Cebu Regis Leadership: Leader Izumi G. Yamashita Final Integrating Paper

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From: Izumi Yamashita <izumi.yamashita@firstmetro.com.ph>
Date: 18 January 2016 at 09:06
Subject: Fwd: Cebu Regis Leadership: Leader Izumi G. Yamashita Final Integrating Paper
To: profjorge.entrep@gmail.com, profjorge.entrep.ateneoleader@blogger.com, Gem Reuyan <gsreuyan@gmail.com>

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From: Izumi Yamashita <izumi.yamashita@firstmetro.com.ph>
Date: Mon, Jan 18, 2016 at 8:35 AM
Subject: Fwd: Cebu Regis Leadership: Leader Izumi G. Yamashita Final Integrating Paper
To: Gem Reuyan <gsreuyan@gmail.com>

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From: Izumi Yamashita <izumi.yamashita@firstmetro.com.ph>
Date: Sun, Jan 17, 2016 at 11:13 PM
Subject: Cebu Regis Leadership: Leader Izumi G. Yamashita Final Integrating Paper
To: profjorge.entrep.ateneoleader@blogger.com  <we gave those who did not submit 1/17 up to 4 pm of 1/18 to submit without being considered late paper>

Cebu Regis Leadership

Leader Izumi G. Yamashita

Final Integrating Paper

As you may already know, this class is my second to the last class before I finally receive my MBA degree. Truth be told, I didn't see what there was to teach on Leadership or how it could be taught for that matter. Now, I cannot be thankful enough for having been privileged to have this subject and actually unexpectedly rediscover myself, or better yet, fully understand my personality, my being, or just my whole existence.

Prior to taking this class, I was really convinced that I needed to go through some psychotherapy sessions in order to come to terms with my own long repressed personal issues and monsters, which I believed were caused by a lot of what transpired in my family growing up. It is because of these issues that my personal "anchor" and self-confidence often disappear causing me to get thrown over whenever huge waves come my way.  <are you ready to pay what you should have paid the NP therapist ?)

What this class had blessed me with is the ability to dig, reflect, understand, and reframe my personal experiences in such a way that I could use them to my advantage and emerge strong from whatever circumstance or struggle I may encounter moving forward. I have ultimately discovered a new sense of appreciation for the people and events that influenced and turned me into who and what I am now. Leadership ultimately gave me a new perspective in life. <solved! no more repressed feelings and at times depression>

I. WHERE AM I NOW?

Let's begin with the basics. My name is Izumi Galdo Yamashita. I am 26 years old and I am an Investment Banker. I am also a graduating MBA student who started my whole post-graduate studies strong and aims to finish even stronger hoping to achieve the much-coveted honors distinction.

MY PERSONALITY: ENNEAGRAM ANALYSIS

I am an Achiever – a Type 3 person. I am adaptable, excelling, driven, and image-conscious.

As I Type 3 person, I need to be validated in order to feel worthy. I pursue success and want to be admired. I am hardworking, highly driven and ambitious, extremely competitive, and highly focused in the pursuit of my goals. I always find areas in which I can excel in order to find external approbation or to attain validation.

Socially, I am competent, extroverted, and some would say, charismatic. I know how to present myself, am self-confident, practical, and driven. I have a lot of energy and often embody a kind of zest for life that others find contagious. I am also a good networker. But, while I tend to succeed in whatever realm I focus my energies on, I am indeed afraid of becoming a "loser".

I find intimacy and attachment difficult. My need to be validated for my image hides a deep sense of shame about who I really am, a shame I unconsciously fear will be unmasked if another gets too close. I am generous and likable, but really difficult to know. When unhealthy, my narcissism takes an ugly turn and I tend to become cold blooded and ruthless in the pursuit of my goals. (Eclectic Energies)

Aside from being an Achiever, I am also a Type 2 person, a Helper.

I am generous, demonstrative, people-pleasing, and possessive, but for the most part, I am this way because I need to be needed.

As a Type 2 person, I essentially feel that I am worthy insofar as I am helpful to others. Love is my highest ideal and selflessness is my duty. Giving to others is my reason for being which is why I tend to be involved and socially aware.

As a Helper, I am a warm and emotional person who cares a great deal about my personal relationships, devote an enormous energy to them, and expect to be appreciated for my efforts. Helping others makes me feel good about myself, being needed makes me feel important, and being selfless makes me feel virtuous.  I am thoroughly convinced of my selflessness, and it is true that I am frequently genuinely helpful and concerned about others. It is equally true though that I require appreciation; that I need to be needed.

Helping others often meet my needs that I often forget to take care of my own. This often leads to physical burnout, emotional exhaustion, and emotional volatility. I need to learn that I can only be of true service to other if I am healthy, balanced, and centered in myself.

As a Helper, I am proud and have a strong sense of my own worth.

Lastly, I am an Individualist – a Type 4 person. I am expressive, dramatic, self-absorbed, and temperamental. I am an identity seeker who feels unique and different.

I build my identity around my perception of myself as being somehow unique or different, thus making me self-conscious. I see my difference from others as being both a gift and a curse – a gift, because it sets me apart from those I perceive as being somehow "common", and a curse, as it often seems to separate me from the simpler forms of happiness that others so readily seem to enjoy.

I often manage to feel superior to others while also secretly harboring some degree of longing and envy. A feeling of being a true member of the "true aristocracy" alternates with deeps feelings of shame, and fears of somehow being deeply flawed or defective.

As a Type 4 person, I am emotionally complex and highly sensitive. I long to be understood and appreciated for my authentic self, but easily feel misunderstood and unappreciated. I have a tendency to withdraw in the face of a world that seems harsh or crude. I am also often somewhat moody or temperamental.

I am emotionally centered and spend much of my time immersed in my internal mental landscapes, where I feel free to cultivate and analyze my feelings. I am somewhat melancholic by disposition, and under stress tend to lapse into depression. I also tend to be self-absorbed, even under the best of circumstances, but when unbalanced, easily give way to self-indulgence, which I perceive as being fully justified as a way to compensate for the general lack of pleasure I experience in my life.

Why am I the way I am?

J. CAMPBELL, MY LIFE STORY, AND THE FACTORS THAT SHAPED ME (REFLECTION PAPER #2)

I believe the best way to begin is to retell my life story incorporating the factors that shaped me, my defining moments, my genogram, and eventually, to finding my passion being the last part of my hero story.

(J. CAMPBELL 1) THE ORDINARY WORLD:  The hero, uneasy, uncomfortable or unaware, is introduced sympathetically so the audience can identify with the situation or dilemma.  The hero is shown against a background of environment, heredity, and personal history.  Some kind of polarity in the hero's life is pulling in different directions and causing stress.

I was born in a broken family. My father left us when I was one. My mother left me when I was only four only to be taken care of by my grandparents.

I was a lolo's girl but by grandpa died just when I was six. My grandmother took charge of taking care of me and my aunt – two kids of the same age. Having to experience living with 100 pesos a day, sometimes even less up to the time we graduated college, our life was nowhere near comfortable. This is probably why my grandmother often resorted to verbal or physical abuse out of the stress having to care for us and survive us.

Because of my grandmother's abusiveness, I felt resentment towards her. I also resented my mom because I felt it was her fault that I am experiencing what I was experiencing.

(J. CAMPBELL 2) THE CALL TO ADVENTURE:  Something shakes up the situation, either from external pressures or from something rising up from deep within, so the hero must face the beginnings of change. 

As I was growing, my grandmother's abusive behavior only got worse; perhaps because my rebellious behavior was starting to show too.

When I entered high school, I discovered a new world – one that's far from my primary school; one that's not sheltered. I met a lot of new friends. Because of my situation at home, I often found comfort in the company of friends, outside of my home. I'd leave the house early, attend school from 8am to 3pm then off to somewhere with my friends, then get home at around 10 or 11PM. My grandmother hated this. She threw baseless accusations at me and became even more verbally and physically abusive than ever. I wasn't really doing anything to harm myself. I just couldn't stand being at home. That's it.

When my grandmother couldn't get me to follow what she wants, she started talking around. Next thing I know, I was the favorite topic of my relatives. There's the "walang mararating yang batang yan", "hindi yan makakatapos ng pag-aaral", and the worst, "patapon palibhasa iniwanan ng magulang".

This struck a particular chord, which made me so furious bad enough that I so badly wanted to prove them wrong. From then on, all I ever wanted, everything I undertook was meant to see the day I'd be making them eat every cruel word they've ever said about me.  

(J. CAMPBELL 3) REFUSAL OF THE CALL:  The hero feels the fear of the unknown and tries to turn away from the adventure, however briefly.  Alternately, another character may express the uncertainty and danger ahead.

I wanted to prove them wrong but I also didn't want them to think I was giving in and was doing what wanted me to do. I told myself that since it's what they think of me, might as well prove them right and give them the worst days of their lives.

So I went on with my old ways, even worse. I spent a lot more time with friends. I barely went to class and sometimes I don't even go home. I learned how to smoke, drink, and even do drugs. Eventually, my world revolved around my friends and my relationship.

REFLECTION PAPER NO.1: DEFINING MOMENTS

From the point of my life's major ordeal, everything has just been my defining moment; from losing all my friends who I considered as my family, to losing my job, to seemingly having proven for a moment that my relatives were right that I am worth no good or good for nothing, to meeting new people who showed me a totally different world, a totally different way of being; to showing me that there's so much more to me and everything around me that I fail to realize, up to this day after going through the entire Leadership course, everything just turned me into what and who I am now. Everything else that happened in my past was just preparatory to a bigger role that I am destined to play and this course helped be realize that purpose.

(J. CAMPBELL 4) THE ORDEAL:  Near the middle of the story, the hero enters a central space in the Special World and confronts death or faces his or her greatest fear.  Out of the moment of death comes a new life. 

I went on with my ways until I was already working. One day, I found out my boyfriend of four years was cheating on me with my best friend. To make things worse, they managed to justify their inconceivable act of betrayal by turning everyone against me. All I had then were my friends so when this happened, I was left with nothing. Suddenly I was alone. Those whom I considered as my family were all gone.

At the same time all these things were happening, I was also having problems with my career and a worsening relationship with my family. Having been told so many times in the past that I wouldn't amount to anything, I grabbed the first job I was offered regardless of the task on hand, the career path, and the pay because I so badly wanted to show off and prove those people who judged me once that I can succeed. I was unhappy, but I had to stick up to it because I could not afford to show people how miserable I was. However, the more I was trying to swim in the miserable career situation I was in all the more I felt I was being sucked deep into the ground. I was imploding and it was resonating with my personal relationships, with my performance at work, and worst with myself.

I eventually did quit the job. Being the proud person that I was, I was confident enough with my skills and ability to get a new job in a snap. I was wrong. I was jobless for over half a year.

Among the things that I had to endure with all these, I think the most difficult reality I had to deal with at that time was the fact that the image I built for myself all those years was all gone. All of a sudden, I had nothing. All of a sudden, I had no one. All of a sudden I was no one. I was stripped off of everything. I was stripped off of my pride. I have never felt so small.

For months I couldn't sleep, eat, or do anything at all. Lost and devastated would not even begin to describe how I felt during those times. I was depressed to the point of turning suicidal. Those were the darkest days of my young life – my rock bottom.

From these experiences, I learned that nobody is responsible for my happiness and my life but me alone. I didn't need anyone to make me look good nor did I have to depend on anyone to have a good life. Growing up, a lot of people often told me I wouldn't amount to anything and that I wouldn't get anywhere, but it was in my rock bottom that I realized I had to make a choice; that I could submit to everything, continue living playing victim and a life full of excuses, and throwing my life away in my attempt to punish my family, or I could push myself and make my life good.

You know when they say, when you're down, there's nowhere else to go but up? So I started to pick up the pieces and started to appreciate the small things. I guess that' the good thing when everyone thinks you don't amount to much, if anything, at all. You are freed from social pressure and no matter how you screw up, it really won't matter because it's not as if I can screw my life any more.

And so I decided to start all over again.

(J. CAMPBELL 5) MEETING WITH THE MENTOR:  The hero comes across a seasoned traveler of the worlds who gives him or her training, equipment, or advice that will help on the journey.  Or the hero reaches within to a source of courage and wisdom.

In the middle of all that was happening, I came across a new group of people in my life. They were successful, well-bred, and beautiful people.

In my world, everyone was always on survival mode thus making almost everyone I know nasty, conniving and "wise". It was they who showed me politeness, gentleness, and care – things that do not exist in my world. They made me want to become a better person and they made me want to be deserving of their friendship.

I admired them for everything that they are – their humility, generosity, politeness, intelligence, success, and work ethic. I looked up to them and I learned a lot from them.

They are much older people so they guided me a lot. They gave me advices for my career, for my personal relationships, and even for being a better person as a whole. They showed me my potentials. They made me realize what I can achieve and what I can become if I only strived for it. They guided me on how to start, how to survive, and how to succeed. They showed me a whole new world, which I never knew existed.

They made me realize that I am so much more than what I think I am. They taught me how to pick my battles, to always take the high road. They made me realize I can do so much more. They made me want to become more.

(J. CAMPBELL 6) CROSSING THE THRESHOLD:  At the end of Act One, the hero commits to leaving the Ordinary World and entering a new region or condition with unfamiliar rules and values. 

After taking a hard look at my life, I decided I just wanted to start all over again. I wanted to disappear from everyone's radar and come back only when I know how to treat people better and only when I've turned out to be someone people who have relations with can be proud.  I wanted a clean slate and this time, I wanted to do it right.

I moved to Cebu to start a new life. I cut off all ties from my world. I changed my mobile number and deactivated all my social media accounts.

I got a job as a trader in the country's leading investment house. I knew nothing about the job, but was determined to learn everything and excel in my newly chosen career. All I had with me was sheer guts, confidence, and determination to learn and succeed.

(J. CAMPBELL 7) TESTS, ALLIES AND ENEMIES:  The hero is tested and sorts out allegiances in the Special World.

Before First Metro could deploy me to Cebu, I had to undergo training for seven months. While in our Manila office, I was bullied during my first few months. I was often the target of embarrassment and humiliation because I was a newbie for one and I didn't know anything about the industry, the field, and the work itself. I was often told that I'd never make it through the third month and that I'd never learn what I have to learn in time for my revalidas, licensure exams, and certification exams which are the deciding factors whether I'd get regularized or not. I often came home crying especially during my first month.

I have to admit I really struggled to hit the ground running, but I refused to go down without putting up a good fight. I brushed off every nasty comment a lot of the seniors had about me and took each of them as a challenge. I sought help from the kinder ones and asked a lot of questions. They oriented me about the culture on the trading floor, which made it easier for me to take the cruel world I found myself in. They were also the ones who patiently taught me about the ins and outs of the business.

(J. CAMPBELL 8) APPROACH.  The hero and newfound allies prepare for the major challenge in the Special world.

I was given 3 months to learn everything on my own. I stayed late nights and studied like I've never done before. My new-found friends on the floor taught me everything I need to learn. They helped me prepare for my revalidas and exposed me to a lot of transactions, which helped me understand the business faster.

(J. CAMPBELL 9) THE REWARD.  The hero takes possession of the treasure won by facing death.  There may be celebration, but there is also danger of losing the treasure again.

After all the hard work, the discouragement from seniors, and help from new friends, I eventually did pass all my revalidas, my licensure exams, and certification exams. I was able to surpass all expectations and even got promoted on the sixth month. This got me thinking and telling myself, "Wow. Kaya ko pala." And so that motivated me to strive more knowing I am more capable of doing so much more, achieving and being a whole lot more.

After my training, I was deployed to Cebu. At 23, I was tasked to head and pioneer our first ever regional satellite. I took a couple more licensure exams and passed each on the first take – a feat especially for an inexperienced person like me

I was able to run the office for two years and even made a profit despite the project being in its launching phase.

Wanting to achieve more, I eventually took a shot at taking the Ateneo Graduate School of Business MBA Program entrance exam. Luckily, I made it.

I was doing great both in school and at work but eventually, I realized that if I wanted to achieve more, Cebu was not the place to be in. If I wanted my career to soar, I have to be where the action is. If I wanted to prove myself that I can compete with the best, then I have to be where the best and most competitive people are.

I spoke with our President telling him what I wanted. Luckily, rather than letting go, he offered me a post in our company's investment banking group. When I heard of this, I immediately said yes because investment banking was my dream job. In less than two months after we spoke, I was back in Manila.

(J. CAMPBELL 10) THE ROAD BACK:  About three-fourths of the way through the story, the hero is driven to complete the adventure, leaving the Special World to be sure the treasure is brought home.  Often a chase scene signals the urgency and danger of the mission.

In Manila, I was basically back in the learning stage again given my new assignment. It was tough – even tougher than when I was learning back when I was new. A lot of times I felt so incompetent that I had the tendency to be too eager which often worked against me. I got frustrated a lot which often got me demotivated, but then again, I always knew how to talk to myself and tell myself to just focus on my job and do my best.

(J. CAMPBELL 11) THE RESURRECTION:  At the climax, the hero is severely tested once more on the threshold of home.  He or she is purified by a last sacrifice, another moment of death and rebirth, but on a higher and more complete level.  By the hero's action, the polarities that were in conflict at the beginning are finally resolved.

Having achieved everything I have so far, I was blessed with the means to help people out. I told myself that I wanted my generation to be the last in our line to experience difficulty in life. Being capable of providing my relatives in need and my future children with good education, I was convinced that I was going to be the one to plant the seeds of a better future generation in our clan.

Ever since I came back from Cebu, everyone was surprised to see how I turned out to be and how much I've accomplished. It was like a rebirth of some sort. True to my Enneagram results, I have been fixated on getting external validation. I've always tried, consciously and unconsciously, to embody the image of success. I wanted them to forget the old me and just saw me as how I was now which is why I was so careful with my every action. Everything I did was to make everyone proud of me especially my family. However, as years go by, I felt like I was losing my identity beyond making people proud. I didn't know exactly who I was and why I do what I do. I get frustrated over the smallest things and felt I had no real purpose. It's as if, "so I become really successful, now what?"

My leadership class was my resurrection. It provided me with all the explanation I needed to understand my life, my family, and my self, and eventually helped me sort and figure out what I am really meant to contribute in this world.

GENOGRAM

When we were asked to research about our family tree, I didn't realize the magnitude of the impact it will have on me. In my head, I was wondering how it could help me. I'll research on the people in my family tree, what their backgrounds are like growing up, their educational attainment, what they did for a living, and just how they are as a person in general, then what? How is it supposed to help me or what does it have to do with me as a leader?

As I interviewed my grandmother, I genuinely realized why she was the way she was, why my mom was the way she was, and ultimately, as the person who raised me and being the only person of influence at home, how it affected me altogether.

My grandmother is born to a family of farmers. Life was difficult for them growing up thus not being able to receive education. My grandmother did not have the chance to live a normal life as a kid. At a very young age, she was forced to help her parents out with their family and in making a living.

Her parents were tough. They didn't have the joy of having a harmonious home, which explains how she was towards us growing up. It all made sense: my grandma, my mom, and myself. It all traces back to my great grandparents.

I realized that indeed, we are largely influenced by our immediate environment. She was the way she was because she did not know any other way. It was when Toni and I showed her a different world, as ours opened up, that she saw a different way of being.

Through the genogram exercise, I also realized that the effects of poverty resounds even farther than we can imagine. They affect lives even to several generations down the line and more often than not, in a negative way.

Prior to doing my genogram and understanding each of the character, it was very easy for me to pin the blame on people. I thought they were selfish inconsiderate people who failed to realized the magnitude of their decisions. Because of this thinking, I had moments when I would just feel really angry with my family, especially my mother for all her decisions, which affected me. I resented the fact that I grew up without a mother. I resented the fact that I've come so far, achieved what I've achieved, became what I became without her even knowing anything about me, but what I resented the most was that those were 26 years of my life we both can never get back. Even prior to taking this class, I still could not comprehend most of her decisions, which I never got to have a say on nor was I given the chance to process what I felt about them. Sometimes I feel really angry, I feel really sad, and sometimes just really lost for no reason at all which is why I was seriously considering getting help through psychotherapy just so I could finally deal with it. However, after all the papers, after plotting my whole lifeline and my genogram, I was able to understand everything that has happened to me. I was able to understand why my family is the way they are, and their decisions, especially my mom's. She had to leave so she could send me to a good school, get good education, and eventually have a good life. We hear this excuse a lot, but trust me it's something that's not easy to understand.

It dawned on me that everything that I am now is a sum of all the sacrifices of everyone around me. I am living a good life now because my mom risked herself being a stranger to her own child and this sacrifice and love is beyond what I can comprehend.

I also realized my life isn't as bad as I thought it was. It may not be anywhere as good as the people around me, but it's definitely not as bad as a lot of people in this world. Whatever life I lived and will live, and whatever life my future children will live, and our future generations as well, is because of my mother's sacrifice to make a change for us. She was the one who planted the seeds for us and for that our future line will forever be grateful. As I've said, her sacrifices go beyond me. They go down to my future children, the children of my children, and even the children of the children of my children.

 (J. CAMPBELL 12) RETURN WITH THE ELIXIR:  The hero returns home or continues the journey, bearing some element of the treasure that has the power to transform the world as the hero has been transformed.

I am lucky to have my mother start everything for us. She didn't let us go through what they went through. We didn't have to start from scratch.

MY PASSION: REFLECTION PAPER #3

I realized I had to go through the entire journey in order to truly find my passion, my purpose, my elixir and that is to help people get out of the cycle of poverty through education. It has been so deeply ingrained that moving forward, everything I undertake will be geared towards this direction for the purpose of fulfilling my purpose.

LESSONS LEARNED:

INGENUITY AND SELF-AWARENESS

Ignatian Leadership tells us that some of the best characteristics of a leader are ingenuity and self-awareness.

All the reflection papers, from my defining moments, to the factors that shaped me, my life story, my enneagram, genogram, my passion/call to arms speech, gave me just that. I was able to understand myself full well.

I learned that every challenge is teaching us something and is preparing us to play a larger role we are destined to undertake in the future. Ultimately, challenges make us better persons. It may not make sense at the moment, but one day, we will be thankful everything happened the way they did because ultimately, we are what we are because of all these seemingly senseless life burdens.

No matter what we go through, everything will eventually make sense. Everything happens for a reason.

I also realized that even the smallest and seemingly uneventful moments in my life molded me into the type of person that I am now.

By digging, reflecting, and framing my personal experiences, I was able to see clearer my purpose in life. By understanding the journey I've taken, even those of our roots, I was given a better picture of why I've gone through what I've gone through and where that road is trying to lead me. My newly found self-awareness painted a clearer direction of where I want to go, what I want to achieve and why I want to achieve it. And, through all these, I was able to understand better what my strengths and weaknesses are, what values I uphold, and why they are such.

I believe being aware of my strengths and weaknesses is already having won half the battle. Knowing my strengths, I can further develop and strengthen them in order to gain more advantage. Knowing my weaknesses, I will be able to work on myself to improve on them and hopefully turn them into strengths as well. My values make me confident that whatever challenges I encounter in the future, I will remain anchored to what I believe is important. By being fully self-aware, I will know better how to navigate the future and achieve my goals, mission, vision, and passion.

LOVE AND HEROISM

Throughout this course, what I would consider the most important is my realization that we really cannot blame people for how they are. No one is inherently evil. For the most part, it is their circumstances that turned them into what, who, and how they are. Sometimes, they just know no other way because they were not shown any other way.

As a leader, I believe this is one valuable contribution we can give our society – to show them a different world, a different way from what they've grown accustomed to. By doing this, we are opening their worlds, their minds to limitless possibilities of what they think they can become. By doing this, we can make a difference.

II. WHERE AM I GOING?

According to the HBR article "Discovering Your Authentic Leadership", leading is high-stress work. The higher we go, the greater our freedom to control our destiny, but also the higher the degree of stress. We sure cannot avoid stress but we sure can control it to maintain our own sense of equilibrium. It is also said that authentic leaders are constantly aware of the importance of staying grounded. Spending time with the family, close friends, getting physical exercise, engaging in spiritual activities, an returning to the places where we grew up are essential in staying grounded and sustaining authenticity, thus making us more effective leaders.

It is for this reason that my life plan includes that for my self, my family, my career, and the community.

A)     SELF – As a Type 2 person, a Helper, I need to learn that I can only be of true service to others if I am healthy, balanced, and centered on myself. Hence, I would like to achieve the following:

1.     Health

·       Ensure overall health

2.     Spiritual

·       Regular communication with God

·       Regular self-reflection

3.     Mental

·       Continues learning

4.     Social

·       Stay in touch with old friends

·       Meet new people

B)     FAMILY – My family is my primary reason for working hard and striving. It is true that I could be selfless at times and tend to put their needs before mine.

Even with my relatives, despite everything they've done to me, I still try to help as much as I could. My mom even told me once that I do not need to prove myself to anyone anymore and I think she meant me being way too generous to our relatives and maybe to them. I'm well aware of that. But for me, it was never about proving myself anymore. I told my mom that I was just really genuinely happy whenever I see them all happy. I am buying my happiness. Whatever I spend on them is me buying my happiness and that is to see them enjoying life.

1.     Mother – Retire and come home to the Philippines for good

2.     Grandmother – Spend more time rather than my usual two times a month visit

3.     Brother – Finish his studies in Tokyo

4.     Father – Meet my father

5.     Relatives – help less fortunate younger ones to finish school

C)     CAREER – The rationale behind the drive to achieve my goals in my career is that apart from the fact that it will give me the capacity to propel further in helping not just myself and family, but also in helping a lot more people.

1.     In First Metro as an Investment Banking Deal Officer: Get promoted twice by 2017

2.     Corporate Finance International exposure

3.     Vice President of a multinational company by 30

4.     Finance and/or Economics part-time professor in UST

D)     COMMUNITY – The rational behind my goal of giving back to the community is simple: to create a difference and help make the world a better place.

1.     Put up a scholarship foundation by the age of 30

III. HOW WILL I GET THERE?

A)     SWOT ANALYSIS

In order to come up with feasible strategies, I laid out below a SWOT analysis of myself. By enumerating all the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, I was able to decipher which strengths and opportunities I need to exploit in order to achieve my goals, which weaknesses I need to work on to execute more effectively, and which threats I need to look out for early on in order to prevent these from occurring.

STRENGTHS (Based on Enneagram)	OPPORTUNITIES
·       Adaptable ·       Highly driven ·       Ambitious ·       Resourceful ·       Hardworking ·       Extremely competitive ·       Highly focused ·       Extroverted ·       Charismatic ·       Self-confident ·       Practical ·       Energetic ·       Good networker ·       Generous ·       Likable ·       Demonstrative ·       People-pleasing ·       Loving ·       Strong sense of self-worth ·       Expressive	·     Good education background ·     A career in the investment banking industry ·     MBA Degree ·     Other property investments
WEAKNESSES	THREATS
·       Image-conscious ·       Needs validation and appreciation ·       Afraid of losing ·       Difficulty opening up to people ·       Selfless ·       Imbalanced lifestyle ·       Dramatic ·       Self-absorbed ·       Moody/ Temperamental ·       Superiority complex ·       Emotionally complex (Highly sensitive) ·       Tendency to withdraw from everything ·       Tendencies to be depressed ·       Easily slips into self-indulgence	·     Potential lack of financial capacity to execute ·     Threats to health, whether physical, mental, or emotional, which may hinder me from achieving my goals

A)     STRATEGIES AND TIMELINE

SELF:

Aspects	What I want to achieve	How do I get there?	Target Date
HEALTH	·  Ensure overall health	·  General check-up ·  Drink vitamins regularly ·  Sleep at least 7 hour a day and 8 hours at most ·  Cut all vices (cigarettes and alcohol) ·  Eat properly (balanced diet, NO FASTFOOD and NO JUNKFOOD) ·  Visit the gym at least 3 times a week	·  February 2016 ·  ASAP ·  ASAP ·  ASAP · ASAP · ASAP

Aspects	What I want to achieve	How do I get there?	Target Date
Spiritual	·  Regular communication with God	·  Observe Holy obligations ·  Pray regularly (for adoration, for contrition, for thanksgiving, for seeking help/guidance)	· ASAP
	·  Regular self-reflection	·  Follow a strict alone time schedule ·  Regular solo travels	· ASAP

	What I want to achieve	How do I get there?	Target Date
Mental	·  Finish my MBA with honors	·  Just continue what I'm doing	·  August 2016
	·  Continues learning	·  Read regularly ·  Engage in new activities	· ASAP · August 2016

	What I want to achieve	How do I get there?	Target Date
Social	·  Stay in touch with friends	·  Schedule regular gatherings	ASAP
	·  Meet new people	·  Be active member of a relevant organization	Within 2016

FAMILY:

	What I want to achieve	How do I get there?	Target Date
Mommy (Mother)	I want my mom to retire and come home to the Philippines for good.	Ensure financial capacity ·  Put up 3-storey condo type apartment in Libis property for a six-figure monthly recurring income ·  A much higher salary imputing my MBA degree, merit increases, and promotions ·  Actively scout deals for deal brokering commission	2017
Mama (Lola)	I want to spend more time with my grandmother rather than my usual two times a month visit.	· Schedule weekly dates like movies, dinner, and shopping	ASAP
Ryo (Brother)	I want my brother to finish school.	Financial support ·  Put up 3-storey condo type apartment in Libis property for a six-figure monthly recurring income ·  A much higher salary imputing my MBA degree, merit increases, and promotions ·  Actively scout deals for deal brokering commission	2017
Yukio (Daddy)	I want to meet my dad.	·  Secure all information from my mom (i.e. contact numbers, address, and business name)	August 2016
Relatives	Help the less fortunate young ones to finish school	Ensure financial capacity ·  Put up 3-storey condo type apartment in Libis property for a six-figure monthly recurring income ·  A much higher salary imputing my MBA degree, merit increases, and promotions ·  Actively scout deals for deal brokering commission	2017

Career:

	What I want to achieve	How do I get there?	Target Date
In First Metro as an Investment Banker	·  Master everything I need to learn in investment banking/corporate finance	·  Read. Practice. Repeat. Read. Practice. Repeat.	ASAP
	·  Get promoted	·  Take initiative; volunteer as Deal Captain on a transaction	2016
	·  Get promoted again	·  Execute all coming deals flawlessly	2017

	What I want to achieve	How do I get there?	Target Date
International exposure	·  A career in Corporate Finance in abroad	·  Explore opportunities in Singapore or Hong Kong (Financial Districts)	·     2017

	What I want to achieve	How do I get there?	Target Date
Back to the Philippines in a multinational company	·  Vice President at 30	·  Immerse and learn as much from what I am doing now, from what I will learn from each deal, and from what I will learn from my eventual international exposure	·     2019
Professional Lecturer	·  Be a Finance or Economics professor in my home university, UST	·  Take workshops in teaching	·     2019

A)     Community

	What I want to achieve	What's the first step?	Target Date
On the advocacy of education	·  Provide access to education to the deserving less fortunate	·  Start with one or two scholars or depending on your financial capacity ·  Put up a scholarship foundation	·     2017 ·     2019

All the direction I have laid out in here would not have been clear to me if not for all the eye-opening exercises and reflection papers throughout this course. To sum everything up in a very simple illustration, this is how I would look at Leadership:

<VG, for the diagram of leadership

< sayang nahuli 4 -1>

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