Regis Cebu Leadership - Leader Oliver Solijon - Reflection Paper # 2 - External and Internal Factors That Shape Me

Regis Cebu Leadership – Leader Oliver Solijon – Reflection Paper 2 – External and Internal Factors That Shape Me

External Factor

Family.

I came from an average income family. I am the eldest among the three siblings. My father had his career then at a Government owned National Power Corporation for 15 years before he decided to avail of their early retirement program while my mother was with Cebu Normal University until her retirement 3 years ago.

With both parents working in a government offices, our life then was financially tight as they were raising me and my siblings with age gaps of 1 and 3 yrs in between. Though financially tight, one dilemma that we faced then was my father's vice, gambling. Gambling was already my father's way of life. As he was telling me, since he was a little boy he already got hooked to it with the influence of his friends. Although my grandfather know and didn't tolerate it he was also a gambler himself, he eventually taught my father the different ways and techniques in gambling as he prepared him in his journey to college away from their hometown. And the very reason of my grandfather was he doesn't want my father to be fooled if ever he chance upon on betting a gambling game especially that he is already in a different place.

A big gambler himself, my father never forced me to learn it either in cockfighting or mahjong. He encouraged me to learn it because he believes that a person who knows how to gamble is person that is risk takers. In 1999, four years after my father avail the early retirement program at NPC and started a trading business; Asian financial crisis struck and badly affected my father's business. The business that he just started just collapsed as his clients and customer weren't to pay him and subsequently he wasn't able to pay back his supplier. Despite the huge financial losses my father sustains, I never saw him lost his composure. He always keeps on telling us that everything will be alright and that it is just temporary. Instead of looking for a job, my father took the risk of investing the little money he has and in due time he was able to recover from the devastation.

That single incident has changed the way I see about gambling. Although I don't personally engaged in actually betting but I admired the kind of character my father showed to us despite the unimaginable losses he incurred. What my father showed despite being a gambler taught me the virtue to take risk despite the odds in life. That kind of mindset was instilled in me in a refine manner by approaching it intelligently.

Environment.

While growing up, I and my family were somehow discriminated by our immediate relatives because of our financial status. Both sides of our relatives are well off and they look us down.

Despite of that my parents taught us the importance of humility considering the struggles we've been through.

The hardship that I went through in life and the environment that I was exposed has made me to be determined in to succeed in everything that I do. This mindset clearly shows in the results of my Enneagram of which I was classified to have a Type 3 or The Achiever personality. My exposure to such environment of struggle, hardship and difficulties has instill into my mind that my only way out is through education and I need to achieved that goal.

School.

Although my parents had nothing much financially, they value education so much that they told us it will be our way out from the struggles and difficulties in life. Despite struggling financially, my parents send us to one of the most prestigious catholic school in Cebu City. There I learn the moral values taught by the SVD's.

Since it's a private school, there was a peer pressure to blend in to the lifestyle with other students. Studying in a private school during my primary years was quite stressful as I have to mind my physical appearance, the food that I ate or even the things that I have. I short I was trying live the life of a young rich kid. My mother whom I am closed to noticed and reminded me the value of humility as we don't have much financially.

In my secondary education, I was transferred to where my mother work; a state university. At first I was very hesitant as I considered it a public school. Coming from a private school, I felt so degraded that I have no face to show with my previous classmates in the private school. It was a tough adjustment on my part considering that my primary and elementary education was from a private school and all of a sudden I was transferred to a state university which I regarded as a public school.

But it was in my secondary education were I met real and true friends. The things that we've been through in our high school days are the most memorable ones. Up to now our bond is strong as ever that even though majority of us are already married and have live each own life, we never seizes to forget each other especially on special occasions.

My college life was already a determining factor of what I wanted to be. Although I am just an average student, I was pretty much involved with other extra-curricular activity both academics and non-academics. It was in my 3^rd year when I was mold to become a leader when I was voted to be the president of the Electrical Engineering Council. Inexperience in managing an organization, there were certain challenges that were encountered. Engr. Florencia Calis a professor of Electrical Engineering help me out in managing a male dominant organization with different views and principle. It was from her I learn the basic of management that in my 4^th year I was again elected for a second term.

My experiences in from primary, secondary and tertiary education contributes to who I am today. I was taught the value of humility, friendship and leadership all throughout my student life. At the same time, because of our financial situation I was determined to achieve my goal of graduating and earning a bachelor's degree.

Work.

Right after college and after passing the licensure examination for the electrical engineer, I started to find a job. Unfortunately because I have no significant experience as an engineer, I was hired as an electrician/lineman in a electric utility company. Again my ego was touched considering that I gone through a pain staking 5 years engineering course that was considered to be the most difficult among all engineering courses. But in the later part I realized that I was very fortunate that I was hired being an electrician/lineman as my first job because it was in this profession that I was able to apply the theoretical learning in college to practical application.

A year and a half of being an electrician/lineman, I left the company and move to a different company we're I was hired as a cadet engineer. Bearing in mind my experience as an electrician/lineman, I was full of confidence moving to the new company with the attitude that I knew it all. Unfortunately it was a different industry although in principles they are the same, the equipment are not. Knowing that I was having a hard time understanding the operation and maintenance of the equipment, one of the electricians thought me the basic. Although I was a little apprehensive at the start considering that a man with no formal education is teaching me, I have made a realization that I really don't know it all. Accepted the fact that I have limitation despite the degree I earned.

When I transferred to CEMEX, I brought with me two important lessons, humility and acceptance. Both values taught me so much that within a year as CEMEX employee, I rose in ranks. In the history of CEMEX or in any other power plant, I made history to be the youngest plant manager at the age of 30. The things I learned in school and the people I worked with help me to become the person I am today.

Internal factor

Values.

All throughout my life, the value of humility, simplicity and the willingness to help others was constantly being reminded by my parents especially my mother. The struggle, hardship and difficulties we faced provide good learning points as it made us strong when we confronted with a new one.

Being humble and living in simplicity is something that we should not be ashamed of. It is better to admit that we truly have nothing than pretended to have so much and live a life of lies. Humbling down ourselves is a great acceptance that there are things that we are not privilege to have either its material or intellectual. Admittance that we have limitation is brevier than pretending with full of shame.

Since my Enneagram is telling me that Type 3 (the achiever) is associated with Type 2 (the helper), I assume it holds true. As I was raised with some financial constraints, I knew how hard it is to live a life with financial incapacity. That is why as a reminder from my parents, they normally tell us that help those people who are in need. Helping comes in many forms and what is important is when we give, we give it heartedly.

Strength.

Strong.

Since I am already problem tested, I believe I have a strong character. Majority of my journey in life were struggles and difficulties. I have endured it all and because of that it molds me into a strong person. The strong character that I posses now was very much helpful in fulfilling my current duties and responsibilities as I manage an organization critical to whole plant. Apart that the duties and responsibilities is critical, being strong is necessary to lead an organization that has a wide age gap.

Competent/Achiever

In relationship to my Enneagram, if I set a goal, I always try to achieve it regardless how or what will I do to reach it. Although I'm an average person in terms of intellectual capacity, I always make sure that I have the initiative to be competent enough in achieving what I want.

In 2009, I was given the opportunity to take over an unfinished project which already cost the company over 3MUSD. With the project that was barely 50% complete and an over budget of 1MUSD, the company gave me 8 months to complete or I will have to start looking for a job. Considering the fact that I was not involved in the project from the very start and the risk of losing my job, I took the challenge and start taking initiative. Changes were made particularly on manpower assignments, materials delivery and making use of what is already available. The project was finally delivered a week before the deadline and I was cited for such an accomplishment.

Weaknesses

Impatient

Since I am a very competent person, I do not want to waste time. As much as possible I want to get things done and I don't care how to do it. I get disappointed when I don't see initial results the way I expect it to be. This impatience sometime creates issues among my subordinates although I explained it to them the value of what we're doing.

Perfectionist

I don't settle anything for less. I made sure that what I promised is delivered with the highest standard of safety, quality and timely. I don't consider any room for error that sometimes I overlapped the boundaries I set between me, my superintendents and rank & file. If I see things not my way, it has to be re-done and adding pressure to the worker with the same time line.

How do they prepare you for the future challenges?

Each day I am confronted with different problems regardless if its work related or family related. What I make sure is that I have enough strength to overcome it. Majority of people who fail in facing problems is that they don't have the strength to face. I always consider challenges as an opportunity to further test our capacity to live our lives.

My values, strength and weakness compliment each other as they were development, taught or an effect over certain situations in my lifetime. These set of characters were mold out as a response to changes in my natural behavior.

As each day pass, the character I possessed just evolve around in my personality waiting to be extracted at the right moment. Although challenges and difficulties are negative aspect of my journey, my sense of humility, simplicity, competence, strong, impatient and perfectionist creates a vacuum for me to fill in and re-think my strategy.

What is the new learning?

I learned that in my journey in life, certain characteristic unfold for each event that happen. This are attributed to my relationship with my family, the environment that I am into, the school of which it laid my foundation in learning and my work experience as I reached my final destination.

All throughout in life, I learned that despite the challenges and difficulties I have the strength to endure it all. This might be because my parents taught us the value of humility to humble down in times of crisis. Being a risk taker played an important role in determining the right action and solution in every problem encountered.

I learned that all the things that happen in the past played a major part in molding my future. The events and situation provided a clear direction for me on what I wanted to become. In short I created my own future as a result of my experiences.

What is the relation to what I already know?

Be humble. Humility is very important value that needs to apply daily. For every failure we encounter let us accept the defeat and move on. Taking pride of our losses will only lead to further failure rather than success.

Sky is the limit. Always dream big and aim higher. When we dream big and aim higher, we are setting a target of which we wanted to achieve. We are pushing ourselves beyond the boundaries and comfort zone.

Look back. Our past defines who we are today. It is very important that we understand the things that happen so for us to understand who we are today. The past provides us a realistic understanding on how should we address our future by accepting things the way they are.

What I have done, am doing and will be doing for this topic?

So far examining the external and internal factors that shape me provides information on how am I as a person. It gives a background about my personality and a clearer picture about me. The results in the Ennergram prove why I was evaluated as a Type 3 or the achiever.

As I continue, the best thing I can do is accept the fact that the person I am today is the result of the things I experienced in the past. There might be some negative attributions but what is important I truly understand the factors that shape me today.

Moving forward, the external and internal factors will be a guide in my future endeavors as they will provide enlighten my path to what I truly want in life. As a leader this will give me an idea on how to address issues and concerns as this will reflected the kind of leadership I will be showing. It might be a long journey but things constantly change and so I am.