Indigenous Knowledge and Practices of Leader and Leadership Development in the Gadaa System of Borana Oromo Community of Ethiopia
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2017
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Abstract
Leadership affects all aspects of our life, and it is an inevitable group phenomena. However, the concept of leadership in general and the emergence of leader and leadership in particular, is quite complex subject that require further investigation. Hence, the objective of this research was to study Borana Oromo Community‟s indigenous knowledge and practices of leader and leadership development in their Gadaa system that may help to answer few questions in the area. It mainly focused on the underlying belief system, development of personal and group leadership qualities, procedures of leaders and leadership development, and responsibilities of community members in shaping leadership personalities. To achieve these objectives, cross-sectional qualitative case study research design was implemented. Individuals in the mainstream Gadaa system and knowledgeable elders of the community were purposively selected as a sample of the study. Accordingly, five observations, nine in-depth interviews, four key informant interviews, fifteen confirmatory interviews, and nine focus group discussions were conducted. The data gathered using these qualitative guidelines were presented, analyzed and discussed thematically in line with the assumptions of interpretive phenomenological analysis. The findings show that leader and leadership development is a lifelong process where individuals are made to develop general gifts of leadership and learn knowledge, skills, and attitudes of leadership both individually and in groups before they assume power. Knowledge and practices of leadership development is ingrained into the belief and value system of the community. The very objective of leader and leadership development is to maintain culture, peace, wealth, health and security of the community. The process has seven major progressive periods of development: care and support, preliminary service, initial team building, team building and teamwork exercise, leadership service, being educator and law makers, and spiritual devotion. Parents, lawmen, Abba Gadaa men, peer members, elders, religious leaders, and the community at large educate the prospective leaders about history, cultural values, religion, socio-political structure, ritual performances, and geography using different development strategies. The findings also show that cultural procedural irregularities, expansions of foreign religions in the area, change in community‟s livelihood style, corruption, and dual roles of Abba Gadaa men are the major threats of leaders and leadership development process in the system. Keywords Indigenous Knowledge, Leadership, leader development, leadership Development, Gadaa System
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Indigenous Knowledge, Leadership, leader development,, leadership Development,, Gadaa System