THE EDITOR: Mia Mottley wins my vote for Caribbean/world leadership. Absolutely! She has passed my smell test. Did you hear her address at the UN Climate Change Conference - COP26? The world's obstacle course is a motley place to be tested. One must have an unhurried swing here.

I studied leadership both at Sandhurst and in post-doctoral projects and I can assert that Mottley has displayed the courage of her conviction at every turn, and her ability to brilliantly articulate a Caribbean perspective before a world stage makes her not a good Caribbean leader but the indisputable leader of the Caribbean.

Why am I so confident? I have studied the great leaders. And I personally discussed leadership characteristics with Field Marshal Montgomery at Sandhurst in 1967 and Dr Robert Shaw (New York, 1983).

Great leaders have great vision. Their perspective is not obscured by low self-esteem or compromised by high self-interest. They put people first, before personal aspirations, and they highly intend to make their vision real, the challenge of difficult circumstances notwithstanding. "People matter!" exclaimed the field marshal.

Leaders commit and stay committed, grooving their vision to recalibrate with the presenting reality. At this juncture, they move beyond traditional prejudices to awaken and marshal to their support the variety of competencies lying dormant in the population as a potential network of support.

What we subsequently describe as a great accomplishment is a routine result for them. No time for chest-thumping. They swing without pause for praise onto another noble course.

Indeed, the world's obstacle course is a motley place to be tested. But if you are committed to outstanding accomplishment, you should try the Mia Mottley swing.

DR DAVID BRIZAN

leadership and life empowerment coach

coachbrizan@gmail.com

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