[An academic exercise and part of a larger project on authenticity in writing, 11/08.]
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Abstract
Aung San Suu Kyi, the 1991 Peace Prize Laureate, remains under house arrest in Myanmar (Burma), her silence and absence from public life calling for moral action and democratic contribution where once only her writing, speeches, and demonstrations did so. Her life and work stem from and illustrate the leadership quality of charisma. She is a transformational leader in word, deed, and silence with human rights and human dignity her campaign..
Beacon for Human Dignity
"The great work we are acknowledging has yet to be concluded. She is still fighting the good fight. Her courage and commitment find her a prisoner of conscience in her own country, Burma" (Sejersted, 1999).
So the Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee introduced Aung San Suu Kyi, the 1991 Peace Prize Laureate. She remains today under house arrest in Myanmar (Burma), her silence and absence from public life calling for moral action and democratic contribution where once only her writing, speeches, and demonstrations did so.
Today, leaders and others from around the world acknowledge Aung San Suu Kyi as a beacon for human dignity, and they persistently urge the Myanmar military leaders to release her and her country so that both may enjoy the freedom and independence her father, Aung San, died for.
Aung San Suu Kyi was born in Rangoon in 1945, and she received her education in Burma, India, and the U. K., earning her doctorate from the University of London. In 1988, she returned to Burma and helped found the National League for Democracy. She ran for the office of Prime Minister, but the military junta nullified the election she had won. For most of the period 1988 to the present, Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest. Reporters and dignitaries have been barred from visiting her, but the world is conscious of her struggle and keeps vigil.
According to the Nobel Presentation Speech, Aung San Suu Kyi has acknowledged that the major influences in her life were her father and Mahatma Gandhi. Her father was a military general and helped negotiate Burma's independence from Great Britain in 1947. Aung San Suu Kyi embraced Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolence. Her development as a thinker, activist, and leader thus embraced deep respect for people and therefore human rights.
In her "Freedom from Fear" speech, she says, "It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it" (San, 1995).
These words echo down the years for Burma and the world, and ensure Aung San Suu Kyi's stature as a leader. Here she asks all of us, including those in power, to act in the interest of human rights and dignity, and she invites contribution through political reform which cherishes and protects people. Fear as felt or fostered by any of us prevents realizing the dignity of each and everyone. Social and political systems can support or suppress fear. Aung San Suu Kyi's claim is that democracy, founded on respect for human rights, is the antidote to fear.
To the cheers of her countrymen and -women and the recognition and acclimation of those around the world, Aung San Suu Kyi continues to be seen as a moral and democratic beacon. She has been honored with more than fifteen awards and distinctions (United States Campaign for Burma).
Charisma is a universally recognized leadership trait. And through Aung San Suu Kyi's words and long suffering, she continues to hold the civilized world accountable for the injustices she and others endure. That charisma stems from enlightened simplicity, as is manifest in the Bhuddist way and nonviolent action. That she stands tall and confronts oppression honors Aung San Suu Kyi's father's fight for independence.
Aung San Suu Kyi may also be described as a transformational leader. According to the leadership behaviors identified by Kuhnert and Lewis (1987), she has articulated goals, built an image, demonstrated confidence, and aroused motivation. And decidedly, she has followers (p. 650).
Call her leadership charismatic or transformational, Aung San Suu Kyi speaks to our sense of right and good. The world acknowledges her and has not forgotten the struggle to realize a better life for each and all. Many have resonated with her call and followed: Though a silent beacon at present, her leadership inspires and moves us.
References
Kuhnert, W., Lewis, P. (1987). “Transactional and Transformational Leadership: A Constructive/Developmental Analysis.” Academy of Management. The Academy of Management Review, 12(4), 648.
San, A., Michael, A., Havel, V., & Tutu, D. (1995). Freedom from Fear. New York: Penguin Books.
Sejersted, F. (1999). “The Nobel Peace Prize 1991: Presentation Speech.” In Abrams, I. (Ed.). Nobel Lectures, Peace 1991-1995. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing. Retrieved on 25 November 2008, from http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1991/presentation-speech.html
United States Campaign for Burma. “Semi-Complete List of Awards Won by Aung San Suu Kyi.” Retrieved on November 25, 2008, from http://uscampaignforburma.org/assk/awards.html
