Introduction

Aung San Suu Kyi’s leadership capacity was notable even when she was under house arrest. The powerful lady, arising from a politically influential family, used her position to make Myanmar a better country (Sauder 4). Given that she was under house arrest for 15 years, it added to her public appeal and eventual loyalty. The citizens of Myanmar expect Suu Kyi to remain a champion of democracy, and any deviation is met with contempt and criticism as will be noted in thedocument. Regardless of her course of action, Suu Kyi’s leadership impacts her followers significantly. Indeed, Kyi’s leadership styles and ideas endeared her to the public who had a lot of expectations.

Research Question: What impact does Aung San Suu Kyi’s leadership have on the behavior and performance of the Myanmar citizens?

Literature Review

Aung San Suu Kyi is a renowned leader for the Myanmar state. Since her return to Burma, now called Myanmar, she fought against the oppressive regime that the military imposed. Kyi became an icon due to her ambitions and hopes for the nation(Beyer 17). Notably, the government imprisoned Suu Kyi because she openly criticized the military and demanded democracy. For 15 years, Kyi spearheaded the growth of democracy and freedom for the Burmese natives through her party, National League for Democracy (NLD) (Hiebert 34). Correspondingly, she became politically active after her arrest and gained immense support from the citizens, who eventually got her the position of the State Counsellor. Suu Kyi’s leadership during and after her house arrest attest to the influence of her leadership style in the state.

During House Arrest

Suu Kyi demonstrated her patriotism and activism during her 15-year house arrest. Her duty towards the Burmese people compelled her to the point that she left her spouse and children abroad. In fact, she did not even attend to her ailing husband while on his deathbed (Doherty 9). Kyi abandoned her interests in pursuit of national development, alluding to her selflessness and determination to save Burma from authoritarian leadership. Consequently, she inspired other Burmese who were encouraged to oppose the government and even joined her LND party. Suu Kyi chose the nation over her family and even faced house arrest for challenging the military regime.

Suu Kyi’s influence grew even after the government detained, and she became defiant. In 1990, the Union Military had promised her freedom if she left the country, but she refused (Westcott). Kyi fought for liberty for the political prisoners and the creation of a civilian government  to end her activism. The ideologies resonated with the citizens who voted in 80% of NLD into parliament. Even though state annulled the results, Suu Kyi’s principles attracted a massive following because people believed in her leadership (Beyer 5). The citizens held that NLD, under Suu Kyi was a guaranteed success given her political roots. In 2005, the government arrested her again and tied it to her activism and calls for social justice. With the aid of her supporters, she challenged the military to the point of attracting international support. Eventually, Suu Kyi was released from house arrest when foreign nations pressured the government to free her. Kyi’s advocacy for democracy prevailed amidst regular and lengthy house arrests, endearing her more to the public.

After House Arrest

After her house arrest, Suu Kyi embarked on a rigorous political campaign aimed at improving lives. Suu Kyi’s party re-elected her as their leader, and they won the 2015 elections with 378 seats out of 664 parliamentary seats. In 2016, parliament created State Counsellor position so that she could lead at an executive level (Milko). However, it led to her downfall as the epitome of democracy as the public criticized her for condoning and even partaking in injustice. Suu Kyi’s leadership, or lack thereof, impacted the perception and support that the nation and foreigners had for her.

Reuter’s Journalists

The people criticized Suu Kyi’s leadership as she allowed the imprisonment of two Reuters’ Journalists. Under her leadership, the state detained these two journalists in 2017 for investigating the Rohingya massacres in Rakhine. The journalists also had photographic evidence, detailing the killings (Milko). Instead of enabling the freedom of the press, Kyi aided in the apprehension and prosecution of the two journalists. Suu Kyi’s action elicited anger among women who pleaded for the release of these two men. Kyi’s defense that it was a decision made in open court did little to salvage her from international criticism (Barany 6). To the world, it appeared that she had lost direction, and some even voted that she be stripped of her Nobel Prize. Suu Kyi’s stand against press freedom negatively affected her public image, affecting her popularity.

The Rohingya Crisis

The Rohingya crisis contributed to Suu Kyi’s public undoing. The crisis, stemming from the persecution and abuse of the Muslims in Rakhine, yielded much criticism for Suu Kyi. The citizens complained that she did not use her position to end the Muslim oppression that led to 700,000 people migrating to Bangladesh (Westcott).They also accused her of ignoring the injustices that the Muslims faced. Even after the UN reported their adverse conditions, Suu Kyi downplayed the severity of the issue, claiming that it had been exaggerated (Westcott). It is likely that Suu Kyi reacted this way because accepting guilt would have meant that she failed as a public official. Her inaction led the British city of Oxford to revoke an award she received in 1997 unanimously because she seemingly condemned the vice. The public was also dismayed by her passivity, and they viewed her as an ineffective leader just like the Union Military. Undoubtedly, the Rohingya crisis marred Suu Kyi’s reputation, as a democratic leader because she did not use her position to stop vices against the Muslims.

Hypothesis

Suu Kyi’s leadership style directly impacts the behavior of the Myanmar population.

Theoretical Framework

In describing Suu Kyi, the situational leadership theory would be the most suitable approach. The theory states that no single leadership is the best. Accordingly, leadership depends on the prevailing situation to which leaders should adopt (Graeff 285). Several factors which affect the outcome of tasks influence effective leaders. For Kyi, she had different strategies. She was productive when she was under house arrest and when she rejoined politics. However, Kyi changed tactics as noted in her response to the Rohingya issue and her role in the imprisonment of the Reuters’ journalists. Suu Kyi adopted various styles to receive mass support and eventually to attract criticism.

The theory has primary principles that a leader follows. Firstly, the telling principle is whereby the leader makes decisions and tells his or her followers what to do (Graeff 286). Under house arrest, Kyi was limited in her activism. In effect, she turned to her NLD members to mobilize the people to oppose the regime. At this point, she relied on her party and public support to enforce change. Comparatively, her followers lacked knowledge and the will to perform any tasks.Suu Kyi’s influence in politics aroused interests in the citizens to fight for democracy (Hiebert 39). Before that, most people were afraid of the regime and trusted her to save them. A demonstration of this reliance is noted when she won the 1990 elections despite being under arrest. Suu Kyi applied the telling principle by educating herunwilling supporters the ways to overcome the regime.

The selling leadership style attracts followers by presenting luring ideas. Suu Kyi perfected the art of convincing the public to support her ideology. She capitalized on her father’s legacy and reminded the people that she would fight for justice as he did (Beyer 40). Additionally, her actions like choosing her country over family, protesting, and being imprisoned for 15 years endeared her to the public, and they readily supported her. At this stage, the technique was useful given that her supporters were now determined to change from the oppression that the military government presented. Kyi’s words and actions convinced the public to support her political ideologies which worked in her favor.

Correspondingly, the participating approach reduces the leadership responsibilities and empowers the public. In this style, the leader gives the group the opportunity to make decisions while he or she becomes detached (Graeff 289). The principle explains why the public felt that Kyi was not involved in handling the Rohingya issue. Suu Kyi admitted that the rule of law, a product of civilian leadership, restrained her actions. On their part, the followers did not want to take responsibility. Kyi claimed that the government was only 75% responsible for public actions yet it received 100% of the blame (Westcott). The statement shows that Suu Kyi expected the citizens to be equally active in ending the violence. The participating approach was counterproductive as society refused to acknowledge their contribution in the crisis and assumed that a detached Suu Kyi would solve the issue.

Operationalization and Measurement Variables

Data Acquisition, Reporting, and Analysis

Acquisition

Data was acquired from relevant and current sources to ensure that the research was accurate. To complete the process, key search phrases like “Rohingya crisis” and “Syu Kyi’s imprisonment” were used. The researcher acquired data from credible documents using expressions that made the process efficient.

Reporting

Correspondingly, dashboards were useful in data reporting. The researcher used dashboards to customize and display the findings of Suu Kyi’s leadership character and relevant indicators. In the dashboard, information such as Suu Kyi’s leadership styles and their effectiveness was evaluated. The dashboard option was the best as it made information accessible, resulting in a seamless analysis process (Taylor 150). Indeed, the dashboard was a useful tool in reporting the findings.

Analysis

Data analysis was done using a qualitative analysis method. The researcher used a narrative approach to gauge the information obtained from the different sources covering this topic (Taylor 200). In effect, the themes of the texts were analyzed and grouped according to their similarities. It was possible to deduce the major findings from the documents, which made the completion of the research possible. The narrative analysis explained the existing relationship in the data sources.

Summary and Conclusion

Summary

Suu Kyi’s leadership influenced the behavior and performance of her citizens. Her unwavering determination to achieve democracy appealed to the masses who supported her in her political journey. Suu Kyi’s patriotism gave the citizens hope of a just society, and they elected her to hold the powerful position of State Counsellor. However, when her determination was not noticeable in the Rohingya crisis and her role in the injustice against media personalities, they criticized her. Notably, the situational leadership theory best defines Kyi’s leadership style. Kyi’s action fit the leadership approach prescribed in this theory. Indeed, Suu Kyi is an influential leader, whose actions impacted her massive public supporters.

Conclusion

Suu Kyi adopted different leadership strategies to climb the political ladder. She used her political background and ideologies to gain the attention of the masses. For a long time, this leadership approach worked, and Kyi even gained international awards and recognition. However, when she changed tactics by becoming less vocal and compliant with the regime, it alienated her from the public. Although every citizen had a role to play in promoting equality,  people blamed Suu Kyi for failing in her democratic duty. Suu Kyi chose various leadership approaches, which worked in her favor and against her.

Works Cited

Barany, Zoltan. “Burma: Suu Kyi’s Missteps.” Journal of Democracy 29.1 (2018): 5-19.

Beyer, Judith. “Saints in politics: Aung San Suu Kyi and the Dilemmas of Political Desire.” (2017).

Doherty, Ben. “Aung San Suu Kyi asks Australia and Asean for help with Rohingya crisis.” The Guardian (2018).

Fink, Christina. “Myanmar in 2017: Insecurity and Violence.” Asian Survey 58.1 (2018): 158-165.

Graeff, Claude L. “The Situational Leadership Theory: A critical view.” Academy of management review 8.2 (1983): 285-291.

Hiebert, Murray, Audrey Jackson, and Phuong Nguyen. Myanmar’s New Dawn: Opportunities for Aung San Suu Kyi’s international relations. Center for Strategic & International Studies, 2016.

Milko, Victoria. “In Aung San Suu Kyi’s Myanmar, Free Press Hopes Wither.” Aljazeera, 12 Dec. 2018, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/12/aung-san-suu-kyi-myanmar-free-press-hopes-wither-181207065931858.html.

Sauder, Chris. “The Burma Spring: Aung San Suu Kyi and the New Struggle for the Soul of a Nation.” (2015).

Taylor, Steven J. Introduction to qualitative research methods: A guidebook and resource. John Wiley & Sons, 2015.

Westcott, Ben. “Aung San Suu Kyi Admits Rohingya Crisis ‘Could Have Been Handled Better.'” CNN, Cable News Network, 13 Sept. 2018, edition.cnn.com/2018/09/13/asia/aung-san-suu-kyi-rohingya-reuters-intl/index.html.

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