This post is a sumary of three articles. The first with the title above and write by Kwon Roh Kap Former Adviser to the Democratic Party of Korea and was published at http://www.utexas.edu/lbj/archive/research/leadership/publications/conference1/21century.html. The second with the title of,"Transformative leadership in the 21st century", was published at http://www.capwip.org/resources/womparlconf2000/downloads/jahan1.pdf. The third was in May of 2014 for the Bahrain Management Society and published at http://www.ilcbh.org/ilc2014/images/presentations/Leadership%20in%2021st%20Century%20-%20Sushil%20Jain.pdf
We are at the dawn of the 21st century, and it promises new hope to everyone yearning for peace and democracy. We should look towards a brighter future at the outset of a new millennium. However, the past has not always been so bright and peaceful, it is easy to remember the hardship the people endured. Two world wars, the world divided by the realities of the cold war, severe economic crisis, high inflation and military dictatorship that deprived our people of basic principles of democracy and human rights. It is just to exemplify the sacrifice that many countries endured in the most turbulent century of world history. Of course, even under the countries's best administrations, many obstacles remain. Clash of interests among political and social groups, long history of regionalism, and the opposition to reform on the part of vested interest continue to hamper the restructuring process. Yet, citizens trust in their vision and hope that the direction that democracy is taking towards the 21st century take them to a better future. I am certain that the realization of their vision and goals of the most and efficent democrats will help establish a society that not only ranks among the most advanced economically but also politically, socially, and culturally. Political leadership in the 20th century meant absolute power exercised by the government. However, at the dawn of a new century, the people are starting to realize that today's leader should play a different role. Today's leader must be creative and flexible to accomodate the ever-changing environment brought on by the internet, globalization and interdependence. I believe that political leadership in the twenty-first century should affirm the following three principles: 1) Power must be distributed - decentralization of authority will streamline the central government agencies and local governments, making them more efficient. The division of labor will reduce duplication and enhance accountability, thus strengthening democracy both at the national and local level. 2) Leadership must exemplify integrity - laws, institutions and custom maintain society's order. There must be strong checks against the abuse of power and corruption. 3) Leadership must foster future leadership - The 21st century requires leaders who can clearly understand and react to the changing environment. Today's leader must encourage a political culture in which young men and women can gain the experience that will help them become leaders in the future.
At the dawn of the new millennium people hope for a new beginning. This yearning for a fresh start does not mean we want to negate everything that was done before. Indeed, the world has witnessed tremendous progress on many fronts in the 20th century and we want to build on these achievements. What is meant by "transformative leadership"? How can transformative leaders be identified? To move toward a change, we need leaders with a different kind of vision and commitments. These leaders must demonstrate a strong commitment in the principles of equality and empowerment. They need to be committed to use power not as an instrument of domination and exclusion but as an instrument of liberation, inclusion and equality. The globalization process is creating new opportunities for making money, but only the more endowed are able to have access to these opportunities. What is needed from leaders is a strong commitment and concrete policies and actions to create conditions enabling the poor to have equal access to good education and the new knowledge. The government has a role to play in empowering citizens and communities. The leaders also need to demonstrate a commitment to human rights and peace. Both principles should be envisioned in a holistic manner: human rights to encompass political, economic, and social rights. Peace to include elimination of all forms of violence. The "transformative" leaders are not necessarily driven by simple efficiency considerations. They value sustainability. The relentless competition of the market economy is putting pressure on the "care economy" (e.g. child care, care of the aged, elderly). We can create a just social order in this century through greater sharing rather than greater competition. "Transformative" leadership also emphasizes the need for the leaders to follow a different set of institutional processes and behavior. These leaders make consultation a part of the organizational routine. Democratic participation by all is emphasized. Decision-making processes are open and transparent and not secretive set behind closed doors. They work towards building consensus through consultation and participation, instead of manipulating and controlling people, transformative leaders attempt empower them.
What has changed in 21st century? The world is more complex, globalized and technology-enabled with X generation confronting grave problems such as, youth unemployment, income disparity and climate change. We can not rely on what may have worked in the past. Today's world is different. The stakes are high. The challenges and issues we face are changing ar a rapid speed. World Economic Forum's Global Council on "New Models of Leadership" have attribute 4 challenges to 21st century: 1) Globalization. 2) Multiple stakeholders. 3) Technology demands speedy response. 4) Social media and people power. The High Performance Development Model (HPDM) is the framework for developing highly-skilled leaders for the 21st century. By focusing on eight core competencies, HPDM provides the foundation for leading-by-example and creating sa motivating workplace. 1) Strategic vision and ability to share that. 2) Technical skills 3) Leading by influence, not control. 4) Clear communication 5) Flexibility and adaptability. 6) Creative thinking. 7) Systems thinking. 8) Organizational stewardship.
