Are you a Chapter Six Leader?

Chapter Six of the constitution is dedicated to the principles and practice of leadership in Kenya. The eight short clauses that define leadership & integrity require that public a state officers abide by the principles of integrity in the exercise of power and authority. The fact that the constitution boldly uses words like honor, discipline, accountability and selfless service is clearly a demand for moral intelligence at the national level. The fact that national officers take oaths of office and are held to account for acts of impropriety, corruption and demonstration of loyalty to the state, puts leadership directly under the scrutiny of the public eye.

The ethical challenge is on public leaders, but this challenge also raises the bar on private sector and business leaders. Indeed the constitution raises the bar on the transparency and accountability of every organization operating within the states space. Citizens and customers, with the knowledge that they can demand and receive excellence from leaders and leadership, are likely to be uncompromising in their demand for quality service and customer satisfaction. So what type of leader will fulfill these constitutional standards?

The Chapter Six leader will be equipped with a keen sense of moral intelligence, but will also needs to be technically competent. Because the power of selection of leaders is vested in the people, leaders will have to operate within the tenets of democracy. In other words, Chapter Six leaders need not only technical expertise, but persuasive political wisdom to pursue visionary goals. Those that lead by edict and decree, may not be in error, but they will encounter significant resistance to achieve success. The Chapter Six leader must stay ahead of the law not just by keeping his nose clean from corruption, but must also follow due process and master official procedure. This requirement may be encumbering to those with a charismatic, visionary or entrepreneurial flair. The Chapter Six leader must be a shrewd politician, astute business executive as well as a disciplined, scrupulous and determined character. Institution, organizations and corporate business will have to make systemic and structural adjustments to accommodate Chapter Six leaders.

The Chapter Six leader is really a diamond in the rough. The nation needs to invest in the development and refinement of this leader in order to benefit from Chapter Six Leadership. Given the cultural diversity and socio-economic extremities and political and governance dynamics across the nation, it will be very hard to be a leader unless that leader understands and is willing to submit to the principles, process, practice and probity required of anyone who desires to hold the office of a leader. In other words, a new generation of leaders is needed to fulfill the new constitutional requirements of leaders and leadership in Kenya.

NGCL Team