POLITICAL LEADERSHIP VALUES AND GOVERNANCE OF THE STATE: THE CONCEPTUAL ISSUES

Abstract

Political leadership involves inspiring others to work as a team towards achieving a common state goal. It is a critical aspect of directing management functions of the state, using political apparatus of the state to achieve the set goals. The value of political leadership is based on its relevance and ability to govern members of the organisation or state, hence, leadership value is a serious aspect of political leadership whose core belief and principles guide the political actions of the leaders in their personal activities to achieve the goal of the state. Hence,the objective of this study is to examine therelationship between the characteristics of political leadership, political leadership values, and governance of the state. Secondary source of data is used to achieve the objectives of the study, and content analysis used as tool of analysis. The study is basically a conceptual perspective based on scholarship argument. The study conceptualised political leadership, governance, and values. The findings proved that there are different characteristics of political leadership such as good communication skill, leading by example, visionary thinking and creativity, forecasting political future, etc., and these characteristics have significant effects on governance of the state. The study further identified the political leadership values as leadership influence, leadership vision, leadership passion, personal development of the leader, leadership integrity, etc., and its importance in the governance capacity of the leaderinthe state. The study concludes that the characteristics of a political leader is critical in governance of a state; the leadership values determine the ability of the leader to achievement good governance of the state; and therefor the political leader should at all times maintain moral leadership values in order to achieve good governance of the state.