Community Leadership

As one of the judges for the PJ Sustainable Community Award, I discovered that vibrant, energetic communities with many happenings shared a common thing, that is the presence of strong leadership. The community is always led by a leader with calibre, charisma, resourceful, well connected, out spoken, engaging, able to mobilise the mass and some time is financially sound although it is not a necessity. You can see and sense the different when fronting with leaders with these qualities. You feel so much sense of belonging and caring listening to these leaders. For example, one of the leaders talked about kids in his community with length and passion as if they are his own kids. He kept referring to "our kids" in deliberating the social ills in his community. Another leader talked about how to help the single mothers overcoming their emotionally disturbed mind frame and also economically. He equated them the important component of their neighbourhood.

Leading by example is also critical. Many of the leaders do what they said and practice what they believed. They provide role model for others to learn and practice. They tried first before letting others experiencing the untested tasks, however let others enjoying the benefits first before his turn. I noticed that when community leaders have started doing that, others at least the very few will follow suit. I saw a female leader leading by example to be the first to go up an open topper lorry to go round the neighbourhood making public announcement. I witnessed the leader making arrangement for logistic while waiting for others to come for a function. Although many might have disagreed with leader doing thing with his hand, the reality on the ground is if you do not do that, you will never get thing done.

I saw the discontinue of programmes in the community due to the changing of leadership. When new leader take over, no question about setting his own priority and the need for changing some of the previous programmes. It is rightly so as this is the prerogative for new leader. However, abandoning a popular and sustainable initiative while still have the capacity is highly questionable. I saw a community lets go a recycling programme even those it is highly commendable by others because of the demise of the leader. I felt sad about a neighbourhood losing its stem in continuing the CCTV security scheme when its former leader left the neighbourhood. I am very particular about a neighbourhood of non participation in the activities of local authorities with the change of government although they have been very supportive previously. All these can be overcome if everyone of us especially the leaders understand fully and observe the true meaning of sustainable development, I presume.