Political parties by their very nature and structure tend to be leader-centric as is the case with both the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and People’s National Party (PNP).

From a historical perspective, the JLP has been more leader-centric, which was primarily manifested in the leadership style of its founder Sir Alexander Bustamante, who was both revered and feared as the “Chief”. There was also the blind loyalty he cultivated as an effective and beloved trade unionist/labour leader, reflected in his followers declaring, “We will follow Bustamante till we die!” One of his successors, Edward Seaga, took this autocratic approach to an even higher level, declaring at one point during a perceived leadership challenge that there was only “one don” in the party.

In the case of the PNP, given the socialist leaning of that organisation, emphasis was more on ideology, but the charismatic emergence of Michael “Joshua” Manley, who some even likened to Bustamante because of his persona, saw the party becoming extremely leader-centric throughout his reign, especially during the turbulent 70s.

Fast-forward to the present political stage and the country is faced with an intriguing scenario in that the two political leaders, by virtue of the current socio-political cultural settings, have been plunged into leadership positions with a fanatical followership in tow.

While both men so far have, from time to time, exhibited some dictatorial tendencies, there has been no overwhelming evidence to suggest that either espouses the “one don” approach.

In the meantime, it is instructive that the Constitutional Reform Committee (CRC) has seemingly shied away from the concept of an executive presidency, preferring, it seems, to stick with the current British parliamentary democracy position of the prime minister being “the first among equals” but not a law unto himself/herself. In other words, not one with monarchical tendencies or affectations.

In the meantime, it is safe to say that Jamaica is suffering from a crisis of followership, as both parties have attracted and maintained a hard core support base which sees everything through either green or orange lenses. On the other hand, there is that growing majority of Jamaicans who have been saying “a plague on both your houses” and have remained in the uncommitted column, thus creating a clear and present danger to our democratic way of life.

The sad truth is that this partisan followership, which is famous for practising the ill-advised tendency of ‘whataboutism’, has created a situation in which their leaders can get away with ‘murder’. And regrettably, this blind loyalty has allowed whichever party is in power to get away with many acts of corruption because, as some diehards say, “A fi wi time now!”

It is in this context that some discerning and concerned Jamaicans are proposing that an aspect of the constitutional reform process should embrace the idea of servant leadership, which, in a real way, would help to lessen the overarching influence of a leader-centric party with a diehard followership.

What is servant leadership? According to one renowned scholar, “Servant leadership is a leadership approach in which the primary goal of the leader is to serve others. This leadership style prioritizes the needs of the team members, the organization, and the community above the self. The servant leader empowers and develops people, demonstrates humility, and contributes to the well-being of others. They place a great emphasis on the growth and development of their team, aiming to enhance individuals’ abilities and foster a positive work environment.”

Against this backdrop, one distinguished scholar argues that effective followers determine whether or not a leader will be successful. “Thus, the power for decision-making lies either in the hands of a leader or follower. The most undesirable followers are the ones who are dependent, passive, and lack critical thinking. They fall into a group called ‘sheep’, who mindlessly follow a leader. The ‘yes people’ group are active but lack critical thinking and independence, which is why they actively agree with a leader. A follower can also be independent and critical but be passive, which creates the group of ‘alienated followers’.”

On the other hand, “The most desirable followers are the ones who are active, independent, and can think critically. These types of followers are called ‘effective followers’ because they improve a leader. The majority of people fall into the fifth category of followers, who represent the ‘survivors’ group, and they demonstrate the traits of all other four groups.”

In real terms, therefore, “it is important to note that both servant leadership and followership leadership focus on service to the other party through proactiveness and empathy. They approach their goals through different perspectives, where the former focuses on a leader and the latter focuses on followers”.

Prime minister and JLP Leader Andrew Holness as well as Opposition leader and PNP President Mark Golding should seek to embrace this proposition of servant leadership, thus becoming transformative and leading from in front. In this vein, they should also encourage and establish processes in their respective parties to educate their followers so that they do not remain as mere “sheep”. The recent kerfuffle surrounding the controversial dual citizenship issue with respect to Golding and the widespread attacks and trolls emanating from JLP followers which are being countered by PNP followers with equal vitriol and animosity do not augur well for this nation’s bid to become a self-respecting republic bereft of the British monarchy and the last vestiges of colonialism.

Of course, a key ingredient on the way forward is that of educating the followership of both parties as well as the wider public so that we can develop a “thinking society”, not one that is steeped in narrow partisan propaganda and political one-upmanship. In the very final analysis, the most urgent issue with respect to constitutional reform must be the reforming of the minds of every Jamaican so that what emerges is the will of the people and not the will of the politicians.

Lloyd B Smith has been involved in Jamaican media for the past 49 years. He has served as a Member of Parliament and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. He hails from western Jamaica where he is popularly known as the Governor. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or lbsmith4@gmail.com.