Essays on Leadership, the United States and my post-University Community Involvement Goals

For the readers that don't mind some "heavy reading," I've decided to post the essays that I had to write as part of the selection process for the programme. The essays capture my views on leadership, the United States and my future involvement in South Africa and my community, and as such convey, albeit minutely, my goals for the programme and future as well as my expectations of the programme and the United States.

I know that, for some, this might be quite boring, so feel free to skip it and wait - patiently - for a more image-laden post!

1. What qualities does a good leader have? How do I see myself as a leader in my school and community?

Leadership, essentially, has a dual nature. First, there are inward qualities that a good leader should possess, qualities that ultimately relate to the leader’s personal life. These qualities and characteristics include the living of an impeccable and exemplary life as the leader upholds, protects and furthers particular moral and ethical considerations valued by the community and nation as a whole, through that leader’s conduct both in private and in social relations and relationships. Thus, the leader should live an admirable and praiseworthy life that is not controversial. Naturally, this requires that good leaders should respect the law, other individuals, and possess an unwavering commitment to the well-being of the community and nation. Furthermore, a leader should be able to communicate effectively the vision that he / she possesses and articulates. As a result of the necessarily social nature of leadership, effective communication skills, articulation and human relations skills are a must for a leader in any situation that requires guidance, assistance or leadership. A leader must also be creative and innovative and be able to find novel solutions to problems that South Africans and the world in general face.

Second, there are outward qualities of a good leader that should form the foundation of the leader’s relationships with other individuals, both in the private and public sphere. These qualities are essentially rooted in the above-mentioned inward qualities and require them as a foundation for relations with the community and the relationships in which the leader leads others. However, there is a continuous relationship between the inward and outward qualities. As an outward quality for example, a leader should firmly grasp and be rooted in his / her community, nation and other situations in which he / she operates; this is a prerequisite for the exercise of the inward quality of sensitivity and responsiveness to community and other concerns.

A leader is indubitably a representative of the broader community he / she finds him/herself in, and this term implies that it requires the ability to perceive and re-present effectively that community.

Therefore, a leader should be an uncontroversial, commendable citizen in the community, respected by and respectful towards others, sensitive of the diversity of modern human society; willing, available and responsive; able to effectively articulate, initiate and mobilize the necessary resources - whether financial, human or otherwise – to implement his / her vision for a better tomorrow.

I see myself as a leader at my university and community within the framework of the positions that I occupy in that particular society. This includes my role, for two years from 2006 to 2007, as elected class representative for various modules, and this year, 2008, as student representative of the Department of Political Science, the School of Basic Social Sciences and the student faculty representative of Humanities at the University of Pretoria. In these positions I consider myself a leader in that I was elected by students to represent and articulate their concerns and needs within the broader institution that is the University, and I did and still do this successfully by excelling academically and by employing efficiently my solid human relations and effective communication skills. This is in line with the inward and outward qualities of good leadership outlined above.

Further, in my position as a tutor in the Department of Political Science I not only assist first year students academically, but engage actively in mentorship by facilitating their transition from the secondary to the tertiary education sphere and advising them, or directing them to the relevant people, to deal with their personal, social and educational issues or problems. This requires that I lead by example and be a role model, a further quality of good leadership.

Also, by being outspoken, actively involved in my immediate social environment on a number of issues I hold in high esteem, I express a level of self-confidence and ease in taking the lead in society. Due to my personal background and the socio-historical context in which I find myself, I am also sensitive and acutely aware of diversity and the fragile nature of South African society and its past, as well as the need for understanding and sensible leadership in dealing with a vast array of issues – cultural, religious, socio-economic and political.

2. How will I contribute to my community and country after your studies are complete?

After successfully completing my tertiary education at both the undergraduate and, in future, post-graduate level, I intend to sow back into the community what I have learned and gained from my experience and education in the form of educating the youth, either at the university or secondary school level. I firmly believe in the possibilities offered by and power of education in building a better society and brighter tomorrow, and would want to be actively involved in that capacity during my post-graduate studies and thereafter.

Related to this, I aim to energetically advance the body of knowledge social scientific knowledge and understanding as a social scientific researcher in my area of specialization – political science and international political relations.

Furthermore, I also hope to continue and intensify my involvement in two key issues facing South Africa, and indeed African, society today – that is the area of Human Rights and HIV / AIDS. With regards to the latter, I hope to engage in community outreach, and especially education and awareness campaigns, offered and organized by the Centre for Study of Aids at the University of Pretoria where I am currently undergoing training in order to be able to conduct such activities.

I especially hope to advocate both of these key issues, but especially the former, in a formal political position in active politics, whether at the local, provincial or national level. Human Rights, and specifically basic human rights such as dignity, freedom of association, expression and particularly the right to exercise the freedom of choice in democratic elections, should be respected, upheld and exercised, and I hope to follow in the footsteps of three key personalities that I hold in high esteem – Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, President Nelson Mandela and Professor Kader Asmal.

As highlighted by these profound South Africans, the living of an exemplary and commendable life in the public eye is of utmost importance, and I aim to reflect such a life and be a role model in like manner. I hope to share with other South Africans my experiences of the diversity that underlie our society, and through leadership positions in key social institutions such as the university / a secondary school and political institutions, work with South Africans in overcoming the difficulties that face our country, most notably poverty, HIV / AIDS and the lack of education.

I also hope to continue playing a role in mentorship and involvement in rural communities, something I exercised in my secondary school career, and contribute to building a truly free South African generation that has had the opportunity to develop their individual personas through education, the experience of their own and other cultural realities, full physical development in the form of sport and recreation, but specifically basic and proper nutrition, and social development to enable them to be complete South Africans that can effectively, peacefully and constructively interact with other complete South Africans and global citizens.

In conclusion, apart from my future role in the community and country as educator, politician, and basically a good citizen and neighbor, I aim to contribute to the community by leading a balanced life myself. A life that reflects what South Africans, South Africa, Africa and the world can be.

3. What do I hope to gain from a trip to the United States?

If given the opportunity to visit the United States and experience, first-hand, the basic social, cultural, political and economical organization of the world only remaining superpower, I hope to understand and garner an appreciation for the reasoning behind its pervasive presence on the African continent and in the international system as a whole. It is an incontestable fact of life that the United States occupies a political, military, economic and even cultural position of utmost importance in the global community, a role that can and has led to misunderstanding, misconception and even violent reaction, and an opportunity for me to experience this society first-hand would aid in discrediting the afore-mentioned ideas, and giving a socio-political and cultural frame of reference in which to understand and interpret the superpower status of the United States.

Apart from these political considerations as they relate to my immediate area of specialization in my tertiary education career, there are also significant cultural lessons that I hope to learn from experiencing a society that is as diverse and multi-cultural as my own. I believe that I will be able to appreciate the vastness and richness of the historical and cultural setting of the United States if I experience it first-hand, and that such an experience will contribute to my own tolerance of diversity both at home and abroad.

I believe that during a trip to the United States I can immerse myself in the unique political culture of the country, and take home with me valuable lessons for the South African political context. Particularly as they pertain to the functioning and perpetuation of democratic institutions, practices and values.

I also believe that experiencing the United States, its people and context, would build and renew my appreciation for South Africa as it will require of me to re-evaluate and improve upon my own understanding and commitment to representing my own country. It would also squarely put into perspective my own history, as well as that of my community and country collectively, and allow for comparison and evaluation.

This opportunity will also contribute to my unwavering commitment of leading a balanced life and will fall in-line with my aims and hopes of furthering respect, tolerance and appreciation for diversity in an increasingly globalized and inter-connected international system.

Finally, I also believe that a trip to the United States will allow me to put into practice and demonstrate the skills and experience I possess. Such an opportunity will not only develop me as a person, but will provide an opportunity for me to contribute to the experience and development of those I will encounter abroad and constructively engage and interact with.

There is, ultimately, no substitute for tangible experience and practice. Whereas theoretical understanding and exposure is necessary for understanding, authoritative understanding and action requires a hands-on and practical experience. An opportunity such as this then, fully taken advantage of and engaged in, will ultimately benefit not only myself, but also those I interact with and encounter – something I not only value, but a personal responsibility I am fully committed to.