By Aliz Kosza
Once again humanity is facing the need for strong leaders. The admiration and recollection of unyielding leaders resurfaced. It seems that we would really need now a strong hand to guide us all.
Should Italy now have had a “Machiavellian” leadership, would it have come to the current situation? When Machiavelli defined the “principles” of conquering a territory or when he described the leadership after the conquest, never thought, even for one second, that in fact, his principles would be a fair example of how not to rule the people.
But now we seem to be somehow willing to give up the fundamental rights of manhood, especially when they are applied to the others, rather than us.
We chase and absorb all the statements of numerous experts in their attempt to cover the unknown, the unpredictable life and uncertainty of our times with their various opinions. We search in each word of every physician a drop of encouragement, a glimpse of faith and advice. We are witnessing a reassessment of human life’s value. How we now perceive the death is so much different from the times when we were at peace and wealthy.
The current crisis emerging within humankind is not only about the pandemic, but it lets to emerge the more profound feeling of lack of trust in leaders and, moreover, the lack of trust in the very humankind.
In order to win this fight, we need both those experts and authorities able to regain the people’s trust, and the feeling of responsibility enabled at the level of governments.
In this current landscape, instead, are we witnessing a global “disintegration”?
It seems that, in the past years, this split was more and more evident, even if we still are so co-dependent on each other.
However, the current context offers a great opportunity for a united European Union and Europe in general, in order to reclaim the people’s support and to reinforce the union of states.
In practice basically, I could not name even a single a leader to inspire at such broad level (maybe only Angela Merkel for her own nation), or a leader to convey that needed safety feeling by assuming firm, unitary and feasible measures, so that he or she can coordinate, unite and facilitate the cooperation of states. I am not referring only to head of states, but also to global organizations, associations, institutions or decision and policy makers. Instead, the current situation breeds a lot of humanitarian and social initiatives, internet-enabled transcontinental collaboration of medical experts.
Nevertheless, all these don’t serve enough to a winning level, because it demands more motivation, coordination, direction and practice in being cohesive to a practical extent.
But who could be that role model that we need now so much? We are mostly surrounded by “takers”, rather than “givers”- meaning the state and international organizations’ rulers. On purpose or not, the global leadership belittled the idea of “it’s all about us” in the past years and the state politics praised the concept of “ME first”. Wo would follow a “ME first” leader? Globalization, the free market, economic dependence, states’ interconnectivity are facts that contributed to the spreading of this virus.
Yes, we need leaders, at least one reliable leader, to give direction, to convey a wave of hope, and who, above all, to be human – not ruled by political agenda but the one who is well-intentioned, capable of communicating in an efficient and fair manner, inspiring and able to organize the resources and the financial priorities through a direct and stable global answer to the global challenge.
A leader who is willing to put first the people’s interests, above his or her own or nations’.
We need responsible leaders to rule by personal example and restore the trust in science, authorities and cooperation among nations. Is this so idealistic and utopian? Maybe so. But the history proved that, when at crossroads, providential people may emerge to give a saving direction for the humankind. Everything else will depend on each of us.
About Aliz Kosza
With a 40-year career, over 25 years of experience in top management and 8 years of business mentorship in Romanian entrepreneurship, Aliz Kosza (www.alizkosza.ro) is one of the most experienced business women in Romania, having led top companies, such as MOL Romania, Orkla Foods Romania or Fabryo Corporation, contributing to the modeling and innovation of other companies from 18 different industries. Throughout her career in business, she has contributed – since the 1990s – to the formation and development of modern commerce in Romania and has built strong brands, which are still top brands in the industries they represent, such as Poiana, Tomi, Wiesana, Bunica, Ardealul, MOL, Savana.
Since 2012, she has retired from the CEO position and now, she is a business mentor and strategist, transferring business experiences and principles to entrepreneurs and managers who want to reinvent their business through leadership, organizational transformation and the correct implementation of integrated strategies.
