One needed not to have been a supporter of Sir Emile Gumbs, or the Anguilla National Alliance (as his political party was then called), to respect Sir Emile’s place in history as a great leader. I have had the privilege of reading the tributes that various leaders have written in his honour since his passing – and they all echo a similar sentiment.
In the words of Governor Foy, who had only known Sir Emile for a brief while: “Sir Emile’s political achievements as Anguilla’s longest serving Chief Minister, and an undefeated Parliamentarian, are well established and need little elaboration.”
Chief Minister Banks said of Sir Emile: “We will especially remember him for his sterling contribution to charting the course for Anguilla as a five star tourism destination. We thank him for the calmness and civility of his leadership style that has been the distinguishing mark of his service to the people of Anguilla. He was indeed a great statesman.”
According to the Honourable Leader of the Opposition, Ms Palmavon Webster: “Sir Emile was one of the towering politicians of our time. No matter what your ultimate view of him is, his work impacted a generation and shaped this island of ours.” She continued saying that Sir Emile “has been a patriot to this island. Even before he came to the top leadership, he was making his mark at various levels.”
The Honourable Evalie Bradley, elected representative for the Road North constituency, in paying tribute to Sir Emile, said that he “will be remembered for his gentle, humble and unassuming character of strength, resilience, wisdom and compassion but, above all, his genuine love for his people.”
Mr Terry Harrigan, Honourable Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly, said of Sir Emile: “He was a symbol of good and easily stands out as a great leader…. He possessed a sense of humour and knew how to get along with others. He served with dignity and purpose and will be remembered for his warmth and friendliness.”
I have chosen to underline various portions of the tributes, quoted above, because they have resonated with me as being the characteristics of a true statesman. For those of us who were privileged to have lived under the leadership of Sir Emile, we will remember the gentle cadence of his speech, the numerous times he addressed the nation on issues of national importance, the warmness of his personality, his ability to easily engage with ordinary people as well as the charisma demonstrated in the presence of world leaders. While many may have questioned his leadership approach, history has absolved him as it would show that at the time of his leadership, Anguilla enjoyed stable and progressive Government and a stable and growing economy, no doubt the latter being influenced by the former.
Given the above, it therefore means that current and aspiring leaders can learn much from the service of Sir Emile. If we examine for a moment what was said about him, we will recognize a few things. Firstly, leaders must go through a period of preparation before they can lead. In the words of the Honourable Leader of the Opposition, Sir Emile made his mark at several levels before assuming top leadership. It would be fool-hardy for persons to think they could be effective leaders without putting in any years of service in some related area. There is a saying that only gravediggers start at the top and it is no different with leaders. One can only be an effective leader when one understands what it is be a servant.
Sir Emile knew this, hence his ability to demonstrate the second characteristic of a true statesman: humility. From the accounts above, Sir Emile was gentle, humble, unassuming and knew how to get along with others. It was therefore easy for people to connect with him. I am sure his passion for boats also helped in this regard and made him totally relatable to ordinary Anguillians. Thankfully, he did not allow his position to change who he fundamentally was, as a human being, as happens with so many persons who assume political office. He remained warm and friendly and the well-loved Cap’n Dickie.
Thirdly, Sir Emile was purposeful in his leadership. This is echoed in the description of him as having a calm and civil style of leadership and serving with dignity and purpose. This clearly was a man who had a vision for Anguilla and went about steadfastly working towards the achievement of that vision – and the country blossomed under his leadership. In other words, Sir Emile’s sole focus was not on what he could do to win the next election, but rather on what he could do for Anguilla.
This leads me to the fourth characteristic that I wish to highlight: a genuine love for people. Sir Emile was a compassionate leader who demonstrated a real interest in the wellbeing of all Anguillians. I would like to believe that it is this, more than anything else, that cemented the people’s consistent vote of confidence in electing him to office. In him, they knew they had a leader who truly cared and whose decisions reflected that he was trying to improve the lives of all Anguillians.
Lastly, perhaps one of the most telling traits of a true statesman is knowing when to bow out gracefully. Sir Emile left political office, undefeated. He knew he had done his part to put Anguilla on a sound footing for economic development, and did not allow himself to get caught up in the political rat race for power. That is real testament to his character because he recognized that leadership is not supposed to be about power but about service. That is the mark of a true statesman. We salute his life and his legacy. May his soul rest in perpetual peace.
