The Quest for Moral Leadership in the Public Space
Living in a Post-Moral Society in The Age of Superfluous Nothingness
By Joseph Chinenyeze Ibekwe
No society can sail beyond it’s moral compass. No society can develop beyond her moral inclination. No society can prosper beyond the moral strength of it’s leaders – who bear the candle to guide the rest of the citizens.
People often wonder what happened to morality in our world. But they fail to realize how every action, little bends, here and there, compromises, and devious from what is right, adds up. Until you realize the interconnectedness of things, you will remain in wonder at how we got here and won’t be able to know how to extricate yourself from the moral quagmire of the time.
Take this extract from the memoirs of Indira Gandhi, as an example.
“Indira Gandhi once asked her father: “What happens during war?”
Her father replied: “Education and the economy collapse.”
She then asked: “And what happens after education and the economy collapse?”
He answered: “Morality collapses.”
She asked again: “And what happens if morality collapses as well?”
He replied with profound wisdom: “How can a person live in a country where morality has collapsed?”
A person can endure and adapt to a society suffering from food shortages, economic hardship, or lack of entertainment… But the absence of morals?
That is when the vile and the wicked prevail, traditions and laws vanish, goodness disappears, and everything turns into a jungle. At that point, a dignified life becomes almost impossible”.
The absence of morality in our politics and public life is the reason society is in a deep mess. Everything goes! Everything can be explained away. The end justifies the means. How you get it is not as important as you have got it.
Everyone is right in their own eyes. Morality is no longer a discussion point. If you raise it up, you are classified as old fashioned and anachronistic.
Little wonder the society is at the cliff, about to fall off. Who will retrieve this society from moral loss?
Everything begins with leadership. Without leaders that lift up strong moral compass, the society heads towards darkness.
It’s time to discover and bring up leaders with strong moral strength and give them the opportunity to lead in public space. A single lit candle can light up several other candles, and in a moment of time, light shines through for everyone to see.
It’s time to go back to the basics. We need emphasize the moral leadership in our societies, if we must recover from the present degenerate condition.
Leaders are the light of the society. They bear the candle. They shine the light that guide the people on the path to follow. If the candle is dim or is snuffed off, the people grope in darkness. That’s a natural consequence.
Participation in leadership selection processes is the most important responsibility of citizens in any democratic society. People select or elect those that emerge to lead them. When the right leaders are elected, they bear the light. They mount as candles, shining forth for everyone to see. Peoples path becomes illuminated. They can see and potentials are unleashed. Progress becomes commonplace.
Without leaders with strong moral compass, the society is lost. Citizens has a responsibility to choose leaders that bear the candle and shine forth the light for them to see and prosper.
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