On Bureaucracy’s Leadership in our country.

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Learning from and observing my sister’s experience - I have come to understand that the bureaucracy trains people how to behave with power and how to be with power. And if you are wise, how to use power well. It inducts the candidate into the power structure that the country-people are serving for over 200 years. 

It does not even touch (or touches very little) on how to empower, those you are serving. 

The mindset with the bureaucracy has been more or less similar as it was during the colonial period. Hence, bureaucrats are to rule over the people. Although ironically they are called Civil Servants. 

Having said that, if the governance part of this country is running - it is because of some amazing bureaucrats. There are numerous who have been able to get breakthrough implementations done with knowledgeable and wise decision-making and cooperation. And negotiation with other power-holders and power-brokers. 

As most systems set up by British (like Railways, Colonial Education system, clock system, etc.) this too has been an effective and long sustaining system. 

The creative challenge would be how to enable this system to learn to empower - to create leadership that nurtures leadership in the citizens and community, to take the people towards taking ownership of their lives and its governance. The challenge also is to break through the tough status quo of power in the bureaucracy - nobody want to make major radical and progressive changes to the system. I find the process of selecting bureaucrats extremely regressive and obsolete. A set of exams that test mental aptitude, information processing and bit of knowledge creation and indirectly pressure taking ability of candidates. What about the character strength, leadership abilities, community empowerment and inspiration of the people. 

Therefore, most people are attracted towards the career, for its perks, power-privilege and security. Those who intend to serve are inducted into the above culture too. Of course there are some exceptions. 

 Can the culture of bureaucracy shift from ‘powerful’ to ‘empower-full’? from ego to eco?


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