BIDYUHI: Calling out Incompetency

"Bidyuhi ko,you are not allowed! Saksiii mo ha? ma priiiso ka! Aguy!"

From a more political angle, the viral video involving a woman creating tension in a public market can be interpreted differently. Incompetence is apparent and can often be caught with evidence, but the person pointing out the negligence will be incarcerated for pointing it out an unfortunate case of several "leaders" and their "leadership" in a nutshell.

COVID-19–the succession of lockdowns–and the faltering economic growth following thereof served as a wake-up call for the Filipinos, showing them how ineffective leaders "attempt" to govern.

Dr. Gene Nisperos, a board member of the Community Medicine Development Foundation, made one particularly striking statement in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel last April 2021 about the government's response to the pandemic. "The government looks like a headless chicken. It doesn't know what it's doing. One agency will say something, which will be contradicted by another later," he said. This remark was among many other heard or unheard remarks made by the Filipinos pointing out the incompetence of the government's elected leaders.

One might think that incompetence will be; Incompetence (noun), a lack of ability, or an inability to do something successfully because incompetence is poor leadership that breeds and encourages nepotism, mediocrity, and restricted progress. However, before taking root on a much larger scale–both the seed and the bud of incompetence can be determined and corrected in a shared learning environment, the educational institutions where our Supreme Student Government and Student organizations reside. There is a pressing need to identify harmful leadership behaviors displayed by an organization's elected student leaders to continue the advocacy for a transformative learning environment powered by a passion for excellence.

Almeida JG, Hartog DND, De Hoogh AHB, Franco VR, and Porto JB (2021) conducted research that highlighted four suggested negative behaviors that Student Organization members should take note of.

Organizational Members should be aware of (1) Intimidation, defined as the "public display of undermining and punishing behaviors that humiliate targets and place them in a submissive, powerless position." A consistent lack of consideration for the needs and welfare of subordinates also signals (2) Lack of Care which implies that the leader/leaders are distant, unappreciative, and not accepting of the nurturing aspect deemed part of the responsibility for their leadership. Display of (3) SelfCenteredness by prioritizing personal interests at the team's expense affects the subordinates/ members negatively. Lastly, (4) Expressive Pressure for Result is observed when leaders put excessive pressure on team members to perform by regularly overburdening them, exclusively concentrating on performance at the expense of other goals and the well being of their subordinates, or making unreasonable expectations of them.

Before pointing fingers at the individuals who may or may not have checked all of the boxes, one should keep in mind that school-setting leadership in the educational context is still dependent on the cultivators who are, in a broad sense, the faculty and staff of the University. Competent Leaders are nurtured and encouraged as they also need a thorough analysis of the organizational circumstances and an understanding of interpersonal dynamics and various leadership philosophies, which should be transparent to the members. Competency is practiced, as it is also a keen adaptor of change. By wanting the "title," an individual must also be competent enough to manage the responsibilities that come along with it. The indicators of incompetent leaders should be determined keenly by the individuals–the student body, who are at the receiving end of the services and assistance offered by the Student organization Leaders. Along with the power to vote comes the ability to lend a critical eye that will provide points for improvement for the betterment of the Organization.

Bidyuhi, you ARE allowed incompetence should be pointed out.