President and PM: Move fast to BEING GREAT!
In 2001, Jim Collins published a major best seller book, “Good to Great”, based on studying the performance of many leaders and organisations to determine the difference between “good” and “great”.
The President and Prime Minister have a challenging job:
- They’re new at running a country
- They have to deal with problems caused by past decisions or neglect
- They have to deal with many issues such as Trump’s tariffs…
They’ve come a long way. They are addressing numerous issues, particularly corruption. There is also increased tourism, exports and foreign investment – for which they can take some credit. That’s good.
But there are some underlying problems that are need to be addressed in order to become great and
produce BIG RESULTS
It’s important that they produce BIG RESULTS. Sri Lanka must ultimately: (i) increase its GDP/capita, (ii) increase its exports and (iii) reduce its debt/GDP. Achieving this will improve the well-being of all Sri Lankans. However, this will take decades. It is important for them and Sri Lanka to make significant progress in the next 3 – 4 years:
- In 2028, Sri Lanka needs to start paying its debtors
- Sri Lanka cannot afford to face another bankruptcy – this is the 17th time that the IMF has helped Sri Lanka and possibly the last — who knows what Trump will do to the IMF.
They can become great by implementing a proven FRAMEWORK for leading, achieving and communicating BIG RESULTS. It will be a learning and rewarding experience.
Steve Jobs (founder of Apple Inc.) said: “Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clear to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.” The suggested framework is comprised of several simple steps for leading, achieving and communicating critically important results. It’s like if you had to eat an elephant, how would you do it: One bite at a time. The framework is that simple although there will be challenges.
The framework begins by identifying a maximum of four BIG RESULTS that Sri Lankans urgently want and need, and then for each BIG RESULT:
Establish a team Develop a vision, targets and a strategic action plan Conduct quarterly milestone reviews Issue quarterly progress results
Steps (a)-(c) are explained in an article in The Sunday Times Business, using “Increasing Exports” as the desired result, accessible at https://www.sundaytimes.lk/241208/business-times/need-for-hands-on-political-leadership-579688.html.
Step (d) reports progress and keeps stakeholders engaged. An article in The Sunday Times Business explains why Government should issue quarterly reports, accessible at https://www.sundaytimes.lk/250216/business-times/like-public-companies-the-govt-should-issue-quarterly-performance-reports-587462.html.
If Mauritius can do it, why can’t Sri Lanka? Mauritius is located in the middle of nowhere. It started with sugar cane and beaches. In 1970, Mauritius’ US$ GDP/capita was $225 and Sri Lanka’s was $195. Today, Mauritius’ US$ GDP per capita is $33,000 and Sri Lanka’s is $15,000.
Sri Lanka has the leadership and management smarts to make it happen. Much depends on the Sri Lankan President and Prime Minister moving from being good to being great. They need to foster teamwork and prioritise and focus on what matters most. Of course, it would help if the opposition politicians would stop focusing on themselves and power, and instead became the Government’s competitors by suggesting specific policies and strategies for Sri Lanka to progress.
Hitad.lk has you covered with quality used or brand new cars for sale that are budget friendly yet reliable! Now is the time to sell your old ride for something more attractive to today's modern automotive market demands. Browse through our selection of affordable options now on Hitad.lk before deciding on what will work best for you!