IN PRAISE OF A LIVING LEGEND: DR. ABDISAMAD NUR

February 23, 2018

By Abdiwahid Isse

“A good friend is like a four-leaf clover; hard to find and lucky to have.”

This was supposedly a short post and a hastily written one, triggered by these photos of Dr. Abdisamad with his older brother and his friends in Xaraf, Xamar 1988.

Dr. Abdisamad with his older brother and his friends in Xaraf, Xamar 1988.

The esteemed Philosopher is a man who has been through many trials and tribulations. He’s been through the worst times/crises of his life by not only losing his beloved father but also a mentor who was a protector, a provider, a confidant and a very close friend. Looking closely at the board in the room (second photo) , there appears a picture of his friends at FIAT–a unique central meeting place that is an acronym for “Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino”, which, in English translates to “Italian Car Manufacturer of Torino.” Contrary to Ray Charles’ Georgia on My Mind song, instead, Dr. Abdisamad would have his friends on his mind.

Maybe, as an avid reader at a very young age, he must have read and taken it to his heart and maybe indoctrinated–if at all such things existed–and internalized it into his inner self, that childhood fable of The Bear and the Two Friends.

Here he vows in a whisper–a memo  directed , if you will– to his own subconscious, and an indelible one that he will never abandon his friends and will always treat them with respect, dignity and love. Maybe that explains why from at an early age on and up to now with accomplished academic credentials and a steady job at Fortune 500, his touching sagacity continues to affect the lives of many of his friends.

A loving husband and father of three beautiful adorable kids, he seeks out and reconnects with friends, calls, talks, pays visit in faraway places, supports, gives advice, values their friendship, laughs carelessly, reminisces with them about the good old days in Mogadishu–a Mogadishu that was so vibrant and metropolitan in context. So cosmopolitan that it was dubbed the “Pearl of Africa.” Mogadishu, meaning the “Seat of the Shah” in Persian, was undoubtedly, a diverse, peaceful and beautiful city!

He indulges in having fun, good times and jokes with them, brings them together, such as when he arrives in Toronto; he brings together friends who live in the same city who otherwise would not have seen each other for years on end. He has an aura of charisma that surrounds him and which   forever attracts others towards him, always extending his arm to shake and introduce himself, looking people in the eye, calling them by their first names once they get acquainted, listening to them attentively, giving his complete attention, thus perfecting that ancient clichés or wisdom of having two ears and one mouth is to listen more and speak less.

Dr. Abdisamad appears to be studying while at the same time grading papers/exams of other students in America 1992.

He is constantly making friends on the fly–new friends who will become his bosom friends for life. Simply put, he always inherently sees the good in people. His friends come in all shapes and forms and from social statuses that range from young shoe-shiners to adults detailing cars at FIAT. Add to that the nomads he met on his travels or those he meets in board rooms while transcending the contemptible and petty ‘isms that we tend to divide ourselves. They hail from every nook and cranny, every little hamlet and every region of Somalia.

Early Childhood

In the sprawling Hodan suburb at Jidka Soddonka, a new development is afoot, big open spaces, half-finished construction of rows of houses, and electrical transmission lines; some houses had electrical power, very few had telephone lines, no running water while most houses had “Fuusto”–a barrel/drum or water tank mounted at the top of the house for water use. Here, Abdisamad made a lot of friends. Rambunctious little kids ran here and there, played hide and seek in the open spaces, Katimeey katim and also “Bistoolo Bistooleey” which were similar to The Indian and Cowboygames; they played soccer barefooted, with Gocondho (Tribulus terrestris), Booc Booc (Calotropis procera) Qodax (thorns) common with Acacia species in abundance, friendship cemented for life.

He would gather them in his Family’s house and let them play board games with him, share his stuff…A prelude to what will happen in the future in their house in Shibis suburb.

A water tank truck brings fresh water to that neighborhood once every three or so days, especially to his family’s house, but one day he found out that some of his friends didn’t have water at all, there begun a quest to quench the thirst of his friends and their families. He would fill up a bucket of water, carry it and deliver it to his friends’ houses, one house at time. Skinny and lanky he was, he would fall down carrying the bucket at times by the sheer load of the water; trying ever so hard not to spill the water, he would get up and never relent until he delivered the life-saving precious little water container.

After the good Doctor had done this long ago…a bucket for a friend in need, there sprung up all kind of charities in Africa now, using the bucket to deliver water to those without BIYO (water).

Moving to Shibis

Adept at making new friends,  Dr. Abdisamad saw more diverse and interesting neighborhoods, explored Bilaajo (from Italian vilaggio for village in English) Hoos Market, Bilaajo Kor, Khamiir Restaurants in Manaboolyo (monopoly), Caano San and then ventured into Cabdiasiis and Liido Beach. At times he went further afield to Shingaani and city center while making friends along the way.

In Shibis Hoose, he would bring in more friends with him at break time, but friends would come to his house without him as well, in a beehive like activity trekking in and out of the house during school hours; most would help themselves to cold water or homemade ice cream “Jalaato” (Italian gelato), from the fridge or would eat snacks and feel at home. This jovial and genuine affection for friends and others continued up to high School in Sakhawaddin and beyond.

Smart, studious, and disciplined, he excelled and shined at school. Well-mannered, extremely polite, and considerate in nature, he hardly created trouble at home. He had Adeer (uncle) Nur’s ear, so to speak. Adeer Nur Bidaar AUN loved his kids immensely and respected and welcomed their friends. As a gesture of goodwill, Uncle Nuur Bidaar facilitated visas, passports, and scholarships and even paid air travel tickets and other travel expenses to his children’s friends from his own meagre resources.

The trend of inviting his friends over continued, and their house was the perfect “Rendezvous Place” for eating capacious, succulent, finger-licking and delicious foods, or Casariye to die for which was served every day. It consisted of Sambosas, Bur, Daango or Salool and other goodies and Spiced Shaah with Milk or Qaxwa Xaraar and of course, the main attraction which was, watching videos of Soccer Tournaments,  or NBA gamers mainly between the Lakers vs. Celtics, or my favorite…the selection  of Pele’s  wonderful goals and skills. Thanks in part to Abdisamad begging, pressuring and convincing his father to approach business people he was friends with and some in Somali Airlines to bring VHS videos from Italy right after the games were played in Europe.

I remember very vividly watching the entire World Cup of 1982 held in Spain at their house. The noise, the clapping or shrill shouts had at times reached at a gradually ascending pitch crescendo. I would imagine it must have been unbearable for his family. Most of us that year rooted for Brazil, but was beaten by Italy in the quarterfinals 3-2. Paolo Rossi screwed us up by scoring all the 3 Italian goals. Also in 1988, we watched the entire European Champions won by The Netherlands, Ruud Gullit, Van Basten, Rijkaqrd and Koeman as we dubbed him Tima cadde or as some would say “tima cadde najis najis dhalay.” When a team visited the capital from other countries, we would run to him for a guest pass at Lujino, Conis or Mogadishu Stadium, or we would implore him to get some tickets for us.

Read more: In Praise of a Living Legend: Dr. Abdisamad Nur

Abdiwahid Isse
Email:abdiwahid96@hotmail.com

WARDHEERNEWS LOOKS INTO A NEW A NEW FUTURE

January 1, 2014

WardheerNews

Since its inception in November of 2004, WardheerNews has been going the extra mile to spearhead journalistic excellence and literary professionalism. Our editorial board members and our esteemed contributors have been working tirelessly by the day ensuring everything related to the online magazine and the radio station went according to plan.

In 2013, we saw WardheerNews move from the old HTML fashion to the modern database data retrieval system. The magazine now prides to have an enhanced digital database that can be navigated with ease. WardheerNews.com was created at a time when information about the Horn of Africa, in general, and Somalia in particular, was limited, scarce and one-sided. It  was created to fill that void.

WardheerNews was started by a group of visionary Somalis to create an equal platform of exchange and discussion. Soon after its launch, WardheerNews.com reached faraway places, to a great number of people hungry for the rich content it provided. Consequently, Somali intellectuals, healthcare professionals, women and youth found it as the intellectual forum to discuss and debate important issues.

The management of WardheerNews has numerous plans in the making that will elevate the online magazine’s international standing. With the approach of the New Year, WardheerNews editorial board is in the process of adding to its entertainment and recreation menu in the near future a print magazine circulation that will be available in select international newsstands and  a high definition television station that will be available to its diverse audience.

As we begin to make New Year resolutions and ponder what it has in store for every follower of WardheerNews, one thing is certain: Mr. Adan Makina, Chairman of our Editorial Board for the past year and half, is stepping down to pave the way for our incoming new Chairman, Khaliil Hassan, WDN head of News section who is expected to inject new innovations for the coming year and beyond.

For the period he was head of the Editorial Board, Mr. Makina constantly displayed exceptional leadership qualities with his infectious smile and humor. His ideas and suggestions always revealed his depth in understanding human nature and finding creative ways to solve nagging problems. For the foreseeable future, Mr. Makina will continue to be a member of our editorial board. Besides, he will  head our book reviews section and continue to conduct interviews of major players in the community such as political figures, scholars, writers, filmmakers, and activists.

WardheerNews
Email: Admin@wardheernews.com

Strategic Planning

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Strategy is defined as a policy or stratagem while planning connotes to mean preparation, scheduling, or arrangement. Thus, strategic planning, entails having a complete approach that is capable of producing realistic and positive results when applied to an organization. Strategic planning that has been prearranged before application is a crucial tool that helps alleviate future misconceptions and organizational breakdowns. According to Bryson (2004), strategic planning involves carrying out elemental decisions for safeguarding implementations necessary for running an organization or entity for the present and for posterity. Strategic planning that lacks preparation, dexterity, group support, and group effort may not hold long and end up in failure. Strategic planning is best applicable when focus is given to present and future organizational expectations having success and productivity in mind.

The Kansas City, Kansas Public Library’s mission statement is one geared towards connecting communities by coming up with the required tools, resources, and creating the factors that help enrich the lives of the inhabitants of Wyandotte County (KCKPL, 2010). Its vision calls for striving to become the frontrunner in the dissemination of information and knowledge in the State of Kansas. KCPLS’s desire is to disseminate knowledge and create a healthy, educated society. The use of intelligence and profound marketing strategies can be useful when implementing strategic planning (Weier, 2008). KCKPL’s strategic planning is a flexible one that is susceptible to change depending on the needs of its patrons, stakeholders, and employees.

KCPL is struggling to shine in an atmosphere of competition where libraries abound. Levy increases will be deliberated by a board before implementation. Some of the new strategies to be included in the library’s strategic plans include library charges for the purchase of new products, self-registration features for patrons, new informational brochures, and the crossing out of old bills as a gesture of goodwill for library patrons confounded by financial hardships. The library is determined to introduce PlayStation, Wii, Kindle, and Gameboy after assessing patron needs.

References

Bryson, J. M. (2004). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to strengthening and sustaining organizational achievement (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

KCKPL (2010). Strategic plan 2010-2012. Retrieved from http://www.kckpl.lib.ks.us/documents/2010_2012_approved_strategic_plan.pdf


Weier, M. H. (2008). Collaboration and the new product imperative. InformationWeek, 1195, 26–30, 32.

Motivational Factors in Leadership

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The success of any organization, whether public or private, depends on the effective use of strategic planning. According to McNamara (2010), there are various organizational strategic planning models. Charting a strategic plan depends on the purpose, plan of action, culture of organization, and existing environmental conditions. Since organizations exist to serve their clients, there has to be a comprehensive, broad-based, and long-term strategy to serve as navigational aid. Almost all organizations have vision and mission statements.

McNamara (2010) argues that models one and two are vital to smaller businesses while model three is ideal for organizations looking toward implementing solid foundations and planning to expand their working strategies. Often, newly-founded non-profit organizations lack the expertise to look forward to new changes and challenges and that they simply stick to their initial plans at the time the organization was founded. Vision entails having the prudence to see further afield and make new additions that are deemed necessary. On the other hand, goals are list of items that have to be accomplished in a certain period of time despite projected handicaps. In model three, whatever is causing organizational stoppages will have to be lubricated and fine-tuned to enable freedom of movement and operation of personnel and machinery. What is known as scenario planning or model four may be incorporated with other models for successful strategic planning.

The nature of leadership style that exists in an organization should be taken into context when implementing strategic planning. Leadership styles will have to be adjusted to be acceptable to the planning process. Leadership styles come in various styles: transformational, transactional, and situational. One non-profit organization that I was involved with overseas had a transformational leader. One vital motivational factor in any organization is seeing there is continuous, sustained developmental growth. As long as the organization is on the right path in its firm commitment to production, internal and external forces will be assured that the future is bright. Growth and production are interrelated and will have to be watched carefully.

A second motivational factor is caring for the customers that make the organization’s operations possible. Targeting customers in the most applicable manner and giving them appealing products leads to satisfaction and trust. The third motivational factor is the management that is responsible for running the organization. Management will have to undergo training so they understand the operational procedures of the organization and how best to leap further from the current stagnation. According to Bryson (2004), vision, goals, and issues require developing objectives in various ways and places.

References

McNamara, C. (2010). Basic overview of various strategic planning models. Free Management Library. Retrieved from http://managementhelp.org/strategicplanning/models.htm

Bryson, J. (2004). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to
strengthening and sustaining organizational achievement (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Collaboration, Coordination, and Cooperation

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In modern times, collaboration, coordination, and cooperation are three leadership concepts widely used in organizational management. If used effectively, these three concepts increase productivity, augment better communication procedures, and enhance better working atmosphere. According to Stein (1982), coordination allows different actors to converge at equal equilibriums. Thus, coordination is an arbitrary convention where no actor wishes to lose in case of market competition. Often, actors adapt contextual rules where for example, like in an intersection, drivers avoid head-on collision. In this case, both coordinate a plan that allow one driver to proceed while the other yields. Coordination enables leaders having strategic plans to bring together various sectors of an organization under one umbrella without harming the autonomous working principles of each and every segment.

Collaboration is an important working feature that embodies teamwork, partnership, alliance or group effort in ensuring the success of any organization. The exclusion of one group in a collaborative network is cause for failure and a deviation or departure from traditional working relationships (Thompson, Perry & Miller, 2009). According to Sharma and Kearins (2010), collaboration among members develops an enhanced understanding of the economic, social, and environmental factors that may be affecting an organization. However, according to Prins (2010), moving away from competition to collaboration may lead to drifting from initial objectives and multi-stakeholder approach attributable to apprehension of an embryonic process. This can happen when parties are driven by self-interest and not organizational goals and expectations. Sincerity has to flourish among stakeholders when instituting collaborative endeavors or else there will be nothing to salvage if disingenuousness prevails.

Cooperation entails working together in an atmosphere of compliance while having organizational goals and expectations at heart. Cooperation is a synchronous movement practiced among groups with identical agenda. Armies move in marching order as a mark of discipline; churches have choirs that sing in harmonious synchrony; and corporations work in concert to achieve positive outcomes (Wiltermuth & Heath, 2008). Cooperation has been so effective in the last few decades mainly as a result of increased human interaction, improved communication, and the rise of globalization. We often hear phrases like departmental cooperation, international cooperation, social cooperation, cross-border cooperation, religious cooperation, military cooperation, and organizational-level cooperation to refer to humans joining hands to break a barrier and reach success. When collaboration, coordination, and cooperation become tripartite working impressions in organizations, increased harmonious relationships and enhanced productivity will prevail.

References

Prins, L. (2010). From competition to collaboration: Critical challenges and dynamics in multiparty collaboration. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science. Vol. 46, 3: pp. 281-312

Stein, A.A. (1982). Coordination and collaboration: Regimes in an anarchic world. International Organization. Vol. 36, No. 2pp. 299-324.

Thompson, A.M., Perry, J.L., & Miller, T.K. (2009). Conceptualizing and measuring collaboration. Journal of public administration research theory. Volume 19, Issue1, Pp. 23-56.

Sharma, A. & Kearins, K. (2010). Interorganizational collaboration for regional sustainability: What happens when organizational representatives come together? Journal of Applied Behavioral Science. Vol. 47 no. 2 168-203.

Wiltermuth, S.S., & Heath C. (2008). Research report: Synchrony and cooperation.
Department of Organizational Behavior, Stanford University. Volume 20—Number 1. Retrieved from http://personal.stevens.edu/~ysakamot/175/paper/synchrony.pdf

Diversity and the Workplace

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Diversity in the workplace works best when leaders comprehend its true meaning and put in place dynamic structures for success that benefit the organization and everyone involved. Organizations that fail to observe diversity in the workplace have more legal problems than those that are keen at following the right procedures. Modern leaders will require assimilating or integrating diverse cultures to ensure smooth running and operation of the organization involved. Organizations will require more focus on diversity-related issues as the world undergoes political, social, and economic revolutionary changes that emanate from aggressive globalization and human contact, migratory patterns and demographic intermingling.

Challenges to diversity in the workplace include how to implement diversity-related policies, diversity management, and communication. Because select leaders in an organization may be unwilling to implement changes to diversity due to having different perceptions, there could be cause for failure in implementing policies related to diversity. Winning the hearts and minds of the top echelons before embarking on a collective measure reduces rifts and misunderstandings that emerge the last minute. Fear of failing to implement the new policy and having the perception that it will end in failure are some of the factors that cause a section of leaders to stay distant from its execution.

Lack of proper communication can restrain the accomplishment of diversity in a workplace. Communication should be directed at all levels of organization so that everyone having a stake in the organization can be aware of requirements for achieving successful diversity in business. Organizations have different ways of dealing with conflicts and confusions in the workplace depending on level of consciousness, leadership perception, and general unity. Some burning issues that need greater attention include gender, race, sex, and culture issues and sexual orientation. According to Hickman (1998), it is imperative that leaders identify business culture and have an understanding of diversity. Recognizing, appreciating, and giving value to the skills of people of diverse backgrounds add value to the prestige and working styles of any organization from a holistic approach.

References

Hickman, G.R. (1998). Leading organizations: Perspectives for a new era. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Leadership Styles

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Transformational leadership is a visionary leadership style that injects vision and energy and transforms minds through influence. Transformational leaders have a passion for implementing new ideas and creating environments where everyone becomes involved to accomplish a goal. A transformational leader is known to transform existing conditions and working environments day by day without any lapse. Regardless of whether they work with a nation, organization, or community, leaders of this category have the capacity to change everything about the workplace and worker welfare. They are driven by motivation and are full of energy and drive. According to Burke (2011, p. 216), “they never leave a situation the way they found it”. Arguably, this leadership style is visible in healthy democracies where change is continuous. I have long admired this kind of leadership style as it is the right style to propel one to a better future. People who espouse transformational leadership style have the chance to succeed in life and become reliable, responsible, and ever ready for the future.

Because of believe in punishment and reward, transactional leadership is now being applied to many companies and business who wish to see increased competition among employees, associates, and stakeholders. Often, transactional leaders expect a high degree of performance and perfection followed by giving out incentives as encouragement for enhanced performance. This kind of leadership creates competition among workers who compete for reward. According to Hickman (1998), the role of transactional leadership begins when contact is made with another person with the sole aim of making important exchanges. I am assuming many of you may have seen signs that read “employee of the month” hanging from the walls of many corporate offices and companies. Likewise, there seem to be proliferation of parking spots reserved exclusively for employees who perform well in their duties.

Situational leadership holds that managers must apply various leadership styles depending on the setting. Developed by behavioral scientist Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard, situational leadership is a leadership style that works across cultural, linguistic, and geographical barriers. This leadership style focuses on how to retain star workers, reduce absenteeism, track employee performances, and above all improve job satisfaction. The model for level II situational leadership is about delegating, supporting, coaching, and directing. However, people who show high commitment, high competence should be left to do their jobs independently. Often, situational leadership is tied to task behavior, which is the amount of time, and guidance the leader provides to the follower and relationship behavior which is the amount of social and emotional support rendered (Yukl, 2006). Because people behave differently, this type of leadership works well with people of different cultures.

References

Burke, W. W. (2011). Organization change: Theory and practice (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Robinson, H. G. (2010). Leading organizations: Perspectives for a new era (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Yukl, G. (2006). Leadership in Organizations (6th ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Prentice Hall.

Evolution of Leadership

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Leadership is the process of inspiring or influencing people to achieve specific goals or to accomplish certain tasks. It is a means to influencing and encouraging people to come up with or conceive extraordinary results at the organizational and societal levels. The study of leadership has been growing out of proportion in recent years due to the need for better leaders in expanding economies at the national and workplace levels. The advancement of leadership sciences has opened so many sub-fields such that, in recent years, there have been increased focus on newly-emerging leadership traits. Some of the leadership traits that are commonly discussed in academia include include transactional, transformational, laissez-fairez, charismatic, participative or democratic, autocratic or authoritarian, bureaucratic, and people-oriented or relations-oriented leadership styles.

Born in 1925, Mahathir Mohamad became the first Malaysian commoner to become prime minister of his country in 1981, a post he held until October 31, 2003 when he retired from politics altogether. Mahathir embodied specific traits that helped him transform his ramshackle nation into an industrial economy. For the twenty-two years he was in power, Mahathir courageously fought hard to make Malaysia the Asian Tiger it is today. Because of his extraordinary wisdom, charisma, and visionary leadership style, Malaysia excelled in many aspects including trade and commerce, gender empowerment, education, infrastructure, healthcare, politics, communication, and banking. By providing direction to his people and by defining certain objectives, in the end Mahathir was able to count his political and developmental achievements in just over two decades while at the same time elevating himself to the level of intriguing maverick and politician. A pragmatist as described by Wain (2009), Mahathir later on clashed with political Islam and as well rose to international prominence by championing the rights of the “third world”. Dr. Mahathir, Malaysia's great statesman of the century, espoused transformational leadership style. Some of the describable characteristics of a transformational leader include being visible to the people and keeping constant communication with the governed.

Oliver Cromwell was an Englishman born in 1599 to a modest bourgeoisie landowning family. He was famous for waging war against the local government of the time that was dominated by crown appointees and that was famous for depriving common people of their livelihoods. A Puritan himself, Cromwell rose to the political spectrum at a time when England was engulfed in social and political turbulence (Jenkins, 1999).Cromwell was against the usurpation of political power and economic strangulation of his people especially by leading authorities including the powerful Church of England. Despite his fascinating background history laden with controversies, Cromwell fought hard with parliament to ensure there existed liberty of conscience between the nation and the people of God (Smith, 2001). I perceive Cromwell to have been a figure who wanted to liberate his people from the injustices of poor parliamentary governance, religious dominance, and abuse of power by the royal hierarchy. In 1653, after successfully pacifying his area of influence through the use of persuasion and military might, Oliver Cromwell was crowned the “Lord Protector of the Commonwealth”. Oliver Cromwell was a visionary leader as well as task-oriented or relations-oriented. His obsession with organizing, supporting, and developing his subjects ultimately resulted in him subduing his antagonists that dominated the government bureaucracy.

The most virulent authoritarian or autocratic leader to have evolved in modern history was Genghis or “Chinggis” Khan, founder of the great Mongol Empire whose legacy created the largest continuous empire in recorded history even after his sudden demise. Genghis Khan's imperial ambitions saw the absolute occupation of vast tracts of lands that included almost all of Asia, European Russia, Southeast Asia, and incursions into central Europe. The brutality of his invading armies were so severe such that millions of innocent civilians perished in every altercation. Contemporary historians allude Genghis Khan to have had all the characteristics of the 4Es of leadership: envision, enable, empower, and energize (Yates, 2011).

References

Wain, B. (2009). Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times. Palgrave Macmillan. Pp 363.

Jenkins, G. (1999). The Lion of the 17th Century. Issue 229 of the Socialist Review. Retrieved from http://pubs.socialistreviewindex.org.uk/sr229/jenkins.htm

Smith, D. L. (2001). Oliver Cromwell, the First Protectorate Parliament and Religious Reform, Vol. 19 Issue 1, p38 . Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=d0cb8e94-1dff-46de-bf65-482ee5476478%40sessionmgr11&vid=9&hid=18

Dictionary of Alternatives (2007), p52-52, Zed Books 7 Cynthia Street, London N1 9JF. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=d0cb8e94-1dff-46de-bf65-482ee5476478%40sessionmgr11&vid=9&hid=18

Yates, M. (2011). Leader Values. Retrieved from http://www.leader-values.com/Content/detail.asp?ContentDetailID=783

Steroids in Sports

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Organizational culture can spearhead the creation of ethical policies in any organization as long as the top echelons of the said organization espouses higher standards of management and moral leadership skills. The same organization may as well find itself immersed in an unethical ocean of deceit and debauchery if those endowed with authority practice concepts that cause fragmentation, divide, and schisms. Organizations require optimism, courage, and fairness (Cooper, 2006) in all endeavors of strategic decision-making. A leader in an organization may find himself being controlled by culture instead of him or her controlling culture. There are various dimensions of culture, and because organizations have different cultures, no culture is better than another culture. To better understand culture and how best to transform it, strategic leaders will need to understand the dynamics of culture and comprehend what is to be discarded and what will need transformation in their spheres of influence.

Wide scale use of Steroids (synthetic drugs that mimic male testosterone) have become so common in American sports such that it is gaining momentum among many sportsmen who wish to boost their body metabolism and strengthen their hobby and sport integrity. As such, the rising use of steroids among sportsmen has resulted in increased consultations among sports leaders seeking social change for the afflicted sports industry. Identifying most important critical problems and finding remedies and viable solutions for those affected by steroid use has been some of the major challenges of the overall organizational culture of the sports industry that is known to advocate sobriety in all major sports leagues and challenges. With a zero tolerance policy for the use of performance enhancers among sportsmen, the sports industry has embarked on strategies that are meant to overcome such dismal conditions. The extensive use of steroids among America’s sports celebrities especially in baseball was documented by Dr. Sanjay Gupta in a past television series that attracted millions of viewers worldwide. Among sports celebrities to have appeared before congressional hearings include Pitcher Roger Clemens and former Yankees second baseman Chuck Knoblauch who has been quoted as saying, “I want baseball to be clean” (CBS, 2009). The forces that made players to be attracted to the use of anabolic steroids include insatiability, acquisitiveness, and self-interest related to winning a game or accumulating fame and wealth.

The prohibition of steroids use by top management necessitated the strengthening of the laws and regulations of an organization that was in drastic decline. If everyone in the organization could be held accountable or responsible for his or her conduct, we could have seen a rise in individual attributes, organizational structure, organizational culture, and societal expectations (Cooper, p.188). By identifying the ethical problem that is tarnishing the image of the industry, leaders will be able to describe the situation and define the ethical issue. Thereafter, leaders should be able to identify several alternatives that project probable consequences. Finally, they will have to select an alternative before coming to a state of resolution (Cooper, p. 30).

References
Cooper, Terry L. (2006), The Responsible Administrator: An Approach to Ethics for the Administrative Role, John Wiley & Sons, San Francisco, CA.

The Truth about Steroids in Sports, Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/03/sunday/main3783478.shtml

Hon. Abdi Aress Mohamed: An Unsung Hero in Kenya’s Political History

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In the Western world, scholars, researchers, and authors painstakingly endeavor to unearth hidden historical personalities and artifacts for the sake of identification and for the purpose of acknowledging roles played in social and political life. Upon stumbling on the remains of a revered or detested figure, the process of recovery and documentation gets off the ground. Finally, the lost glory and human dignity of that person is restored. That is why in the developed world even the wretched of the earth have their place in history. In developed nations, children rehearse names of prominent people that impacted the lives of their forefathers and their nation.

Western history is replete with wastrels who frittered away their nation’s resources, spurious aficionados, destructive infidels, false prophets, lackadaisical leaders, cantankerous and indolent impostors, treacherous assassins and wretched killers whose names appear in the golden pages of historical antiquity. Unfortunately, in the developing world, factors like human envy, corruption, lack of resources and expertise hinder projects of like nature. Because humans are naturally selfish, there is the tendency to shower praise on the dead and not on the living.

Honorable Abdi Aress Mohamed, Member of Parliament for Garissa Central constituency within the district of Garissa in Kenya’s North Eastern Province, may be remembered for initiating various developmental projects during his tenure of politics from 1969 to 1983. In a period spanning 15 years, Hon. Abdi Aress tirelessly represented his constituents in parliament and in government bringing in projects that tremendously altered the living conditions of a pastoral society wedged between insecurity, poverty, illiteracy, and disease. The honorable leader may be credited for laying the groundwork for what today’s leaders are unable to initiate.

During his tenure as an elected representative, the Honorable Member of Parliament carpeted the dusty streets of Garissa town with tarmac-a marvelous project undertaken by Nurudin Construction Company. The National Youth Service (NYS), a government administered program, and the Ministry of Roads, oversaw repair of damaged gravel roads and the construction of new macadamized roads to the various towns and settlements dotting the district. Besides a 9 km stretch of tarmac added long after his departure by his successor Hon. Hussein Maalim Mohamed who represented Dujis Constituency from 1983 to 2007, the 4 km tarmac laid down by political doyen Abdi Aress is the only civilized visible familiar sight to first time visitors. Hon. Abdi Aress left behind an enduring legacy of progress and civilization that add up to his political career. He brought in a succession of projects including electricity, schools, farming, hospitals, and water. His departure from politics resulted in the abrupt retardation of infrastructural developments he envisaged. Drastic rise in the population of Garissa town as a result of urbanization led to negative consequences and increased demand for county council services consequently leading to water shortages that lasted for over two grueling decades. Increased vehicular and human traffic, menacing stray animals, unpredictable rain and weather patterns, and laxity on the part of the county council accelerated the dilapidation of the only tarmac town residents had known for years.

The construction of the massive Garissa General Hospital (GGH) kicked-off when Abdi Aress was in power. This medical facility alleviated rising cases of killer diseases like tuberculosis, tropical malaria, and waterborne diseases. In later years, the establishment of a nursing school elevated the hospital’s status to that of a training hospital. To this day GGH serves people of all walks of life including patients from war torn Somalia. The introduction of modern veterinary services and the eradication of tsetse fly, the primary biological vectors of trypanosomes that cause human sleeping sickness and animal trypanosomiasis, got a boost during Hon. Abdi Aress’ leadership.

Unquestionably, he is an unsung hero who deserves to be recognized for the tremendous contributions he made to advance the living conditions of his constituents. Hon. Abdi Aress rose to prominence during the devastating shifta menace of the sixties. He served the administrations of Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel Arap Moi respectively. It must have been a daunting task initiating projects of such nature at a time when the Somali-inhabited North Eastern Province suffered calculated instances of cattle rustling, poaching, social dissent, and protracted insecurity.

Unlike modern politicians who usurp power and wealth through corrupt practices, Mheshimiwa Abdi Aress did not amass wealth of any kind. He has gone down in Kenya’s political history as the most honest and diligent political figure since Kenya’s attainment of independence in 1963.