Watawat ng Kagitingan (Filipino Leadership)

'Quamplurimi et quam aptissimi" (As many as possible of the very best)

Ateneo Professional School
Makati City, Philippines
November 16, 2015

Nearly a month ago, last October 24, 2015, this author made an article on traits of a Traits of a Filipino leader  It is a collection of articles from John Clements.

And the main part of the article is as follows:

"The contributors are:    Grace Alcid, Mario Biscocho, Arus Metin, Kristine Brisenio, and Neil Binalla

Grace Alcid says that the trait must embrace the cultural influence of Spain, USA, and Malay.

Mario Biscocho is academic in approach and says that the Filipino leader must be authentic, has clear vision, firm resolve, , inspiration and common goal, fierce resolve, endurance and tenacity,  realistic tenacity.

Metin posits Level 5 Leadership (Good to Great)

Kristine Brisenio talks about good character, motivator, and inspiration

Neil Binalla discusses the common Filipino traits:  pakikisama, hiya (from IPC - Mary Hollsteiner stuff) ningas cogon that can be both bane and boon to Filipino leaders.  Those who practiced pakikisama to their constituents ended up in jail.  Those who also  practice tayo tayo  and utang na loob (paying back political defects)"

As you can see these are generic traits and characters, and Bischocho, Metin, Brisenio talk about generic and universal traits of leaders.  Binalla is the only one who attempts to really "Filipinize" the traits of such Filipino leader

Wheel of Leadership

'Quamplurimi et quam aptisimi" (As many as possible of the very best)

This lecturer improved the drawing made last Friday. The wheel summarizes what has been discussed in the class.  The call to leadership stems from the inner authentic self.   Motivation emanates from within, who you are.  This is related to Emotional Intelligence -  the ability to motivate and regulate self and as a result the ability to motivate others too.

At the start of the course, we had a debate, are leaders born, made, or are they transformed by the situation or crisis?    A vacancy, a leadership vacuum creates a need for the leader, and whoever is there fill that deepest need.  It is a never ending question that we all try to answer academically or in practice.

Then we had various assignments:  defining moment which is under the idea that leader are transformed by events, by trials, by failures in life.  Then we had enneagram and genogram under the title that leaders are born.  We went through the readings because we also think that leaders can be made by education and training.  The various group activities in the class highlighted the idea, especially team building and unstructured group activities.   These games can make leaders(?)  (Why are schools many HR doing a lot of these)

In the future sessions, we will discuss about advocacies external motivation for leaders.

The arrows around the circle that we journey towards being a better leader.  Through spiritual exercises, through reflection, we can discover, by looking at the mirror we can be better me and better leader.  IT IS ALL ABOUT BEING BETTER LEADER