If leadership is devoid of critical thinking and analytical skills…

There is no short cut to becoming a vibrant state. The struggle for success is a long one, which must be led by leaders possessing critical thinking and analytical mindset. If a country is becoming a failed state where rule of law and governance are non-existent, it means the ruling elites are unable to critically and analytically evaluate their failures. Reading from history with an open mind and developing skills for pragmatic decision-making with clarity, analytical skills and critical thinking can be major characteristics for a successful leadership having capability to manage a crisis situation.

When national assets like PIA, Pakistan Steel Mills and Pakistan Railways are inflicting losses running into billions of rupees annually, it means the leadership responsible for running such institutions is devoid of analysing critically the reasons which degenerated these national assets. When billions of dollars of payments are made to Independent Power Projects (IPPs) at the expense of electricity consumers, it means there is something critically wrong with decision-makers.

If a country’s leadership is imbed with hardwork, intelligence, integrity, clarity, wisdom, courage, analytical skills and critical mindset, a fragile and failing state can be turned into an economic powerhouse. When a country’s educational system is rotten, dismal and inefficient, expecting it to produce a dynamic leadership is a utopian idea.

Pakistan’s predicament, since its inception, has resulted from failures due to feudal, bureaucratic, conservative, corrupt and inefficient leaders with lack of focus to deal with issues which have caused crises in economy, governance, rule of law, foreign policy and politics. Major national tragedies — like the assassination of Pakistan’s first Prime Minister, Liaquat Ali Khan, the separation of East Pakistan, military takeover in 1958, 1969, 1977 and 1999, Ojhri camp disaster of April 1988, Kargil crisis of 1999, loss of J&K following the August 5, 2019 revocation of article 370 of the Indian constitution — means the leadership which governed Pakistan lacked skills and strategic foresight to deal with issues causing harm to the national interest.

Countries like China, India, Bangladesh, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, the UAE and Turkey transformed their failures into successes by focusing on economic development, better governance, rule of law, quality education and political stability, thanks to a capable leadership.

When the ruling elites are oblivious of severe economic challenges and bow to IMF dictates, passing the huge budgetary losses to taxpayers, it means they lack analytical skills to understand why the currency value, per capita income and economic growth rate have plunged. Questioning and reasoning are fundamental characteristics of a vibrant leadership which efficiently uses human resource to pull the country from economic stagnation, political instability, bad governance, failed educational system and breakdown of rule of law.

Dr Henry Kissinger, former US Secretary of State and an iconic political scientist, in his path-breaking book, Leadership: Six Studies in World Strategy (UK, Penguin Books, 2022), gives a vivid account of leadership which can cause miracles and lead to success from failure. According to Kissinger, “Any society, whatever its political system, is perpetually in transit between a past that forms its memory and a vision of the future that inspires its evolution. Along this route, leadership is indispensable: decisions must be made, trust earned, promises kept, a way forward proposed.” Furthermore, according to him, “within human institutions — states, religions, armies, companies, schools — leadership is needed to help people reach from where they are to where they have never been and, sometimes, can scarcely imagine going, Without leadership, institutions drift, and nations court growing irrelevance and ultimately, disaster.”

Inspiration from the writings of Dr Kissinger about the importance and role of leadership and its command over history along with analytical skills is a fundamental reality. An educated and a knowledge friendly society is an asset for the leadership, whereas if the society is illiterate, stagnant with state actors unable to lead their people in positive direction, it may cause national tragedies. The six case studies of leadership analysed by Dr Kissinger in his aforementioned book — those of former West German Chancellor Kurt Adenauer, former French President Charles de Gaulle, former American President Richard Nixon, former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew and, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher — contained major characteristics of leadership which enabled them to leave a positive mark on world history.

How can the leadership in Pakistan, which has pushed the country into a perpetual state of crisis, chaos and disorder, transform for the better? One can figure out three major essential requirements for a vibrant leadership.

First, revamping educational system is essential in order to ensure free, compulsory and quality education from primary to high school. When schoolchildren are trained to develop their analytical skills and critical thinking, it will help the country in building a generation which is not mediocre or below mediocre but has excellent leadership qualities. When 26 million children of Pakistan are out of school and only a minor segment of students have access to quality education, it is bound to cause frustration, chaos and unemployment. Leadership with vision, caliber, integrity, intelligence and hardwork will make a difference in running the country and its institutions with better planning and ownership.

Second, the elites of Pakistan, who are the beneficiaries of the prevailing corrupt and inefficient system and have their interests outside the country, will oppose revamping of educational system, better governance and rule of law. As a result, one is bound to see augmentation of anger, antagonism and frustration particularly among the youths. Backbreaking price hike and unemployment are compelling the youth to seek legal and illegal methods to migrate from the country. Saner elements among the elites must take notice of the grim situation so that hope and optimism can replace pessimism and gloom.

Finally, it is about time for the youth of this country to give up on the ruling elites, who continue to let them down, and focus on seeking knowledge by enhancing their reading habit, analytical skills and critical thinking so as to secure a better future of their country.