When Deng Xiaoping became preeminent leader of China in December 1978, the country was in chaos following the Cultural Revolution. Per capita annual income was less than US$100.
By the time he stepped down in 1992, several hundred million Chinese citizens had been lifted out of poverty, and China was rapidly becoming stronger, richer and more modern.
Deng did not originate China’s reforms and market opening — that began under the leadership of Hua Guofeng after the death of Mao Zedong in 1976. But he provided the steady hand, clear direction and political skill China needed to succeed. He enjoyed the support of senior cadres who realised that Mao’s continuing revolutions brought disaster, but he had the judgment to pace the reforms and keep the support of those who feared the opening of markets, as well as those who feared that the opening would be too slow.
“Deng is a rare and talented man,” Mao Zedong is reported to have said. “Deng has ideas. He does not assault problems head on without thought. He deals with difficult problems responsibly.”
Deng is remembered for his pragmatic view on economic ideology: “It doesn’t matter if a cat is black or white; as long as it catches mice, it’s a good cat.” The black and white cats referred to a planned versus a market economy.
Deng is credited with another maxim : “Hide your strength, bide your time.” It’s apt in the context of South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, who bided his time for 18 years before ascending to the most powerful position in the country. There is no doubt that he played the long game masterfully.
The ability to think long-term is a strategic skill that is in short supply around the world.
While it is to be hoped that Ramaphosa is able to navigate the tricky terrain between multiple factions and ideologies as Deng did, we’d also like to see him demonstrate some of the statesmanship and thoughtfulness so evident in the leadership of Barack Obama, the 44th US president.
At a time when the US was becoming more polarised, its discourse pettier and more poisoned, Obama managed to be the ‘adult in the room’. He was a man more reasoned than most, with a clear idea of the road that needed to be travelled. Donald Trump is certainly not going to be remembered for similar grace. Abrasive and impulsive, he suffers from a hero complex. Self-serving leaders generally do.
While these types of men may be powerful, they do not surround themselves with the best of the best. In fact the big egos of many of these types of leaders eventually drive away high-performers, weakening an organisation in the long term. As a result they cannot build sustainable societies.
On the other hand, Ramaphosa – like Obama and Deng – sees himself as a servant leader; a mere mortal, who can and will make mistakes, but one who has in mind the pursuit of long-term goals that will create a better life for ordinary South Africans. He has big shoes to fill.
Adapted from an article which first appeared in Moneyweb Investor