We’ve all probably heard that we have grown from “Character OR Competence” to “Character AND Competence”. Simple but far too simplistic. Yes, there are times when great depth of meaning is conveyed by a simple four-character Chinese poem, and there are times when you need a PhD plus applied working experience to fully grasp what needs to be acquired, assimilated and integrated. I’ve said before that it is important to remember TreeBeard, if you are familiar with “Lord of the Rings”, and I continue to stand by that assertion.
People like Dr Victor Davis Hanson (VDH) of the Hoover Institution talk about things like this. I recall listening to a conversation where he was describing past Presidents of the United States (POTUS) as being either of good character but generally ineffective or Presidents that people abhorred due to what were perceived as highly visible character defects but could definitely be described as being effective. I respectfully disagree. If a leader is possessed of character attributes that are universally perceived as being true, right and just, then that leader will acquire the necessary competencies, both in that leader or by recruiting people with the necessary competencies, in order to manifestly fulfill what that leader is supposed to get done. Whether what is “…supposed to get done…” can be seen, heard and felt immediately by the general public is important, but not so important as the leader having the gumption to see it through regardless of the political price that leader might have to pay. A leader of higher grade character will of course invest the incredible amounts of life force in order to persuade his constituency that what he is doing is right for that constituency in order that people will also commit to getting the necessary done. Popular leaders, even though well-loved by their constituencies, are not always the best and most effective leaders. I recall a comment in “The Illustrated Art of War” by Samuel B Griffiths that “Benevolence and righteousness may be used to govern a state but cannot be used to administer an army. Expediency and flexibility are used in administering an army, but cannot be used in governing a state.¹” Effective leaders who are also admired because of good character qualities know that Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) are two different things even though RNA is transcribed from DNA. The overall state’s “Constitution” or similar oft-invoked concepts can be likened to what DNA IS. The RNAs transcribed by the DNA serve different functions and are transcribed appropriately at different times. Thus, the Constitution will cause different sets of laws to be passed at different times, will remove regulations which have served their purpose and will call into being other regulations as appropriate. Effective leaders will always seek to encourage the growth and manifestation of their respective constituencies’ “Constitutions” in each and every citizen, otherwise the making of new laws will expand and serve no useful purpose other than to destroy that nation or other constituency. In other words, more and more laws are not a manifestation of progress, of more muscle or of healthier organs. They are merely tumours which do need to be removed, but which are actually symptoms of the moral diseases in that society.
Don’t stop the continuing conversations about Character and/ or Competence. Expand them! You’re welcome!
¹ From Chapter III verse 21. The comment is by Chang Yü
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