Towards A Revolutionary Leadership, Citizenship And Egalitarianism -By Richard Odusanya

Let me begin with the golden words of Neil deGrasse Tyson an American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator. Neil profoundly posited: When discussing how nations can overcome the hurdle that exists where personal or cultural beliefs meet science — as happens when talking about gene editing, evolution, and a host of other topics — Tyson took a strong stance.

“It’s only a hurdle if your belief system is in denial of objective reality,” he said. “If you have a belief system that wants to say that something that an emergent scientific truth has established is somehow not true, then you should just give up at that point….if you cannot simultaneously allow both to co-exist, and one has to fight the other, you will have problems” Neil’s position about personal beliefs is clear message and a pointer to our current situation and circumstances where we promote hatred and religious bigotry based on our sentiments and emotion which is akin to a one million dollars stock market in NIGERIA.

Likewise, in the profound words of William James Durant, an American historian and philosopher, best known for his 11-volume work, The Story of Civilization, which contains and details the history of Eastern and Western civilizations. Will Durant, posited: “The only real revolution is in the enlightenment of the mind and the improvement of character, the only real emancipation is individual, and the only real revolutionists are philosophers and saints.” It is evidently clear from the position of Will Durant, that, the future never just happened. It was created.

Unarguably, no nation rises above the versatile and enterprising population and the capacity of its leadership. If you truly want to know the true capacity of leaders, check the outcome of the people’s lives and per Capita income. Ordinarily, a leader is perceived to be distinctive. Many images depict leaders as higher, larger, or further along toward some objective. In order to downplay the hierarchical implications of leadership, writers have made numerous attempts to introduce egalitarian values, since leadership itself can come across as unjust or unfair, contrary to an egalitarian ideal.

Egalitarianism and selflessness in leadership is the key to unlocking our potential as a nation. God wants us to commit to altruism, compassion, and empathy, and we should put others first. Self-centered, self-entangled, self-serving ideology is not OK. We must think about how our actions will impact others, and know that the welfare of the community should come first. Being “selfish” is lacking consideration for others. Humans are said to be instinctively selfish.

But selfishness has its supporters too, who emphasize that we must begin with ourselves, and put ourselves first. Selfishness assists in evading toxic relationships, helps us achieve our goals and prioritize our time, improves our chances at leadership, and increases our productivity. It is often pointed out: Selfishness is evil, sinful, and a vice. It creates obstacles in one’s own spiritual journey, distances us from the divine, and poses a hindrance to morality. Our focus should be on cooperation; it is often said that giving is superior to taking.

At the core of Nigeria’s systemic failure is leadership decline. Statistically speaking, Nigeria has consistently ranked low in the World Governance Index in areas such as government effectiveness, political stability and the presence of violence and terrorism, rule of law, and control of corruption. Therefore, the need for revolutionary leadership. This is validated by the profound words of the 33rd U.S. President Harry S. Truman, who posited: “Men make history…not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.”

Change is the only constant in our lives. Nothing lasts forever; everything changes. We are in a world that is evolving daily and advancing at the fastest pace imaginable. It is becoming a smaller place to live in day by day. In this world where developments are happening so speedily, it is important for people to adapt to changes promptly and be proactive rather than reactive. With the ultimate hope and determination to build a better life and a better world, the lessons we can learn from the legends of revolutionary change leadership are indispensable to our success. As Niccolò Machiavelli said: “Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results.”

In conclusion, it is important for us to recognize that there is a leadership gift locked inside a sweeper, waiting to break free. We all have the natural power to lead without having a big title. Many people are not leading in this part of the world because we are both position and title conscious. We prefer positions and titles to leadership. There are too many people with big titles—who are not leading at all. Admittedly, a nation progresses or regresses on the quality and values of its leadership. We must return those virtues of HONESTY, KINDNESS, and SELFLESSNESS to our society.

Finally, I like to share with us, President Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address “New Era Of Responsibility” Obama posited: “On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics. We remain a young nation. But in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness”.

Richard Odusanya is a Mind Restructuring Enthusiast.