Leadership is always one of the first reasons Nigerians point at when asked about the myriad of the problems facing the country. We have bad leadership no doubt but we have to look at leadership problem holistically. The leadership most of the blame goes to is the political leaders who sit in Abuja and the states’ capitals making and executing laws. Their inaction or poor actions no doubt have a widespread effect on income, security of life and property, policies and laws.

Let us acknowledge that the political leaders have mostly failed in their efforts to lead the nation but what about the failures of parents, traditional leaders, community leaders, religious leaders, market leaders, education leaders and each of us as individuals who have one position of leadership or another within our various teams in workplaces and in societies. How have we fared in these tasks as leaders?

As human beings, we feel very comfortable in pointing and apportioning blames to so many other groups of people without firstly search inwardly to understand where each of us has contributed to the situation the country is facing.

As a parent, what foundation have you given your child so that he or she becomes a good human being to interact with other children within the community and by extension, the country?

The children who are undertrained would eventually grow to become leaders and the cycle of bad leaders will continue.

For the life of this country, leadership has been in question and while we continue to apportion blames elsewhere, we should begin to work on the first society we have and that is the family. You cannot expect to have a decent society, community and country while your family is not decent.

The first leadership class begins from the home, from the family. When there is failure from the family, its effect is widespread. The family must assume its duty. Parents should become good role models and put their children on a good path.

If leadership is all that matters, must you not place yourself on the board and scrutinize your actions? As you complain about the corrupt practices of the political leadership, how about corrupt practices in other spheres of leadership positions? How about your own corrupt practices?

Granted that the political leaders are mostly seen and watched and should be seen to uphold the values that will change the perception and lives of the citizens, they are expected to live and teach by example in which they have scored so many failures.

The federal government once initiated the “change begins with me” campaign. How far have the federal government and the leaders gone to change themselves and avoid corruption, cutting corners, bribery, among other vices that affect the society?

We all deserve to live a decent life but we must work towards securing the change we want; it must start with us. Are you ready to start?

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