161007P - EFFECTIVE DAWA APPROACHES

Presented at the MSA workshop HongKong on October 7-8, 2016 by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard)

NATURE OF ISLAMIC DAWA

• Dawa is conveying the message of Islam to Muslims and non-Muslims. It is a communication process involving the caller, the called, the message, and behavioural change. 
• Tauhid is the basis for all dawa efforts. The Qur’an is the main tool of dawa. 
• Dawa indicates dynamism of the community because Islam is a missionary religion. Dawa is a collective obligation, fardh kifayat, however individual efforts even if small are encouraged. Dawa must be undertaken at all places and times. 
• The first level of dawa is calling to accept the creed accomplished by pronouncing the kalima. The second level is calling upon individuals and families to practice and live Islam. The third level is calling upon the whole society to be organized according to the teachings of Islam. 
• Dawa has impact on the caller, the called, and the society at large. 

THE CALLER

• The caller gets the reward for calling people to guidance. 
• The prophet Muhammad is the best model of a caller. His message is universal and clear. His behavior, patience, humility, and mercy were effective. He faced problems. 
• The caller must have the following personality characteristics: patience, wisdom, insight, iman, ‘Ilm, kindness, consideration, firmness, commitment, good personal relations, generosity, practicality, flexibility, humility, zuhd, qana'a, and taqwa. The most important attribute is commitment, ikhlaas. 
• The following characteristics make a caller more persuasive: being perceived as honest, personal power, attractiveness, likableness, similarity to the called, being of the same gender as the called, expertise, and credibility. 
• A caller need not be perfect to start dawa. Dawa makes him better because of the challenge is that you have to live up to expectations of a caller. 
• All dawa workers whether full-time of part-time must be receive training tailored to the local situation.

THE CALLED

• Everybody is targeted, Muslims and non-Muslims, all races and nationalities, all social classes, and all parts of the world. 
• Dawa to Muslims involves calling them to practice Islam. Dawa to non-Muslims exposes the truth and positives of Islam while correcting the disinformation by the enemies. It aims at returning them to the natural state of human beings, which is Islam. Dawa to the general society involves propagating to the general public with the aim of making them aware or conscious of the presence of Islam. 
• Dawa programs could target special populations such as women, youths, patients in hospitals, prisoners, students, laborers, and workers. They could also target special social classes such as artists and stars, aristocrats, middle class, professionals, and ordinary people.
• The marginalised and rejected members or classes of society are a special target group for dawa because they are so susceptible. These include: criminals in prisons, drug addicts, the socially deprived, etc. They are looking for an alternative that will take them out of their sad situation.

STRATEGIES AND METHODS

• Aggressive and pro-active strategies are better than defensive and reactive ones. 
• Success depends on phasing, gradualism, tarbiyah, and influence by example. 
• Material incentives should not be used to convince but to attract people to listen to the message. 
• Dawa requires a wise, polite, non-antagonist, non-critical approach presentation of the Islamic alternative because truth automatically displaces falsehood. 
• Dawa may be by direct or indirect, personal or impersonal. Personal contact is the most effective approach. The message should be individualized and customized. It should be simple and direct. 

PLANNING, EXECUTION, AND EVALUATION

• The main elements that a dawa plan covers are: the caller, the called, the time dimension, resources (money, material), and program control. 
• Dawa requires funding but cannot be professionalized. Volunteers do the legwork and have motivation and enthusiasm. 
• Coordination eliminates unnecessary duplication and competition. Individual initiative and many organizations are encouraged. The main objective is unity of purpose and not unity of organization. 
• Program evaluation is used to improve effectiveness. Process evaluation is easy. Outcome evaluation is difficult because results of dawa are long-term and are not quantifiable. 
• Success depends on Allah’s will and not only the efforts of the caller. 
• Opposition should never provoke violent reactions. Dawa is a peaceful process that targets the hearts of men and not their bodies.

161007P - INTELLECTUAL ISSUES OF DAWA IN THE EAST AND WEST: BASIC FOUNDATIONS OF ISLAMIC THOUGHT

Presented at the MSA workshop HongKong on October 7-8, 2016 by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard)

FUNDAMENTALS OF THE DIIN (usul al ddiin): ISLAM and IMAN

• The three fundamentals of ddiin, usul al ddiin, are: Islam, Iman, and Ihsan. These three concepts taken together constitute the creed of Islam, al aqidat al Islamiyyat. There is a gradation. Islam is the beginning. Iman is a higher level. Ihsan is the highest level. 
• Islam is outward manifestation, dhaahir. Iman is in the heart, baatin. Every mu umin is a Muslim. Not every mu umin is a muhsin. Not every Muslim is a mu umin. Iman is a higher level of spiritual progress than Islam. Islam is a pre-requisite for iman. You cannot have iman without having Islam. It is however possible to be a Muslim who has not yet attained the level of a mu’umin. 
• Intellectual question: Is Islam inclusive or exclusive?

FUNDAMENTALS OF THE DIIN (usul al ddiin): IHSAN

• Ihsan applies to both Islam and iman. Every muhsin is a mu umin.
• Ihsan was defined in the sunnat as perfection of action. It represents perfection in both Islam and Iman. It is excellence in worship, work, and in any social action. The concept of excellence extends from prescribed acts of ibadat to all human endeavors and activities. 
• Islam requires quality work and excellent performance. Allah accepts and rewards the best of work. He loves quality everything so Muslims must perfect their work. Humans in their earthly life are tested to see who performs the best. The Qur’an and sunnat have emphasized quality, ihsan, and quality performers, muhsinuun. 
• Intellectual question: If ihsan is quality why do we not see it in Muslim societies’ daily life?

BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ISLAM

• Islam is comprehensive, unitary, indivisible, action-orientation, easy to practice, universal, and is final message.
• Islam is rational and understandable. It establishes freedom of belief and freedom of thought. 
• Islam is societal, reformist, and revivalistic. 
• It is a ddiin of equilibrium, balance, and moderation between divinity & humanity, spirituality & materialism, revelation & intellect, the afterlife & the earthly, individualism & communalism, ideal & reality, past & future, responsibility & freedom, following & innovation, duties & rights, stability & change, knowledge & belief, right & might, ‘aqiidat & action, ddiin & state, control by faith & control by authority, material innovations & moral ascendancy, military power & morale. 
• Intellectual question: why do we not see the tolerance and moderation of Islam in Muslim societies? 

THE SOCIAL CULTURE OF ISLAM

• Imaam al Nawawi listed 23 hadiths that he called madaar al Islam because they define the social culture of Islam. They can be considered under groups: aqidat, personal conduct, and social intercourse. 
• The fundamentals of the ddiin, usul al ddiin, are Islam, iman, and ihsan. A Muslim rejects Innovation in religion, upholds certainty, rejects doubt, believes in qadar, relies on Allah, and repents from sins. 
• Muslim personal conduct is characterized by purity of intention, good conduct, modesty, following the right path, observing rules of halaal and haram, renouncing materialism, consulting his conscience, quality work performance, starting with the most important work, and fulfilling the 5 pillars of Islam. 
• In dealing with others the Muslim leaves alone what does not concern him, loves good for the others, hurts nobody, sincere advice for others, calling to Islam, honoring the neighbor and the guest, suppressing anger, and respecting the sanctity of human life. 
• Intellectual question: is misunderstanding of Islam due to deliberate distortion by enemies of Muslims or by misbehavior by Muslims ignorant of their religion?

ISLAM ANSWERS THE ULTIMATE QUESTIONS 1: start and end of the universe

• Human attempts to answer the questions without the aid of revelation have not given satisfactory answers: metaphysics (understanding ultimate reality by reason), various religious beliefs, folklore, and empirical science.
• Question #1: start of the universe: How did the universe start? Did it start out of nothing? Could it have started by chance? 
• Question #2: end of the universe: What has a beginning and an end. The end is destruction with or without replacement. The laws of entropy = every system must eventually self-destruct. Allah who is eternal and everlasting. Human physical life will come to end but humans will have an extra-corporeal.

ISLAM ANSWERS THE ULTIMATE QUESTIONS 2: purpose and destiny of the universe

• Question #3: purpose of creation of the universe: Allah willed the creation of the universe. The universe was created to worship Allah and obey His rules. 
• Question #4: the expanding/contracting universe: is the universe an open system (expand until all matter os converted into energy) or a closed system (stop expanding and contract into a new big bang)? 
• Question #5: human destiny: When the physical universe is destroyed only humans will curvive in a a new physical life that may be in jannat or jahannam.

PRE-DETERMINATION (qadar), WILL (iraadat), KNOWLEDGE(‘ilm), AND POWER (qudrat) 1

• Everything is fixed and is under Allah's pre-determination, qadar. Qadar is part of belief in the unseen abd is beyond human intellect. 
• Allah’s knowledge, will, and power are unlimited. Human will, knowledge, and power are limited. The human in his limited knowledge cannot tell correctly which events are good/bad for him. 
• Allah tries humans by letting them use their free will in the choice of their actions but He knows in advance what they will choose. Whatever choices the human makes Allah is forgiving and is kind. 

PRE-DETERMINATION (qadar), WILL (iraadat), KNOWLEDGE(‘ilm), AND POWER (qudrat) 2

• In most human situations phenomena follow the fixed stable causal laws (‘sunan Allah fi al kawn’) ie action is followed by an effect. Each event has a cause, sabab. All causes are from Allah. Normally the cause is followed by the expected result unless there is divine intervention or one qadar is reversing another qadar. 
• Qadar is misunderstood by Muslims. Correct approach is Tawakkul (relying on Allah after taking all the necessary measures to achieve an objective following the laws of causality). Wrong approach is tawaakul (giving up all effort and just wait for things to happen).

AFTER LIFE (akhirat) / ESCHATOLOGY 1

• Stages of human life: The life-span, ajal, is fixed. Humans pass through 4 linear and non-circular phases: non-existence (‘adam) that is purely spiritual, lower life on earth that is both physical and spiritual (hayat al duniyat), life in the grave spiritual and ?physical (hayat al qabr), the intermediate phase (hayat al barzakh), and higher life in the hereafter(hayat al akhirat) that is both physical and spiritual.
• Life in the grave, qabr: There is no direct between the dead in the qabr and living humans on earth. The dead cannot influence events on earth. The living cannot influence events in the qabr apart from dua. Dreams of the living about the dead are not a true form of communication between the living and the dead. Only dreams of prophets are true. Interpretation of dreams of ordinary humans is not a valid method of knowing anything about the dead.

AFTER LIFE (akhirat) / ESCHATOLOGY 2

• The last day, yawm al akhirat: knowledge of the last day is with Allah alone. The pre-events of the last day will be adverse social, physical, and special changes. 
• People will be gathered (hashr), their work record will be presented, accounts of their deeds will be made, the balance will be set up, and justice will be established. Most sins will be forgiven or punished for a limited time. Only shirk will be unforgivable. 
• Nature of the after-life: Life after resurrection from the graves will be physical and not metaphysical or spiritual. We do not know whether it will be exactly like that on earth or there will be some differences. The resurrected humans will experience all events of the hereafter as physical beings. There will be no more death after the last day. Those who enter paradise will stay there permanently. Hell will be permanent for certain categories of offenders. Those with minor offences will spend a time of punishment in hell and then be forgiven and enter paradise.

EVIL and SIN

• Why is there evil on earth? What is the source of evil? Why does Allah allow evil to occur on earth?
• Sins: definition and classification (kabair and saghair)
• Types of common sins:  sins of ‘aqidat (kufr, shirk, and nifaaq), sins of the heart (kibr, takabbur, ‘ujb, hiqd, hasad, ghurur, shahwat, suu’u al dhann, and sukhriyyah) sins of the tongue (ghaibat, namimat, kadhb, alqaab, laghw, lamz, and hamz), and the sin of oppression, dhulm (physical, psychological or rights violation directed against others or the self)
• Sinners can be punished on earth or in the hereafter. Punishment on earth may be individual or communal. It may be direct from Allah
• Repentance, taubat: Allah is happy with the taubat of His servants. Allah will accept taubat from a human until the moment of death. 
• Forgiveness, ghufran: It is Allah's mercy that there is forgiveness of sins. Allah can forgive instead of punishing. 

NATURE OF THE HUMAN, tabi'at al insaan

• Allah the creator created humans in the state of fitra. This is the best state both biologically, morally, socially, and psychologically. Fitrat can be degraded or distorted by human behavior biologically, morally, and in terms of ‘aqidat. 
• Human duality (nafs and jasad / spiritual and physical): The nafs permanent and is the essence and identity of the human. Human behavior is a duality of nafs and jasad.
• Humans have a one-way communication with the world of the unseen (‘aalam al ghaib) through the Qur’an. Angels and jinn intervene unilaterally in human life. Humans have no direct impact on the unseen. 
• Sifaat al insaan: It is a unique duality of the human that he has both negative and positive attributes. The human is superior because of ability to do good despite the potential for evil. 

HUMAN CIVILIZATION

• Human viscegerancy on earth, al istikhlaaf: definition of khilafat. Adam as the first khalifat. Models of khilafat: prophets and the righteous, salihiin, as models of khilafat. Transgressors as failure of khilafat
• Taskhiir: definition of taskhiir, the human intellect: a tool of taskhir. Examples of taskhiir: the food chain, natural resources, the ecosystem
• ‘imaarat al ardh i: the righteous and the transgressors
• Reasons for the rise and fall of civilizations
• Cycle of civilizations, dawrat al hadhaaraat

161007P - INTRODUCTION: THE THOUGHT AND KNOWLEDGE CRISES

Presented at the MSA workshop HongKong on October 7-8, 2016 by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard)

The thought Crisis: causes:

• The thought problem arises from misconceptions of textual applications to contemporary social realities. 
• Many intellectual issues have not been resolved: leadership, human rights, family rights, minority rights
• The revelation (Qur’an and sunnat) has the solution but Muslim intellect has failed to apply these to actual practical problems in the community.

The thought crisis: analysis:

• Rights: human rights, family rights, religious rights, cultural rights
• Marginalization: social, cultural, religious, economic, legal, poverty, and employment
• Internal community problems: ethnic, sectarian, ideological, family breakdown, youth problems 
• Da’awa and teaching of basics of religion
• Cultural and religious dialog with others.

The thought crisis: towards a solution:

• Clarifying basic paradigms using modern terminology 
• Research using the various social science disciplines / humanities to identify and define contemporary intellectual issues (qadhaya fikriyyat mu’asirat) in the community
• Propose solutions based on the bird-eye view frame-work of the higher purposes, al maqasid. 

Manifestations of the knowledge crisis:

• There is pervasive ignorance of uluum al diin and uluum al dunia. There is little respect for scholarship. Wealth and power are considered more important than scholarship. 
• There is neglect of the empirical sciences. 
• There is a dichotomy/duality in the education system: traditional Islamic vs. imported European, ulum al diin vs ulum al dunia. Integration of the 2 systems has failed or has been difficult because it has been mechanical and not conceptual. 
• The process of secularization in education has removed the moral dimension from the education and violated the aim of education to produce an integrated and perfect individual, insan kaamil.

Integration of knowledge (IOK): solution to the knowledge crisis

• IOK is a process of integrating values in the corpus of human knowledge 
• IOK does not call for re-invention of the wheel of knowledge but calls for reform, correction, and re-orientation. 
• IOK is evolutionary and not revolutionary.  It is corrective and reformative.
• IOK is the first step in the reform of the education system as a prelude to reform of society.

Integration of knowledge:

• IOK has to start with reforming the epistemology, methodology, and corpus of knowledge of each discipline.
• IOK must be pro-active, academic, methodological, objective, and practical. 
• Vision of IOK is objective, universal, and beneficial knowledge in the context of a harmonious interaction of humans with their physical, social, and spiritual environment. 
• Practical mission of IOK is transformation of the paradigms, methodologies, and uses of disciplines of knowledge to conform to universal values.

Immediate goals of IOK are:

• De-construction of paradigms of existing disciplines from parochiality to universal objectivity
• Reconstruction of the paradigms using universal guidelines
• Re-classifying disciplines to reflect universal values
• Reforming research methodology to become objective, purposeful, and comprehensive
• Growth of knowledge by research
• Inculcating morally correct application of knowledge.

Role of the Qur’an in IOK:

• Provide general principles that establish objectivity and protect against biased research methodology. 
• Create a world-view that encourages research to extend the frontiers of knowledge and its use for the benefit of the whole universe. 
• Scientists are encouraged to work within these Qur’anic parameters to expand the frontiers of knowledge through research, basic and applied.

161007P - LEADERSHIP DISEASES: AN INTERNAL ORGANIZATIONAL CHALLENGE

Presented at the MSA workshop HongKong on October 7-8, 2016 by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard)

SWOT analysis

• Strengths relate to opportunities; Weaknesses relate to threats
• Internal threats worse than external threats; internal weaknesses open the door to external threats
• Internal threats: leadership crisis (diseases of leaders and followers)

Diseases of followers:

• Hypocrisy
• Insincerity
• Bad advice to leader
• Disloyalty
• Disobedience
• Excessive veneration of the leader. 

Diseases of leaders 

• Lack of responsibility and accountability: 
• Lack of a sense of results/bottom line: 
• Arrogance 
• Putting people down:
• Mistrust and disloyalty: 
• Lack of creativity: 
• Inaccessibility: 
• Poor human relations: 

Solution of the leadership crisis by purification of the self, tazkiyat al nafs 1

• The essence of a person and personality is the nafs and not the physical body. 
• The states of the nafs in increasing grades of perfection are: nafs ammarah (inclination to evil), nafs lawamah (conscience), and nafs kamilat (perfection) 
• Nafs kaamilat manifests in 5 ways: nafs mulhamah (inspired); nafs qanu’ah(content), nafs mutma’inna(calm), nafs radhiyah(accepting), and nafs mardhiyat(accepted).

Solution of the leadership crisis by purification of the self, tazkiyat al nafs 2

• Tazkiyat is based on ikhlaas (commitment), sidq(truth), istislam(surrender), and  tadharu'u
• Tazkiyat is answering the call of Allah by sticking to the straight path, renouncing materialism, constant vigilance against shaitan. 
• Tazkiyat can be achieved by dhikr, isti'adhat, istighfar, tasbiih, tahmiid, tahliil, dua, 
• Tazkiyat can be achieved by physical ‘ibadat: salat, saum, and  infaq. 
• Models of tazkiyat: prophets, khulafa, scholars and the righteous

Solution of leadership diseases by Islamic self-education 1: contents

• Basic Islamic education (BIE) module (al tarbiyah al Islamiyah al asaasiyat)
• The halaqat (study circle) is a successful Islamic self-education system
• Intra-mural activities (Qur’an and hadith study) 
• Extra-mural activities (voluntary social work) 
• Nawafil & Zawaid

Solution of leadership diseases by Islamic self-education 2: themes of study

• Thematic Qur’an and hadith study related to daily life with time-space considerations
• Fiqh of daily life from a problem solving perspective and a maqasidi bird’s eye view approach
• Ma’athuraat for spiritual upliftment.

Solution of leadership diseases by Islamic self-education 3: Resources

• Qur’an in translation
• Riyadh al saalihin min hadith sayyid al mursaliin (Garden of the righteous from the words of the master of messengers) by Abu Zakariyah Yahya Ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi (631–676 A.H./1234–1277) 
• Kitaab al adhkaar (The book of remembraces) by Imaam Nawawi.

Solution of leadership diseases by Islamic self-education 4: Resources

• Buluugh al maraam min adillat al ahkaam (Reaching the goals using legal evidence) by Abu al Fadhl Shihabuddin Ahmad bin Ali Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Ahmad al Kinani al Shafie Ibn Hajar al ‘Asqalani
• Ihya uluum al ddiin (The Revival of Islamic Sciences) by Hujjat al Islam Abu Hamid al Ghazzali (d. 505H). The book is divided into 4 quarters: (a) ‘Ibaadaat which deals with the duty of the Muslim to the Creator. (b) ‘Aadaat which deals with the duties of the Muslim to himself and to other creations. (c) Muhlikaat: which deals with blameworthy or condemned actions. (d) Munjiyaat which deals with praiseworthy actions.

 

161007P - LEADERSHIP ESSENCE and NATURE

Presented at the MSA workshop HongKong on October 7-8, 2016 by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard)

Learning objectives:

• Definition of leadership
• Importance of leadership

Importance of leadership: 

• Leadership is a pre-condition for civilized existence. The absence of recognized leadership means chaos to the detriment of all. Any group of 3 or more must have a leader. 
• Leadership is the single most important determinant of organizational success. Good leadership leads to success; bad leadership leads to frustration and failure. 
• All members, supporters, and sympathizers of the organization are stakeholders who are concerned about the success and failure of leadership.  
• One of the harbingers of doom is to place leadership authority in the wrong hands.

Understanding leadership I: 

• Leadership is the process of influencing people and making them do certain things. 
• Leadership is both an art and a science. It may be formal and legalistic or informal. It has rational, emotional, intuitive, and instinctive dimensions. 
• Leadership involves moving followers in a certain direction mostly by non-coercive methods. Successful leaders get voluntary cooperation from followers. 
• Good leaders persuade and do not command. Fear and authority are not leadership. 
• Leaders who depend only on authority and coercion do not go very far. Poor leaders by contrast manipulate their followers. Manipulation is getting a person to do what they are not aware of or do not want to do.
• A few leadership skills are innate but most are acquired by experience and education.  

Understanding leadership II: 

• There is a dynamic interaction between the leader, the followers, and the situation. 
• A leader of one group of followers may not be able to lead a different group. A leader in one situation may fail in another one. 
• The roles of leaders and followers can be interchanged. A leader may be a follower of a more powerful leader. A good leader must therefore also be a good follower. 
• True leadership is more service than domination. The leader is the servant (sayyid al qawm khadimuhum). 

Understanding leadership III: 

• Good and effective leadership is a source of greatness (‘abqariyyah). 
• Great movements and changes in history are always associated with great leaders. 
• Intended here is real, genuine, moral, and competent leadership based on character and integrity and not the phony leadership that thrives on propaganda, deceit, and manipulation. 
• Bad leaders are motivated by power alone. They just like the exercise of power. 
• Good leaders have higher motivation. They want to use leadership power to improve and make a change.

Everybody undertakes leadership functions: 

• Leadership is a function exercised by almost everybody each in his or her own sphere; you are at least leaders of yourself or leader of your family. 
• Leadership can be in the community, the workplace, and in public organizations. 
• Since everybody has some leadership roles, each one can become a more effective leader by formal training or gaining experience on the job. 
• Not everyone wants to be a public leader. There are many people who are just not prepared to invest the energy necessary to shoulder the responsibilities of public leadership. 
• Leadership involves the following specific functions: setting and communicating visions, goals, and objectives; representing followers; directing, coordinating, and integrating; influencing, mobilizing, motivating, creating enthusiasm and optimism; providing services and making a difference.

Leaders and followers: 

• There is no leadership without followership. The quality of the followers determines the quality of the leaders. A good leader may fail with bad followers. An average leader may succeed if he has good followers. 
• In the long run, it is follower quality that determines the nature of a particular leadership situation. "The way you are in the way of your leaders". Followers get the leaders they deserve. Incongruence between followers and leaders is usually temporary and hardly exceeds a generation. 
• Successful leadership requires that followers obey the leader. There are, however, limitations and conditions for that obedience as will be discussed later. 

Empowering followers

• Good leaders teach leadership, they pull and do not push. Good leadership involves empowering followers by coaching them and then sharing leadership power with them through delegation. 
• Followers must be given real authority, information, and resources but must be held accountable for what they do. 
• Empowered followers have heightened self-efficacy and self-confidence. They will have higher performance, exhibit more cooperation, achieve higher personal growth, and in the end all ensure the survival of the organization.

Leaders vs Managers: 

• Leaders are concerned with effectiveness; they are intuitive and visionary; they like change, innovation, challenging the status quo, and development; they are original; they focus on vision and its importance; they have a long-term view and inspire others to achieve and excel. 
• Managers are rational problem-solvers whose concern is efficiency, process, and mechanics of achieving objectives. They administer for the maintenance of stability, harmony, and the status quo. They follow and do not innovate. Their view is generally short-term.

Selection, change, or renewal of leaders: 

• Good selection of public leaders requires the participation of the followers. Leaders can not be imposed. The imposition of leaders can work for only a short time or is associated with unsuccessful leader-follower situations. 
• There is no correct answer to the question of how long should one individual stay in leadership? It is better to leave this matter open and decide according to circumstances. Staying too long discourages the emergence of younger leaders and infusing new blood and new ideas into the organization. It may also result in inefficiency as the leader loses effectiveness with time.
• Frequent changes of leaders may on the other hand result in a lack of continuity and instability. There are situations in which one long-serving leader is the only one with the skills and charisma to hold the organization together. In such a case you should not insist on change for the sake of change.

Problems faced by leaders: 

• Leaders take responsibility for failures. 
• Followers may be disloyal to the leaders or the organization. Subordinates may have poor values that the leaders cannot stand. There may be dissent. 
• The leaders may be ahead of the followers in vision and thinking. 
• External threats are always looming on the horizon. A leader is a public figure and has to accept more invasion of his privacy than an ordinary person. It is important that people know enough about leaders' private life to be assured that they are not involved in any activity that is incompatible with their leadership position. 
• The leader must be accessible at all times and can not claim privacy as a reason for not carrying out leadership functions. The followers must however have some consideration for the leader and his family. They must give him some privacy so that he can lead an ordinary life.

Leadership after trial: 

۞ وَإِذِ ٱبْتَلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ رَبُّهُۥ بِكَلِمَـٰتٍۢ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّى جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًۭا ۖ قَالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِى ۖ قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِى ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

‘And remember that Abraham was tried by his Lord with certain Commands, which he fulfilled: He said: "I will make you An Imam to the Nations. He pleaded: "And also (Imams) from my offspring!" He answered: "But My Promise is not within the reach of evildoers. Qur'an 2:124

Good leader wants good followers: 

وَٱلَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَٰجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّـٰتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍۢ وَٱجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا

‘And those who pray, Our Lord! Grant unto us wives and offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and give us (the grace) To lead the righteous’. Qur'an 25:74

 

Necessity/obligation of having leaders:  

“Abu Said al Khudri reported the Apostle of Allah may peace be upon him) as saying: When three are on a journey, they should appoint one of them as their commander." Abu Daud 2:721, Chapter 933, hadith # 2602.  

Personal ambition for leadership discouraged: 

"Abd al Rahman b Samurah said: The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said to me: Abd al-Rahman b. Samurah, do not ask for the position of commander, for if you are given it after asking you will be left to discharge it yourself, but if you are given it without asking you will be helped to discharge it." Abu Daud 2:827, Chapter 1090, hadith # 2923

Everybody exercises leadership responsibility

It has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Umar that the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) said: Beware, every one of you is a shepherd and everyone is answerable with regard to his flock. The Caliph is a shepherd over the people and shall be questioned about his subjects (as to how he conducted their affairs). A man is a guardian over the members of his family and shall be questioned about them (as to how he looked after their physical and moral well-being).  A woman is a guardian over the household of her husband and his children and shall be questioned about them (as to how she managed the household and brought up the children). A servant is a guardian over the property of his master and shall be questioned about it (as to how he safeguarded his trust ). Beware, every one of you is a guardian and every one of you shall be questioned with regard to his trust." Muslim 3: 1017, Chapter 758, Hadith # 4496

Leadership authority in an incompetent hands is a sign of doom: 

"Narrated Abu Huraira: While the Prophet was saying something in a gathering, a Bedouin came and asked him "When would the Hour (Doomsday) take place?" Allah's Apostle continued his talk, so some people said that Allah's Apostle had heard the question, but did not like what that Bedouin has asked. Some of them said that Allah's Apostle had not heard it. When the Prophet finished his speech, he said, "Where is the questioner, who enquired about the Hour (Doomsday)?" The Bedouin said, "I am here, O Allah's Apostle" Then the Prophet said, "When honesty is lost, then wait for the Hour (Doomsday). The Bedouin said, "How will that be lost?" The Prophet said, "When the power or authority comes in the hands of unfit persons, then wait for the Hour (doomsday)". Bukhari 1:50-51, hadith # 56

Incompetent leaders condemned: 

"It is narrated on the authority of Abu Malik that Ubaidullah b. Ziyad visited Maqil b. Yasar in his illness. Maqil said to him: I am narrating to you hadith which I would have never narrated to you had I not been in death-bed. I heard Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) say: A ruler who has been entrusted with the affairs of the Muslims, but he makes no endeavors (for the material and moral uplift) and does not sincerely mean (their welfare) would not enter Paradise along with them." Muslim 1: 82, Chapter 44, Hadith # 264

Omar was a great leader: 

The Prophet said, “In a dream, I saw myself drawing water from a well with a bucket.  Abu Bakr came and drew a bucket or two weakly.  May Allah forgive him.  Then Umar bin Al Khattab came and the bucket turned into a very large one in his hands. I had never seen such a mighty person as he is doing such hard work till all the people drank to their satisfaction and watered their camels that knelt down there. Bukhari 5:23 Hadith #31, Bukhari 5:24 end of Hadith.

161007P - LEADERSHIP POWER

Presented at the MSA workshop Hong Kong on October 7-8, 2016 by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard)

Learning objectives:

• Types and use of leadership power
• Misuse of leadership power

Leaders defined by actions: 

• Leaders and followers are better defined by what they do than what they are or what they say. Actions cannot deceive over time; reputation and nice words often do. 
• Every leader has to expose himself through his actions since there is no leadership without activity.

Definition of power: 

• Power is the capability or potential to get something done. 
• Influence is an exercise of power to get something done. 
• Authority is formal power that a leader has as a virtue of the position. 
• Power and leadership are interdependent but are not interchangeable. 
• A leader needs the power to succeed and influence others but power alone does not make an effective leader. 

Types of power: 

• There are 2 types of leadership power: personal and positional. Both are used in varying proportions depending on the leadership situation. 
• Personal power is based on character, expertise, charisma, and personal relations. 
• Positional power is based on formal authority that includes decision-making, reward, punishment, and control of information and organizational resources. 

Use of leadership power: 

• The leader has to make a correct judgment of which source of power to use in a particular leadership situation. Influence is an exercise of leadership power. Powerful leaders have more influence. They have credibility and can get more compliance from their followers. 
• Leaders can get follower compliance by rational persuasion, appeal, pressure, promises of rewards, negotiations (win-win, compromise). 
• Leaders get followers to do things either by making small demands followed by big ones, or by starting with big demands followed by small ones of the big ones are not possible.

Credibility: 

• A leader gains more power and influence by building credibility. 
• Credibility is based on competence (experience, knowledge, and skills), character (honesty, kindness, sympathy), self-confidence, activity and drive, boldness, and assertiveness. 
• The followers must trust the leader if he is to lead them well. Building credibility starts with self-assessment to know your strengths and use them, to identify your weaknesses and compensate for them. 
• You have to listen to and learn from the followers. 
• Keeping promises and being predictable is very important for credibility.

COMPARING TYPES OF POWER

Fill the following table comparing types of leadership power. Write down 1-3 advantages/disadvantages for each type of power

161007P - STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

Presented at the MSA workshop Hong Kong on October 7-8, 2016 by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard)

IMPORTANCE OF STUDENT WORK:

• Students are a very important segment of society. They are intellectually alive, are dynamic, idealistic, and can afford the luxury of looking at issues without being under the pressure of being in the field. 
• Skills and convictions acquired by students are a valuable investment for future community leadership. 
• Work among students helps not only to identify potential leaders but also to train and promote their leadership potential. 
• Ibn Abbas and Abuhuraira’s student career and future academic leadership

CHARACTERISTICS OF STUDENTS:

• Idealism that energizes them or leads to apathy when they realize the imperfections of the real world
• Openness to all ideas and experiences: good or bad
• Decisiveness in selection among alternative ideas or experiences
• Strong commitment to what they are convinced about e.g. football, music, etc.
• Tendency to take extreme positions that lead them into many troubles. 

BALANCE IN STUDENT LIVES:

• Students have a wide range of issues that affect them both inside and outside the institution. 
• A balance needs to be established between social activism and academic achievement. 
• Students should never forget that the main purpose is to learn and study. 
• Student extracurricular activities should never interfere with studies. 
• Students have to be good students first before they are anything else!

CHALLENGES FOR STUDENTS (MANZOOR ALAM): 

• Academic, ideological, and cultural challenges.
• Ummatic issues: economic development, human and political rights. 
• Duality in the education system and cultural experiences: traditional vs modern
• Awareness of the science and technology gap between the ummat and the industrialized world but their education did not equip them to address it
• Many ‘isms’ daily in the mass media.

ROLE OF STUDENTS:

• Integration of knowledge
• Transmission of the heritage to the next generation
• Intellectual analysis and providing solutions
• Acquiring practical skills to succeed in an increasingly high-tech society.

FUNCTIONS OF STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS 1: 

• Social and dawa programs on-campus and off-campus
• Programs for students on the campus: worship, tarbiyat and training, academic support, entertainment, career or study counseling, counseling on social life, protection of Muslim student interests, and dawa. 
• MSA should receive and initiate new students on arrival or if possible, even before coming to the University or college. 

FUNCTIONS OF STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS 2: 

• Routine activities of MSA include: lectures, question forums, study groups, competitions, projects, drama, exhibitions, visits to hospitals, charitable visits, Islamic newsletter/magazine, video shows, practical demonstrations. 
• The halaqa (study circle) type of education is the best for students to learn Islam. 
• A specific plan must be followed to ensure that there is continuous and balanced tarbiyat all through the course of study at the university. 

161007P - THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD AS A MODEL LEADER

Presented at the MSA workshop HongKong on October 7-8, 2016 by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard)

MUHAMMAD THE MAN

• Preparation for leadership: respected lineage, difficult childhood as an orphan, as a youth he engaged in virtuous acts and avoided immoral ones. Leadership qualities in a dispute about placing the black stone.
• Excellent personal conduct endeared him to the people and he was known as the trustable one. He was a model character (uswat hasanat) 
• He was of respectable appearance. He used to turn his body in whole.
• He lived in poverty and did domestic chores. Mixed with the poor and weak.

MUHAMMAD- PERSONAL TRAITS 1

• Speech: Truth of speech, spoke only if there was a need and was concise, His laughter was only a smile.
• Time management: He divided his time into 3: Allah, the family, himself, and the ummat, fulfilling duties, long contemplation and deep thought, long periods in salat and dhikr, continuous work, and never rested, his eyes slept but his heart did not, he did not wander in markets, He used to keep himself away from what does not concern him
• Attitudes: loved optimism, hated pessimism, preferred the easier alternative; loved the good; hated the bad, was shier than a virgin

MUHAMMAD- PERSONAL TRAITS 2

• Emotions: He never became angry for his personal sake, he was forgiving. He never took revenge for himself. He only revenges when Allah’s limits were violated
• Moderation: He was moderate, each situation had its special approach, no wasting of food and dress
• Generous: he told Bilal to give and not fear poverty
• Intimate: Another dimension in the life of the prophet is the intimate and personal relationship he had with even non-living things. He gave individual names to his animals (horses, bighaal, donkeys, camels), swords, spears, armors.

MUHAMMAD – IN HIS ASSEMBLY 1

• Greeting: starting the greeting, did not withdraw his hand on handshaking
• Sitting:  He sat at the end of the assembly, did not distinguishing himself from companions in dress and sitting, He was patient with the people sitting with him until they left, he sat wherever there was a place, he hated people standing for him. When he sat or rose up he made dhikr
• Ambiance: His assembly was an assembly of kindness, modesty, patience, and trust. In his assembly, he was always happy.

MUHAMMAD – IN HIS ASSEMBLY 2

• Listening: He gave everybody presents a chance to speak, He never interrupted anybody’s conversation, Voices were not raised in his assembly. Attitude: He did not pay attention to what he did not like. He did not abuse anybody, he did not embarrass anyone, and did not spy on people’s secrets, 
• Speech: He never talked except about what has an expectation of reward, he had a slow deliberate conversation, he joked but said only the truth.

MUHAMMAD – THE HUSBAND 1

• Family fun: He took time to amuse his family. He took Aisha to watch martial arts performed by Abyssinians and stayed with her until she got bored. She used to foot race with Aisha; 
• Kind and tolerant: The prophet was kind and considerate towards his womenfolk. He did domestic work His wives used to argue with him and annoy him but he remained patient. His kindness and tolerance however did not prevent him from taking a firm stand.

MUHAMMAD – THE HUSBAND 2

• Loyal: He was very faithful and loyal to his first wife Khadijah. He kept remembering Khadijah so much that Aisha was jealous of her even if she never saw her. He remembered that she believed him when people disbelieved, she remained true when people called him a liar, she enriched him when people deprived him
• Sensitive: He told Aisha that he would know if she was happy or angry with him. In the former case, she would swear by the Lord of Muhammad and in the latter case by the Lord of Ibrahim. 

MUHAMMAD – THE LOVING FATHER 1

• The prophet was a loving father. He had only daughters and loved them a lot unless the then-existing Arab custom of despising girls. He rebuked a nomad who said he did not kiss his children. He used to welcome his grown-up daughter Fatima kindly and kiss her. He shed tears on the death of his son Ibrahim.
• He used to hold Usamah Ibn Zayd, a son of his freed slave, and Hassan, his grandson, on his lap and hugged them. He interrupted his speech to pick up his two grandsons who were running towards him and falling on their shirts. He used to play with Hassan by protruding his tongue and he would hurry to him.

 
MUHAMMAD – THE LOVING FATHER 2

• He prayed with umaamah on his shoulders. 
• In Madina, he was always surrounded by children. He greeted them, prayed for them, and wiped their heads. He used to joke with a boy ‘Umayr about his pet bird nughayr. 
• His love for children did not prevent him from being strict. He did not greet his beloved daughter Fatima when he found her wearing a gold necklace until she sold it and used its proceeds to buy the freedom of a slave.  He said that if Fatima stole he would not hesitate to cut off her hand as the Law dictates.

MUHAMMAD – THE SOCIAL LEADER 

• The community: The prophet was an example in taking care of community welfare. As head of state, he said that whoever left a debt he (the prophet) would be responsible for it and whoever left any property it is for the inheritors
• The whole world: The prophet was sent to all people to bring glad tidings. He is rated as the most influential person in history
• The environment: The prophet taught cleanliness of the environment
• Animal rights: The prophet taught kindness to animals
• Human rights: The prophet taught and practiced the essential equality of all humans. He raised the status of women. He also started a process of emancipating slaves.

MUHAMMAD – THE SUCCESSFUL POLITICAL LEADER

• Muhammad (PBUH) was the only messenger who witnessed the complete success of his mission in his lifetime. The Qur’an talks about this in surat al Nasr. 
• By the time he passed away, Islam was well established in the peninsula and was on its way to spreading outside the peninsula.

MUHAMMAD – THE MILITARY LEADER

• As a military leader the prophet defended Islam and Muslims. 
• He commanded 26 military campaigns, ghazawaat, in person. He dispatched 35 raiding parties, saraayat.

161007P - LEADERSHIP MODULE

Presentation at the Leadership Training Program in HongKong October 7-8, 2016 by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard)

WORKSHOP #1 LEADERSHIP: ESSENCE AND NATURE

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Definition of leadership
• Importance of leadership

OUTLINES #1: BACKGROUND READING

• Importance of leadership
• Understanding leadership
• Everybody undertakes leadership functions
• Empowering followers
• Leaders vs Managers
• Selection, change or renewal of leaders
• Problems faced by leaders
• Problems faced by leaders

TEXT ANALYSIS

• Leadership after trial
• Good leader wants good followers 
• Leader to be given some privacy
• Necessity/obligation of having leaders
• Personal ambition for leadership 
• Everybody exercises leadership Leadership
• Authority in incompetent hands 
• Disobedient followers

DISCUSSION

• Leadership after trial
• Good leader wants good followers 
• Leader to be given some privacy
• Necessity/obligation of having leaders
• Personal ambition for leadership
• Everybody exercises leadership 
• Leadership authority in incompetent hands
• Disobedient followers
• Incompetent leaders condemned
• Omar was a great leader
• Leader serves community

 

BACKGROUND READING #1

INSTRUCTIONS: MEMBERS OF THE GROUP SHOULD ALLOCATE EACH PART OF THE TEXT TO A MEMBER TO READ FOR A FEW MINUTES AND SUMMARIZE THE CONTENTS TO THE REST. THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY DISCUSSION AIMED AT LISTING THE MAIN POINTS OF THE TEXT

Importance of leadership: Leadership is a pre-condition for civilized existence. Absence of recognized leadership means chaos to the detriment of all. Any group of 3 or more must have a leader. Leadership is the single most important determinant of organizational success. Good leadership leads to success; bad leadership leads to frustration and failure. All members, supporters, and sympathizers of the organization are stakeholders who are concerned about success and failure of leadership.  One of the harbingers of doom is to place leadership authority in the wrong hands.

Understanding leadership: Leadership is the process of influencing people and making them do certain things. It is both an art and a science. It may be formal and legalistic or informal. It has rational, emotional, intuitive and instinctive dimensions. Leadership involves moving followers in a certain direction mostly by non-coercive methods. Successful leaders get voluntary cooperation from followers. Good leaders persuade and do not command. Fear and authority are not leadership. Leaders who depend only on authority and coercion do not go very far. Poor leaders by contrast manipulate their followers. Manipulation is getting a person to do what they are not aware of or do not want to do. A few leadership skills are innate but most are acquired by experience and education. There is a dynamic interaction between the leader, the followers, and the situation. A leader of one group of followers may not be able to lead a different group. A leader in one situation may fail in another one. Roles of leaders and followers can be interchanged. A leader may be a follower of a more powerful leader. A good leader must therefore also be a good follower. True leadership is more service than domination. The leader is the servant (sayyid al qawm khadimuhum). Good and effective leadership is a source of greatness (‘abqariyyah). Great movements and changes in history are always associated with great leaders. Intended here is real, genuine, moral, and competent leadership based on character and integrity and not the phoney leadership that thrives on propaganda, deceit, and manipulation. Bad leaders are motivated by power alone. They just like the exercise of power. Good leaders have higher motivation. They want to use leadership power to improve and make a change.

Everybody undertakes leadership functions: Leadership is a function exercised by almost everybody each in his or her own sphere; you are at least leaders of yourself or leader of your family. Leadership can be in the community, the work place, and in public organizations. Since everybody has some leadership roles, each one can become a more effective leader by formal training or gaining experience on the job. Not everyone wants to be a public leader. There are many people who are just not prepared to invest the energy necessaru to shoulder the responsibilities of public leadership. Leadership involves the following specific functions: setting and communicating visions, goals, and objectives; representing followers; directing, coordinating, and integrating; influencing, mobilizing, motivating, creating enthusiasm and optimism; providing services and making a difference.

Empowering followers: There is no leadership without followership. The quality of the followers determines the quality of the leaders. A good leader may fail with bad followers. An average leader may succeed if he has good followers. In the long run it is follower quality that determines the nature of a particular leadership situation. "The way you are is the way of your leaders". Followers get the leaders they deserve. Incongruence between followers and leaders is usually temporary and hardly exceeds a generation. Successful leadership requires that followers obey the leader. There are, however, limitations and conditions for that obedience as will be discussed later. Good leaders teach leadership, they pull and do not push. Good leadership involves empowering followers by coaching them and then sharing leadership power with them through delegation. Followers must be given real authority, information and resources but must be held accountable for what they do. Empowered followers have heightened self-efficacy and self-confidence. They will have higher performance, exhibit more cooperation, achieve higher personal growth, and in the end all ensure the survival of the organization.

Leaders vs Managers: Leadership calls for different skills from management. Managers are not necessarily leaders. The reverse is also true. An organization may be well led but poorly managed and vice versa. In practice, management and leadership functions overlap. An individual can exercises both leadership and management functions in varying proportions. You have to know when to lead and when to manage. Leaders are concerned with effectiveness; they are intuitive and visionary; they like change, innovation, challenging the status quo, and development; they are original; they focus on vision and its importance; they have a long-term view and inspire others to achieve and excel. Managers are rational problem-solvers whose concern is efficiency, process, and mechanics of achieving objectives. They administer for maintenance of stability, harmony, and the status quo. They follow and do not innovate. Their view is generally short-term.

Selection, change or renewal of leaders: Successful public leadership is always directly or indirectly dependent on the consent of the followers. Good selection of public leaders requires participation of the followers. Leaders can not be imposed. Imposition of leaders can work for only a short time or is associated with unsuccessful leader-follower situations. The exact method of expressing the follower's view varies according to the circumstances of each group. Follower input whatever its nature can not be ignored. There is no correct answer to the question how long should one individual stay in leadership? It is better to leave this matter open and decide according to circumstances. Staying too long discourages the emergence of younger leaders and infusing new blood and new ideas into the organization. It may also result into inefficiency as the leader loses effectiveness with time. Frequent changes of leaders may on the other hand result in lack of continuity and instability. There are situations in which one long-serving leader is the only one with the skills and charisma to hold the organization together. In such a case you should not insist on change for the sake of change.

Problems faced by leaders: Leaders experience problems. Being at the top can be lonely. They take responsibility for failures. Followers may be disloyal to the leaders or the organization. Subordinates may have poor values that the leaders can not stand. There may be dissent. The leaders may be ahead of the followers in vision and thinking. External threats are always looming on the horizon. A leader is a public figure and has to accept more invasion of his privacy than an ordinary person. It is important that people know enough about leaders' private life to be assured that they are not involved in any activity that is incompatible with their leadership position. The leader must be accessible at all times and can not claim privacy as a reason for not carrying out leadership functions. The followers must however have some consideration for the leader and his family. They must give him some privacy so that he can lead an ordinary life

TEXT ANALYSIS #1

INSTRUCTIONS: READ OUT EACH TEXT ALOUD TWO TIMES. MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE MAIN POINTS RAISED. WRITE DOWN THE MAIN LESSON(S) YOU HAVE LEARNED FROM THE TEXT.

Leadership after trial: ‘And remember that Abraham was tried by his Lord with certain Commands, which he fulfilled: He said: "I will make you An Imam to the Nations. He pleaded: "And also (Imams) from my offspring!" He answered: "But My promise is not within the reach of evildoers. Qur'an 2:124

Good leader wants good followers: ‘And those who pray, Our Lord! Grant unto us wives and offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and give us (the grace) To lead the righteous’. Qur'an 25:74

 

Leader to be given some privacy: ‘O you who believe! Enter not the Prophet's houses until leave is given you for a meal, (and then) not (so early as) to wait for its preparation: but when you are invited, enter; And when you have taken your meal, disperse, without seeking familiar talk. Such (behavior) annoys the Prophet: he is ashamed to dismiss you, but Allah is not ashamed (to tell you) the truth’. Qur'an 33:53

Necessity/obligation of having leaders:  “Abu Said al Khudri reported the Apostle of Allah may peace be upon him) as saying: When three are on a journey, they should appoint one of them as their commander." Abu Daud 2:721, Chapter 933, hadith # 2602.  

Personal ambition for leadership discouraged: "Abd al Rahman b Samurah said: The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said to me: Abd al-Rahman b. Samurah, do not ask for the position of commander, for if you are given it after asking you will be left to discharge it yourself, but if you are given it without asking you will be helped to discharge it." Abu Daud 2:827, Chapter 1090, hadith # 2923

Everybody exercises leadership responsibility:  (1) "It has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Umar that the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) said: Beware, every one of you is a shepherd and every one is answerable with regard to his flock. The Caliph is a shepherd over the people and shall be questioned about his subjects (as to how he conducted their affairs). A man is a guardian over the members of his family and shall be questioned about them (as how he looked after their physical and moral well-being).  A woman is a guardian over the household of her husband and his children and shall be questioned about them (as to how she managed the household and brought up the children). A servant is a guardian over the property of his master and shall be questioned about it (as to how he safeguarded his trust ). Beware, every one of you is a guardian and every one of you shall be questioned with regard to his trust." Muslim 3: 1017, Chapter 758, Hadith # 4496

Leadership authority in incompetent hands is a sign of doom: "Narrated Abu Huraira: While the Prophet was saying something in a gathering, a Bedouin came and asked him "When would the Hour (Doomsday) take place?" Allah's Apostle continued his talk, so some people said that Allah's Apostle had heard the question, but did not like what that Bedouin has asked. Some of them said that Allah's Apostle had not heard it. When the Prophet finished his speech, he said, "Where is the questioner, who enquired about the Hour (Doomsday)?" The Bedouin said, "I am here, O Allah's Apostle" Then the Prophet said, "When honesty is lost, then wait for the Hour (Doomsday). The Bedouin said, "How will that be lost?" The Prophet said, "When the power or authority comes in the hands of unfit persons, then wait for the Hour (doomsday)". Bukhari 1:50-51, hadith # 56

Disobedient followers: Musa and Isaelites: Qur'an 2:51-61, 5:22-29, 7:148-156, 7:159-162

Incompetent leaders condemned: "It is narrated on the authority of Abu Malik that Ubaidullah b. Ziyad visited Maqil b. Yasar in his illness. Maqil said to him: I am narrating to you hadith which I would have never narrated to you had I not been in death-bed. I heard Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) say: A ruler who has been entrusted with the affairs of the Muslims, but he makes no endeavors (for the material and moral uplift) and does not sincerely mean (their welfare) would not enter Paradise along with them"

Muslim 1: 82, Chapter 44, Hadith # 264

Omar was a great leader: The Prophet said, “In a dream I saw myself drawing water from a well with a bucket.  Abu Bakr came and drew a bucker or two weakly.  May Allah forgive him.  Then Umar bin Al Khattab came and the bucket turned into a very large one in his hands. I had never seen such a might person as he in doing such hard work till all the people drank to their satisfaction and watered their camels that knelt down there. Bukhari 5:23 Hadith #31, Bukhari 5:24 end of Hadith.

Leader serves community: I heard Abu Hurayrah say, “God have mercy on Ibn Hantamah.  I saw him in the Year of the Destruction carrying on his back two provision bags with a skin of olive oil in his hand.  He and Aslam were taking it in turns.  When he saw me, he said, ‘Where are you coming from, Abu Hurayrah?’ I told him from near at hand, and I began to take my turn to carry.  So we all eventually came to Sirar where there were abut twenty isolated tents of Muharib.  ‘Umar said, ‘What has brought you here?”  They replied it was exhaustion.  They brought out for us some broiled carrion skin that they were eating and some powdered old bones that they were scooping into their mouths with their hands.  I saw ‘Umar throw his upper garment [over his shoulder], then adjust his waist wrapper.  He continued cooking for them until they were satisfied.  Then he sent aslam to Medina and he brought some stallion camels on which he counted them and set them down in al-Jabbanah.  HE then gave them clothes, visiting them and others [in similar circumstances] frequently until God relieved the people of this drought”. Tabari 14 : 119

DISCUSSION #1:

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS

Consider the events of the 2nd and 10th years of Hegira. Identify 2 actions of the Prophet that were leadership functions and 2 that were management functions in the second year of hijra. Do the same for the 10th year of hijra.  Complete the following table. 

A. SECOND YEAR OF HIJRA

Function, event, or decision leadership? Managerial?

B. TENTH YEAR OF HIJRA

Function, event, or decision leadership? Managerial?

LEADERSHIP SITUATIONS

Describe the following leadership situations. Make sure to identify the leader(s), the followers, the leadership activities, and the relation between the leader(s) and the followers

Musa and bani Israel

Talut and bani Israel

David and bani Israel

Sulaiman and animals

KEY WORDS

 

• Leadership process

• Leadership situation

• Leadership responsibility

• Empowerment

• Leadership as service

• Leadership competence

 

YOUR NOTES: 

 

WORKSHOP #2

LEADERSHIP POWER

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Types and use of leadership power

• Misuse of leadership power

OUTLINES #2:

BACKGROUND READING

• Leaders defined by actions

• Definition of power

• Types of power

• Use of leadership power

• Credibility

TEXT ANALYSIS

• Leadership power

• Being gradual in obtaining compliance

• Omar was feared

• Omar’s sensitivity

• Toughness and softness

DISCUSSION

• Comparing types of power

BACKGROUND READING #2

INSTRUCTIONS: MEMBERS OF THE GROUP SHOULD ALLOCATE EACH PART OF THE TEXT TO A MEMBER TO READ FOR A FEW MINUTES AND SUMMARIZE THE CONTENTS TO THE REST. THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY DISCUSSION AIMED AT LISTING THE MAIN POINTS OF THE TEXT

Leaders defined by actions: Leaders and followers are better defined by what they do than what they are or what they say. Actions can not deceive over time; reputation and nice words often do. Every leader has to expose himself through his actions since there is no leadership without activity.

Definition of power: Power is capability or potential to get something done. Influence is exercise of power to get something done. Authority is formal power that a leader has as a virtue of the position. Power and leadership are interdependent but are not interchangeable. A leader needs power to succeed and influence others but power alone does not make an effective leader. 

Types of power: There are 2 types of leadership power: personal and positional. Both are used in varying proportions depending on the leadership situation. Personal power is based on character, expertise, charisma, and personal relations. Positional power is based on formal authority that includes decision-making, reward, punishment, and control of information and organizational resources. 

Use of leadership power: The leader has to make a correct judgement of which source of power to use in a particular leadership situation. Influence is exercise of leadership power. Powerful leaders have more influence. They have credibility and can get more compliance from their followers. Leaders can get follower compliance by rational persuasion, appeal, pressue, promise of rewards, negotiations (win-win, compromise). Leader get followers to do things either by making small demands followed by big ines, or by starting with big demands followed by small ones of the big ones are not possible

Credibility: A leader gains more power and influence by building credibility. Credibility is based on competence (experience, knowledge, and skills), character (honesty, kindness, sympathy), self-confidence, activity and drive, boldness and assertiveness. The followers must trust the leader if he is to lead them well. Building credibility starts with self-assessment to know your strengths and use them, to identify your weaknesses and compensate for them. You have to listen to and learn from the followers. Keeping promises and being predictable are very important for credibility.

TEXT ANALYSIS #2

INSTRUCTIONS: READ OUT EACH TEXT ALOUD TWO TIMES. MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE MAIN POINTS RAISED. WRITE DOWN THE MAIN LESSON(S) YOU HAVE LEARNED FROM THE TEXT.

Leadership power: Sulaiman Qur'an 27:15-44

Being gradual in obtaining compliance: Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: Allah's Apostle said to Mu'adh bin Jabal when he sent him to Yemen. "You will come to the people of scripture, and when you reach them, invite them to testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and that Muhammad is His Apostle. And if they obey you in that, then tell them that Allah has enjoined on them five prayers to be performed every day and night. And if they obey you in that, then tell them that Allah has enjoined on them Sadaqa (i.e. Zakat) to be taken from the rich amongst them and given to the poor amongst them. And if they obey you in that, then be cautious! Don't take their best properties (as Zakat) and be afraid of the curse of an oppressed person as there is no screen between his invocation and Allah. Bukhari:

Omar was feared: “Narrated Saad bin abi Waqqas Umar bin Al Khattab asked permission of Allah’s Apostle to see him while some Quraishi women were sitting with him, talking to him and asking him for more expenses, raising their voices over the voice of Allah’s Apostle,  when Umar asked for the permission to enter, the women quickly put on their veils.  Allah’s Apostle allowed him to enter and Umar came in while Allah’s Apostle was smiling, Umar said, O Allah’s Apostle !  may Allah always keep you smiling.   The Prophet said, These women who have been here, roused my wonder, for as soon as they heard your voice, they quickly put on their veils.  Umar said, O Allah’s Apostle !  You have more right to be feared by them than I”.  Then Umar addressed the women saying.  O enemies of yourselves !  Your fear me more than you do Allah’s Apostle?  They said, Yes, for you are harsher and sterner than Allah’s messenger you are going on a way, but he takes another way other than your”. Bukhari 5:23 - 24, Hadith # 32

Omar’s sensitivity: According to Ahmad b. Umar : Umar b. al-Khattab passed through the market carrying his whip.  He death me a blow with it and caught the edge of my garment, saying “Get out of the way”, the following year he met me and said, “Are you intending to go on the pilgrimage, Salamah?  When I told him that I was, he took me by the hand to his house and gave me 600 dirhams, saying, use them to make your pilgrimage, and you should know that they are by way of compensation for the lash that I gave you. “I replied, But I had not remembered it Commander of the Faithful".  “But I had not forgotten it! “exclaimed” Omar .Tabari 14 : 138 - 139

Toughness and softness : Abu Ja’far [al-Tabari] said : (‘Umar) was hard on those with dubious reputations and severe in [seeking out] God’s truth until he extracted it, but easygoing in what was owed to him until it was handed over to him and compassionate and full of pity for the weak. …. According to ‘Ubaydallah b. Sa’d al-Zuhri-his paternal uncle-his father-al-Walid b.  Kathir-Muhammad b. ‘Ijlan-Zayd b. Aslam-his father: Some Muslims had a word with ‘Abd. al-Rahman b. ‘Awf and said, “Speak to ‘Umar b. al-Khattab, for he has inspired so much fear in us that indeed we cannot look him in the face”.  ‘Abd. al-Rahman b. ‘Awf mentioned this to ‘Umar and he said, “Did they really say this? !  I was indeed lenient with them to such as extent that I was afraid of God.  I became severe with them to such an extent that I was afraid of God.  I swear an oath in God’s name that I am more afraid of them than they are of me!”. Tabari 14: 111 - 112

DISCUSSION #2:

COMPARING TYPES OF POWER

Fill the following table comparing types of leadership power. Write down 1-3 advantages/disadvantages for each type of power

TYPE OF POWER ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

REWARD

PUNISHMENT

EXPERT

PERSONAL RELATIONS

KEY WORDS

 

• Leadership power

• Leadership authority

• Personal power

• Positional position

• Leadership as influence

• Balance in leadership

 

YOUR NOTES: 

 

 

WORKSHOP #3

DISEASES OF LEADERS AND FOLLOWERS-1

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Diseases of leaders

• Diseases of followers

OUTLINES #3:

BACKGROUND READING

 

• Human imperfections

• Socialization

• Diseases

• Deviant personality

• Pride and Vanity

• Uncompensated weaknesses

• Ignorance 

• Excessive veneration

• Oppression

• Petty-mindedness

• Manipulation

• Seeking false reputation

• Abandoning followers

• Unequal treatment of followers

 

TEXT ANALYSIS

• Ignorant leaders misguide

• Oppression and petty-mindedness

• Oppressor is finally punished

• Do not despair

• Leader who deceives followers

• Searching for follower faults

DISCUSSION

• Diseases Fatal For Leaders

• Manifestations Of Leadership Failure

• Manipulative Leaders

BACKGROUND READING #3

INSTRUCTIONS: MEMBERS OF THE GROUP SHOULD ALLOCATE EACH PART OF THE TEXT TO A MEMBER TO READ FOR A FEW MINUTES AND SUMMARIZE THE CONTENTS TO THE REST. THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY DISCUSSION AIMED AT LISTING THE MAIN POINTS OF THE TEXT

Human imperfections: With the exception of prophets, no leaders or followers can claim being perfect. Any leader will have diseases (hopefully few). Followers also have diseases. The diseases of leaders and followers could be synergistic. The aim of good leadership is to minimize or compensate for them. This requires maturity and balance. The leader must be able to look at himself in a mirror or listen to trusted advisors to know and acknowledge weaknesses. Only the greatest can do this.

Socialization: Bad leadership is learned from poor role models in the home, the general society, and the work-place. Societies or organizations that depended on authoritarianism, no delegation, no participation produced the worst leaders in history.

Diseases: Good leaders have attributes and skills that have been discussed. Bad leaders are not necessarily those with opposite attributes and skills. Bad leaders have definite diseases that could exist alongside some of the good qualities. In the extreme some bad leaders have only diseases and none of the good qualities.

Deviant personality: Some bad leaders are actually psychologically sick: sadists, megalomaniacs, jealous, immature, or psychopathic personalities. Organizations and societies that allow such individuals to rise to the top pay a heavy price.

Pride and Vanity: Pride and vanity have destroyed many leaders. They are from the SHAITAN and eventually lead to mutual hatred between leaders and followers. They may also become a disease of both the leader and his followers in which case there is mutual hatred between groups,organizations, and even nations.

Uncompensated weaknesses: A leader is a human being and can not be perfect. There will be weaknesses. The way to deal with them is to compensate for them by relying on strong people who have the skills that the leader may lack. The careful leader will also avoid acitivities that he lacks the ability to do well.

Ignorance: Some bad leaders are sincere and are committing mistakes without being aware of them. Some commit mistakes because of basic inner limitations. Ignorance of a leader that is not acknowledged or compensated for spells disaster for the organization. Wrong decisions will be made and will be defended by the leader. 

Excessive veneration: Bad leaders with weak egos seek excessive veneration from their followers. These are inadequate persons who are not sure of themselves. An organisation that allows such persons to occupy leadership positions will regret the consequences.

Oppression: Bad leaders who lack legitimacy, personal authority, and self-confidence tend to be oppressive. They try to use force to impose their will. Those who oppose this are dealt with badly. Oppression eventually fails.

Petty-mindedness: Petty-mindedness is a sign of an immature personality and lack of vision. Small things become big while big things are not even recognized. The self becomes more important than the public interest.

Manipulation: Bad leaders are manipulative. They control and do not build or develop their followers. Manipulation is not leadership. It is a form of coercion and deception. A manipulative leader does not deal honestly with followers. He uses physical and psychological pressures to get compliance. Often he uses outright deception.

Seeking false reputation: Bad leaders concentrate on building false reputations, appearances, and images. They neglect the hard work that produces real results. Such leaders who deceive themselves and their followers will not hide their weaknesses for long. False leaders are exposed sooner or later. If not exposed in their lifetime or period of tenure, history will expose them in unflattering terms. The Qur'an recounts stories of such leaders in bygone eras as a lesson to all of us.

Abandoning followers: Bad leaders will abandon their followers in times of crisis or danger. They will not stand to share the pain with them or lead them to a solution.

Unequal treatment of followers: Bad leaders treat followers unequally. There is favoritism. Those who praise the leader and pander to his ego are preferred over the more principled ones. Syncopaths are brought near while the productive and hard-working are kept away. Favoritism may also manifest as nepotism, appointments or promotions based on family relationships and not merit. Injustice of a bad leader may be in attitude, actions, judgements, decisions, and communication. All what deviates from the truth and fair and equitable treatment is injustice.

Deviant values: It is an irony of human experience that the best and the worst leaders can share some of the same practical and conceptual skills. They differ in the underlying values, personality, goals, and how the skills are used. Good moral leaders serve humanity while the bad ones cause suffering and harm.

TEXT ANALYSIS #3

INSTRUCTIONS: READ OUT EACH TEXT ALOUD TWO TIMES. MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE MAIN POINTS RAISED. WRITE DOWN THE MAIN LESSON(S) YOU HAVE LEARNED FROM THE TEXT.

Ignorant leaders misguide: "Narrated Abdullah b Amr bin Al As : I heard Allah's Apostle saying, Allah does not take away knowledge, by taking it away from ( the hearts of ) the people, but takes it away by the death of the religious learned men till when none of the ( religious learned men ) remains, people will take as their leaders ignorant persons who when consulted will give their verdict without knowledge. So they will go astray and will lead the people astray". Bukhari 1:80, hadith # 100

Oppression and petty-mindedness: "Jabir b Abdullah reported that Allah's Messenger ( may peace be upon him ) said: Be on your guard against committing oppression, for oppression is a darkness on the Day of Resurrection, and be on your guard against petty mindedness for petty mindedness destroyed tho who were before you. as it incited the to shed blood and make lawful what was unlawful for them"

Muslim 4: 1366, Chapter 1065, Hadith # 6248

Oppressor is finally punished: "Narrated Abu Musa: Allah's Apostle said, Allah gives respite to the oppressor, but when He takes him over, He never releases him. Bukhari 6:171, hadith # 208

Do not despair: "Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him ) as saying: When a person says that people are ruined he is he is himself ruined" Muslim 3: 1382, Chapter 1091, Hadith # 6352

Leader who deceives followers: "Narrated Maqil : Allah's Apostle said, If any ruler having the authority to rule Muslim subjects dies while he is deceiving them, Allah will forbid Paradise for him" Bukhari 9:197, hadith # 265

Searching for follower faults: "Jubair b. Nufair, Kathir b. Murrah, Amr b. al-Aswad, Miqdam b. Madikarib, and Abu Umamah reported the Prophet ( may peace be upon him ) as saying: When a ruler seeks to make imputations against the people, he corrupts them" Abu Daud 3:1362, Chapter 1752, Hadith # 4870

DISCUSSION #3:

DISEASES FATAL FOR LEADERS

Write 1-3 sentences on what you understand by the following diseases of leaders: Give examples from  your experience

Psychological/personality illnesses:

MANIFESTATIONS OF LEADERSHIP FAILURE

Give examples from your experience of the following manifestations of leadership failure:

Manifestation

Example

Refusal to admit/accept mistakes

Believing they are indispensable:

Dictatorial and egoistic 

Refusal to traindevelop replacements

Fear for position

Disloyalty: to superiors, peers, followers, organization

Fear of competition from outside  and inside 

Lack of creativity: hate new ideas, 

Prefer unprodctive tested ways

Too bureaucratic 

Lack of common sense: aloof; far from reality,theoretical

Lack of a 'people sense: 

Use positional and not personal power

Disrespect and demotivate followers: fault-finding,name calling, attacks, blame,

Manage different people in the same way

Manipulative behavior

Self-centered-ness 

Lack sense of 'bottom-line': not know you are judged by results

Failure to pay attention to detail

Failure to see endresults

Failure to set standards & making sure standards are respected

Failure to lead: being part of the crowd and not leading

Not taking hard decisions involving people

Interference in followers' privacy 

Condone/ignore incompetence

Desire to be loved by followers

Lack of will-power  wish problems will disappear on their own

Fear confrontation 

Failure to recognize and reward good work 

Hatred of followers for leader: 

MANIPULATIVE LEADERS

Fill the following table comparing manipulators and people builders. Indicate your choices as high/low:

MANIPULATORS BUILDERS

Sincere concern for people

Self-oriented

Supportive

Power hungry

Trainer/coach

Threat/fear

Consistent

Disciplined

Oppressive

Uses and dumps people

Uses power for self gain

Patient

Praises success

Intuitive

Empathetic

Close-minded

Flexible

Embraces change

Long-term perspective

Secure

Jealous

KEY WORDS

Pride and vanity

Manipulation

Responsibility

Bottom-line

Mistrust

YOUR NOTES:

 

WORKSHOP #4

DISEASES OF LEADERS AND FOLLOWERS-2

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Diseases of leaders

• Diseases of followers

OUTLINES #4:

BACKGROUND READING

 

• Diseases of followers

• Causes of leadership failure

• Responsibility and accountability

• Results/bottom line

• Arrogance and feeling indispensable

• Putting people down

• Mistrust and disloyalty

• Lack of creativity

• Inaccessibility

• Poor human relations

• Following the crowd

• Consequences of hatred by followers

• Causes of hatred of followers for leader 

 

TEXT ANALYSIS

 

• Torment for no genuine reason

• Disappearance of honesty

• Leader should not have pride/vanity

• Cruelty

• Arrogance

• Dishonesty

• Taking bribes

 

DISCUSSION

• Disease Of Followers

• What To Do With A Bad Leader

• What To Do With Bad Followers

BACKGROUND READING #4

INSTRUCTIONS: MEMBERS OF THE GROUP SHOULD ALLOCATE EACH PART OF THE TEXT TO A MEMBER TO READ FOR A FEW MINUTES AND SUMMARIZE THE CONTENTS TO THE REST. THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY DISCUSSION AIMED AT LISTING THE MAIN POINTS OF THE TEXT

Diseases of followers: Followers, like leaders, have diseases: hypocrisy, insincerity, bad advice to leader, disloyalty, disobedience, and excessive veneration of the leader. Followers show hypocrisy when they say something in front of the leader and the opposite when away from him. They may outwardly show loyalty and obedience when they are secretly plotting against him. Insincerity is all forms of dishonesty and lies to the leader and fellow followers. It also includes doing things for selfish individual interests while hurting the interests of the group. Some followers may give advice to a leader that they know is bad either for some selfish personal gain, or to hurt someone else, or to hurt the leader by making him commit mistakes. Disloyalty in all its forms is bad. It is however not loyalty to support and follow a leader in committing immoral acts. Followers must obey the leader as long as he is ordering them to do good. Disobedience rapidly results into chaos and break down of the civil order. Violence by the ruler against followers or among followers rapidly ensues in a situation of anarchy. It is for this reason that obedience should not be withheld even if the leader commits some minor mistakes. Some followers may spoil the leader by pandering to his ego and showing him excessive veneration. When all of this gets to his head he may start behaving like a dictator, develop vanity and pride and eventually fail in leadership.

Causes of leadership failure: Leadership failure is a consequence of a series of mistakes. An organization can survive a few leadership mistakes. When the mistakes are consecutive and cumulative, the death certificate for the organization is sealed. Leadership failure has several often inter-related causes: (a) refusal to admit mistakes and blaming them on others (b) belief of the leader that he is indispensable and behaving as a dictator (c) fear for position and neglecting training or developing replacements (d) disloyalty to superiors, peers, followers and the organization (e) lack of creativity: hating new ideas, persisting in unproductive but tested ways, and being too bureaucratic (f) lack of common sense, being away from reality and being theoretical (g) Lack of human skills and handling followers well and equitably (h) lack of a sense of bottom-line that you have to produce results (i) failure to lead and following the crowd (j) condoning or tolerating incompetence (k) failure to recognize and reward good work (l) followers hating the leader.

Responsibility and accountability: A leader is accountable for all what goes on. He should have the courage to admit his mistakes so that he may correct them. He must also take ultimate responsibility for mistakes committed by subordinates although he is not personally directly culpable. He was supposed to select only the best and most competent, train them, and supervise them so that they make no mistakes. Bad leaders do not take personal responsibilities. They are not accountable for mistakes in their organization. They look for excuses (even valid ones) or shift responsibility to others. It is a sign of personal weakness and emotional immaturity for a leader to pretend to be all-knowing and perfect all the time. 

Results/bottom line: A leader is judged by results. Lack of a sense of a bottom line is a sure way to leadership failure. Such leaders may tolerate or even condone incompetence in the organization because success and results do not matter to them. They will fail to recognize and reward good work. A leader must achieve results. If he fails, even if he worked hard and sincerely and even if he has valid excuses, he is considered to have failed and he must accept responsibility. Accepting responsibility is the first positive step toward looking for a solution.

Arrogance and feeling indispensable: When a leader starts thinking that he is special and that there is nobody else who can be in his position he is already on the way to being lost. He will soon become a dictator and will suppress all dissent and refuse to listen to advice. He will not develop his followers. Shaitan will encourage him to become increasingly arrogant until he eventually fails. An insecure leader fears for his position and tries to oppress or suppress people with leadership ability in the organization. This is an insincere person who should not have been a leader in the first place. A mark of a good leader is not coveting positions.

Putting people down: Poor leaders, actually leaders by default, put down people and are only manifesting their own lack of self-confidence and a feeling of low self-worth. They assume that everybody else must be like them. Such leaders either do not last long or continue leading failing organizations.

Mistrust and disloyalty: A bad leader does not trust others and is not trusted. He will be disloyal to his superiors, his peers, and his subordinates. He will even betray the organization in pursuit of his selfish interests.

Lack of creativity: When a leader starts thinking he knows all and is perfect in all what he is doing, he closes his mind to new ideas. He suppresses creativity and innovation and persists in old ways even if they are unproductive. Some of such leaders realize the futility of their stand and tend to hide behind bureaucratic policies, rules, and regulations.

Inaccessibility: A leader who is not accessible soon loses touch with realities in the organizations. He can not know what is going on at the grass-roots level. He lives in an ivory tower and his decisions and actions lack the common sense that is expected.

Poor human relations: Poor leaders are poor in human relations. They demotivate followers, harass them and make them loathe the organization. Many followers will leave at the first opportunity. Some leaders develop this people incompetence into an art. They are aware of their inadequacy and inability to change so they make sure no follower stays too long with them. They know the follower will eventually get fed up with them and may confront them one day. They make sure he leaves before that breaking point. High turnover thus becomes a normal way with dire consequences for the organization.

Following the crowd: Some leaders abdicate their responsibilities. They fail to lead and follow the crowd. Some could justify this by saying that they are 'listening' to their followers. The main motivation for this is to be loved by the followers. Some leaders just do not want to confront the practical realities and difficulties of leadership and are content only with the pomp and material benefits of leadership.

Consequences of hatred by followers: No person should insist on continuing in a leadership position if he/she is hated by the followers. Leadership can not succeed if there is no good relation between the leader and the followers. Confrontations and divisions will sooner or later occur in the organisation. If a leader is in position for the good of the organisation and not personal interest, he will rather resign than expose the organisation to the risk of failure.

Causes of hatred of followers for leaders: A leader who does not respect followers is soon hated. The causes of hatred are: impersonal behavior, not listening to followers, being self importance, wrong decisions, claiming credit for followers' work, blaming followers for the leader's mistakes, being secretive, withholding information, failure to protect followers from external attacks, public criticism of followers, not consulting followers, and over-working followers. 

TEXT ANALYSIS #4

INSTRUCTIONS: READ OUT EACH TEXT ALOUD TWO TIMES. MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE MAIN POINTS RAISED. WRITE DOWN THE MAIN LESSON(S) YOU HAVE LEARNED FROM THE TEXT.

Torment for no genuine reason: "Hisham reported on the authority of his father that Hisham b. Hakin b. Hizam happened to pass by people, the farmers of Syria, who had been made to stand in the sun. He said: What is the matter with them?. They said: They have been detained for Jizya. Thereupon Hisham said: I bear testimony to the fact that I heard Allah's Messenger ( may peace be upon him ) as saying" Allah would torment those who torment people in the world" Muslim 3: 1378, Chapter 1083, Hadith # 6328

Disappearance of honesty: "Narrated Abu Huraira : Allah's Apostle said, When honesty is lost. then wait for the Hour. It was asked, How will honesty be lost, O Allah's Apostle? He said. When authority is given to those who do not deserve it, then wait for the Hour." Bukhari 8:332, hadith # 503

Leader should not have pride/vanity: " Hadrat Amir ibn Rabiah says that once he accompanied the Prophet ( p.b.u.h. ) to the mosque. The thong or strap of his shoe got broken, Hadrat Amir took it so as to mend it. The prophet refused and said, " This thing smells pride, and I dislike vanity or pride."  Hayat 2:611

Cruelty: (1) Pharaoh Qur:an 2:49 (2) Nimrod Qur'an 21:66-70 (3) Dhu Nuwas  Surat al Buruj: 1-8

Arrogance: Pharaoh: Qur'an 28:38-39, Qur'an 79:21-24

Dishonesty: "Narrated Hudhaifa: Allah's Apostle narrated to us two narrations, one of which I have seen (happening) and I am waiting for the other. He narrated that honesty was preserved in the roots of the hearts of men (in the beginning) and then they learnt it (honesty) from the Qur'an and then they learnt it from the ( Prophet's ) Sunna (tradition). He also told us about its disappearance. saying. " A man will go to sleep whereupon honesty will be taken away from his heart, and only its trace will remain, resembling the traces of fire. He then will sleep whereupon the remainder of the honesty will also be taken away (from his heart ) and its trace will resemble a blister which is raised over the surface of skin when an ember touches one's foot: and in fact, this blister does not contain anything, So there will come a day when people will deal in business with each other but there will hardly be any trustworthy persons among them. Then it will be said that in such and such a tribe there is such and such person who is honest, and a man will be admired for his intelligence, good manners and strength, though indeed he will not have belief equal to a mustard seed in his heart. The narrator added: there came upon me a time when I did not mind dealing with anyone of you, for if he was a Muslim; his religion would prevent him from cheating, and if he was a Christian, his muslim ruler would prevent him from cheating; but today I cannot deal except with so and so and so and so" Bukhari 8:332-333, hadith # 504

DISCUSSION #4:

DISEASE OF FOLLOWERS

Give examples of follower diseases from your personal or organisational experience

WHAT TO DO WITH A BAD LEADER

Imagine you are a follower and your leader has one of the following diseases. Write down preventive and curative measures you would take to deal with the situation. Leaving the organisation is not one of the options

PROBLEM PREVENTIVE/CURATIVE MEASURES

Superiority complex,

Feeling of invincibility or invulnerability

Intolerance of other views and opinions

Authoritarian and dictatorial disposition

Manipulation of people

Complacence and lack of courage

Denying or avoiding responsibility

Giving false impressions of achievement

Obsessive fear of failure

Inability to focus

Search for cheap popularity

Feeling threatened.

Sadism

Jealousy

Selfishness

Egocentricity

Power hungry,

Tunnel vision,

Exploitation

Oppression

Resenting accomplishments of others

Insensitivity to followers

Disclosing secrets,

WHAT TO DO WITH BAD FOLLOWERS

Imagine you are a leader and you have followers with the following diseases. Write down preventive and curative measures you would undertake to deal with the situation. Throwing them out of the organization is not one of the options

KEY WORDS

• Pride and vanity

• Manipulation

• Responsibility

• Bottom-line

• Mistrust

YOUR NOTES: