Progress of a country, leadership, vision -carrier Metaphor

The vision and firm government, conditions for development of a country. Metaphor carrier

 

Introduction

On March 23, 2015 died Lee Kuan Yew, called the "founding father" of modern Singapore; who came to power in 1959 and made this small territory into a giant in terms of economic performance and development. For many it was a visionary and a leader with an iron hand, for others an authoritarian ruler. For all is undeniable his driving ability and the results achieved in this country. The development of a country is the holy grail of the rulers and the people, for this you need against previous basic elements without which this condition is crazy or an inordinate desire.

Governments must be leaders with a vision of greatness that moves to its personal conduct and government, with an oriented people sharing his vision of grandeur and that makes commitments and is aligned firmly and consistently with the major objectives. In short, the leader and the people governed should share a national ethos of greatness, development, work and cooperation.

Economic growth through is get by optimal and planned exploitation of natural resources and historical riches that the country possesses. Natural resources are the seas, farmland, mines, forests, oil and gas fields, nature reserves, historic and cultural riches are the historic centers surviving peoples in the past built their civilizations.

Training, development and use of the full capabilities of the country's population; so it will be possible wisely and efficiently utilize available resources, to achieve economic growth that will provide support to development.

In exceptional cases where the natural and historical riches are not present, but the ethos of greatness overcomes this limitation with the vast array of creative ability of its people to create wealth and achieve tangible and intangible, which supports the growth and thus development. These people are destined for development and a prosperous future for its people. The most notorious case is that of Singapore, perhaps the only one in the modern age or older.

There are numerous cases where there exists the wealth without but at the same time is absent the ability to use it, imagination or potential hidden in them. They are backward countries, whose fate is uncertain.

An aircraft carrier is a ship with immense proportions in every sense: the mass of the vessel, the fuel that allows scrolling, the crew, the complexity of relations between the crew and the leaders, the need for a path and purpose. The presence of a boss who also fully understands the characteristics of their ship, its crew, opportunities and threats in the environment, the strengths and weaknesses of your ship and people efficiently and effectively exercise its role of leader is needed. Weakness or lack of attributes determine the failure of the mission; return home without achieving goals or simply destruction. In a sense, running a large aircraft carrier is like running a country. (US Navy Truman)

The unique situation of Singapore

The amazement for Singapore situation leads to ask why they achieved this level of development?  What resources or factors have succeeded? How do they do it?

The answer is simple and is geared directly to the leadership of the country, if we understand that a country is like a ship. This well-built ship has an orderly, disciplined crew, aware of their roles, which strictly follows the rules imposed by a captain or guide. These rules are not arbitrary because reflect the need to reach a goal, achieve neither personal nor useful for the captain only, social, collective destiny.

The guide has certainly charisma and credibility, has a right and proper dealings with the population, acts consistently fulfilling himself the rules that are validated for the crew, knows the course, knows the dangers that arise when they deviate from the route, and most importantly, knows the destination and reason are directed toward it.

Singapore is like an aircraft carrier, well built, well managed, with a highly trained crew who know their role, their place in the group, which relies on its leader, who knows his destination. The great captain of that ship called Singapore was Lee Kuan Yew, who not only created and designed this ship, but clearly defined destination and the route to follow.

There are attributes of visionary recognized by many and character of authoritarian by other, the following article demonstrates that the vision and authoritarianism, which really correspond to the firmness and consistency in government affairs, are not opposites, on the contrary both are necessary and functional whenever the ethos of national greatness is present.

In Figure 1 it shows that the vision and authoritarianism are complementary when vision is of grandeur (visionary leader, authoritarian); when there is no vision but authoritarianism,  the results are not expected in terms of growth or development.

Some countries shown based on degrees of vision and development, the development line is also indicated. Above this line, vision regulates or limits the negative conditions that may appear depending on authoritarianism. Singapore and South Korea were organized by leaders with vision and authoritarianism, both are developed. Countries with less authoritarianism but with a definite vision of what they want also located also above line of development (Germany, Chile, Israel, and USA).

At the bottom it is observed that countries with different degrees of authoritarianism but lacking a vision do not achieve the desired development. Economic growth may be present, although it is clear that only the sale of goods and services does not improve the conditions of a society.

In Figure 3 we can see which are the principles, standards, compliance with laws which also explains the results of a vision and a strong government; these principles go beyond the person or leader who was eventually in charge of the country. In undeveloped countries, the principles at the level of individuals or institutions are absent, are only lyrical pronouncements, but not moral boosters right actions.

Warlords, leaders of revolts, each other's happened and you never know where they're going. Government actions are not guided by principles but by dogmas, beliefs created and imposed by the misleaders. They think they are predestined, sent from heaven, rebuilders of the country, saviors of the people and much more.

This situation guides the imagination to pirate ship where the greed for loot continuously generates riots, everyone wants to own fortune, and we continually walk to drift or changing course. A favorable wind can drive the pirate ship apparently the desired port, regardless of who is the captain; when there is no wind the ship just becomes uncontrolled and uncertain.

For several years, Lee Kuan Yew was no longer head of government but their successors maintain their vision and the course of his ship. Just in case a madman, schizophrenic or addicted to hallucinogens holds the office of head of state in Singapore, the ship will crash and inevitable will sink.

The graph 4 confirms the association between leadership, monitoring principles, vision, firmness of the government and hence people development

Some images of Singapore show that modernity and development are visible in the order, cleanliness, care of the environment, in the skyline.

By contrast, in countries below the line of developing the disorder, the apparent modernity, poverty and hopelessness are the constants in life. These countries have vast natural resources, huge potential historic resources, but a lack of vision and strong rule, political stability, a shared vision that transcends the ruler or government groups in power, hinder progress safely and securely. Their destination is the failure (the ship sinks, crashing against the rocks or remains adrift)

As a final thought, it can be argued that there are no excuses for avoid the effort to get the development of a country. The attribution of responsibilities to others is one sign of incompetence from seudo leaders, are excuses to justify their predatory acts against their peoples. Anyone cannot be guiding an enormous aircraft carrier; anyone cannot be ruler of a country unless the elected destination was failure, misery, moral and spiritual degradation.

 

The stark reality of Caracas and other Venezuelan, cities or any other country rich in resources, but poor ethos.

Image from Peru. This scene is more common than is supposed, may be the principal or any inner city.

 

The opportunity cost is also applied in personal life

Reflections Between the Lines / 1

The opportunity cost is also applied in personal life

In economics, a basic concept is the opportunity cost, from which refers to the problem of shortage of resources and the need to choose which production of a good or service is intended, while are reduced those needed for other goods and services.

Paul Samuelson in a classic example, speaks of the need to allocate resources to produce two goods, guns and butter. In reality there are thousands of goods between to be chosen, but the simplified example perfectly illustrates the idea of scarcity and allocation. Resources can be devoted to producing only butter or guns, the ideal solution is not extreme, in reality choose a combination and intensity of each well depends on the orientation of the economy.

Figure 1 illustrates the idea by taking two countries, one chooses the point Pc, where the amount of resources for the production of cannon is dominant. In reality they are ruled by princes or tyrants, why countries have this choice. Before the welfare of the people are interested in security and military power. At the point Pm is located a country where the welfare of the people is important but safety is not neglected.

Without straining the imagination one can identify North Korea as the Pc country Pc, while South Korea is the Pm country. In the first, the factor that guides the opportunity cost considerations are paranoia, bellicose zeal; in the other case, the need to stay on the path of development, which means taking care of human resources as one of the most important to achieve that status.

The resources involved are natural, financial, and even human. In North Korea, people are not required to participate in productive activities; in fact they may be even in the Pc position (on the production frontier), but an internal point Pc'. In the other, people engage in productive activities that increase the chances of being located on the production frontier.

 

When we turn to the personal level, the opportunity cost also involves the allocation of resources among alternative uses. What are the resources? Let's talk about one that is definitely low, you cannot play, it is time. There are two alternatives: the time at work and time for personal life, family. The time at work, dedication, effort and commitment can be indicators of personal success, which can be supplemented with monetary rewards, power, status, fame. On the other hand, leisure activities can be not necessarily generate income, but which contribute to the quality of life set.

Someone who is a “workaholic” can be located in the Pe point where the predominance of time allocated to work and the pursuit of success is seen as the supreme goal; while whom is located on Pf  decides to allocate more time to family, given the success, the benefits it grants but also freed from the pressures involving to get and maintain that condition. Perhaps an intermediate position can be recommended, although varying according to circumstances. Figure 2 shows this situation.

It is necessary to admit that the professional who has achieved success not necessarily located on the production frontier (meaning full life quality), may be in an internal position as Pe'. It must be accepted that success is not free, plus the time, are  required other concessions such as health, low quality family life,  sometimes alienation, madness. And often shortens the time available for further action (premature death). The man who is at the point Pe perhaps not yet born.

Philosophy of life involves the wise use of time and opportunities that life offers to build a better "world", join to bring quality life, based on the balance between satisfying the material and spiritual needs. It is understood that for someone who occupies a high position in an organization, the ability to think and reflect is not excluded from their daily activities, so you can take the time to make an assessment of the personal, professional and family becoming, and decide whether the time spent on each area of life is balanced.

Now, take a moment and decide how you choose to be. You most valuable resource, tour time, is exactly 24 hours a day. Evaluate the pros and cons of seeking only the success or just family life comfortable, smooth or refine an intermediate situation. Definitely will not recommend the Pe point. Money, power, glory not does help you in the underworld.