Beirut, Lebanon was growled by two devastating explosion on august 4, 2020, where hundreds died, thousands wounded and caused millions of economic and industrial damages. It was truly a perplexing scene that even brought danger to the whole world assuming that it was done by terrorists. So, the big question was, “What instigated the detonation?”
Being a science teacher, I was triggered by the explosion, so I looked for some data and was able to come across a video that expounded the supposed veracity on the Beirut Explosion. The vlogger stated that in 2013, a Russian ship filled with Ammonium Nitrate was supposed to go to Mozambique. It had an alternative route in Beirut. But due to the owner’s incapacity to pay the port fees, the ship was left at the port. Bearing in mind the hazard of the Ammonium Nitrate in that ship, it was called a “ticking bomb”- a danger to the general public. The port authorities had been writing to the Lebanese government to take away the shipment from the port and to just donate it to their army, but the government scrubbed them off until the big explosion transpired.
It’s still uncertain what actually occurred. However, I couldn’t help but perceive this as an instance of the higher-ups not listening to the people on the ground. In some institutions, leaders make decisions based on what is theoretically right instead of asking their people about their first-hand experience. There are institutions / organizations where leaders decide solely based from their perspective, without even realizing the importance of collaborative, consultative and cooperative leadership where they can get valuable insights on deciding the matter at hand. In some cases leaders still live in conventional way of leadership which in many ways not applicable to our present changing society.
Leadership is not just limited to management, it is widely accepted that most successful organizations have strong and effective leaders. Leadership style is the approach which leaders adopt and reflect in their roles, rather the way in which authority is used. The amount of authority retained and the decisions made play a vital role in determining the leadership style. Leadership style encourages and promotes employee involvement planning, problem-solving and decision making. But some seem to confine employee involvement in these areas. We can say that it influences the human resources usage. It evinces control especially when relating to people. Because, when the leadership style adopted is more authoritative, the more the leader or manager separates himself from the people. In that case, the leader will only be able to use people’s muscles and not their minds. The type of communication that develops between the leader and the workforce is controlled by the leadership style.
For instance, consultative leadership is very effective; it takes leaders willing to place importance on the development and opinions of ownership of decisions. There is a higher level of dependence on the ability of the entire group, and knowledge is more readily shared.
In the long haul, consultative leadership often outlasts other styles. As the organisation matures, the leader has to learn to move away from instruction to empowerment. Let us not wait for a bomb to explode before we hear the little voices that could eventually made one massive and significant change.
By: Analyn L. Lumanog |Junior High School |Teacher III |Regional Science High School III Subic Bay Freeport Zone
