Dear Prof. Jorge
Good day To you! Pls allow me to thank you for the privelege of being part of your class in Leadership. It has been truly a pleasant albeit challenging experience for all of us. My self awareness has definitely improved and I will continue to work towards my goal and passion. Take care always and see you in the ROAD. Attached herewith is my Final Integration Paper for your perusal.
Cheers!
Kerk, MD
CEBU Regis LEADERSHIP
FINAL INTEGRATION PAPER
Leader Kerwin Mark L. Gubantes, MD.
I. INTRODUCTION
What kind of a leader do I want to be? That is the question that was poised to us at the first day of our class. that is the same question that I wish to answer when the time is right. It was definitely an eye opener for me as I went through the difficult process of knowing myself - my strengths and weaknesses, my family profile, my enneagram , as well as my passion and the external and internal factors that affects me.
Self-awareness as was espoused by Chris Lowney in his book, stressed the importance of this important pillar along with Ingenuity, Heroism and Love in the development of a Great Leader from within ourselves. Our Emotional Intelligence is very much dependent in our ability to control our emotions and be able to have the motivation to move ourselves forward. To be able to lead others, we must be able to lead ourselves first.
Some of the notable answers that were given by my co-leaders on the question of leadership are the following; that leaders should be a catalyst for change; of being able to inspire people; of being able to motivate others and innovate. These concepts are very much being promulgated in the song "Pananagutan". It is a very beautiful song in my opinion primarily because it espoused accountability and servant leadership. Moreover , it encourages us to lead our people to the right path. These are concepts that are hard to come by these day and age. It is but fitting for us to discover leaders who have the audacity of showing us the right path like Pope Francis and who is willing to fight for truth and justice in our society. Leaders who are willing to sacrifice self-interest for the common greater good.
II. Where I am Now?
My Enneagram has revealed that I am a Loyalist and a reformer as well. Loyalist individuals have been defined as people who are committed and security-oriented. I can recall in the early years of my life in Elementary school, I was always encouraged by my parents especially my mother to focus on the goal at hand and that is to do good in school. She always tells me that a good education is the key out of our hardships cognizant of the fact that I was born to humble beginnings. That commitment carried me through the high school years and even though I was not the most technically gifted student in class, I was able to be a consistent honour student and graduated as the class Salutatorian. My early success in the Academic side of life has given me a good opportunity to seek higher education in a reputable school like the University of Santo Tomas . This is one of my defining moments. During those years, the EDSA Revolution was still very fresh in our memories and Probinsyanos like me relish the thought of the opportunity to learn and study in a good University like UST. Rich in history and tradition, I felt privileged to be part of. My days at the University has taken me through a memorable time with the Red Cross youth organization whereby we were organising activities geared towards helping people in need especially those who have been affected by natural calamities like Volcanic eruptions, floods and typhoons. My experience with community organising under the banner of LOTUS which is an acronym for the Legion of Organised Thomasian United for Service had also given me a new perspective in shaping my passion of helping others. We were sent through different parts of Luzon in response to Calamities which have affected our countrymen , brothers and sisters and friends. Relief work for me was both a challenge as well as a rewarding experience. It opened the deeper recesses of my senses to the realities of life and the dangers of the world that we live in.. It has taught me to be compassionate especially for people who has less in life.
As a Reformer, I am a Rational and a Principled person. I could relate this character of mine in 2007 when I came home to Dumaguete to start my young career in Head and Neck Surgery. As a junior consultant staff, I was very eager to prove myself worthy of respect from my peers. I was interested in participating in meetings and conferences geared towards improvement of one's craft however , the early experiences at that times not very pleasant and not according to my plans. I was literally disillusioned by the system being implemented by the Senior staff. I would like to think that they are just protecting there careers and earnings such that they refuse to concede patients under our specialty. It was a painful reality that I needed to deal with. This is the real world now - I told myself, not very ideal. I started to question myself if I made the right decision to come home and practice. Eight years later and now I realize that some things are not worth fighting and we would rather be productive citizens in some other ways. Looking at the many patients that I have helped and served, it was worth my while. It has all the more increased my resolve to be proactive and be a force of change. A change for the better. A change that will give equal opportunities for improving your craft and earning your keep. But most importantly, the change that I would like to achieve is a system whereby we could provide a standard Medical and Surgical care at significantly reduced costs to patients and clients.
In my Genogram, I mentioned that I had the privilege to witness firsthand the difficult life from my Father's side in Siquijor and the relative comfort living in my Mother's side in Dumaguete city. I saw the effects of the authoritarian style of my maternal grandfather and how it folded the lives of my Uncles with contrasting effects. Respect was paramount in the family and that I uphold to this day with my own family. Core values within the family like living with Integrity and honesty are important lessons which I intend to keep for as long as I can for these are the values which will keep me grounded and and carry me forward. My mother was a very important person in this regard. She has showed us to be resilient in the face of adversity and trials. She carried us through sheer grit and determination with the little earnings she had. On story was told of her having to pawn her own wedding ring just to provide for our needs. I just felt admiration and gratitude for her selfless love and devotion. It was God's grace that saw us through the trials and problems we faced then and now. I believe that who are we now and what we have achieved is reflective on how we lived our lives when we were young. I was always cognisant of the fact that if we waste precious resources and opportunities, our lives will be in misery. Leaders who do not learn from past mistakes will fall prey in committing the same mistakes in the present and the future. Growing up witnessing two different aspects of life has made me the grounded and humble person I am today. These experiences have arguably been invaluable in my dealings with our profession, our Medical Society and in our community.
III. Where I am going?
Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said to Dr. Devi Prassad Shetty, a Cardiovascular surgeon in India, ' The Hands that serve are more sacred than the Lips that Pray". Dr. Shetty founded the Narayan Hospital Health system whereby he developed a MicroHealth Insurance system asking farmers in his community to contribute a measly 5 rupees/ month to avail of standard Medical and Surgical services in his hospital whenever they need one. This system has been very successful in his locality up to this day such that many big cities in India and other countries are trying to follow his model. Using the Principle of Economies of scale whereby they cater to a large group of patients at the same time to significantly reduce the costs of health care. For example an Open Heart surgery which would costs around 60 thousand USD in the US , will only cost around 1,800 USD in his facility given the same standard of care. Cataract surgeries could performed for only 5USD as well as Dialysis sessions for only 10USD. Can we follow this model here in our society, my answer will be an emphatic YES! We just need to have the commitment and passion to achieve the goal. I would like to quote what he said, ' If you want to change the way things are, you have to keep walking. You have to make progress and in some things you will succeed and some things you will fail; But for as long as your intention is to help mankind, and convince that I will succeed, but in the process a lot of things that we never anticipate may happen, something good, something bad, we have to keep walking because that is the only way we can reach our destination" , end of quote. Judging from his words, I can perceive that he is a very humble and simple person with a very compassionate heart for the poor and the needy. In there hospital, they have claimed to have never turned away Paediatric patients who seek there expertise in Heart surgery even though these patients could not afford to pay for the services rendered. I would like someday to Emulate what Dr. Shetty is doing for his countrymen in India and replicate it in our community. It has been done so it is not impossible. He has shown us that he is a good example of a Great Leader, a game-changer as they call him who is aware of his self, his strengths and weaknesses and is very smart in exploiting the opportunities that he faced. He was not afraid to fail because he knew how to get up everytime he fell. He kept on walking until he reached his destination. You can readily see his passion in his work and in his desire to help those who needed him and his expertise. I am far from being Dr. Shetty and what he has done and achieved for himself and his people. But I share the passion of helping others with him and for me that is a start. Being in the Medical Profession just like him gives me the platform I needed to serve others. My experiences in the Red Cross youth organizing Missions to my Volunteer work in an NGO performing Surgical Missions for free is walking towards the destination. <we resonate on this Doctor; let us keep in touch and pursue same ideals>I have a long way to go but I am not afraid to take the journey. I remember how St. Ignatius Loyola embarked on a 2000 mile journey o the Holy Land only to be deported 2 weeks after and went back to Europe to discover his Self and his purpose in Life. I remember Benedetto de Goes who persevered and pressed on with his journey through three mile high mountains passes despite bitter cold and fear of not finding the mysterious Cathay. Each one of us has our own journey to fulfill and just like St . Ignatius who was able to influence and motivate 9 other people to come with him in his journey to create the Society of Jesus and fulfil there goal, I intend to influence other interested people to align with my goal of creating a system of health care for the poor. According to Chris Lowney, Leadership is not merely getting the job done; it is how the job is done', for all leaders this means influencing, visioning, persevering, energizing, innovating and teaching.
IV. How do I get there?
My strategic Plan is divided into three components.
A. Personal
Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle and good health is paramount towards achieving the goal. Poor Health is a big obstacle because it lessens our capacity to work properly and be able to effectively help others. Eating the right food and maintain my exercise regimen like biking at least twice a week and swimming in the sea at least once a week will be helpful and fun. On the Academic side, my learnings and experiences in the MBA program of AGSB will be very crucial for me in creating the process and system of the Health care model which will substantially reduce the Health care costs just like what Dr. Shetty did in Narayana Hospital . Even though I am just in my second subject right now after ManDyn, I have significantly increased my level of Understanding in the dynamics of the business and the intricacies as well as the self awareness in my strengths and weaknesses as well as my purpose in Life.. Improving my Emotional Intelligence will be important especially in dealing with different difficult circumstances and people in the Industry that I am involved with. As Daniel Coleman pointed out in his book on Emotional Intelligence, ' A Good Leader should know his strengths and weaknesses, values and goals, should know how to control disruptive emotions, be motivated , show empathy and be able to manage relationships'. Above all these things is my strong Faith in HIM who created me, for without Him, I am nothing. All of these Endeavour and handwork will be for nothing if I don't include Him in my Plans - Ad Majorem dei Gloriam.
B. Family
As shown in my AVP, I have always drawn my strength from my nuclear family. My parents who had impressed upon me the value of a good education and handwork. Leadership is about defining moments and my experiences growing up in a very supportive family structure has been one of my defining moments. They gave me the opportunity to reach my goals early in life and who I am today is largely because of the Love and support that they unselfishly gave me. So as I continue to pursue my purpose and my passion in life, I will always go back to my family for moral and emotional support. I am thankful to my co-leaders Bryan and Genevieve who facilitated the Team Building process. It was an emotional and amazing experience for me to learn how my wife and children appreciated what I am doing and there show of support through the letter I received was a very powerful example of how Love can be an important force for good and change. My supportive wife made me realize the strengths and weaknesses I have and I will do my best to improve upon them. One of the Leadership lessons I learned from the great Mahatma Gandhi is " You must be the change you wish to see in the world".
C. Work
I feel privileged to be given the opportunity to work as a physician and a Surgeon at the same time. My Profession is a good platform for me to serve others and the community as a whole. It is a tough task to follow the footsteps of Dr. Devi Shetty and what he continues to do at the Narayana Hospital in India , but I will try even if I am the only one- I hope not. I Have found my Purpose in Life and I will work hard for it. I remember what the late Steve Jobs said during a commencement exercise in Stanford, espoused Love and Passion for your work. He is a firm believer that when you Love what you are doing and you are passionate about it, then it is not very difficult to excel and achieve excellence. His Work ethic is a good example of Achievement Culture. You will often hear statements like ' Love your work' and Don't waste your time" in his speeches. Up to this day Apple company which he founded has remained at the top of Fortune 500. I will continue to remain committed to my passion of helping others through my work day in and day out as I walk towards my destination. I may stumble but for sure I will get up and move towards the goal. It may take 10 or 15 years from now, I don't mind, for sure I will put my Heart and Soul into it. Are you with me?
GOD Bless us ALL!
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