Why do so many incompetent men become leaders? Part II

The feedback I received on last Sunday’s opinion has encouraged me to write part two of the same. Most of the comments I got from readers were positive, but a few readers who disagreed told me that Ugandan politicians, men and women, are all the same. They gave examples of some women politicians who allegedly behave, more or less, like their male counterparts, such as, former vice president Speciosa Wandira Kazibwe, NRM secretary general Justine Lumumba, NRM chief whip Ruth Nankabirwa and my sister from West Nile, Ms Evelyn Anite.

I told them in reply that there are, in fact, many more good and talented women out there with high EQ and IQ, such as, former Finance minister Maria Kiwanuka, former First Lady Miria Kalule Obote, long-serving Woman MP Cecilia Ogwal and former Arua District Woman MP Christine Bako Abia.

Confidence disguised as competence
In chapter two of the book titled Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders? Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic examines the relationship between confidence and competence and explores some common myths about gender differences and confidence.

Chamorro argues that contrary to popular belief, displays of confidence do not necessarily translate into leadership potential. He quotes a few examples, such as business magnate Richard Branson of the Virgin Group, who claims that “the secret ingredient that allows him to rule and improve the world is confidence.”
Exceptional achievers like world-famous tennis player Roger Federer often attribute their incredible achievements to self-confidence.

Asked by a BBC reporter to reveal the secret of his success, Federer answered that it’s due to his confidence and self-belief. In other words, he believed in himself and as a result he won.
The truth of the matter is that Federer’s achievements are primarily because of his talents, not due to his self-confidence. Talents lead to confidence, not vice versa.

While competence is how good you are at something, confidence is how good you think you are at something. Competence is ability; confidence is the belief in that ability. Chamorro argues that in the real world, confidence is rarely a sign of competence. By definition, most people are average in terms of ability, but too many tend to exaggerate and overrate their job performance which explains why they have difficulty in receiving and accepting negative feedback.

So, don’t be surprised to hear a person of average ability and IQ brag shamelessly that he or she has a monopoly of ideas or vision because inept people tend to grossly overestimate their ability, importance and competence.

In an essay written to condemn the rise of Nazi Germany titled The Triumph of Stupidity, renowned British philosopher and Nobel laureate, Bertrand Russell (RIP) lamented that, “the fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid (people) are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.” Sounds rather familiar!

Although it’s often assumed that women are less confident than men, a closer look at scholarly research shows that women are internally confident and, in addition, men and women can be overconfident. Women are, however, wrongly perceived to be less confident and less competent than men.

Chamorro concludes by arguing that, “despite the common perception that confidence is a highly desirable quality, it is desirable only if it is accompanied by actual competence.”

Measuring a leader’s impact
According to Chamorro, leadership – the process that enables individuals to work together in the pursuit of a common goal – has been a critical resource throughout the evolution of humankind.

He argues that every significant achievement in human history, such as the use of fire, the invention of writing, the mapping of the human genome and, if I may add, a man landing on the moon in 1969, sprang from collective action that could not have occurred without good, competent and effective leadership.
Leadership talent is critical for all countries and organisations, but it is notoriously difficult to identify and spot.

The failure by most African countries to advance and develop rapidly from third to first world status, within one or at most two generations, like Singapore, can partly and rightly be attributed to the lack of competent, effective, inspirational and selfless leadership which is committed to serve the common good and national interests, rather than a personal or tribal agenda.

Mr Acemah is a political scientist and retired career diplomat.
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