Former Finance Minister Dr Mohammed Amin Adam has emphasised the importance of humility and engagement with ordinary people in shaping effective policies.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express Business Edition on Thursday, he highlighted how interactions with subordinates, including security personnel at the Ministry of Finance, provided valuable insights that helped him make better decisions.
“You cannot just come in for one year without understanding the context, without understanding the background behind some of the decisions that he [Ken Ofori-Atta] made, and so we kept that good relationship,” Dr Anta said, stressing the need for continuity and learning in leadership.
He underscored the significance of respect and humility in leadership, stating that everyone, regardless of their rank, has something to offer.
“A boss is always a boss. You have to be humble, even when you meet people who are your servants. You have to be humble to them because there is something you can learn from everybody within the space, whether they are your bosses or they are your subordinates.”
Dr. Anta revealed that he fostered an open and collaborative atmosphere within the Ministry of Finance, treating everyone as a colleague and ensuring that all voices were heard.
“If you go to the Ministry of Finance, they will tell you, I treated everybody as a colleague. We worked together, even the security people in the Ministry of Finance.
“I had a very good relationship with them. They could walk into my office, I could go out and sit with them, and we would talk.”
He shared how these informal interactions often yielded crucial information that wouldn’t typically emerge through conventional channels.
“We always walk away with information that you really would not get from the mainstream, but you can get from the people that we do not expect even appreciate some of the issues we are confronted with.”
Dr Anta argued that engaging with people at all levels provides a clearer understanding of public sentiment, which is crucial for effective governance.
“If you want to know how ordinary people in the street feel, your security men at the ministry can give you that sense.
“Even if you don’t want to go to the street and sample people and talk to them, just by relating to ordinary people within the ministry—some of them at the lowest level in the hierarchy—you can get a sense of how people feel.”
He concluded that such insights help shape decisions that genuinely benefit the populace. Reflecting on his tenure, he noted how his approach made an impression on observers.
“When you came in, and there were questions like, for a while when you started managing things—where has this man been?”
Dr Anta’s remarks serve as a strong endorsement for leadership rooted in humility, accessibility, and genuine engagement with all levels of society.
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