Leaders and successors

Professor Tan Sri Dato' Dzulkifli Abdul Razak
My View - The Sun Daily
May 5, 2015

THE tiff between Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Abdul Razak is in one sense an issue of "succession planning".

Succession planning is crucial to ensure that potential leaders have the right knowledge, skills, abilities and sensitivities, and are well prepared for more advanced challenges demanding even higher leadership wisdom. This is especially so when one is stepping into bigger shoes so to speak.

Some leaders have the innate ability and foresight to single out the "right" successor as the late Tun Abdul Razak did in planning for Mahathir to take up the premiership of Malaysia. But this is a gift that not everyone has.

Therefore there is a need to rely on specially designed mechanisms to choose a successor. In politics, this aspect has been the subject of discussion involving suggestions that can range from simple to elaborate mechanisms, especially when trust is found wanting.

In academia, similar issues have been of concern too. Many institutions have successfully adopted a mechanism known as the "search committee".

The committee is tasked to literally search for the right successor for key positions in an institution or organisation. In short, a search committee is a group of individuals formed for purposes of assisting the responsible authority in recruiting and screening candidates for a relevant post. The committee is expected to be thorough and consistent in reviewing applicants and exercise privacy and flexibility in so doing considering the impact of selection on the future of the institution or organisation.

For this an in-depth knowledge of the institution is critical so as to find the successor with the appropriate type of leadership qualities needed to further spur the institution forward on its planned course of development. It is the institutional legacy that must take precedence over any one individual in crafting a name for oneself at the expense of the institution that will stay forever. The leadership criteria statement therefore must ensure that this is clearly defined, and if the candidate wishes to differ then there must be a statement to this effect and good reasons why. That statement must meet the aspirations and expectations of the institution as a part of the trajectory ahead. More so it needs to match the leadership qualities to make it happen in evaluating the candidates' experiences and credentials at a face-to-face interaction at some point.

For this reason, members of the search committee must be of high standing, have the right capacity and capabilities. That they have latest valued knowledge of the position and/or institution, the relevant experience and attitude, plus are highly respected, independent-minded, intellectually honest and known to be fair as well as courageous is imperative. It is only when the committee is rightly placed, that the right candidate is most likely be chosen.

While the committee is generally regarded as advisory, the larger perspectives and new insights that it uncovers about the candidate vis-à-vis the potential challenges ahead can make its influence compelling to the authority that makes the final decision. More so if the search chair is convincing enough in the committee's recommendation and nomination based on transparent procedures and processes. After all, this is part of good governance that can yield better governance with the selection of the right successor. In some instances, the membership of the committee, if not the chair too, is kept private especially when there is intense "lobbying" going on for the coveted position. Those with a conflict of interest need to come clean if not withdraw from the committee.

It is therefore not unusual that the interviewing process is conducted off-campus or discreetly to preserve confidentiality. This is of utmost importance so that the best available candidate is not disillusioned or withdraws from the process because of some perception that he or she is a mere token – whereas the decision has been made well in advance of the process.

It is also not unusual for the candidate's family, especially the spouse, to be interviewed so that no stone is left unturned as it were. As such the entire process may take months, rather than half-a-morning of fuss, before the final decision is arrived at.

In other words, choosing a successor or a leader is a serious matter that will have dire consequences affecting the morale of those under the leadership, let alone creating divisiveness due to afterthoughts and misperceived importance before all is lost.

With some four decades of experience in education locally and internationally, the writer believes that "another world is possible". Comments: letters@thesundaily.com