Hazel Manning says she’s faced a tough time dealing with the death of her husband, former prime minister Patrick Manning, who died a year ago.
However, she said yesterday his legacy of leadership has helped her to move on.
Speaking to reporters during a first anniversary memorial service at the St Paul’s Anglican Church on Harris Promenade, San Fernando, Hazel revealed for the first time that she had formed a company called The Leadership Firm in honour of her dead husband.
She said she hoped to build good leadership qualities whilst boosting productivity and efficiency through strategic planning through the firm.
Asked what had helped her to cope with Manning’s death over the past year, she said: “It was very difficult. We missed him terribly and we realise just how much he was the centre of the home.”
Saying she was thankful for the 40 years she spent living with him, Hazel said his sons, David and Brian, were also trying hard to emulate him and pass on the legacy that he left through the Patrick Manning Foundation.
However, she said Manning’s therapist told her that she needed to build her own life and that was how The Leadership Firm was formed.
“When we went to Washington, one of the things that the therapist advised is to go back into normal life and since then he has helped me to put together the company that I now have,” Manning said.
The firm targets companies and individuals both young and old in the hope of creating better leaders.
Asked whether there was a leadership crisis in T&T, Hazel said more research was needed on leadership styles.
“There is not enough knowledge on who are leaders and what kind of leader you are. I cannot say what kind of leader Patrick was or what kind of leader the present leader is. I can’t say what kind of leader Eric Williams was,” she said.
“What we have to do is put a system in place to do the research to understand our leaders. Are they autocratic or democratic or laissez faire? Were they transformational leaders?
“That is one of the things we have to put in place so leaders can understand who and what they are. With that understanding they can develop into better leaders.”
Asked if Manning’s policies and ideas were being fulfilled by the current People’s National Movement, Hazel said: “I don’t know, I have not been following this as I have not been close to the party. I don’t know what is happening.”
She said it was Manning’s vision to develop the country to first-world status by “encouraging people to be more competent, efficient and productive.”
Asked why Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley had not attended Manning’s memorial service, Hazel said Rowley sent his apologies and explained he had another function to attend.
