Leadership by Practice and Through Example

Damianos Kattar

On February 21, AUB students were very attracted by an event entitled "How to Become a Leader," a panel discussion brought to them by the Career and Placement Office and held in West Hall. The talks presented were intended to shed light on the long-term consequences of the brain drain on the future of the Middle East, and particularly Lebanon, as more and more youth emigrate in search of better opportunities elsewhere. Participating in the discussion were Professor Damianos Kattar, Arts and Sciences Dean Khalil Bitar, Dr. Raja Haddad of the Faculty of Medicine, and Ricardo Karam.

Professor Kattar, who has a doctorate in Strategic Planning, shared his experience of being a young leader who developed some of his skills outside Lebanon, but later returned. He introduced his speech by quoting his own son, who once told him that a leader "is someone good and nice and works a lot," someone who is "able to accomplish things, which depends on self-discipline and empowering others."

Kattar differentiated between a leader who instills fear and an authentic leader who instills respect and courage. With an optimistic outlook, he said the Lebanese will not fail, as they are good at analyzing, they value work, they are proud of belonging to their nation, and they are survivors. Katter also said it is impossible to change a country based on habits of the past, and that blaming others is a waste of time. He further commented that not all who reach the top are real leaders.

Dean Khalil Bitar referred to The Rules of Leadership by Welsh, one of which was that leadership comes by practice; and that it's not simply about money, though many millionaires are produced by leaders. He stressed that without a vision one cannot exert leadership. It is important for a leader to lead by example, he said, adding that leadership involves taking risks.

Dr. Raja Haddad outlined the five progressive levels of leadership: (1) being a competent individualistic person, (2) being a team player, (3) being a manager, (4) developing others, and (5) being a servant leader, or one who exerts personal humility. Distinguishing between being a leader and being a boss, Dr. Haddad stated that leadership is not only a position; it is also a choice and about helping others to grow after growing yourself.

Ricardo Karam optimistically affirmed that individuals can excel in Lebanon, given the right motivation and environment. He defined leadership as exerting influence, and likened it to gardening. Ghandi, for instance, was referred to as someone who did not have constitutional authority, but rather moral authority. The Lebanese people have the seeds and are flexible, said Karam; they just need opportunities to grow. He added that one encouragement for staying in Lebanon was that one faces less competition. He coined the acronym LMI, referring to the Lebanese motivation initiative that he said the Lebanese people possess.