LEADERS AND THEIR PRAXIS (II) ~ DR. JIMOH IBRAHIM, CFR

Dr. Jimoh Ibrahim, CFR

In our last publication, we discussed two types of people: Drivers and Amiables, and advised the president on the need to fix the right category of people in the appropriate ministries. This is not to say that any category is better than the other. The important point to stress is that we will not get the necessary efficiency except we put the right people in the appropriate areas. If we get the positioning wrong, we will not get the desired result. This is one of the reasons for our incessant failures.

We pointed out last week that while Drivers work very well with Amiables, two Drivers cannot drive the same office, just as two Amiables in the same office will need a Driver to drive the office. The lesson here is that only appropriate posting will give the desired result.

This week, we are looking at Analyticals and Expressives. Analyticals are always very accurate. Additional characteristics of Analyticals are as follows: Diligent, Logical, Meticulous, Technical, Thorough, Orderly, Consistent and Detailed. They always have a basis for every decision. They avoid confrontation and draw attention away from themselves. They always delay in decision-making.

Drivers, on the other hand, confront others, focus on issues and are more demanding when they are under pressure. Analyticals demand respect while the Drivers want control and results. Analyticals flourish in the financial industry and in the judiciary. This explains why Lawyers call the Judges “My Lords!” The judges enjoy this and try to find a rationale for it in their judgements, so that it can look like they are Lords as pronounced!

The Ministries of Finance and Justice and the Office of Statistics will find Analyticals very useful. There are also lots of Analyticals in churches, in universities and schools generally. When given a task, the Analytical is logical, and considers all aspects of the task thoroughly.

Analyticals are risk minimisers. In the military, data officers, who are usually Analyticals, may not be appropriate on the war front. But they excel at supplying data on climatology and topographies to those who are going to fight the war. Those who work as assistants to the president and who produce data which the president relies on when speaking must be Analyticals. They must be responsive and strive to get things right by all means.

Expressives are naturally alterative. Other characteristics of Expressives are as follows: Animated, Charismatic, Dramatic, Lively, Motivated, Optimistic, Popular, Outgoing, Spontaneous. It will be simply disastrous to have an Expressive as Minister of Defence. It will be difficult for the military to win any war with an Expressive minister. Most Inspectors General of Police are not able to fight crime because they are Expressives. The department of state security must not employ Expressives to security positions.

The Ministry of Information will find Expressives interesting in achieving efficiency. When they are under pressure, Expressives attack, they confront others with or without reason, they have verbalised judgemental feelings and they blame others on a personal level. Expressives want recognition.

They are fast paced, risk takers, create passion and vision and they are motivated by enthusiasm. This set of people require some level of management, and in a council meeting, they may want to talk at least five times more than their colleagues. While Amiables will look for approval at all times, Expressives want recognition for their actions, Analyticals demand respect, and Drives want control.

Where security is the issue, Expressives may not be useful. When data is key to decision, put an Analytical. For control, put an Amiable. And where results must be immediate, put a Driver and surround him with Analyticals, Amiables and Expressives.

All that is important in management is efficiency and effectiveness. And if we are to get to that level, we must ensure we react to the 360 degrees of each of the ministers. The president will deliver if people are placed in positions, not because of the way they look, but according to their 360 degrees and the category they belong to (as explained above).

The Jonathan government failed because both the President and Vice-President were Amiables who were surrounded by Analyticals. There were no Drivers in that government and Jonathan, by nature, abhors Drivers. Even if that government was not corrupt, they would still have found efficiency and effectiveness accidental and failure a firm friend. We look forward to the most exciting time for Mr. President and his Ministers as he plugs the right pegs into the right holes. Hopefully! (nationalmirror)

Jimoh Ibrahim writes from the MBA Class of the University of Cambridge