TED talk highlights the vital importance of leadership

In one of the many inspiring talks available at www.ted.com, Patrick Awuah speaks about the need for a new generation of enlightened leadership in Africa.

Awuah was born in Ghana. After studying at Swarthmore College in the United States, he had a successful career with the Microsoft Corporation in Seattle. In 2002 he returned to his home country to found Ashesi University. His ambition is to help train a new generation of ethical, entrepreneurial leaders with exceptional integrity and the ability to confront the complex problems facing the African continent.

Crucially, when he talks about leadership, Awuah means not just political leaders, but lawyers, judges, policemen, teachers, doctors, engineers, civil servants - all those with positions of responsibility and trust in society.

His insight is that good leaders must have more than just the technical skills to do their jobs. They require the ability to think critically about the problems they face, the ethical code to resist the temptations that are placed in their way and the community values needed to put their responsibilities above any sense of personal entitlement.