Management consultant Dr Henley Morgan said insufficient leadership was a problem Jamaica needed to address quickly.

"As a people, we have to accept that Jamaica is far from what it can be. Because of the failure of leadership at every level, King's House, Jamaica House, Gordon House and the schoolhouse, there has been a proliferation of other houses: the poorhouse, the crackhouse, the whorehouse and we know about the deadhouse," Morgan charged.

According to Morgan, this failure of leadership is not only hurting Jamaica, but the world.

"We don't want to beat up on ourselves because there are people in Jamaica providing leadership even now, but as a people we have to accept that there is an insufficiency of leadership."

Failure sparked crisis

He argued that the failure of leadership is to blame for much of the international financial meltdown now under way, but said the election of Barack Obama to the United States presidency could provide the world with the leadership that is needed.

"People are wondering what would happen if he fails, but decency never fails and I say more than anything else that is what Barack represents, decency in relationships between people," Morgan added.

The management consultant was speaking with The Gleaner following the launch of the Centre for Leadership's 'EQUIP' programme in Jamaica.

arthur.hall@gleanerjm.com