JUST A RANDOM THOUGHT: WHY LEADERSHIP MATTERS AS MUCH AS THE GRASSROOTS

Leadership, influence, discipline, and the power to bring about change.

Introduction: Sometimes, a Random Thought Is Worth Exploring

I'm not really a fan of politics, but this thought came across my mind like a flash of light. I don't want to think it, but here we are.

As usual, my thought process knocks, and then I open up to it. While I'm lost in this thought, I sometimes speak out loud to myself, as if I'm having a real-time conversation.

Okay, here we go!

I often hear people say that the problem starts at the grassroots, not at the top. According to this line of thought, if we fix the grassroots, we will eventually fix the top and, perhaps, the entire system.

But is it really that simple?

Well, I'd say that argument is not far from the truth, assuming the top was never part of the grassroots or doesn't draw strength from the roots as well.

This got me thinking: What if the issue isn't just about the grassroots or the top? What if it is also about who influences whom?

I don't like too much talk, so let's look at this in a simple way.

1. What Happens When Everyone Does Whatever They Want?

Imagine a society where everyone is left to do as they please. No leader, no rules, no shared values, and no one to hold anyone accountable. Everyone simply lives according to their own desires.

What do you think the outcome would be?

Chaos!!!! Yes!!

Everyone wants what they want. Nobody wants to wait for anyone while driving. You walk into a supermarket, pick up whatever you want, and refuse to pay. Someone else decides that traffic rules don't apply to them, while another person believes they should always have their way, regardless of how their actions affect others.

Menh, I can go on and on, but you get the gist, right?

Of course, not every person needs to be forced to do the right thing. Many people have good morals and know the difference between right and wrong. However, knowing what is right and actually doing it are two different things.

A society cannot rely on personal goodwill alone. It also needs rules, accountability, and people who are willing to uphold them.

This is where leadership becomes important.

2. The Power of Guidance: What We Learn From the Family

Think about the role a mother plays in a home.

When we are children, we don't always think about what we will eat, how the food will be prepared, or what needs to be done to keep the household running. Someone is already doing the organising.

All we do is come home and ask Mom, "What did you cook?"

That's fun until we become adults and have to do the thinking for our own children.

The point is not that we should depend on someone else forever. Rather, it is that guidance and organisation help us function, especially when we are still learning how to take responsibility for ourselves.

In the same way, people need leadership and institutions that provide direction, establish standards, and help organise society. Good leadership can give people clarity about where they are headed and what they are working towards.

Without direction, even people with good intentions can end up working against one another.

And just as parents are expected to guide their children, leaders are expected to guide the society they serve.

However, there is something important to remember: guidance should prepare people to become responsible, not make them permanently dependent.

3. The Grassroots and the Top: Which One Really Matters?

Let's return to the question that started this entire thought.

People often argue that the problems we face begin at the grassroots. There is some truth to this because society is made up of individuals, families, communities, and the choices people make every day.

But where do the people at the top come from?

They also come from the same society. They grow up in communities, learn from the people around them, and are shaped by the values and experiences they encounter.

In other words, the grassroots produce the people who eventually occupy positions of leadership.

At the same time, those leaders have the power to influence the grassroots through the decisions they make, the standards they establish, and the examples they set.

So, the relationship works both ways.

The grassroots influence the top, and the top influences the grassroots.

This means that addressing problems at the grassroots while ignoring leadership leaves an important part of the picture unfinished. Likewise, expecting leaders to solve everything without considering the behaviour and responsibility of ordinary citizens is equally incomplete.

We need both sides to work.

But there is a question worth asking: What happens when the people at the top fail to set the right example or enforce the standards they expect everyone else to follow?

That is where the matter becomes even more interesting.

4. A Mango Tree, a Neighbour, and a Lesson About Authority

Imagine that your neighbour has a mango tree whose branches have grown into your compound. The leaves keep littering your space, and you are becoming frustrated.

You approach your neighbour and explain the problem.

Unfortunately, they don't want to lose the fruits growing on that particular branch, so they keep making excuses not to cut it off.

Now you are upset. Your neighbour refuses to cooperate, and you begin looking for a way to get back at them.

In the end, even if you win the argument, you may have lost a neighbour and gained an enemy, too.

But let's look at the situation from another angle.

What if someone with recognised authority steps in and tells your neighbour to cut off the branch because it is affecting someone else's property?

Your neighbour may be unhappy about the instruction, but they decide to comply because they understand that there are rules they are expected to follow and consequences for disregarding them.

Instead of seeing the situation purely as a personal disagreement between neighbours, they begin to understand it as a matter of respecting the law and the rights of others.

This is the power of having rules that are fairly and consistently enforced.

The purpose of authority should not be to intimidate people or give one person the power to dominate another. It should be to establish order, protect people's rights, and provide a fair way to resolve disputes.

When people understand that their actions have consequences, they may begin to think more carefully about how those actions affect others.

Over time, this sense of responsibility can become part of their everyday behaviour.

They begin to consider not just their own interests but also the well-being of the people around them.

And that is how a simple neighbourhood dispute becomes a lesson about society.

5. Good Morals Are Important, but Who Enforces the Rules Matters Too

You could argue that we already have people with good morals and good upbringing. And you would be right.

Many people know what it means to be honest, considerate, disciplined, and respectful. They don't need someone standing over them every minute to do the right thing.

However, we also know that not everyone will willingly follow the rules all the time.

That is why enforcement matters.

When you raise and train a child, you guide them, correct them, and help them develop good character. You don't simply tell them what is right and leave them to figure out everything else on their own.

You reinforce those values until they gradually become part of how they think and behave.

Society needs a similar approach.

Leaders and institutions must consistently uphold good values and ensure that rules apply fairly, regardless of who is involved. When people see that the rules are enforced only against certain individuals while others are allowed to get away with wrongdoing, trust begins to disappear.

But when standards are applied fairly, people have a stronger reason to respect them.

The important thing is consistency.

You cannot tell people to obey the law while those responsible for enforcing it openly disregard it. You cannot preach accountability while protecting people simply because they are powerful or connected.

Leadership is not just about telling people what to do; it is about setting the example and ensuring that the standards you establish are upheld.

6. When a Bad Habit Becomes the Norm

There is an Igbo adage that captures this idea:

Ihe ọjọọ gbaa afọ, ọ bụrụ omenala.

(When a bad practice or taboo persists in society for too long, it can become a tradition.)

Think about that for a moment.

When people repeatedly engage in a particular behaviour and nothing is done about it, they may gradually begin to see it as normal.

At first, a practice may be recognised as wrong. But as time passes, people become accustomed to it. Eventually, they may begin to defend it simply because it has been around for so long.

This is one reason why the standards established by leaders matter.

When wrongdoing is repeatedly ignored, it can become embedded in the culture of an organisation or society. People who would otherwise question it may begin to accept it as the way things are done.

The opposite is also possible.

When honesty, accountability, discipline, and respect for others are consistently encouraged and practised, these values have a better chance of becoming part of the culture.

This does not happen overnight. It takes patience, consistency, and the willingness to keep doing the right thing, even when the results are not immediately visible.

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect.

7. Discipline, Influence, and the Power to Change

You already know that it takes a lot to be disciplined.

How many times have you procrastinated or doubted yourself for so long that someone else had to ginger you back into the game?

Sometimes, you need someone to encourage you, remind you of your goals, challenge your excuses, or help you see what you are capable of achieving.

That person does not have to control your life. Their influence simply helps you move in a direction you might have struggled to take on your own.

The same principle applies to society.

Influence can shape the way people think, the choices they make, and the standards they accept. Those with the ability to influence others therefore have a responsibility to consider the kind of change they are promoting.

This brings us back to leadership.

If leaders consistently demonstrate accountability, respect the rules, and encourage responsible behaviour, they can help establish a culture that supports positive change.

However, if they promote selfishness, disregard established standards, or treat accountability as something meant only for ordinary citizens, their influence can have the opposite effect.

This is why we cannot completely separate leadership from the well-being of society.

Influence creates opportunities for change, but the direction of that change depends on how the influence is used.

8. Why the Top Matters: The Importance of Good Governance

So, does this mean that we should focus only on the people at the top?

No.

The grassroots matter because they are the foundation of society. Individuals and communities must take responsibility for their actions, respect others, and contribute to the kind of society they want to live in.

But the top matters just as much because leadership has the potential to influence the conditions in which people live and make decisions.

Good governance can help create an environment where rules are respected, institutions are accountable, public resources are managed responsibly, and people have opportunities to improve their lives.

Poor leadership, on the other hand, can undermine trust and make it harder for good values to take root.

This is why choosing responsible leaders and demanding accountability from those in authority are important. It is also why citizens must remain conscious of their own responsibilities.

We cannot keep blaming the grassroots for every problem while refusing to examine the people who make decisions on behalf of the entire country.

Neither can we expect good governance to replace personal responsibility.

We need citizens who are willing to do what is right and leaders who are willing to lead by example.

One without the other leaves us with an incomplete solution.

Conclusion: Better Leadership, a Better Society

You need influence to affect things and bring about change.

So, yes, the top matters a lot, just as much as the grassroots does.

The grassroots shape the society from which leaders emerge, while leaders influence the values, expectations, and conditions that shape society in return.

This is why I still insist that having a good set of people in government can drastically affect the well-being and development of our society and our country at large.

We need leaders who understand that authority comes with responsibility. We need institutions that uphold rules fairly. We need citizens who understand that personal freedom does not mean the freedom to disregard everyone else.

Most importantly, we need to stop treating leadership and grassroots responsibility as if we must choose one over the other.

Both matter.

A better society requires responsible citizens, effective institutions, and leaders who understand the influence they carry.

And perhaps that is the lesson hidden in this random thought:

If we want to change society, we must pay attention to both the roots and the branches. The roots provide the foundation, but the branches determine how the tree grows.

Better leadership. Better values. A better society.

Sometimes, a random thought is worth more than we realise.

- Austine Martins