IMBIBING LEADERS WITH LEADERSHIP QUALITIES

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 12 (Bernama) -- Public sector organisation leaders should be
imbibed with true leadership qualities.

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said this was to balance an intense,
single-minded focus on vital priorities with flexibility, about when and how
they were are implemented.

The deputy prime minister said leaders must identify the well-formulated
core objectives or goals, besides explaining why those matters were really
important, to get everyone to work in the same direction.

He said, when making recommendations, one should stick to the two most
important things. They are:

* The 'elevator speech' whereby the solution should be so crisp and clear
that it could be explained in a 30-second elevator ride to get a clear and crisp
solution; and,

* The leader must be able to energise people to get things
accomplished and focus on solving the most vexing problems of the issues.

Najib said this in his speech at the closing ceremony of the Public Sector
Young Executives Conference 2009 at the Putrajaya International Convention
Centre here Wednesday.

His speech was read by International Trade and Industry Minister Muhyiddin
Yassin.

Najib, who is also finance minister, said leadership for the new millenium
was about people maximising both their well-being and performance excellence.

He said, qualitative case analysis, as well as rigorous empirical studies,
was beginning to provide leaders with knowledge to allow them to address the
issues appropriately.

"Nevertheless, young and energetic leadership remains a key factor indeed.
What is needed is mostly a committed leadership with the will to do it," he
said.

-- BERNAMA