Better Leaders – Better Pakistan, CEO HMB Sirajuddin Aziz
Mr Siraj Uddin Aziz, CEO of Habib Metropolitan Bank, talked on the topic Better Leaders – Better Pakistan, which focused on leadership regardless of position at Business Leadership Conference held on 16th August 2017 at Movenpick hotel Karachi. He said that a good leader is one who is successful, effective and inspirational and the one who makes others’ lives better.
Therefore, Basic element of leadership is sacrifice. He quoted the example of founder of our homeland, Quaid-e-Azam. Mohammad Ali Jinnah. He commenced his professional career as a lawyer in 1986, first in Bombay, in spite of Hindu majority in that profession; he rose to a high position by the dint of his hard work. Soon he became a well-known personality in Bombay. He could have lived a prosperous life but he preferred to work for the betterment of Muslims. Likewise, He did not give enough time to his family even when his family deserves the most, just for the sake of Muslims of sub-continent. Nelson Mandela is another example who directed a campaign of peaceful, nonviolent defiance against South African Government. 18th July has been declared as Mandela Day to tribute this legend.
He also emphasized the value of ethical integrity by saying that Jinnah is a role model for those who believe that in a Muslim nation personal character of leadership is as important as other necessary inherent qualities of leadership which get radiated to inspire people at large. After the creation of Pakistan, when Jinnah was seriously ill, he was advised to go to abroad for medical treatment but he refused by saying that “ I am President of a poor country and cannot afford such expenses”. When he was asked to go through his personal amount then he said, “This is not my money, it is money for people of Pakistan.” Also, when he was criticized to travel by third class in comparison to Mr. Gandhi who was travelling through third class, he said, “Gandhi lives on others’ money, not I.”
Leadership has played an important role in the human history since earliest times. Social leadership means to dedicate one’s life and talent to serve the society.
Fortunately Pakistan has great social leaders like Abdul Sattar Edhi, Mother Teresa; Dr Adeeb Rizvi etc. Dr Ruth Fao, who was born in Germany, decided to stay in Karachi when she was on her way to India. She took an initiative to fight against leprosy in Karachi, Pakistan when she observed the worse condition of patients suffering from that disease and contributed her whole life for this purpose. In the same way, Abdul Sattar Edhi also dedicated his life to build nationwide humanitarian centers for the people of Pakistan. He created the largest ambulance network across Asia.
He ended by saying that Pakistan is the land of opportunities. We should take the stock of situation and should adapt change if we want to survive in this complex and dynamic world. Many areas require improvements and we should be ethically upright, morally upright and financially upright.