Chilima share steps of mindset growth: Pleads with Malawians to end obsession with trivia
Vice-President Saulos Chilima has dazzled the nation with his lecture on ‘Mindset Change’ which he ably delivered on Friday night at Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe, rapping Malawians for their obsession with trivia.
Chilima gave a powerful 40-minutes televised lecture which was aimed at challenging Malawians on the need for mindset change as a precursor to personal development, national development and smooth implementation of the public sector reforms.
“We have become a nation too much obsessed with trivia. We no longer get interested in life changing discussions. We are now a cartoon nation. We need to change this,” he said.
Chilima, who is also Minister of Economic Planning and Development and Public Sector Reforms, also added that other areas where this country needs to change include: Stop sheer foolishness, aborting opportunistic tendencies, challenging mediocre leadership, obsessions with negativity and, also, the culture of worshiping leaders.
The country’s second-in-command said mindset is a topic that is dear to his heart and is one of the enablers for transformation.
He said: “It’s a topic we as a people must directly and fiercely engage in.”
The Veep then shared about 12 areas where most Malawians need to embrace mindset change.
- Acknowledge and embrace imperfections
- View challenges as opportunities
- Try different learning tactics
- Follow research on brain plasticity
- Replace word failing with learning
- Stop seeking approval
- Value the process over the end result
- Cultivate a sense of purpose
- Celebrate growth with others
- Emphasize growth over speed
- Reward actions, not traits.
- Redefine “genius”
- Portray criticism as positive.
Said Chilima: “We need to make a vow to do things different. Make a vow that going forward I will do things differently .
“We have an opportunity to change the fortunes of our country, today we start or we continue the debate.
“God gave us one country and it is this country we call Malawi. There shall never be another. Let’s embrace the spirit of doing things different ,only then we shall have meaningful development in this country.”
After the lecture, the Veep will took questions from the audience and also those who were watching online.
Responding to a question on youth development, Chilima said young people need their parents to be role models and help them develop skills that will help them in future.
Chilima dodged the question from. a member of the audience who cited how a perennially hungry nation waste so much food at funerals. The Veep said the issue is an emotive one, he has his own views but will keep them to himself but welcomes the debate on the matter.
Ngoni paramount chief Mbelwa V, however, asked why the country, in the 21st century, is still depending on boreholes while there are renewable energies that can help the country’s citizenry access better water supply.
On the national development agenda, Chilima says there is a long development plan that is being developed and says various ruling parties must be following the plan.
He pointed out that consultations are underway but asks all Malawians to participate in the process. He says the plan will be rolled out tentatively in December 2020.
University of Malawi’s associate professor of public administration Dr Asiyatu Chiweza who was the convenor said Chilima delivered a “moving public lecture.”
The Veep commended President Lazarus Chakwera for accepting an invitation to to attend the lecture and asked the audience to applaud the President.
This was Chilima’s second public lecture as Vice-President. The first one, titled Moral Decadence was delivered at Chancellor College Great Hall in 2018 when he was Vice-President in the former Democratic Progressive Party administration.
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