Good Leadership: The Key to Success
THE glaring danger of modern society is in its pre-occupation with the ideal of material comfort and security.
The energy of man is thus being channelled towards realising this objective. This has caused a spiritual crisis in society.
Interestingly, this spiritual crisis has been recognised as one of the major factors that contributed to the economic slowdown.
Modern man has overlooked his real nature and origin.
The doctrine of secularism seems to have supplanted religious doctrines, and to have gained sovereignty over most areas of society.
Religion seems to have retreated from the world of concrete reality to a world of abstractions and illusions, to be cherished in the hearts of men as a form of private consolation.
Failing to place religion in its right perspective is, indeed, the major factor that contributes to man’s spiritual mediocrity.Secular materialism has not delivered the heaven it promised.In this state of confusion it seems that religious identity and religious attachment remain strong in a secular society, although outward religious behaviour is in decline.
Islam, from the beginning, has insisted that its followers lead lives in line with its religious teachings.
Through it, man can always organise his life in harmony with his nature.
By understanding human nature, man can organise the society in all aspects of its dimensions, including economic progress in equilibrium with other developments.To Islam, man by nature is an idealistic being. He worships the ideal.
He is never satisfied with what is but continuously tries to change it into what it ought to be.
He likes to manage his environment so that reality can conform to his ideals.
Without ideals, aspirations and faith, man can never lead a noble life.
In a vacuum, man does not have a mission and direction. In this situation man is half dead.
Islam is a religion of faith. Muslims believe in the sovereignty and supremacy of Allah. To be a genuine Muslim is to submit absolutely to the word of Allah.
In Islam, religious principles are very much in line with human nature. In fact, Islam is a religion of fitrah (in line
with human nature).
Islam also provides man with a mission to manage this universe in line with its ideals. The struggle to realise these ideals is a religious struggle.
Muslims believe that without religion there can be no morality, no justice, regardless of what “laws” or “norms” might be devised by man.
The religious faith can make man truly faithful. It can dominate his selfishness and egoism.
To a certain extent, man’s life would be empty without faith. Life is meaningless and hollow.
With faith, man is willing to defend it with zeal and fervour.
Religious faith develops a loving bond between man and man, and man and the universe.
It makes man optimistic about other men and the universe. It provides hope for a good outcome in one’s efforts.
This cordial relationship is a beginning point for man to strive for economic success.
Through joint efforts, man would utilise all resources in the universe for his own welfare.
In Islam, everything in the universe is being created for man. Men should work together for their betterment.
It is logical that people with faith, who support a system which is very much in line with human nature, can expect that the environment created will be very supportive of progress.
A just and co-operative atmosphere existing in a society can motivate people to be more productive and creative.
These values insist that all should rise against injustice and oppression and leave the oppressors and the corrupt no room to practise their oppression and corruption.
For a nation to succeed in its economic activities, it has to organise and embark on its economic policies in tandem with human nature.
Economic advancement and the ability to sustain this achievement is a long-term process.
A nation’s success cannot be achieved in a short period. The time span taken to have a competitive edge can be reduced but the process must go through the requirements of the laws of nature.
The law of nature insists that to be competitive, a nation has to be properly managed, efficient and creative.
Politically, the nation has to be stable.
Its leaders have to be pious and sincere and, at the same time, capable.
They must have visions and the ability to transform ideals into solid social programmes.
The people must have equally high qualities. They must be educated, professionally competent and intelligent.
They must also be highly disciplined and dedicated in their work.
On top of that, the society must uphold high moral and spiritual values.
They must aspire to refine their behaviour and run their affairs in line with the spirit of justice.
People with faith in religion would like to excel in their work. To be economically competitive is very much in line with the demand of religious faith.
As success is a long-term process, a strategy like market optimisation is very much relevant if one would like to achieve a competitive edge.
Market optimisation is a strategy to capture a good market share of the products produced by the society of a particular nation.
As the world is becoming very small and borderless, the market should not be restricted to national boundaries.
Instead, nations should think international. Going international, however, means competition will be tougher.
It demands that a country has to be very efficient in its production ability and be creative in the kind of products it produces. It also insists on higher quality products.
It will not be an easy task for a nation to attain these success ingredients. Deviants will always surface in society.
But to succeed in building a sound human civilisation, these natural requirements as envisaged by Islam must be realised.
