What's happened to the Leaders in Japan

The recent devastating earthquake in Japan has highlighted both the strengths and weakness of this disaster prone island nation. The way the country has instinctively closed ranks and pulled together to rebuild their way out of the turmoil against all odds and in increasingly adverse conditions has been much commented on and admired around the world, and rightly so.

You won't hear anyone complaining about the earthquake, nor will you hear them bemoaning the awesome power of the black wave that swept away entire villages and countless lives. You won't even hear them moan about the cold weather that ensued in the days following the disaster, and few people in the disaster areas are grumbling about the failure and near meltdown of the Nuclear Power Plant in Fukushima. 　No way, not the Japanese!

They are just picking up the pieces and moving on. There is a much used expression in Japanese that I usually hate, “shouganai,” - which roughly translates to “such is life” – but in light of recent events it seems to sum up the admirable stoicism of the Japanese and their quiet determination to move on and rebuild.

The work ethic and group mentality here is so strong that everyone is instinctively doing their part to support the suffering and rebuild the economy. Power is being rationed all over the country; lighting is being used sparingly in shops, businesses, homes, and even on the streets. All inessential appliances have been switched off and many companies and shops are closing earlier than usual.

It is a great team spirit and community feeling. But like any team or community, no matter how great they may be, they need strong leadership.

Unfortunately this has gone AWOL.

The fiasco surrounding Tokyo Electric Power Company's (TEPCO's) handling (or mishandling), of the crisis in Fukushima, coupled with government confusion over who is responsible for what has illustrated this amply.

On the one hand the government has learned from the mistakes of the Kansai Awaji earthquake of 1995, when they were accused of responding too slowly and with-holding support where it was necessary; in this disaster they have been very quick to deploy thousands of JSDF (Japan Self Defense Force) troops to the stricken areas in Miyagi and Iwate, and have quickly arranged relief supplies for the homeless and injured. On the other hand, it has failed miserably to ensure a swift response in the wake of the unfolding catalogue of errors at Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.

The continuous mismanagement, lack of transparency and misreporting of readings has shown that no-one is in control, nor willing to step up and take the reins. This has proven to be disastrous, and an already bad situation has degraded yet further. Too many people are involved in the advisory process around the Prime Minister in a situation reminiscent of the childhood game Chinese Whispers. The end result is that confused messages are being disseminated to an already panicked public which feeds the media frenzy and further exacerbates the angst of the people.

At a time like this people need solid, decisive leadership, but unfortunately in Japan, there is a dearth of it. No one is willing to step up to the plate and work in the lime light. When they do, they are pulled down by mistrust, infighting and backstabbing as has been observed with all Prime Ministerial appointments and resignations since 2006.

That is a long time to be in an apparent political limbo!

There can be no decisiveness if the main players themselves are not in control. The prime minister’s exasperation was overheard and noted by journalists when he asked one of TEPCOS executives “what the hell is going on?”

If he doesn’t know what hope is there for the rest of us?!

Naturally the Prime Minister cannot be held responsible for the incompetence of the executives in Fukushima, but the buck stops with him and he needs to take the bull by the horns, and take control away from those that clearly can’t handle it.

In order for a message to be successfully received it has to be trusted. It does not matter whether the interaction is between mother and child, teacher and student or boss and employee. If there is no trust there can be no credibility. This is what has happened here. TEPCO and the Government have mishandled the dissemination of information so poorly, that no one can trust what they say any longer. They have withheld and misreported on a number of occasions, leading to fear and suspicion, and when this happens the relationship between leaders and followers is lost, forever.

They say that truth is usually the first casualty of any war or disaster, and given the events that have unfolded here, I would have to agree. A strong leader is well aware of this and does his or her utmost to ensure that trust is not lost. The greatest leaders in history have proven to be painfully honest, even in the gravest of circumstances. Think Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, Mohandas Gandhi and Nelson Mandela to name a few. They commanded trust for their strength in the face of adversity, and unshakeable resolve and tenacity, all built upon a foundation of transparent honesty. As a result, all of them gained the faith of entire nations and oversaw radical change and ultimate victory for their cause.

Of course, no two events are alike, and the situation in Miyagi prefecture is very different from the wars and social reform movements that the above mentioned leaders presided over. However the dynamics of successful leadership are essentially the same in any given situation. Naoto Kan needs to assert himself, and show faith in the people by exercising transparency. If he does that public opinion might just turn in his favor and, who knows, this could prove to be his finest hour!

Am I being unfair?

Is Naoto Kan handling the situation as well as can be expected given that this is a triple disaster?

Please leave your comments below, let me know what you think.

Thanks for reading, and best wishes.