Leadership on Trial: an Existentialist Assessment

Covenant International Journal of Psychology (CIJP). Vol.2, No.1, June. 2017

An Open Access Journal Available Online

Leadership on Trial: An Existentialist Assessment

Godwyns A. Agbude1, Aize Obayan2, Ademola, L. Lawal3, & Ugochukwu D. Abasilim1

1Development of Political Science and International Relations, College of Leadership Development Studies, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria. [email protected]; [email protected]

2College of Leadership Development Studies, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria. [email protected]

3Department of Philosophy, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. [email protected]

Abstract: The importance of leadership in society calls for a continuous attempt to improving on leadership studies so as to build societies (in all its constitutive units) that are humane. This paper, therefore, engages in the perennial dialogues of leadership development vis-à-vis leadership performance from an existentialist paradigm in making a case for a more holistic and viable prescription for effective and functional leadership. The existentialists are notorious for their redefinition of Husserlian Phenomenology in which the Transcendental Ego escaped to the world of loneliness where it only serves as an impartial and uninterested observer of human events. From the pedestal of the Transcendental Ego, the Existentialists pulled it down to the world of empirical reality where the Transcendental Ego becomes an

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interactive, interested and interwoven reality with the other realities of the world. Putting this in the context of leadership, contemporary leadership performance, both in the political and the corporate (organisational) worlds, reflects a Husserlian disinterested Transcendental Ego in which both public and corporate policies are shaped first and foremost for the interest of the political and the corporate leaders and their compatriots. Public interests thus suffer in the hands of private interests. In politics, for instance, the battle for political power (retaining power at all cost) replaces the quest for effective and efficient service delivery, which should be the hallmark of politics. Looking at the corporate world, corporate executives'/leaders', rewards sometimes overshadow the need to maximise profit for the shareholders while still embracing corporate social responsibility. Several pieces of evidence of corporate frauds explain organisations' fraternisation with window dressing and creative accounting so as to cover up the fraudulent acts of some corporate executives. The fall of Enron, Arthur Andersen, WorldCom, HealthSouth, Freddie Mac, American Insurance Group (AIG), Lehman Brothers, Halliburton, Xerox, Tyco International, Rite Aid, Peregrine Systems and etc. are cases in point, therefore providing a good basis for an existentialist intervention in leadership studies. Thus, this paper engages secondary data with some empirical facts; and also employs some fundamental themes of existentialism in zeroing in leadership in all sectors, specifically, – political leaders, corporate (organisational) leaders, community leaders etc. It concludes that existentialism provides a viable and instructive platform for an ethical, humanistic and pragmatic leadership. Keywords: Existentialism, Leadership, Organization and Politics

Introduction pages are written about leadership in One of the most discussed subjects magazines and journals each year. since the beginning of the 20th Three-quarters of American Century is the concept of leading or corporations send people off to leadership. In the 21st Century, leadership classes each year and leadership has dominated almost all spend an estimated $15 billion on public and private inquiries such that training and consulting for those on it has grown to become a wide area of their leadership teams.” This implies discourse. In contemporary times that a lot of investments have made leadership is a sought-after on building a viable platform for appellation even for those who do not effective leadership. A lot of have an idea of what it is. universities globally have Centers or

Hunter (2004:14) posits that "a search Institutes of Leadership Studies, the on Amazon.com reveals more than corporate world invests in training 280,000 titles on leadership and their workers for leadership positions, management! Tens of thousands of political rulers take courses, workshops and seminars in the art of

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political governance in order to Among them is Northouse demonstrate leadership acumen. (2010:205) who holds that Thus, in order to effectively put "Upheavals in society have energised leadership on trial while suggesting a tremendous demand for authentic some fundamental tenets and themes leadership. The destruction on 9/11, of existentialism, this paper covers corporate scandals at companies like five areas namely, the introduction, WorldCom and Enron and massive the statement of the problem, failures in the banking industry have literature review, the theory that all created fear and uncertainty. empowers contemporary leadership People…long for bona fide styles, empirical facts of failed leadership they can trust and for leadership and finally discussion and leaders who are honest and good". recommendations. While Lawler & Ashman (2012) Statement of the Problem employ Jean-Paul Sartre existentialist Despite all the investments in analysis of human person, this paper leadership training and development employs the wider scope of on the platforms of research existentialist scholars such as Don institutes, books and journals Miguel De Unamuno‟s idea of publications, seminars, workshops immortality, Karl Jasper‟s concept of and conferences, we are continuously self-awareness as the foundation of confronted with leadership gaps till human existence, Martin Heidegger‟s date. One current and unpardonable Dasein (Being) and death, Gabriel finding is the fact that there is also a Marcels‟ philosophy of gap between the teaching of intersubjectivity, Maurice Merleau- leadership and the practice of Ponty‟s concept of man as an leadership. In other words, leadership embodied being – being-in-the-world trainers and lecturers demonstrate a and lastly Jean-Paul Sartre‟s idea of little capability of leadership. It is the authenticity and freedom. paradox of "do as I say but don‟t do Literature Review as I do”. Leadership: A Conceptual Thus, this leadership trial is for both Discourse those in quest of developing Newstrom & Bittel (2007) see leadership capabilities and the leadership as the process of leadership trainers and teachers. influencing and supporting others to Thus, the leadership gap is not just in follow you and to do willingly the the corporate world and the political things that need to be done. sphere. We call to question the idea Leadership has also been defined as of leadership in the educational "a process of social influence through sectors, especially in the leadership which an individual enlists and industry today. Some scholars have mobilises the aid of others in the pursued this urgent call for authentic attainment of a collective goal" leadership, by implication the (Chemers, 2001: 376). From these existentialist contribution to definitions, leadership as a process of leadership studies in their research. influence takes place within a group

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and lastly focuses on goal attainment. are characterised by a high degree of Such conception of influence has to narcissism are driven by intense factor in the context of positive needs for power, wealth and prestige. influence towards the achievement of Such leaders with this kind of positive goals. Leadership is not just personality disorder can favourably about the influence it has to do with elicit a high performance from the positive influence. However, it is followers through the three features worthy of note that negative influence of bad leadership namely: will definitely produce negative i.) Managerial tyranny; behaviour in the followers. A leader ii.) Strategic bullying and should ensure that he or she elicits iii) Outright manipulation of positive influence. For Owen (2011), followers. leadership is not about position: it is Warren Bennis gave three reasons he about what you do and how you feels leaders are important in our behave. The predominant theme in world today. virtually all definitions of leadership i. First, they are responsible for the is that leaders deal in the currency of effectiveness of organisations. influence but via motivation and ii. Second, the change and upheaval enabling rather than coercion (House of the past years have left us with & Javidan, 2004; Martin, Epitropaki, no place to hide. We need Thomas & Topaka, 2010; Yukl, anchors in our lives, something 2010). like a trim-tab factor, a guiding Bennis (1989:13) cited Gardener‟s purpose. Leaders fill that need. submission that “leaders have a iii. Third, there is a pervasive, significant role in creating the state of national concern about the mind that is the society. They can integrity of our institutions serve as symbols of the moral unity (Bennis, 1989: 15). of the society. They can express the In a like manner, he went on to posit values that hold the society together. that the followers hold trust as a Most important, they can conceive fundamental requirement from their and articulate goals that lift people leaders. It follows that people's out of their petty preoccupations commitments to an organization or to carry them above the conflicts that a national leader or any vision or goal tear a society apart, and unite them in at all are products of the level of trust pursuit of objectives worthy of their they repose on the leader. Thus, we best efforts." can argue that the effectiveness and This is important in the light of the commitment of followers or Sankar's (2003) claim that the employees to organizational goal and character of a leader is more vision is a product of the level of trust important than charisma in they have in their leaders. Owen influencing his/her vision, goals, (2011) noted that people expect the strategies, core values, choices, behaviours or traits listed as flagged judgment and behaviour. For instance, leaders whose personalities

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from the leaders of their organization agreeableness, which can result in or country: inappropriate conflict-avoiding Ability to motivate others behaviour when carried to the limits i. Vision (Ghislieri & Gatti, 2012: 262). The ii. Honesty and integrity import of this is that personality traits iii. Decisiveness affect the leadership style that is in iv. Ability to handle crises (Owen, practice in the group, organisation 2011) and the society at large. The derailed

These good qualities are expected or dysfunctional leaders are the from an ideal leader. However, product of personality disorder such research has shown that the concept as narcissism (Rosenthal & Pittinsky, of influence in relation to the 2006; Kets de Vries, 1995). definition and description of Bad leadership, for instance, resulted leadership sometimes does not show from an unresolved sense of self, an that influence can be negative. unrealistic idea of one‟s power and

Derailed / Dysfunctional the fear of losing it (Ghislieri & Gatti, Leadership 2012: 262). Kets de Vries (1995) Influence can be both positive and holds that leadership is the exercise negative hence the dark side of of power, and the quality and leadership becomes a prominent area consequences of leadership depend of research. In reality, this interest in on the ability to exercise power (cited the dark side dates back to the early in Ghislieri & Gatti, 2012: 262). Both 1890s, when early work on leadership in the corporate and the political derailment or failure (Ghislieri & worlds, there have been several Gatti, 2012: 261). Later, the concept demonstrations of the abuse of of bad leadership comes back to the power. This is mostly due to the fact literature of leadership studies again. that citizens, as in the case of political The list of leadership derailment has leadership, and followers or expanded accommodate the toxic shareholders, as in the case of the leadership (Lipman-Blumen, 2005), corporate world, are nothing but mere negative or evil or „dark side' of objects to be used for the personal leadership (Conger, 1990), abusive or advancement of the leaders. destructive leadership (Higgs, 2009). Constructive narcissists have greater According to the researchers by self-confidence and ability to cope Benson & Hogan, 2008; Chatterjee & with frustration and are thus better Hambrick, 2007, „Bad leadership' able to keep up a relationship, the corresponds to a general worsening in reactive narcissist and self-deceptive performance (Ghislieri & Gatti, 2012: narcissist can show more problematic 261). As noted by Hogan, Curphy & behaviour in dealing with their Hogan (1994) proposed that bad followers (Ghislieri & Gatti, 2012: leadership depends on extreme levels 262). of certain personality traits such as Existentialist Philosophy: A ambition (which in extreme becomes Lenticular Discourse and the constant competition) or, conversely, Application to Leadership Studies

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Existentialism is a reaction to both Kierkegaard, the existentialist the Hegelian idealism and the philosophers focus their attention on Husserlian phenomenology in which the individual man and his life the human person is merely an experience rather than abstract abstract entity. For the existentialists, concepts that are unrelated to human Man's existence precedes his essence life" (Omoregbe, 1999: 39). As noted meaning that man has no by Sartre, “the first effect of predetermined existence but is existentialism is that it puts every endowed with the capacity and the man in possession of himself as he is capability to create and recreate his and places the entire responsibility essence. The uniqueness of this for his existence squarely upon his philosophical movement is that Man own shoulders” (Sartre, 1973: 28). is returned to a central place in the Man as a Being-in-the-world universe. It is like the Copernicus Man is the king of the world. The revolution in astronomy. As noted by world exists for the sake of man. The Omoregbe (1998: 93), "Before world and everything in it must serve Copernicus (1475 – 1543), it was the purpose and help man to realise generally believed that the earth was himself given that he does not have a at the centre of the universe and that predetermined existence. The the sun and all other planets were existence of all other things in the moving around the earth. But world is only meaningful in relation Copernicus reversed this view by to man's realisation of his destiny, his showing that it was the opposite, that uniqueness and his authenticity. Karl it was the sun that was at the centre of Jaspers observes it thus: "when I the universe and that the earth and become aware of myself I see that I other planets revolved around the am in a world in which I take my sun." bearings” (Jaspers, 1974: 158). Man

In that same order, the existentialist is in a world in which his life can philosophers theorize about the only have meaning. All the socio- individual human person and his economic, political, religious and existential realities as against the cultural institutions in the world exist universalism or better put the abstract primarily to help man realise himself. existence of man. The French These institutions are only philosopher, Emmanuel Mounier meaningful if they serve the interests [1905-1950] once characterised of man and not those in control of existentialism as „a reaction of the them. philosophy of man against the Maurice Merleau-Ponty succinctly excesses of the philosophy of ideas puts it thus: and the philosophy of things' The world is not an object such (Gardiner, 1988:89). Kierkegaard that I have in my possession the specifically theorised on the law of its making; it is the particularisation, individualisation natural setting and the field for all my thoughts and all my and uniqueness of the human person. explicitly perceptions...man is in It is worthy of note that "following

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the world and only in the world advancement of man's self-fulfillment does he know himself. When I in this world. return to myself from an This position of the existentialist excursion into the realm of negates Machiavelli's claim that the dogmatic common sense or of purpose of politics is the acquisition science, I find, not a source of intrinsic truth, but a subject of political power and the retention of destined to be in the world that at all cost. Machiavelli never (Merleau-Ponty, 1962: xi) withdrew his statement that the end The world is the natural setting where justifies the means. His proposal to man's thought and activities can be the prince holds that in the time of given expression. Man is destined to peace he should prepare for war. For be in the world. We are back to the Machiavelli, The Prince should avoid same argument again that man should the practice of moral virtues and naturally find fulfilment in the world. religious beliefs but should encourage Therefore, the institutions in the his subject to do so in order to foster world must assist man in realising the possibility of getting their loyalty himself. According to Omoregbe even though he suppresses and (1999: 82) "Things in the world are oppresses them. seen by man only in relation to In line with this, Friedman's proposal himself, either as useful to him or as that the purpose of business executive harmful to him, either as tools which is to maximise the profit for he can use or as obstacles in his shareholders within a legal way." framework without possessing any

In the same vein, Jean Paul-Sartre other responsibility to the larger holds that “Without the world, there community displaces man from the centre of economic institutions. is no selfhood, no person; without selfhood, without the person, there is Man as a Being-with-others no world" (Sartre, 1956: 104). There Karl Jaspers underscores the is a symbiotic relationship between importance of intersubjectivity or the world and man. However, Joseph better put the interpersonal Omoregbe noted the instrumental relationship in man's realisation and nature of the world to man's self- actualization of himself. According to discovery, self-development, self- him, actualization and self-fulfillment. Against my self-will, against According to him, "the world is the accident of my empirical instrumental to man, for man uses it existence, I experience myself in communication. I am never to realise his possibilities and fulfil more sure of being myself than himself. The world exists for man and at times of total readiness for “all the things in it are instruments others when I come to myself which man utilises for his own self- because the other to comes to fulfillment" (Omoregbe, 1999: 43). himself in our revealing This again reinforces the claim that struggle (Jaspers, 1974: 173). all the institutions in human society For him, as cited above, against our should serve as the tools for the self-will, we encounter the being of

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others, especially in communication. the other, and the idea of the Our humanity is only visible in other is no longer the other as relation with the humanity of others. such, but the other qua related to Others realise themselves in relating me, as fragmented, as parceled with us. According to Sartre, “the out or in the process of being parceled out (Marcel, 1935: fact of the other is incontestable and 155). touches me to the heart” (Sartre, The existence of others is an 1956: 261). From Sartre‟s position, it imperative for our existence. One's is clear that one‟s life is interwoven existence is only meaningful so long and only meaningful in respect of as one recognises the existence of other humans. others. Joseph Omeregbe recasts Thus, “for the existentialist, the Gabriel Marcel's proposition thus: awareness of the existence of the "The more I recognise the personality other is not by inference or analogy of the other, the more I enhance my but part of the awareness of our own own personality, and the more I am very existence. We discover present with the other, the more I am “ourselves as existing with other present to myself. To recognise the people and our being as a being-with- personality of the other implies to others” (Omoregbe, 1999: 44). This make oneself available to him and be defines the individuality of man. In ready to him attention. To “refuse to pursuit of the good of man, Karl make oneself available to the other is Jaspers argues against paying lip to refuse to recognise his personality" service of the concept of mankind. In (Omoregbe, 1999:77). The today‟s political thought, Jaspers implication of this for leadership is would disagree with the concept of that it is the existence of the followers the masses being treated as a that gives meaning to the existence universal concept used to describe the and the operation of the leader. Thus, citizenry of a nation-state. a leader, in any sector or unit The leader‟s existence is only (political leadership, meaningful in his interaction with the corporate/organisational leadership, followers. Therefore, we can educational leadership, sufficiently argue that the leader has community/social leadership, no superior existence outside his spiritual leadership etc) should interactions with those who work recognise that leadership is a with/for him. privileged responsibility accorded to Gabriel Marcel amplifies this thus: him/her and the followers deserve a The other as other exists for me better treatment than being treated as only insofar as I am open to him mere statistical variables. This calls (insofar as he is a thou), but I for the selfless pursuit of am only open to him insofar as I cease to form a circle with organisational or national goals myself within which I somehow without destroying the followers' place the other, or rather, the capacity to realise themselves and idea of the other; for in so doing achieve their personal goals.

the other becomes the idea of

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According to Jaspers, “The man who Understanding the imminence of loves mankind does not love at all, death, our lives should be used in the but one who loves a particular human service of our fellow man instead of being does” (Jaspers, 1974: 173). The pursuing transient things of this world implication of this is that man that we will abandon in this world. individuality must be considered in According to Unamuno, the idea of our interactions, policies and death should form the basis of ethics decisions. Thus, it is important to in man. He puts it thus: note that man's individuality should What I wish to establish is that be considered when one considers uncertainty, doubt, perpetual strategies of motivation which is in wrestling with the mystery of tandem with Maslow's Hierarchy of our final destiny, mental despair, Needs which emphasises the and the lack of any solid and stable dogmatic foundation, may differences in man's motivational be the basis of an ethic needs. (Unamuno, 1954: 261). Man as Being-towards-death That man is unsure of his end or his Even though we cannot provide a final destination outside this world of widely accepted and empirically Spatio-temporal existence should based intellectual proof or ground for spawn the idea of man becoming the idea of „life after death', the humane to his fellow man. Man existentialists' debate about the should elicit good behaviours towards meaningfulness and meaninglessness other men and the community at large of death calls for the need for knowing that he is a being-unto-death positive, authentic and ethical and he is not certain of his experience leadership which considers the outside this world whether it will be transient nature of human life. This in pain or gain derived from his idea of the transient nature of human actions in this world. While life should be developed in corporate addressing the central place of death leaders, political leaders, in human life, Unamuno holds that social/community leaders the sense of the thirst for immorality is the very responsibility. This understanding essence of life. Man's quest for should promote the culture of not power, fame and wealth is in relation attaching a premium to the to his quest for immortality which is acquisition of the things of this world rooted in man's greatest instinct of at the expense of the wellbeing and self-preservation. All corrupt welfare of the followers. The several practices in both the corporate and corporate frauds and embezzlement the political worlds are all attempts at from the national treasury of several immortalising himself. However, nations by their political leaders and Man cannot escape death; therefore, public office holders are the proofs he should use his temporal life to help that these leaders have not come to others live better. He should not use understand that death ends of our his life to obstruct the existence of acquisition. others.

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For him, both morality and religion never that which gives life its are inseparable and are based on meaning. It is, on the contrary, that feelings rather than reason as which on principle removes all proposed by Socrates and Plato who meaning from life. If we must die then argued that morality is the function of our life has no meaning because its reason and identified virtue with problems receive no solution. It is knowledge (Omoregbe, 1999). There “absurd that we are born, it is absurd is also an extensive debate between that we die” (Sartre, 1956: 545).

Martin Heidegger and Jean-Paul Existentialist Foundation of Group Sartre on the meaningfulness or the Theory of Leadership meaninglessness of death. According The theory that captures the to Heidegger (1973:289), "Death is a existentialist ideal in leadership way to be which Dasein takes over as studies is the group theory. soon as it is. As soon as a man is Leadership exists in the context of born, he is old enough to die". The group existence. The concepts of reality of death is that it is part of influence, vision/goal, motivation and man‟s existence and a child that is mobilisation are only relevant in the born today is old enough to die. For context of group association. him, death reveals the individuality According to Hogg (2001), leadership and peculiarity of man because every is a relational property of groups; man has his own life to live and his leaders can't exist without a group of own death to die. Heidegger (1973) followers and followers can't exist argues further that death promotes without leaders (Thomas, Martin & self-awareness in man and man Riggio, 2013:7). This calls for respect becomes aware of his freedom to die for the dignity of the followers since and his concomitant responsibility. their existence legitimises the He further argues that death is the existence and the relevance of the final cord in human existence that leaders. At this point, it is safe to confers meaning to man‟s life. Death argue that leadership is a meaningless reveals man‟s finitude. concept without the group/followers. Contrarily to Heidegger's idea of According to Thomas, Martin & death being an experience that gives Riggio, (2013: 7), by emphasizing the meaning to human life, Sartre (1956) nature and the quality of the argues that death is absurd and that relationship between leaders and that which terminates the life of man followers, this theory of leader– cannot be a source of the member exchanges (LMX) was the meaningfulness of man's life. In Jean- first to stress that leadership was not Paul Sartre own words: "Thus we just a top–down process, but it is a shall conclude in opposition to reciprocal relationship in which Heidegger that death, far from being leaders and followers mutually my peculiar possibility, is a influence each other (see Dienesch & contingent fact which, as such, on Liden, 1986; Graen & Uhl-Bien, principle escapes me and originally 1995; Martin et al., 2010). The belongs to my facticity…Death is leaders' identification with the group

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is the thrust of social identity theory guilty in the Enron Scandal. Skilling in leadership studies. Thus, Agbude, was sentenced to 24 years in prison Excellence-Oluye and Godwyns- while Ken Lay died before serving Agbude (2014), argue that lack of his time in jail. social identity within the group Worldcom Scandal of 2002, Bernie context explains leadership Ebbers, the CEO, was the main misbehaviour or bad leadership of culprit. The company inflated their most African states. More so, it is assets by the sum of $11 billion worthy of note that it is not just the resulting in loss of jobs and $180 leader that influences the followers; billion in losses for investors. This the followers also influence the was done by underreporting line costs leader. by capitalising rather than expensing

Empirical Facts of Leadership and inflated revenue with fake Derailment accounting entries. The corporate Corporate Leadership fraud was discovered by the internal The under listed corporate frauds are auditing department. Ebber was cases that justify that the gap between sentenced to 25 years imprisonment the „I' and the „thou' is wider. These for fraud, conspiracy and falsification corporate leaders used their of documents. Worldcom Scandal led shareholders and the workers for their the US Congress to introduce personal financial aggrandisement. In Sarbanes-Oxley Act which is an the West Management of Scandal of embodiment of rules and regulations 1998, $1.7 billion was reported in for corporate entrepreneurs. fake earnings. The company falsely Lehman Brothers, a global financial increased the depreciation time length services firm, hid more than $50 for their property, plant and billion in loans disguised as sales. equipment on the balance sheets. The The executives and the company‟s Founder/Chairman Dean L. Buntrock auditors were the culprits. They and his other top executives were said created the impression that the to have engaged in this corporate company had $50 billion more cash fraud. Arthur Andersen as the and $50 billion less in toxic assets. auditing firm was an accomplice in This company eventually went this fraud. bankrupt.

In Enron Scandal, 2001, shareholders In 2008, Bernie Madoff Scandal lost $74 billion, thousands of came up as one of the pieces of employees and investors‟ retirement evidence of leadership failure in the benefits were squandered by the CEO business world. The company, Jeff Skilling, former CEO Ken Lay through Bernie Madoff, his and their accomplices. They accountant, David Friehling and perpetrated this by keeping huge Frank DiPascalli, tricked investors debts off balance sheets and were out with about $64.8 billion through exposed by an internal whistleblower the largest Ponzi scheme in human Sherron Watkin. Arthur Andersen, as history. Bernie Madoff, the CEO of the auditing firm, was also found Bernard L. Madoff Investment

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Securities LLC which as a Wall involved very high-level government Street Investment firm, told his sons officials, including Cabinet Ministers who in turn reported him to SEC and and Chief Ministers (Wikipedia, 2014 was arrested the next day. Madoff from was sentenced to 150 years http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrupti imprisonment and $170 billion on_in_India). Thus, the question of restitution. Friehling and DiPascalli political corruption is not limited to were not left out in the jail terms. In some countries; it seems to cut across 2009, Satyam Scandal is quite the countries in the world.

alarming. It falsely boosted its The United States of America revenue by $1.5 billion. It was an Over the past forty years, power, Indian IT services and back-office money and greed have corrupted our accounting firm founded and chaired elected government officials at every by Ramalinga Raju. level. What is most alarming is that Political Leadership the blatant corruption running What follows from here are cases of rampant in Washington is actually mismanagement of national treasury being tolerated by the American of countries by their political leaders. people. Unfortunately, members of Nigeria both parties act as if their jobs are Chief Bode George was arraigned by nothing more than a big political EFCC alongside five other suspects game. They are so focused on (Aminu Dabo, Olusegun Abidoye, insulting the other side and getting Adullahi Tafida, Zanna Maidaribe, their own agendas passed that they and Sule Aliyu) on a 163-count forget who they are supposed to be charge (truncated to 68-count charge) working for: the United States public that bordered on an alleged (Moreland, 2014 from misappropriation of Nigeria Ports http://economyincrisis.org/content/po Authority (NPA) funds to the tune of litical-corruption-on-the-rise). In N85 billion, and inflation of contract addition, Willian J. Jefferson, a costs contrary to Section 22(3) of the Democrat lawmaker is a case in point Corrupt Practices and Other Related of political corruption. In August Offences Act, 2000. Bode George 2005, the FBI seized the sum of was sent to one and half years $90,000 in cash from him. He was imprisonment convicted of 11counts of bribery and (http://dailyreviewonline.com.ng). was sentenced to 13 years on India November 13, 2009, and his Chief of As of December 2008, 120 of India's Staff Brett Pfeffer was served 7 years imprisonment (Friedman, 2014). 523 parliament members were accused of crimes, under India's First Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Information Report procedure Nagin became the latest American wherein anyone can allege another of politician to be sent to jail for abuse committing a crime. Many of the of power, following in the footsteps biggest scandals since 2010 have of former Detroit Mayor Kwame

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Kilpatrick and onetime Illinois that the claim to „encapsule the Congressman Jesse Jackson universe‟ in a set of formulas which Jr. Despite such high-profile are more or less rigorously related is convictions, most Americans see absurd (Marcel cited in Languilli, political corruption as a problem that 1971: 334). As noted by Omoregbe plagues the developing world far (1999), Marcel argues against every more than the U.S. The truth is more attempt to reduce human beings to complex: It‟s certainly the case that mere functionaries. Marcel decries paying bribes is a lot less common in the attempt and the practice of the U.S. than in Nigeria or Bolivia, depersonalising man by reducing man for example. But when citizens are to a mere functionary accessory in asked if corruption is prevalent in modern civilisation. In his book, their country, they‟re thinking about a Philosophy and Existence, Marcel lot more than bribes. They are more argues that the world in which concerned about whether government individual human beings are seen and the political system is fair or only in terms of their functions is a stacked against them. And on those broken world, a world in which the grounds, there are good reasons to individual tends to appear to himself think the difference between the U.S. and to others as an agglomeration of and developing countries isn‟t very functions. In a broken world human big at all (Kenny, 2014 from beings are depersonalised and their http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articl human dignity is ignored (Omoregbe, es/2014-07-14/corruption-is- 1999: 76). Derailed leadership, perceived-as-greater-where-income- negative leadership or bad leadership gaps-are-big). Senator Jim Traficant depersonalises the followers and of the United States was charged and relate with them in terms of the found guilty on 10 felony counts of functions they perform in the financial misappropriation and was organisation, group or society. Some sentenced to 8 years in jail and of the few cases of corporate and expelled from the House in the year political corruption cited above are 2002 (http://www.CNN.com, Law products of toxic leaders who only Center, April 12, 2002) use the followers as the means to

There are cases of political corruption their own ends. and display of leadership Just as the existentialists argue, man dysfunctional and derailment that is a being-with-others thus; his litter the pages of newspapers across existence is only relevant in the the world from developing countries context of others' existence. Man has to developed countries. no moral justification for exploiting others or assuming a magisterial position above his fellow men since his life is only meaningful in relations Discussion and Conclusion to theirs. Thus, leadership is a Gabriel Marcel posits that “It has privilege accorded to the leaders by become increasingly evident to me the followers both in the corporate

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and the political worlds. Leadership Lastly, the questions of man's as a relationship between the leaders finitude, thirst for immortality and and the followers must be understood final death, call for the need to in terms of symbiotic existence where consistently maximise our existence, the followers are not defined as mere not in terms of greedy acquisition of functionaries and tools in the hands material wealth but that of adding of the leaders. Policies and strategies value to man's dignity. It was on the must not be used to exploit them basis of this, Unamuno (1954) holds given that they confer meaning to that moral living should derive from leadership on the existentialist our uncertainty of life after death. ground. The appeal for pragmatic, humanistic, In the same vein, man is a being-in- ethical, positive and authentic the-world and must not be treated as leadership that promotes the well- mere articles in the world. Sartre being of the followers hangs on these holds that man gives meaning to the three themes of the existentialist world and we can, therefore, argue philosophers. Leadership is brought that every institution put in place to trial and on the basis of the must be for the interests and benefits existentialists' conceptions of man of man. All the basic structures of the and the existential realities he finds society must not be inimical to man. himself, we appeal for leadership that The leaders of these basic structures does not depersonalise, dehumanise, and institutions must, therefore, see disorganise, disorient and destroy themselves as having responsibilities man's dignity. to man – advancing the dignity of the human person and not destroying it.

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