Lessons from Mubarak's fall
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Feb 16, 2011 - ST Forum
I READ with great sadness Saturday's report ("Mubarak steps down"). I cannot imagine how a leader could have led Egypt for 30 years, only to have his reign toppled in 19 days.
What lessons can we learn from this dramatic episode?
A country's stability cannot be taken for granted. Unbridled power will not last long. There is no guarantee that any country or corporation will be stable and prosper forever. Stability demands continuous effort and time to build.
Leadership is a key factor in determining a country's stability and prosperity. There can be no compromise in finding and nurturing great leaders. When he took office, then President Hosni Mubarak was a good leader who was committed to developing Egypt into a great nation. And to some extent, he did. But that leadership was not sustained.
Great leaders must constantly remember that their goal is not self-aggrandisement, self-empowerment or self-enrichment. They are called to lead their people by caring for them. Leaders should focus on nation building and not empire seeking.
That means constantly striving to build for their citizens a better quality of life than before. It means creating jobs, strengthening family life, and building a just and harmonious society.
Leaders can become arrogant and forget that it is the people who have put them in power. The needs and aspirations of the people must be taken into account. Wise leaders are able to adapt to and change with the times, yet hold on to values of integrity, transparent governance, competence, compassion and family.
Former president Mubarak stopped listening to the people. And he did this to his own detriment.
How Egypt will survive and become stronger will depend on the next generation of leaders. The verdict on Egypt's future is yet to be reached.
John Ng
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shows tt the ppl have power
which we do not see in SG
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People have no power whatsoever in Singapore.
Singapore can be compared to Libya with a fucker in power for decades.
Libya is in power for over 40 years, Singapore is in power for over 50 years.
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never knows.
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Everything would be all right if he told the people to be cheaper better and faster.
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Originally posted by FireIce:
shows tt the ppl have power
which we do not see in SG
sad to say it's not true.......................
Mubarak was toppled by outside forces..................
the new leader-elect is the head of the Egyptian Intel....................more like the secret police...................
the people behind George Soros are in charge all along......................