Many Zambian political leaders get to the top by imposing their will on others, even destroying people standing in their way. When they reach the top, they may be paranoid that others are trying to knock them off their pedestal. Sometimes they develop an impostor complex, caused by deep insecurities that they aren’t good enough and may be unmasked.
To prove they aren’t impostors, they drive so hard for perfection that they are incapable of acknowledging their failures. When confronted by them, they convince themselves and others that these problems are neither their fault nor their responsibility. Or they look for scapegoats to blame for their problems. Using their power, charisma, and communications skills, they force people to accept these distortions, causing entire organizations to lose touch with reality. Zambia political leaders are crooks, thugs and thief’s.
At all costs Zambian political leaders are vulnerable of making big mistakes, such as violating the law of Zambia or putting their organizations’ existence at risk. Their distortions convince them they are doing nothing wrong, or they rationalize that their deviations are acceptable to achieve a greater good.
It’s lonely at the top, because Zambian political leaders know they are ultimately responsible for the lives, sufferings and fortunes of people. If they fail, many get deeply hurt. They often deny the burdens and loneliness, becoming incapable of facing reality. They shut down their inner voice, because it is too painful to confront or even acknowledge; it may, however, appear in their dreams as they try to resolve conflicts rustling around inside their heads full of greediness and corruption.
Meanwhile, their work lives and personal lives get out of balance. They lose touch with people who voted and gave them jobs. Eventually, they lose their capacity to think logically about important issues and difficulties facing the nation.
Leading is high stress work. There is no way to avoid the constant challenges of being responsible for people, organizations, outcomes, and uncertainties in the environment. Leaders who move up have greater freedom to control their destinies, but also experience increased pressure and seduction.
Leaders can avoid these pitfalls by devoting themselves to personal development that cultivates their inner compass, or True North. This requires reframing their leadership from being heroes to being servants of the people they lead. This process requires thought and introspection because many people get into leadership roles in response to their ego needs. It enables them to transition from seeking external gratification to finding internal satisfaction by making meaningful contributions through their leadership.
Maintaining their equilibrium amid this stress requires discipline. Some people practice meditation or yoga to relieve stress, while others find solace in prayer or taking long runs or walks. Still others find relief through laughter, music, television, sporting events, and reading. Their choices don’t matter, as long as they relieve stress and enable them to think clearly about work and personal issues.
The reality is that people cannot stay grounded by themselves. Political leaders depend on people closest to them to stay centered. They should seek out people who influence them in profound ways and stay connected to them..
The corrupted political leadership of Zambian can’t carry this entire burden though. Zambia needs a non-corrupted political actors with wisdoms to overcome economic difficulties and poverty across the Nation. Reliable political leaders who can be honest and straight with us, defining reality and developing action plans with visions.
By Honourable Brown C. Kapika
President for Adedo – Zamucano Political Party (Zambia)
President for ‘Beweging voor Burger – en Mensenrechten’ Politica Party (Netherlands)
(Partij voor de Burgerlijke-en Mensenrechten)