THE 40TH PRESIDENT of United States of America, Ronald Reagan, is held in high esteem by those on the right for his free market policies which touted deregulation while opponents on the left despise him for those same policies.
However, the one thing which people, regardless of viewpoint, remembered and admire him for was his skill as a great communicator.
It is a skill which leaders should possess or develop as it can make a difference between success and failure, not only for them personally but for any national objective being pursued. Unfortunately, communications skills are classified as soft skills and as such have not been given the level of importance they require. Reagan proved this wrong time and again.
There is a clear difference between what obtains in Barbados and developed nations. Most American presidents have had to be good communicators, a skill now required of most other political and major corporate leaders. They must deal with any major crisis by effectively communicating with their customers.
We are not in a crisis. However, it is evident that the “close-mouth policy” under which the Freundel Stuart administration has been operating cannot continue in this season of economic uncertainty as Government’s austerity measures begin to bite.
At a time when the rumours abound and there is some uncertainty regarding people’s livelihood, our leaders must speak to the issues and frequently.
Given the prevailing circumstances, leadership and communication are undoubtedly interlocked. It cannot be just anyone from Government to speak, but a few selected leaders who must be seen as authentic and credible if they are to win the trust and confidence of a doubtful public.
Parliament, partisan political events and even while speaking at special events must not be the only occasions to give the public accurate, timely information on matters affecting them. All matters our ministers of government deal with affect the people.
Our leaders must trust the people in much the same way the people want to trust them.
Some CARICOM colleagues use standard ways to keep their people informed. In Jamaica as well as Trinidad and Tobago there is a weekly post-Cabinet news briefing which looks at some major event. Last week Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar used such an occasion to announce local government elections in Trinidad will be held within the scheduled period.
Our leaders need to be visible, and they must also look and listen to what is being said around them. In this era of unbridled social media, it is important to communicate the facts and to do so quickly. Then they need to communicate, to ensure people have the facts and hear the truth.