Top 5 Greatest Jamaican Leaders?

[Islandman]

Come now Karl. Effective Leadership is what makes the difference in just about any activity that involves people. If the Union leader says block the road the people block the road. If the party leader says fire for fire blood for blood, well, that is probably what the people will accept.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and family!

[Mosiah]

Tell me about the great Dr. Robinson, Sass. Thanks!

[Don1]

I see a number of school awards followed...was not aware of the fullness

[Assasin]

Headed the Jamaica Library service, JAMAL and HEART.

http://archive.idrc.ca/library/docum.../robinson.html

[Mosiah]

So, this puts her in the Top 5 category?

[Assasin]

In my opinion. In many other country, just creating one of this institution would make a good leader, she not only made one but 3 institutions that continue to make Jamaica better offer and mold so many young lives. Every body who went and get a book at the library should say respect to her. JAMAL and how many graduates are there from HEART, using the same structure that she developed.

I don't follow the crowd, you don't have to admire her leadership but I do.

[Mosiah]

It was simple question. A simple answer would have sufficed.

[Assasin]

no mi a fi explain fully, I don't need follow up questions expecially when you only ask questions and don't have any other comments.

[Islandman]

Outstanding Jamaican. Strong leader, exactly the type we need much more of, particularly in the public sector.

My mother worked in the library service for many years so i am very aware of her work even before she went to HEART. One of the things she was responsible for that I didn't see mentioned specifically in the article was the Book-mobile service which was a mobile library serving rural Jamaican communities that did not have a permanent library. I spent quite a number of summer days travelling the hills and valleys of St Thomas on the parish book-mobile.

I would rank her among the top public sector leaders. Don't think she would make my top 5 overall.

[Assasin]

The problem with most of the political leadership is that they may have done some good things but too many negitives come with it. People like Doctor Joyce hasn't failed in their duties. Maybe one can say Norman Manley and others of that era but the leaders of the seventies to now are directly responsible for where we are now, so I won't class them as great.

[Islandman]

Agreed.

[Don1]

None of those named in the thread starter can be classified as a political leader of the 1970s...the politicians named by the poster had their heyday before that decade

Joyce Robinson was an outstanding public servant... but to classify her as among Jamaica's 5 greatest leaders is beyond a stretch

[Assasin]

So a public servant can't be a leader???

That is my opinion and it won't change for the reason I listed.

[Willi]

Carlton Alexander had his heyday in the 1970s and is an even bigger stretch.

[Don1]

Well I wrote "political" leaders so I wasn't referring to him

Since we operate a capitalist economy it's not unreasonable to recognize a foundation private sector leader as one of the greats.

During the turbulent 1970s when much of Jamaica's backward private sector was in an emotional uproar or in flight mode, Carlton Alexander was a voice of reason even as he advanced private sector interests...he was a supreme nationalist.

Between that and laying the foundation for Grace being easily the greatest Jamaican company and a model of how to compete globally...he deserves a mention fo' sure

But it's all a matter of opinion