By Patrick Ofoe Nudzi
Accra, Sept. 02, GNA – A book titled: “Leadership, Theory, Practice and Cases,” which seeks to provide a blueprint on leadership practice, has been launched in Accra, with a call on all persons in leadership to endeavour to do what is right.
The most important ingredient for achieving any goal is effective and efficient leadership, which has worked for several countries, Professor Pikay Richardson, a visiting Senior Fellow, Manchester Business School, whose book was launched in Accra, said.
He explained to the Ghana News Agency in an interview that leadership which is the panacea to growth and development, was not all about a person being in a position of power but about “determining what is right to do and how the right thing is delivered.”
Professor Richardson, who had taught the leadership concept in 26 countries on four continents, said leadership and position of power were different.
“Very often, we think that being in position and leadership are synonymous. Unfortunately, we have people who either do not listen or when they listen, they do not deliver…,” he said.
Prof Richardson said an effective and efficient leadership that brought good results was premised on competence, desire to deliver and get the best out of the people.
He said with the right leadership exhibited several banks would be ready to offer monetary support for any programme.
“Some countries in Africa have the competence and money but leadership has pin them down and they continue to wallow in poverty and underdevelopment,” Prof Richardson said.
Meanwhile, the book that was launched cited cases of efficient leadership from within the Ghanaian context, like Prof Stephen Adei, during his time at Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration between January 2000 and December 2008.
Prof Godfred Bokpin, an Economist and Professor of Finance at the University of Ghana, who reviewed the book, said, the book had come at the opportune time when there was currently leadership deficit being manifested explicitly in human degradation, loss of lives and environmental degradation as evidenced by destruction from illegal mining (galamsey) even in the country.
“A time will come, and we will only see Ghana’s forest in the textbook if care is not taken,” he stated.
“We see the lack of leadership manifesting in mismanagement and corporate failures both at public and private sector level,” Prof Bokpin said.
He said the 316-page document summed that the basic building block for economic modeling would be leadership.
Personalities like Prof Stephen Adei, Sir Sam E. Jonah, Mr and Mrs Albert Ocran were among the dignitaries who attended the launch.
The first copy of the book was bought at GHS 20, 000.
GNA