No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it. – Andrew Carnegie

This was written on a photocopied piece of paper I was given today. The next page on this pocket book read, “Leadership by definition, cannot be a one man show. If I don’t possess the humility and desire to enable me to praise others and give them credit for their success, I’ll be severely handicapped in my leadership. If my ego is so big that I insist on the applause, attention, and affirmation, potential partners will leave me alone; and I will end up with only what one person can accomplish.”

How true! I am sure we will all agree.

But let’s look around us. The gist of the saying and its reasoning doesn’t seem to hold true in our midst. Most of our nation’s heroes who have accomplished anything are those who have defied all universal truths, including the opening statement in this post. So, I would hesitatingly agree that this unique country breeds a uniqueness that is exclusive to the Maldives… where you can enjoy the “art of doing nothing” in the “Sunny Side of Life”!

Times are changing though. We are compelled to learn the art of doing something to attain a decent life.

We are loosing our uniqueness in everything, from the hospitality to those who land in these white sandy beaches surrounded by crystal clear blue lagoons, to the unique single mindedness in everything. It is time those hopeful to lead the nation and its people come to grips with this reality.

No one will attain a position of great leadership alone in the New Maldives! It will be the one who steps ahead of our time and accept that leadership requires a passion for a sum total of the greatness of many and all!

But then it is a huge challenge for those of us who have been indoctrinated in time and space to believe that the greatest are those who defy the rest! It will be a lesser challenge for those who have not been tainted by the greatness of dynasties, tribes / localities, families and individuals.

Great leaders rise to the occasion!