Presidents And CEO's

Last month was a marketing period for Presidential aspirants in Zambia that finally came to an end on polling day October 30.

Today we have a new Republican President marking the Fourth person to take that top office and place the weight of the country firmly on his shoulders.

The campaigns by all Presidential aspirants dutifully compared the work of a President to that of a Company Chief Executive Officer. Several candidates even referred to the country as Zambia Limited or Zambia PLC, to graphically illustrate the similarity between the two forms of leadership. Not many people will doubt that there is credence to this analogy although it must be acknowledged that the stakes are quite different and the challenges have their own special dynamics and character.

From an economic and business development perspective it may be worth focusing on the similarities rather than trying to extract a list of differences.

It came out quite clearly during the campaigns that all political parties and their Presidents want to see a more prosperous Zambia with educated, healthy, productive, and happy citizens across the nation. The programs, methods, mechanisms, and priorities differ from party to party but the human spirits look to the same goals.

As one considers the similarities even the various political party symbols and names seem to emanate some messages that are pro development and pro business.

One political party uses the boat as its symbol that can represent the vehicle to prosperity. Another political party uses the clock possibly to indicate that the time is now to make that journey to prosperity and we should not lose any more time as we travel forward. Yet another political party uses the open hand that seems to point the direction towards prosperity. A fourth political party focuses on Heritage as a national asset to capture our cultural and traditional African values in our quest for better lives, without which we erase our history, self worth, and identity. There definitely appears to be many synergies amongst the political players in Zambia that conclude on a set of programs dedicated to lifting the lives of all Zambians.

These political symbols and identities basically define the tools and resources to move Zambia forward in her people’s national agenda for socio economic development.

These parameters make common ground for Presidents and CEO’s to help take their countries or companies to new heights of development and prosperity for all.

In this regard one may equate the President of a country, or indeed the CEO of a company, to a Captain of a large row boat.

The Captain must initially select a crew of strong, healthy, focused and committed people to take on the arduous tough work of being oars (wo)men. In the case of the President this is the Cabinet and as for the CEO, this is his Management Team.

The Captain must Co-ordinate the oars (wo)men such that their rowing action is synchronized and timed perfectly in order to get maximum speed out of the boat. He does this by beating the drum with each stroke as he steers the course with the rudder. In this case the President must ensure that the Cabinet is working as a team and that he is part of the team. In addition, the President keeps the vision of the country in sight as he guides the Government towards set national goals. The CEO delegates and shares the burden of management with colleagues that must either deliver on the Board’s mandate or be replaced with more competent people.

The Captain will check with the weather and meteorological crew for signs of danger ahead, storms, wind changes, and any damage to the boat so that he can be equipped to take corrective action or evasive maneuvers in order to remain on course. A President however, must assess his Cabinet and many other factors continuously so as to be better informed about the quality of service that he provides to his country and people. Is the private sector really being consulted? What other options are there for public health and education? What new input can we generate to expand our manufacturing and mining sectors? Who are the players and stakeholders? Have we exhausted our Tourism potential? What do they think? A CEO demands management reports, sales figures, marketing trends, brain storming sessions, management meetings, departmental meetings, market polls, research and development teams, and many other mechanisms to be as educated and knowledgeable of his business and the sector, in order to make the most calculated decision that will be in the best interests of the company.

The Captain must constantly use land marks to reference his journey for errors in direction, resources, water and other key requisites. A President is compelled to refer to the National Constitution, the various Development Plans, the National Budget, Signed Agreements, the various Parliamentary Bills that are placed before him for assent, and the statutory bodies which include the Auditor General and the Accountant General to keep the country’s development agenda on course. A CEO embraces the Auditors Report, the Company’s Strategic Plans, and the various Board Resolutions to keep his company on the right track that will show profits for the shareholders at the end of the year.

The Captain mentors his crew during the storms and rough waters in an effort to keep the momentum going such that the boat journey does not stall. The Captain becomes the strength for the entire crew and vows to stay the course through thick and thin and his crew stands by him because the Captain is always the beacon of hope, the source of new inspiration, and the face of determination. A President is the rock of authority in his Government. He is the symbol of leadership for the nation. He is the measure of discipline in his administration. He is the passionate and humane father of the nation. A CEO is the benchmark for all staff. He is the bearer of company problems, the motivator for productivity, the disciple of systems and processes, and the flag bearer of the company.

Whether one is President of a country or CEO of a company the road ahead is tough, thankless, and has many challenges. There will be those on board or in the administration that are looking for short term gains or pleasures. There will be those that are keen to change the agenda and detract way from the national or company goals. There will be those that are impatient and cannot wait to get to the finish line. There will be those that enjoy the journey or being part of the administration just for the sake of being there.

Zambia is a very polarized country. Different levels of society want different things out of life. There are as many perceptions about the development of the economy as there are tribes. A President or CEO must take into account the realities on the ground. People’s perceptions are their own realities that must not be ignored. Short term, medium term and long term plans must be developed to accommodate the varying concerns of as many of the people as possible. Consultants come and go as they successfully complete their tasks in the public domain or in the corporate world. The national focus or corporate agenda must never be lost or put aside.

A President that listens to his people across the broad spectrum of citizenry offers the possibility of serving the greater interests of the country. Currently Zambia has great difficulty in paying attention to the plight of the street vendors, micro businesses, small businesses and the informal sector. Only selected sections of our economy have had their voices heard in Government corridors. Too often these voices have been from the corporates at the expense of the majority Zambians who are Small and Medium sized businesses.

A President that is a team player and does not profess to be the guru of every aspect of development recognizes that he is just another person that must be supported and strengthened to deal with the challenges of building an economy of a developing country. Such a President throws the various day to day pressures to his Cabinet for professional responses and advice. Where appropriate the private sector and civil society, are always at hand to input into national policy making that requires information from the wealth creators and general citizenry.

A President that will recognize and acknowledge that theft of public money is an attack on the people of Zambia is a true servant of the electorate. A President that will not tolerate corruption and mismanagement in the public sector will build on the stability of Zambia as an investment destination and will ensure that public resources are best employed towards uplifting the lives of all Zambians.

Above all, a President that puts his people first and plans for the security and livelihoods of future generations, is a President that serves his people. Our history shows that many short term gains have resulted in long term pain through unsustainable foreign debt that has plagued the lives of several generations.

The one clear similarity between Presidents and CEO’s is the basic fact that they both eventually are answerable to a higher and mightier body than themselves. The electorate and the Board of Directors will eventually purge a non performing President and CEO respectively. By the close of business today the USA will also be selecting their political CEO and President. The issues that are on the lips of every Zambian are also on the minds of each American that goes into the polling booth today. By January 2009, a new administration will be in place and hopefully it will bring with it a more stable political and economic world order.

Published 4 November 2008