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Reading Time 7 mins
Happy Independence Day Grenada!
Today, Grenada marks the 45th anniversary of political freedom and sovereignty from British colonialism which was won on February 7, 1974. Such milestones provide apt opportunities for reflection on the path traveled together as a people as well as on the future course. Arguably, the most important ingredient in nation building is leadership. Martin Luther King, Jr. has said that “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.”
How has Grenadian leadership measured up over these 45 years? A reflection on some qualities of leadership from a Grenadian considered to be a master leader by many may be of some help. In this regard, Bigdrumnation decided to ‘sit down’ for an e-chat with Dr. Anthony Bridgeman for his reflection on leadership and what lessons he can share with Grenada’s people and leaders on the occasion of his country’s independence.
Born in Byelands, St. Andrews, Dr. Anthony Bridgeman is a former student at the Grenada Boys’ Secondary School (GBSS). He was also a school teacher in Grenada.
Today, Dr. Bridgeman is a recognized leadership coach and is considered a ‘Master Leader’ in business and education. A principal of West Islip High School in Long Island, New York, and Adjunct Professor at Hofstra University (Specialized Programmes in Education) and also Adjunct Professor at the College of St. Rose, Center for Integrated Teacher Education (Teaching Educational Leadership Classes), Dr. Bridgeman has received many U.S. leadership awards. He has also been conferred the Grenada Independence Anniversary Committee of New York Education 2016 award for “exceptional work and his involvement in activities for the benefit of Grenada.”
Big Drum Nation [BDN]: What are your fondest memories of growing up in Grenada and what is the contribution of the spice island in creating Dr. Bridgeman and his quest for excellence in higher education?
Anthony Bridgeman [AB]: Growing up in Grenada was an exercise in grit and resiliency. The opportunity to play and hang out with your friends after school is something I would never forget. Also, the name calling lingers a bit. I grew up in a household where we did not have a lot, but we were comfortable. I struggled financially a lot, especially, when I was going to secondary school in GBSS. What I had going for me was my determination to succeed educationally. I applied myself in school because I believed education was my emancipation.
BDN: In listening to your featured episode on the Lily Sanabria Master Leadership podcast, we took note of your insight on transformational leadership. You observed that “good leaders change organizations and great leaders change people”. How can this maxim translate to national development in regards to Grenada in particular?
AB: Yes, I strongly believe in this quote. “Good leaders change organizations and great leaders change people.” There is a void in effective leadership in Grenada. We need to move/transform our leadership model in Grenada from good to great! What happens a lot is you may have strong leadership from the top, the Prime Minister, but some of his MP’s may not have what it takes to be leaders. Most haven’t had the leadership preparation to lead ministries. However, the Prime Minister has taken the necessary steps to change that. In April 2018, he invited me to conduct
Transformational leadership is the ability to get people to want to change and to lead change. To sustain change over time in Grenada, leaders must establish a vision, plan for and communicate the vision, direct and monitor change processes, and recognize and need for improvement where appropriate. We don’t have that. We need to get the right people on the bus and in the right seats! Then we can become a great nation. Too much patronage.
BDN: You mentioned the writer/thinker J. M. Kouzes’ “The Leaders Legacy” of which you pointed out that you have given Grenada’s Prime Minister a copy. What value do you ascribe to a leader’s legacy in national development?
AB: A leader’s legacy is very important because when we move on, people do not remember us for what we do for ourselves. They remember us for what we did for them. I remember the late Mayor Koch, used to always asked, “How am I doing?” Answers to this question
We need to ask this question to build our nation. A leader who cares for his or her legacy will take leadership as being personal, i.e. knowing who you are, knowing what you are prepared to do and why. What’s your brand? What’s your leadership identity? Also, they will serve and sacrifice, and they will value criticism.
BDN: We took a great interest that you singled out Maurice Bishop as a transformative leader who impressed you at a relatively early age. How did Maurice Bishop and the Grenada Revolution contribute to your personal development and what lessons do you think that period holds for present-day Grenada?
AB: I value Bishop’s leadership. In terms of nation-building, the revolution provided three important elements for the growth of a country: The importance of education, healthcare, and agriculture. The slogan “Grow What You Eat” still rings in my ear. A nation cannot grow effectively if the masses are not educated, don’t have access to proper healthcare, not working the lands and relying on foreign imports. If our
BDN: As a literary journal, we are always reflecting on the needs of our people to create and control our own narrative as a people. Can you elaborate on this concept that you regard as one very important quality of leadership?
AB: Ones’ narrative is important. Someone once said, “A leadership narrative is the tangible representation of your leadership DNA. It originates from your worldview, biases, experiences, and beliefs and is literally the combination of thoughts, words, examples, stories, assertions, and guidance that you communicate as a leader.” We have to tell our story. We should be our best storyteller. I always tell my story about leadership, coupled with who I am. I tell my students who are aspiring school leaders, they should control their narrative. This is key.
One of the problems the political parties have in Grenada, especially the opposition party is that they don’t have a narrative or they can’t articulate that narrative. They are always against something rather than for something. They operate in a deficit mindset.
A leader should be able to transfer that narrative to his or her people. A leadership narrative is purely academic unless the leader transmits it to his sphere of influence.
BDN: You mentioned in the podcast that you regularly take groups of students to Grenada as a means of you ‘giving back’ to your community. Please tell us some more about your school’s annual missions to Grenada?
AB: This is something I am very proud of. My students heard me talking about Grenada and they wanted to visit and bring school supplies. They have helped to support my foundation in Grenada, Bridging The Gap, GDA, Inc. They have assisted in school supplies, cereals for the breakfast program in some of the schools. This summer will be their third trip, working with the Calliste Government School. They will continue to teach music, arts, and crafts, dance, Sign Language, etc. They will also be bringing school supplies for the school.
This is part of my legacy to give back to Grenada. My foundation supports eight schools on the island. There are three pillars to my foundation: 1) One Step At A Time: Providing shoes for students in schools, 2) Health Bodies, Healthy Minds: Supporting the Breakfast Program in Schools, and 3) Dollars for Scholars: Providing scholarships for students at GBSS. We have provided seven scholarships for GBSS students.
Another aspect of my work in Grenada is to provide Professional Development Workshops for school administrators, teachers, and counselors as well, Ministry of Education Personnel.
BDN: You are clearly a bibliophile and, as a literary journal, we applaud you for encouraging reading and personal development through reading. One of the problems Grenada was left with from recent hurricanes, particularly Hurricane Ivan, was the destruction of the Grenada Public Library. Any ideas on how your missions to Grenada can help the Public Library rehabilitation efforts?
AB: Yes, that’s another void in Grenada. A few months ago, I was listening to a town hall meeting that the Prime Minister had in Grenada with a number of young people. One of the members in the audience asked him about the status of a library in Grenville, and while I agree with part of his answer in developing digitalized and smaller libraries across Grenada, it was not presented as a plan. We need libraries across the parishes and towns in Grenada. Exposing people to information and providing opportunities for your citizens to read and access materials is very important.
I will continue to advocate for that. Yes, we don’t need the typical space that we had in the past for a library but the citizens need access.
BDN: Please feel free to add anything else that you see fit in this last response…
AB: Grenada needs input from its citizens both foreign and local. We all have a contribution to make and if the powers that be do not accept or implement it, we continue to push and advocate. We need to educate our people. The curriculum in Grenada needs changing. Students are being pigeonholed into classes that are not meaningful and interests they don’t like. We prepare students to take an exam but not for 21st Century Skills. Students leave schools in Grenada ill equipped for the world.
Big Drum Nation thank you, Dr. Bridgeman, for your time and thoughtfulness.
BDN asked:
“…One of the problems Grenada was left with from recent hurricanes, particularly Hurricane Ivan, was the destruction of the Grenada Public Library. Any ideas on how your missions to Grenada can help the Public Library rehabilitation efforts?”
For some reason, Dr Anthony Bridgeman never specifically answered regarding the Grenada Public Library which was left unrepaired for many years, by the party/administration he vocally supports.