Chandra J writes open letter to civil society reps of Constitutional Council and Elections Commissio

Good governance activist Chandra Jayaratne has written an open letter to the civil society representatives of the Constitutional Council and Elections Commission calling for a compulsory Psychometric testing of high post, President and Prime Minister candidates. Following are excerpts from the letter

It is essential that the Constitutional Council and the Elections Commission examine and evaluate, whether nominations acceptance criteria must include a compulsory assessment of the physical and mental health status of high post candidates and future aspirants contesting for election as the president and prime minister.

High post candidates in the private sector, especially those candidates posted to work in overseas unfamiliar territories, are usually subject to psychometric testing prior to new appointments. Psychometric testing is believed to be the only accurate predictor of traits and responses. 

It is quoted that “In humans, the only real ability we have to change things is by how we respond to circumstances as they present and challenge us. Thus, private sector companies and government agencies are realising the need for testing at the CEO and other high-ranking levels, to analyse leadership qualities, situational judgment capabilities and other critical traits.”

“An article in Forbes pointed out that, in crisis situations, people expect leaders to, in one way or another, answer three questions:

Do you care about me? Show me that you do.

Can I trust you? Tell me the truth. Don’t sugarcoat the future.

Are you committed to the best actions? Tell me your plan.”

It is reported that “A ‘fruitcake test’ has been used by the UK Independence Party to uncover unsuitable characters who might embarrass the party. Psychometric tests were used to analyse the personalities, reliability and honesty of more than 300 people wanting to run in European elections. Experts were called in to prevent a repeat after UKIP candidates were accused of sexism, racism and homophobia. “The Fruit Cake Tests comprised of;

Psychometric test

Answer 160 questions about your personality and rank response 1-7

Media test

Face a grilling from a journalist, giving sound bites without flustering

Writing test

Produce a press release which a local newspaper would willingly use

Public speaking test

Address a room of people, who score your ability to wow a crowd

Information test

Scour a bundle of information and give a pithy response, in line with party policy”

The demand for psychometric tests surfaced internationally during the run up to the French Presidential Elections and even in the current US Presidential race. Counter Punch of 18 March carried an article titled ‘Perilous Unknown; the Mental Health of Presidential Candidates,’ which stated: “It’s become normal for Americans to demand—and receive—a professional assessment of the physical health of the candidates for president—just as they expect updates on the medical state of the president himself. After all, there have been many infamous cases of presidents, from Franklin Roosevelt to Jack Kennedy, who secretly endured serious debilitating illnesses.” Refer note for psychometric testing to obtain insights about sustainable leadership qualities of candidates.

Psychometrics

Psychometric testing may provide additional insights about the sustainable leadership qualities of candidates. Examples of how these competencies can be tested using psychometrics are given below.

Assessing the sustainability mindset:

• Exemplifying enlightened self-interest: Typically, as effective leaders develop over time, we would expect them to focus less on themselves and more on the welfare of others. Sustainable leaders tend to be decisive and courageous but humble. For example, they will hire people with talents they do not have themselves. Sustainable leaders often display genuine confidence without being arrogant.
• Demonstrating integrity: Leaders with integrity value transparency—they disclose both the good and the bad news. This quality is easy to detect through a combination of interviewing and assessment. Another element of integrity is follow through (i.e., doing what you have promised), which can be measured by probing a candidate’s self-discipline, sense of responsibility and conscientiousness.

Assessing skills for systems thinking:

• Seeing the bigger picture: Big-picture thinkers take their functional or any specific market “hat” off when making decisions. They think long term; they anticipate changes and likely economic or environmental shifts; they care about technological advances and macropolitical issues. This requires true intellectual curiosity—an interest across a range of disciplines—not just learning to become a deeper subject matter expert. Assessments can help us reveal executives’ thinking patterns and also the underlying motives and values that drive their curiosity.
• Appreciating the details: Getting things done is universally held up as a key requirement for successful leaders. To do this, individuals need to know how to manage details. The very best retain the big picture but have the ability to zoom in to the finer points. This gives them credibility when being challenged or when defending an argument. Being a big-picture thinker and having the capability to “drill down” require sufficient intellect and impeccable judgment.

Assessing relationship-building skills:

• Inspiring stakeholders: Successfully inspiring various groups that have a vested interest in the organisation requires a degree of altruism and, to a limited extent, charisma. Charisma can be a double-edged sword and even a risky trait: Charismatic people have a tendency to be impulsive, short-term goal oriented and poor at following rules. But this willingness—and, at times, eagerness—to challenge rules and bureaucracy gives them the potential to be inspiring.

(http://www.russellreynolds.com/insights/thought-leadership/sustainable-leadership-talent-requirements-for-sustainable-enterprises.)