Judge a man by his results

Monday, August 24, 2015. By Charlie Leslie Jr. Look at a man like Abraham Lincoln, perhaps the greatest president of the United States. He had little formal education and grew up in a harsh frontier environment. As a young man he liked to take apart machines and put them back together. He was practical to the core.

As president, he found himself having to confront the gravest crisis in the United States history. He was surrounded by cabinet members and advisers who were out to promote themselves or some rigid ideology they believed in.

They were emotional and heated; they saw Lincoln as weak. He seemed to take a long time to make a decision, and it would often be the opposite of what they had counseled. He trusted generals like Ulysses S. Grant, who was an alcoholic and a social misfit.

He worked with those whom his advisers considered political enemies on the other side of the aisle.

What they did not realize at the time was that Lincoln came to each circumstance without preconceptions. He was determined to measure everything exactly as it was. His choices were made out of pure pragmatism. He was a keen observer of human nature and stuck with Grant because he saw him as the only general capable of effective action. he judged people by results, not friendliness or political values.

Over the weekend I was having a general chit chat with a friend. Of course, politics got introduced into the conversation. My friend asked me “Why do you support Wil Maheia?”

I responded immediately “I support him because he is a go-getter. He gets things done.”

Let me elaborate: You should pay attention to what a man says, but more importantly what he does.

Wil Maheia displays tenacity and sagacity. Let us look at his resume:

In 1997, due to the closure of Belize Center for Environmental Studies, Wil, who used to work for BCES, stepped in and helped establish TIDE, the first Toledo-based NGO. http://www.tidebelize.org/tide/tide-history. In 2007, Wil formed the People’s National Party. Wil may not have won any elections to date, however he has been active in creating community programs that has tangible results, and sparked other community programs and initiatives.

http://www.pnpbelize.org/ .  In 2012, Wil was one of the founders of the Belize Unity Alliance, which was convened to bring together various groups which recognize that substantive change in Belize, shall not come by way of the PUDP system.

www.facebook.com/BelizeUnityAlliance . Also, in 2012, Wil once again proved his mettle, by playing a pivotal role in the formation of the Belize Territorial Volunteers – which also birthed the Northern Territorial Volunteers. BTV, a grassroots movement, made history in Belize on August 16, 2015, by inviting and organizing over 100 Belizeans from all walks of life and political ideologies – against all odds and even pressure against them from the Government of Belize – stood up for Belize and Belizeans, when our government did not.

BTV sent a powerful, symbolic shock-wave across the country and the world, that sparked a whole new level of patriotism among Belizeans that has not been seen in Belize, I would say, since September 21, 1981. What the BTV has accomplished in less than 5 years is phenomenal.
Wil Maheia’s resume under ‘accomplishments’, will tell you clearly that he is made of superior leadership material and he is one of Belize’s true heroes. He talks, and then move on with getting things done. That’s what leaders do.

I am proud to call him a friend, and proud to have been elected as the Chairman of the Belize Unity Alliance, which have united the Vision Inspired by the People (VIP) and the People’s National Party (PNP). A lot has been done, a lot more needs to be done, however we will continue pushing forward as an enabling body that will help to form a national political party that will challenge the next general election. Wil, will be one of the leaders right out there, on the forefront…getting things done. A man of action.

Join the Belize Unity Alliance today, and stand next to one of the great heroes and leaders of Belize.

 Charles Leslie Jr. is the Chairman of the Belize Unity Alliance and the former independent Chairman of Placencia Village (2010 – 2013). He holds an Associate’s degree in business, accounting and economics and has over 20 year’s business experience.

 The views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the Belize Media Group.