By Victor Ochieng’
vochieng.90@gmail.com
One pleasant principal I have worked with is Maina S. Gitonga – the Chief Principal – Utumishi Boys Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County. He strikes a beautiful balance in his position of puissance and influence. He obeys wise words of Robin Sharma in his treasure trove titled the Leader Who Had No Title. It is in that good book where we read that a leader should wield beautiful balance in the style or approach by being tough but tender, strong but sincere, courageous but compassionate and firm but fair.
The man Maina is a pious and principled principal, whose legendary leadership style is worth to inspire writing muses that can compel Son of the Lake to weld words well. As a persona in this poetic and prosaic piece, he is a pleasant principal, and gentleman par excellence. In my sporadic visits to mentor his sons in school, I have found him to be a perfect father figure and faithful friend.
In the same house of gold we are borrowing from, to explain the balanced leadership style of the man Maina, the wonderful writer talks about a scintillating story of a man of means and manners called a Tommy Flinn, whose business card, simple and humble tool for networking, simply read:
Bright Mind Books
5555 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York
Tommy Flinn
(HUMAN BEING)
Tommy Flinn was an exceptional executive. But he chose not to strut in the street with the pride of the bride poised to pick the love and laugh of her life – good bridegroom. Allow the scribe to say that Mr. Flinn just chose to describe himself as HUMAN, which Robin Sharma postulates that is an acronym of being able to Help, Understand, Mingle, Amuse, Nurture. It is what great leaders like man Maina are keen to do. He pays homage to the wise words of Dr. John C. Maxwell, “To lead yourself, use your head; to lead others, use your heart. Always touch people’s hearts before you ask them for a hand.”
Somehow, somewhat, the man Maina is a leader who is tough, but tender. When you are in the area like bacteria, you can see it in the way he relates with his staff and students. Of course, toughness for a leader is of supreme importance. Like in a school set up, it behooves the principal to develop a thick skin, and take charge at all cost. Or else, some people who are meddlesome and nettlesome may end up usurping power from the top guns. Though, in expressing toughness, it is not right to be malicious in nature. It is advisable to be tender like love between a lad and a lass at its epic peak.
Also, the man Maina understands that a leader should be strong, but sincere. Even at the centre of a strong storm, the principal as the leader should not lose strength and stamina. It is important to remain steady like a rock. Albeit, the principal should know that without self-care and self-love, s/he can break down. In the play Betrayal in the City, Professor Francis Imbuga postulates that liquids have boiling points, but human beings have breaking points. There is a wrong belief that leaders are always strong people who cannot breakdown. No wonder, we have wounded warriors here and there. It explains why principals should seek psycho-social and spiritual support. Or else, if schools are steered by some men and women who are hurting, but they don’t want to admit; that will have a devastating effect on the lives of staff and students. For a contemporary counterpart is fond of telling me that apart from training and tutelage, leaders bring on the table of governance that they truly are. If they are people who are bitter like bile, it will trickle-down to subjects. It is what makes the man Maina to be authentic, not plastic and cosmetic. In the student service, you can see him in his full element kneeling to seek spiritual stanchion, because apart from being a professional at the acme of his teaching career, he knows he is also a mere mortal – feeble and fallible.
Again, the man Maina understands that it imperative for a principal to be courageous, but compassionate. Sometimes, with the chilling challenges that principals face in schools, it is incumbent upon them to express bravery and bravado. Even in places where subjects stand to oppose the leader because of strictness, or the tendency of the people’s blatant refusal to toe the line that has been drawn, the principal must still take charge. The leader must agree with Saint Augustine of Hippo, “Right is right even if no one is doing it. And wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it.” But, courage does not obliterate compassion as a good deed. Principals only access success when they attain a cocktail of courage and compassion. Compassion is part of what made Jesus of Nazareth a perfect model of a leader. In Matthew 9:36, the sacred scriptures say, “When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
Lastly, the man Maina believes in being firm, but fair. He is a just man. Firmness is evinced when the leader is able to stand for something, even if it means standing alone. In the comic play An Enemy of the People, the protagonist Dr. Stockman goes through a lot due to his confident conviction. But in the tail-end, as a man who stands for truth, he has this to say, “The strongest man is the one who stands alone.” There comes a time, when the leader must stand for what is right even if it means standing alone like a leper. But fairness and firmness must be seen as close cognates, without which, the centre pole will not hold. Things will fall apart.
The writer rolls out motivational talks and training services in schools.
