Decent politicians...

(中文在下方)

I spotted a picture of the Health Minister sitting talking to a group of people which pretty much every publication here was using yesterday. I asked my COTC (Cat On The Ceiling) what it was all about and to my utter amazement - NOT - it was about him showing some understanding and empathy towards one of the guys who works for him. 

Having written only yesterday about politicians who lie, trick and disrespect voters, I now feel the need to put pay to the myth that to be a politician you have to be thick-skinned, demanding, aggressive and perhaps downright nasty to be successful. 

I was lucky enough to be successful in my career and worked for a huge global company that understood leadership and the balance of mindset required for successful leadership. 

Leadership is not about bullying or surviving, it’s about being accountable, having empathy and understanding or taking criticism and not complaining you are being ‘got at’. 

In short, it’s about being a decent human being and understanding, getting the best out of your team and doing the very best you can for people you have control over.  

Yes, sometimes you fire people, sometimes you give them huge pay rises. But it must be fair and there is always a balance.   

The COTC tells me some have commented that the Health Minister was at a party while his poor subordinate was not. I’m sorry, but anyone with that thought process is lacking intellect as it’s an argument that doesn’t stand up on any level. It’s impossible for any manager to know everything at all times. 

I remember one occasion I was sitting at home in Beijing watching TV when my South Korea bureau chief told me he’d been in the office 18 hours and could I persuade the Singapore filing desk to take over the stories his guys in the field were writing.

It’s hard to keep a handle on everything when you have a big team. In the Health Minister’s case it was someone asking to go and do some laundry. I have less excuse as my South Korean bureau chief wanted to get home to see his children before they went to bed. My Bad.  

My hope as an Adopted Brit is that we continue to see more politicians like the Health Minister and his colleagues running this country. Decent, honest and accountable leadership qualities are so important.

Tinkerty tonk…     

(Sorry there are no jokes in this one but I feel very strongly about this and I am disgusted with so many of the politicians around the world right now) 

今天我在和台灣相關的新聞上發現了一張衛福部長坐著和一群人交談的照片，到處都是，於是我問我家那頭總是氣噗噗黏在天花板上的貓(COTC，Cat On The Ceiling)這是怎麼回事。

令我驚訝的是，其實我一點也不驚訝，這是他提及屬下時表現出理解和同情的畫面。

昨天我才寫了一篇關於撒謊、欺騙和不尊重選民的政客的文章，彷彿要從政你就必須臉皮厚、總是要求別人、好鬥，更或許是要徹頭徹尾的讓人討厭才能一舉成名，現在我覺得有必要再說明一下。 

我很幸運在一家大型國際通訊社工作了三十多年，我的公司了解領導力的重要，為什麼需要成功的領導力，以及如何在工作和設身處地之間取得平衡。在我的職業生涯中，我還算小有成就。

領導力不是仗勢欺人或弱肉強食，而是關於負責任、有同理心和理解或接受批評，也不是總是抱怨你被針對了。簡而言之，領導者必須當一個體面正直而有同理心的人，進而讓你的團隊發揮出最好的一面，並且你得盡全力讓你管理的人得到最好的。是的，有時你得解僱人，有時你也給人巨額加薪，但這些都必須公平。

COTC 告訴我，網路上有些人批評衛福部長參加了聚會，而他可憐的下屬卻沒有，他必須去洗衣服。對不起，就這一件事任何如此思考的人都缺乏智慧，因為這是一個在任何層面都站不住腳的論點，因為任何管理者都不可能知道所有的事。

我記得有一次我坐在北京的家裡看電視，當時我是負責北亞的總編輯，正在處理大新聞的韓國分社社長告訴我，他已經在辦公室裡待了18個小時，希望我可以請新加坡編輯台接手處理韓國的新聞。

當你管理一個大團隊時，對每一件發生在屬下身上的事瞭若指掌幾乎不可能。在台灣衛福部長的例子裡，有人要求回家去洗衣服，在我的例子裡，我的韓國分社社長想在孩子們睡覺前回家看他們一眼。這些提出要求的人顯然已經累了，他們的上司同理他們並且協助。

作為一個被台灣收養的英國人，我希望我們能繼續看到更多此類政治人物，比如衛福部長和他的同事，讓他們管理這個國家。體面正直、誠實和負責任的領導素質非常重要。

抱歉這篇短文沒有笑話，但我對政治需要的正直體面(decency)感覺非常強烈，尤其現在我對世界上許多政客感到厭惡。

Tinkerty tonk…   掰掰。