continue to improve on it.”

He said his government is also tackling the issue of corruption which has bedeviled the nation for a long time, adding that “in this country, these days, people talk about corruption, sometimes those who are corrupt even shout more about corruption but we are tackling it gradually.

If you look at the Agriculture sector, procurement of fertilisers and tractors and other scandal that was going on, we have stopped that, the oil sector, we are going to stop it, gradually this will thin down, we cannot change the society overnight but we have to take step it by step by step.”

What is your definition of a bad leader, Sir?

Biggyd2: What is your definition of a bad leader, Sir?

when one fail to deliver.

@Topic, BTW, I think Nigerians have to start blaming themselves when things go wrong in their states, constituency. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan did not vote himself in, YOU DID! GEJ did not appoint senators and honourables for us..WE APPOINTED them ourselves.

Here are what five leadership professionals consider to be traits that make up a good leader:
Rachael Fisher-Layne, vice president of media relations, JCPR, a public relations agency

HOW WOULD YOU SIR, GRADE YOURSELF AS A LEADER(POLITICIAN)?

1. Honesty. Always do the honest thing. It makes employees feel like they know where they stand with you at all times.

2. Focus. Know where you're going and have a strong stated mission to lead people on. If you're not sure, how can your people be sure? You have to have strong focus and stay the course.

3. Passion. Whatever it is, you must have passion for what you're doing. Live, breathe, eat and sleep your mission.

4. Respect. Not playing favorites with people and treating all people -- no matter what station in life, [/b]what class or what rank in the org chart -- the same.

5.[b] Excellent persuasion abilities. [/b]People have to believe in you and your credibility. Image is everything and the belief people have in you, your product, your mission, your facts or your reputation are key to being a great leader. You have to persuade people of this -- it doesn't just happen.

Darcy Eikenberg, a leadership and workplace coach, Red Cape Revolution

[b]1. Confidence. If you don't believe in yourself, no one will. I hear leaders worrying that if they show too much confidence, others will think them arrogant. The reality is people want to know what you know for sure -- and what you don't. Having the confidence to say "I don't know" is a powerful skill.

2. Clarity. The only way you can get confidence is by becoming really, really clear about who you are and what is most important to you. New leaders fail when they try to become all things to all people, or try to do too much out of their area of excellence. Clarity helps you say "yes" to the right things -- and "no" to others.

3. Care. The strongest, most effective leaders I've met care not just about the business, but about the people in it and the people impacted by it. Plus, they show they care through their words and actions, even proving how they care for themselves and their family by taking unplugged vacations and continuing their own professional development. Care shouldn't be a four-letter word in our workplace today -- and the best leaders know it.

Tom Armour, co-founder, High Return Selection, a recruitment firm

1. Integrity. They are people who are respected and worth listening to. I find in general due to all of the economic difficulties, employees prioritize and seek leaders and organizations that are honest and meet their commitments.

2. Compassion. Too many leaders these days manage with the balance sheet, often times at the expense of their employees and long-term customer relationships. Talented people want to work for leaders and organizations that truly care about their employees and the communities in which they operate.

3. Shared vision and actions. People produce real business gains and smart people need to understand what is needed and be part of the solution.

4[b]. Engagemen[/b]t. Great business leaders are able to get all members of their teams engaged. They do this by offering them challenge, seeking their ideas and contributions and providing them with recognition for their contributions.

5. Celebration. In today's work environment, people are working very long hours and they need to take some time to celebrate their successes in order to recharge their batteries. Those leaders who fail to do this create burnout environment overtime.

Mike Sprouse, CMO, Epic Media Group, and author of "The Greatness Gap"

1[b]. Humility. [/b]True leaders have confidence but realize the point at which it becomes hubris.

2. Empowering. True leaders make their associates feel emboldened and powerful, not diminished and powerless.

3. Collaborative. T[/b]rue leaders solicit input and feedback from those around them so that everyone feels part of the process.

4. [b]Communicative. True leaders share their vision or strategy often with those around them.

5. Fearlessness. [/b]True leaders are not afraid to take risks or make mistakes. True leaders make mistakes born from risk.

Nancy Clark, author of "18 Holes for Leadership"

1.[b] Genuine. [/b]You need to be clear on what your values are and must be consistent in applying them. As part of that, you need to have the courage to hold true to them. You must not lose sight of reality. Lost values may be one of the biggest causes of downfalls.
2.[b] Self-awareness. You need to be clear on what your strengths are and what complementary strengths you need from others. This includes understanding others and learning how best to utilize their strengths. Many unsophisticated leaders think everyone should be like them; that too can cause their downfall. They surround themselves with people like them. "Group think" can blindside them and cause failure.

3. Leverage team strengths. Part of awareness is don't expect people to change. If you think you can change someone, think again. This doesn't mean you can't help them grow and develop. But don't expect to change anyone (even yourself) behaviorally. We are who we are. Your job as a leader is to understand each person's strengths and place them in positions where they can flourish and grow. If you are good at that, you have a huge part of the equation for success.

4. [b]Leadership transitions. [/b]Going from individual contributor to supervisor is only the first of many transitions along the leadership pipeline. You need to understand the business model, how it applies to your current position, what you need to do to provide the greatest value, and how to leverage your strengths at this level. This requires building competencies and focusing on the right things. No one ever tells you that there are many levels and many adjustments you need to make along the way.

5. [b]Supportive. [/b]You need to foster a positive environment that allows your team to flourish. Also by aligning the reward and recognition systems that best match your teams profile and deliver results.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/08/03/good.leader.traits.cb/index.html