Prince Charles and Leadership
The Roman general, Julius Caesar.
April 30, and revised on Nov 14 2018.
Prince Charles giving management advice with HCPS his campany of political management.
Being born prince heir to the throne I was educated by my mother, and father to be a political leader, and King. Aged only few months my mother, Elizabeth II plays with me by teaching me the history of our glorious nation, a Kingdom that gives everything to the world, a Kingdom that made the world worth living with the initiation of industrialization and capitalism. My father also taught me about my ancestors the former Kings and Queen, he taught what it is to be a good King. He taught the charges of the Royal responsibility. He taught me what it is and takes to be a good King.
Nevertheless, a Prince heir to the throne, I was taught through practice about how to be a leader, and King with my endless tours, and public engagements with my mother, Queen Elizabeth II. This practice taught me the rudiments of leadership, how to react to the public, how to speak to it, how to greet it, and most importantly how to behave as leader in front of the public.
A leader should know also how to meet the other leaders in the exercise of his function. With my mother, I have met many Kings, Presidents, Prime Ministers and leaders of all kind. I know through practice the art of meeting other leaders. I master the tonality of the conversation, I know the procedure of the power bargaining. Even later, after I was jailed I always take care about my image as leader the first thing to take care was your image, the idea you want the others to have of you. That is very important in politics more than everywhere. Every action I do, I do it with this perspective and ask myself is it good for my image. How do the people will judge it. This behaviour is due to my early important leadership education .
Since I was jailed in Niger, I did not have the opportunity to serve as leader before I reach high school, and was elected the delegate of my class, the first high school class named Second. I quite well remembered how the council manipulated its kids to bother me as responsible, still I did everything possible as good responsible. My great achievement as responsible was certainly my success in uniting the different students of my class, everything that has changed lives in our high school, and made our promotion the best in the school history. Indeed Prince Charles always serves to unite for innovating and developing. We hate leading by dividing; we love and rule by uniting Subjects that is at my sense what a good leadership is about. It is united and together that we can gather our strength and intelligence to build our Kingdom. Unite our enemies are afraid and lost; divide our enemies are encouraged and strong. Unite we federate our wisdom to make every single dream coming true.
It was the Prince as responsible of Second U2 of Lycée Municipal that students that do not know each other, come quickly to form a family, a family of students caring ,knowing each other and developed their school and lives in Second, the students at the beginning of the academic year do not know each other, we all come from different schools, where we got our Brevet. And there is almost any pair of students in the school that know each other.
That is how the idea comes to me as a responsible to invite the students of my class in my the house in which I was jailed. The students were invited to a small nightly party in the house by a Saturday night. There were around 15 students that attended the party. And by no way can they imagine they were making history and something very big was initiated that night. We sat during long hours from 9 up to the early morning listening to music, conversing with each other, drinking tea and even eating young popular food in Niger named Niebe made of bean and rice, to which oil and pepper were added. When we met there, we were shy to each other, but when we were leaving it was as brothers and intimate friends that we did it. It is as we have always knew to each other.
From that afternoon, we have decided to spend every Saturday night in the house of one our classmate and partying the night. In my jailing flat started that Saturday night, the club 'Les Amis' or 'The 'Friends' a group of young sharing the same class and that are united in consolidating the link of friendship between them. Gradually we do not hang out only the Saturdays but also every time we have free time, due to a teacher that did not come for strike for example, we went in the house of one our mate and spent time conversing and drinking tea. It is worth living those moments, in making history that of friendship. Our club was a success at an extent the other students of the other classes attend it.
We talk about school and young occupation. We decided with time to make picnics with the same will of strengthening our friendship. All that has been initiated and developed by Prince Charles, the responsible of the class. That was my first class of responsibility after my incarceration.
Though before that first experience, I did not again take responsibility position I still have the sense through my political exchanging with others most of the time dealing with good leadership. All that contribute strengthening my sense of good leadership that never leave me. I always even furthered it at every small occasion.
At University
In university at my third year of English studies, I had the opportunity to be the delegate of our class, the former delegate called Mamudu Hambali does everything to be a good delegate but he is bad for the serious reason of using his trusted responsibility as a mean to defend his own interests. He uses his position to seduce lecturers to give him good grades. Hambali first handicap as English student, learning the language that he already understands in a Francophone country is that he does not understand quite well the French language, with which English is taught as second language. English, he understands it quite well, for being declared as being a Nigerian of Nigerien origin. Hambali was shaped an identity of being born in the country where his father lecturers in a university . Then after the baccalaureate he was covered up studying in Lybia. He is a man far advanced in social corruption, the art of using good manners and speech for having services from the others. To lecturers he shows respect and consideration for having good grades. To women that have car he displays elegancy, for borrowing their cars. The man was so good at his game at an extent that without understanding quite well French, he succeeded having a good grade at the translation courses in our second year when even students who has French as their first language failed passing the class. He beats all record in our first year of English studies; he had our Translation lecturer, doing an individual translation exam in Hausa for him whereas it is a French English translation course. That made all the students of the class were very jealous and furious of him. They could not understand why he was the only one for which the test is organized in Husa, when they would pass the class easily if tested in Husa and English. All of them have Husa as native language. Already in the second years of our English studies lot of students starting speaking at his back, the idea of changing him as delegate was emerging. Many students are after him over money of the course syllabus photocopy they accused him of not giving the students the change of their money. They accused him also of using his position to fund his financial needs.
On the Ides of March 34 BC, the Roman general was killed by the one he trusted the more. A painting showing his killing.
Nevertheless, it was in our third years at the beginning of the academic year that clearly many students came out to ask him to resign from his position of delegate of the class so that a new delegate take his place. For weeks he was refusing before seeing that he had any choice than resigning the pressure was too great. Prince Charles was at the head of this movement, but I did not do it by no way to take his place. I see there are endless students who were against him, and become the natural leader of the movement. That after, I have remarked that they all want him out but any of them got out to say it to him directly, some by hypocrisy: the movement lacks leader as those students behave as modest or for though wanting him resigned they want to keep their good relation with him. Then I decided to help those students, by championing this opposition. When the pressure was great and it was clear he would resign some students ask me to take his place, I told them I did what I did not for certainly taking his place. That is not my goal, which is helping them. I answered someone else should take his place. We waited for days a student to take his place, there was any, at an extant I decided to be delegate though that was not my goal.
This movement of having him resigned ended when I went to see him and explained him that it is quite obvious that he had to resign, and everything that the man, Mahamud understands without entering in any discussion. I told him the best way to do so, was in the class to announce his resignation in front of the comrades and even lead the election of the delegate by asking if there are candidates to vote among them, or if there is just one person to announce him as the new delegate. As said, he declared his resignation and any student pick up his finger at an extent I was obliged to pick mine and being the elected delegate.
It goes without saying that I was not an obliged delegate, and I am not hesitant regarding leadership; I just saw odd to champion this noble movement against him for saving the class, and taking his place. Students and history would think that I did it for taking his place, whereas that idea ever cross my brain.
Prince Charles became the delegate of Anglais 3, after I had occupied similar position 7 years back. Already more than ever I have more than a full knowledge and expertise of the position that beside my training before I was jailed by my parents; and my life experience of the position through my readings and thinking. My role of responsible of Second U2 contributes as well strengthened my sense of leadership. Prince Charles as delegate is unificator, I rule to unite for developing. I hate division that I see as obstaclle to every single political realization. For example though I champion the opposition against Hambali the former delegate, I had an excellent relation with him, and my relation with him remain the same as they were before I was elected at his position. Moreover, delegate our relation even increased considerably. I have the same respect, love and consideration for the very students who are loyal to him, just as they do have toward me. Delegate I do not show them they are loyal of the man whose place I took, I even show them great love and respect more than even before I was elected. If it is thing to do they were the first to be served, in the same care. So, with this strategically I continue the role of delegate without any difficulty and achieved more than he has done in years of leadership only in few days. The union of the students, creating the conditions of good studies in the class.
I have been a unificator, to achieve that, after being elected though I know perfectly the obligations of the role of delegate I made him my advisor. I conversed with him to know what he has done regarding this or that aspect of the position, so that I continue his leadership policy with my own touch, and by bringing also my style. So, I avoid giving to him and the students the impessiong of destroying everything he has done. My leadership was not about that, but only about stopping his bad practices, continuing his very good ones, and adding mine. That is what I did, and this how I have the love and respect of his few loyals.
For example he had the leadership skill of being friendly, respectful regarding some classmates, I developed this same policy by extending it to the love, respect and mark of caring for the other students, all the students. Whereas, he was only attentionate to his loyals or the students that are friendly regarding him. No, he even shows deep interests in respect to wealthy students as in our class there are professional students who are very rich. He uses his position of delegate that he converts in corruption way in respect to have services from those women, either borrowing their cars, motorcycles or any other similar services. I did not do that, I did not display respect to a student because he could be useful toward me regarding a point or another, I am respectful to all, I care about all. I rule to serve the students, I do not rule to be served by them: they are at the centre of my leadership engagement.
I have considerably developed my leadership skill in our English second year, through Shakespears' plays and many other plays on good leadership. For example through my study of Macbeth and the lecturer explanations, I come to understand what is a good leader (King): he should be the servant of his subjects, not their master. In Macbeth that relevant point of a good King, is brought by the English King of the time, who contrary to the Scottish King was attentionate to his Subjects to whom he shows love, respect and caring. That is in total opposition comparing to Macbeth who deprives his Subjects of their land, and killing them. Of course, we are all mindful that Macbeth as a historic personage never existed especially as King. And the play is not about English Kings being better than the Scottish Kings, we have before the salutatory unifications of the two crowns almost the same successful leadership style. With Macbeth, the Prince learned a lot about successful leadership.
In the same collection of instructive Shakespearean plays, Richard II is another fascinating play which shows how a good King should be. With it Shakespeare depicted with genius what a good King; most important attributes are. According to Shakespeare, he should be a man of action, not of words. He should not complaint, and expecting tears and praying made him successful in his ruling; but he should act and lead through action. He thinks with certainty that the King that rules through action has the favor of the heaven and his subjects.
Mahamud was accused of only doing a leadership politics of interests, he is accused of being an almost ethnocentric delegate in the Nigerien context. In the West African country, there are two main ethnics the Husa the majority ethno linguistic group, and then come the Zarma. He is from the first group, the second accused him of not loving them, he did not speak their language, pretend not understanding it, and refused attempt speaking it for showing them, they matter. Though he shows a minimum of respect towards them which many qualified of hatred reservation, when totally open to the other group. That made most of the Zarma students are very cold regarding him, he knows that but does not care about that as he did any effort to have their love; or even by default speaking the official language: French .
Hambali declared being very poor in French, and of the almost 4 years that we spent together in the English Department, it is only once that I heard him speaking French and I almost forced him to do so, for showing me that he understands some French. He sings the song of a French singer, 'Claud Bernard'. It goes with 'Elle est belle; belle come la nuit. Belle, belle comme le jour...' That is very surprising because he is has the dual nationality, or let put it simply his parents are Nigeriens that imigrated to the neighbouring Nigeria, where he was born, grew and educated. That was the identity the mercenaries forged him. They claimed; he understands only English, Husa and some Arabic for studying in Lybia. That made in his repertoire of languages there is only the Husa language not the French federating one, in Nigerien concept. His refusal to speak or attempt showing doing effort of speaking those languages alienate the students that speak those languages. The all is like in our British concept a King that did not understand or shows interest in French, seeing how strong our natural relation is with France; it would be hard for him to rule. Without talking about Quebec an important Province of our Canada speaking French.
Prince Charles understands all the different languages the man did not speak and at the exception of Arabics. Though I understand the Zarma and Husa dialect, I did everything to avoid speaking to to the students for not appearing favored one language on the other. I went with speaking the French language the official language and English that we were learning.
I was the best in leading, I am blind to their internal division according to ethnic lines. That made all the students identified themselves in me, a man who is above their differences, and who united them through common factors. The knowledge of that important factor helped me easily ruling. I speak French to all students, in case the student has difficulty to speak, English. Because I have always in view my duty, the promotion of our language as well the best interests of the English learning process that gathered us.
I elaborated projects for the good practice and apprenticeship of English always in the effort of ruling through actions. Things that the last delegate did not mind do, or simply does not care do as for him the delegateship is a mean to have services. I elaborated many projects for my delegueship. Prince Charles leaders did not only hold a position for the pleasure of holding it; he wanted it for changing things, for marking history. The university and the English Department should keep that there was a delegate of English level 3 who was the first to initiate this measure and the other similar salutatory measures. I want to do good actions for the Department and my class which responsibility I had. Before my election, I had three measures in mind that I want to apply: 1) Unite the students; 2) Setting a test of poetry, 3) Setting the regular speaking of English in the Department; 4) Showing another leadership style that of deep involvement in the class management.,The first measure for me is central has the previous delegate has deeply divide the class in function of thir ethnics, languages, and virtues
The second measure, I want to set a the test of poetry, this was very dear to me, for many reasons: poetry is a field I adore enormously, secondly it is a great instrument in the service of the English learning process because the class is that of English language learning. It coincided this year, we were discovering the English poetry with great poet as Wordsworth, Longfellow, and William Shakespeare with a course unite dedicated to the latter. This prize aims to motivate and help the students in their English poetry learning activity.
The procedure of the test is simple the students eager to do the test submit their poems to me and I gave them to our poetry lecturer Madam Niandu who corrected them and selected the best candidate. I have a great humanitarian heart, the same heart that pushed him two years later to create the humanitarian fraternity, Sahara with my pecule of service civic.
I saw our poetry lecturer, Madame Niandu and I explained her the project. She gave me at my great surprise a cold answer, in which she did not show any enthusiasm in correcting the copies of the test, when with the helpful and salutatory nature of the project; I expected her to be happy. But, she was cold and did not accept correcting the copies as we all expect. Of course, have in mind that she was in the American System under the perspective of the council. When I told that to my mates they could not believe that. To cover her refusal while I was in the bus few days later; she called me to create a superficial misunderstanding regarding a call for being sure I would not ask her to correct the copies.
I remember my friend Salissu telling me, he thinks as delegate I should do as all delegates do: leading, profiting of the advantages of the function, and doing strictly my role of delegate (creating the conditions of the good tenure of the class seminaries, bringing the notebooks, leading the cleaning of the blackboard, informing the students about the different exams, keeping the course syllabus, and serving as an intermediary between the students, the lecturers and the administration).
Regarding the blackboard cleaning, most of the time I did it by myself. Remember I told you Prince Charles as leader, serves but does not master the others. As their leaders I am the one that has duty to easier studying that is how I see my position.
Whereas, the previous delegate did clean the blackboard sometimes, but with him the classical behaviour was letting the lecturers cleaning it by themselves, if it is not a student that rises to help the lecturer.
Prince Charles simplified all this for the lecturers and create the conditions for the students to have a non stop available lecturer that was not disturbed by the blackboard cleaning. My serving leadership style is that as soon as the lecturer in his explaining and writing, were about to fill the blackboard, I stand and clean it up I did it because I made it my duty helping my mate to understand the course.
My helping them in understanding the course did not prevented making me the leader of the course. I created a dynamism of participation to the class activities. Most of the students either do not understand well English, or were shy, or do not read the class syllabus or books to participate the courses. It is always I was the one that participated to the course, and the most, I was the only one to answer correctly the questions of the lecturers. Whereas, the other delegate was shy and timid to participate to the course. Before I started to play that salutatory role the lecturers ask questions till being tired no one answered and that made the course bothering. That participative, and leading through example is the important element of the other leadership skill that I wanted to institute. Most of them are Nigeriens, they are of French relax cultural, they are not used to our English phlegm; contrary to the other delegate, I adopted a relax attitude.
Orson Well playing Macbeth
So, th different students find him bothering too much serious, courteous; he put a great deal in being the best in dressing, speaking and behaving conventionally. He was put at purpose to recall to the Prince, his values . Whereas, as British I am practical and know how to solve every problem. I kept the same seriousness of the former delegate, but in relax Nigerien way, by being easy going, smiling, joking as much as possible. I was also very relax regarding my way of dressing such way they find themselves in me. That is everything I avoid, I rule to serve a given group, the best way to do was developing a leadership style that fits them.
But, still though relax in the behaviour and manner during the course I was very serious in an instructive way. I did all that by keeping my same British phlegm through the behaviour and the way of speaking already I spoke Received Pronunciation, and was serious in looking the lecturers or the mate deeply in the eyes as we, British do.
I even revolutioned the way the sharing of the course prospectuses were. Mahamud when he received the prospectus keeps them and collect the students money for photocopying them. That puts delay in the sharing of the prospectus, especially when there is no class, or when they were far from the university to see each other. The students could not have a copy to photocopy. When the system I put in place used both method, I took sometimes the money of the students to photocopy them the prospectus, a matter for having the most motivated students to have the prospectus; so that they can give it to their mates. As soon as I did that, I even give it to students to go with it in their home. My method made it easy for the students to have those course items. When Mahamud's methods slowered the sharing of the syllabuses as most of the time the majority of the students do not bring money at school, or could have it photocopy for them free in a place or another due to their relation.
The former delegate was even accused by many students of profiting of the xeroxing of the syllabus to make profits. He said them the xeroxing was at XOF 25 , and made it at XOF 10, and left with the XOF 15. Many students accused him of taking their money and do not do the photocopying for them.
The third reformed I planed to introduce was 'Anglia' a project aiming to encourage the practice of the English language speaking in the Department among the students. I have remarked the great majority of the students do only converse among themselves in their local dialects, and sometimes in French, they almost never speak the English language they were there to learn. And how can you learn a language without speaking it. The project also consisted of asking the students to only speak in English, and not laughing of each other when they made mistake in the practice of the language. Because the fear of making mistake in speaking English and being ridiculed, I asked the students to be lenient regarding the mistakes of their mates. My method of applying this project is through the man to man method, I met individually the students converse with them regarding the need to speak English in the university environment. Though pupated they show interest in the project and its application that has known success. It places on the table the importance of speaking the English language in the class, and how everyone should be the first actor of his apprenticeship. From then many students speak to their mates in English, though some were hesitant, it created the dynamism of English speaking in the Department.
As you have understood my leadership style was a proximity one, I go to the ones I lead, I do not speak them from far, and I give the impression of being superior to them. Whereas, Mohamud Hambali leads from far. And King George VII as soon as he had his power formally will apply this proximity leadership.
Still though being more active, and going to the students, I did not boss them and giving them the eternal feeling of mastering them, with endless direct speech. I made less direct message, comparing to Mohamud who clearly bossy and bother them with daily podium speech. That will be the nature of my rule, I will go to our Subjects, being available to them, and do an average of public speeches, at least more than my mother, but the transcendental nature of the throne will be preserved but in very active fashion.
Prince Charles has been active also in the redynamisation of the English club of the English Department. In this same year of 2008, Mahamud Hambali was the chairman of the English Club of the Department while I was the delegate of our level. By a Wednesday midday of this year, we were together Hambali and some students conversing close to the the announcement board of our Department, when came to the board Antoinette Tudjani a lecturer of Lettre Modern or French Department. She stopped for few minutes to read the postings on the board. We greeted her, and start an interesting conversation that changed for ever the life of this faculty and university. She introduced herself to us. Anoinette is a a Jamaican, who studied the French language in a French university, where he met a Nigerien who was studying in the same university. They dated, married and came in Niger after their studies. Once in Niger, she lectures in Abdou Moumouni University of Niamey.
She explained us with enthusiasm the importance of the English language, and advises us to redynamise the club of the English Department always for the matter of learning well the language. From that conversation was born the seed that would lead few months later to the resumption of the international excursion of the English Department. The program already existed but was stopped, we fought to have the money dedicated to it, and planned to go every year to Accra, Ghana for the linguistics immersion and meet the Ghanaian students for sharing experiences.
Hambali, me and the other students met the official of the Department who assisted us in the trip. As you see, though I replaced him as delegate of the level because he was not doing well his job, I helped him on the other side, and work with him regarding the club. Prince Charles as a leader unite to develop. We have united ourselves students and lecturers always for the best interests of our learning process. But, I did not attend at the first trip of the club in Accra, it was in July of the next year that I attended it, we spent 3 wonderful weeks in Accra. Before even the trip we have developed our club, by making sponsoring requests at the different Western countries representations in Niger, we received many precious books. The American Embassy in collaboration with the British Consulate have helped us highly. The then American Consul in Niger, many times even visited our club, and made a conference to share with us his experience of his language philosophy.
In this same central academic year of 2008-2009, I had also another major leadership appointment: I became the bus delegate for my area, Airport. Here is how I became the main responsible of the bus management, and serving as intermediary between the students and the university commission in charge of the bus. My action there was also to unite the different actors for having a good bus service. Prince Charles as delegate of the bus has brought students together always in their interests. As delegate of the bus I developed my cooperative ruling skill as my vice, was a man pupated by the council, who grinds as it could to take my power as delegate. I learn how to serve the students the best way possible, through my creativity, dynamism for having their support. Still everything I did as delegate of the bus I did not do it, for matter of keeping the position, I did it because I rule to develop and mark history.
For example in my deleguaship of the bus, I put the comrades first, before myself. Niger is a poor country, there was then only one bus for a crowded area as airport, and it is never enough to transport all the students. It was only after being sure that the maximum of the students got a place in the bus that I almost always paws to it, while the major parts of my body were outside during the almost 6 miles that separated airport from the university. It was really painful, when all the weight of your entire body is supporting by your fingers. Here is how I served with sacrifice those students. That is my leadership style: leading to serve not to master.
It is also our generation at Abdou Moumouni University that democratised our students union which before our arrival steering committee was designated by what is called a 'table de seance' or kind of appointment committee. It is not properly the students that neither elected nor designated the members of their union, but the same incumbent leaders, which give the power to their friends. This kind of designation created lot of violence in the university between the different parts opposed by the position. It is with our generation that the students union is democratised and the leader elected.
King George VII will use this successful leadership skill, he has already experienced. He will be the King of the Subjects, the King of their dreams and aspirations. The King head of their Church, as so the religious figure in our Kingdom, the guardian of the religion in its sanctity and its shinning. He will be a unifying Monarch who rules to unite, and rule by uniting. What unite us as British are far great and numerous than what oppose us, which by themselves are another unifying factors.
A painting of William Shakespeare.
Prince Charles writes this article.
