Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim has warned that cowardly leaders are dangerous and went on to stress the need for integrity in leadership.

Tunku Ismail's message was premised on the teachings of his grandfather - the late Sultan Iskandar - who taught him that the supreme quality of leadership is integrity, which he believed to be a rare commodity.

"He also said that a cowardly leader is the most dangerous of men and that one of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognise a problem before it becomes an emergency.

"He also taught me that great leaders muster the courage to fulfil his vision from passion, not position," the prince says in a posting on the Johor Southern Tigers Facebook page last night.

Two examples of great leaders, Tunku Ismail said, were his grandfather Sultan Iskandar and his father Sultan Ibrahim.

'Influence, not authority is the key'

Tunku Ismail stressed that his message was aimed at leaders of the Johor government and NGOs, which he hoped would lead and inspire by example as opposed to "managing and manipulating" the people.

"Inventories can be managed, but the people must be led by example and with integrity. Remember that the key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.

"There is no point having authority if you cannot influence the people. If you have authority but command no influence, it is a sign that you are not worthy of being a leader," he said.

He clarified that his message was limited to only those in Johor, to avoid any misunderstanding.

"It seems that things I say usually ruffle more than a few feathers, so I say in the context of Johor, which is close to my heart," he said.

Tunku Ismail, who is commonly referred to as TMJ, which is the Malay acronym of his position in the Johor royalty, has been increasingly vocal on current affairs through the Johor Southern Tigers Facebook page.

He has become a cause célèbre on the Internet after he mocked Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak for not turning up at the "Nothing2Hide" dialogue.

Tunku Ismail has also claimed that many in Putrajaya wanted to "whack" him.