A framework for leadership development in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Abstract

Governance is concerned with the institutional capacity of public organisations to provide the public and other goods demanded by a country’s citizens or their representatives in an effective, transparent, impartial, and accountable manner, subject to resource constraints. It is claimed that, when the historical background of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is considered, governance should be concerned with the government’s efforts to strengthen the organs of the state in order to tackle the socio-economic crisis that has paralysed most of public institutions and then impeding the proper functioning of the state’s apparatus. Given the state’s failure in the DRC, creating a strong nation should be a priority. This will require a leadership style which is transformational in nature and leaders who will provide stewardship needed to pave a way for the country to be placed on the track of development. This article intends to propose a framework that can be used in regard to leadership development in the DRC. In so doing, the article firstly examines leadership and governance issues in Africa. It secondly analyses the after effect of colonisation on the continent. It thirdly demonstrates the necessity for an effective leadership in DRC before it proposes a framework for leadership development in the country. The proposed framework is tri-dimensional and it is founded on three main aspects, namely spirituality, emotional intelligence and morality. It is believed that a perspective on leadership development based on the above dimensions can assist in producing leaders the DRC needs to meet the imperatives of governance and public administration. Currently the DRC requires leaders who can unleash the potential available in the country and maximise the country’s strategic position and role in continental geopolitical affairs. Nevertheless, it is argued that the success of the model that is proposed in this article will mainly depend on the kind of social order that prevails in the country and on the type of the political arrangements that are secured by the country’s leaders.