M.Z.
In public administration, the success or failure of leaders in positions of public responsibility is not measured by academic qualification alone, nor can leadership be reduced to just general administrative skills. True leadership is the result of a comprehensive system that combines specialization, experience, vision, integrity, and the ability to efficiently manage various resources such as human, financial, materials, and information.
Government administration in Jordan, as in many other countries, has seen cases where senior leaders were tasked with managing positions outside their academic or professional expertise. While official work includes an aspect of leadership and decision-making, the absence of specialized background clearly reflected on the quality of decision-making, proper planning, policy quality, speed of achievement, and evaluation of results and feedback.
Managing vital sectors such as agriculture, health, education, energy, and others does not tolerate general decisions or superficial judgments. It requires a deep understanding of the sector's nature, history, challenges, and legislation, in addition to the ability to build real partnerships with stakeholders whether inside the public sector, private sector, or specialized organizations and bodies. When the official is distant from this context, time and effort are wasted in attempts to acquire knowledge at the expense of actual implementation and achieving desired results that support any sector.
The absence of specialization results in negative effects, most notably the dispersion of efforts and being preoccupied with operational details instead of focusing on the strategic vision, and excessive reliance on others, potentially leading to varied competences, conflicting goals or conflict of interests, besides weakening institutional continuity due to changes in policies with changes in personnel, and demoralizing national capabilities within institutions when they are not given real opportunities to lead.
Conversely, empowering and appointing specialized individuals in leadership positions yields tangible gains, most importantly improving the quality of decision-making, accelerating the pace of achievements, enhancing the confidence of citizens and the professional community in government work, alongside building more sustainable policies based on knowledge and experience, rather than on individual judgment or mood.
This does not mean to underestimate the importance of leadership and administrative skills, but the real challenge lies in achieving a balance between general leadership with its leadership and administrative skills and technical specialization. This balance can be attained through adopting clear and transparent requirements in choosing leadership, based on experience and real connection to the sector, enabling national competencies within ministries to contribute to decision-making, and building integrated teams that combine administrative vision and technical experience, alongside activating the principle of accountability and evaluation and linking leadership positions to achievements rather than position.
The current stage, with its economic and social challenges, requires more realistic and competent government management, by leveraging national competencies. Jordan is rich with its experiences, and what it lacks is only the real will to open the way for them, and proper management of any sector which contributes to achieving sustainable development and protecting public interest.
In conclusion
Successful government leadership is not based on specialization alone, nor does it succeed by relying solely on general administrative skills, but it requires a compatible mix of technical experience, proper management, decision-making ability, and integrity which enhances the efficiency of government performance, raises the level of institutional trust, and achieves sustainable development and serves the public interest, thus the need is urgent for trustworthy power.
#Support of the Jordanian farmer is a national duty surpassing all others because it is the main arm of food security#
