THE different political parties are now in the midst of selecting their standard bearers for President, Vice President, and Senators for the 2010 national elections. You can be sure that the anointed candidates will boldly present themselves as the new saviors who will bring the needed change for the better and lead this beloved country of ours to the Promised Land.

However, short of declaring that the 2010 national elections are going to be a useless exercise, a lot of people are worried that they will be forced to select the best from among the lesser evils, so to speak. But some could easily say that "that's how democracy works." And as kin Hubbard once said: "We'd all like to vote for the best man, but he's never a candidate."

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Is there an alternative course of action? What other choices do we have as a people? What easily comes to mind is the People Power Revolution of Edsa I of which we have become famous for the world over and have been imitated in some countries. It toppled a strong man and a dictator but in the years that followed the much touted people power has sputtered and faltered. Edsa I was a triumph of the majority. Yet, after Edsa I, the big majority reverted to the sidelines of anonymity and of non-involvement. There is a great need to revisit the People Power Revolution.

To start, let me mention two interesting, if not startling, statements. The first was made a few years ago by one of the members of the Investigative Journalism Group. (I think it was Ms. Shiela Coronel).

She said that "real change for the better in this country will not come from the top but only from below, from the people themselves." This belief is shared by a number of keen observers of the Philippine situation and the highly centralized system of governance. We will not discuss this lengthily. Suffice it to say that the so-called "Imperial Manila" is enjoying the present set-up so much; it will not rock the boat by allowing real change.

Secondly, Professor John Kotter of the Harvard Business School, a leading commentator on corporate management for thirty years made a sorry indictment of corporate America. He said: "I am convinced that most organizations today lack the leadership they need, from top to bottom. And the shortfall is often large. I am not talking about 10 percent, but 200 percent, 400 percent." 400 percent is a lot. Still, no critic derided Kotter for hyperbolism. Can we say that also of Philippine corporations?

In view of the above, it is safe to say that a revolutionary model of leadership is in order. Revolutionary in the sense that a lot of people are really involved and actively participating. That model must explode or debunk the "one great man" model, the "command and control" approach; the one percent model of leadership. It should reject the concept that there is only one "warm" body in the organization.

For our purpose, we will adopt the revolutionary approach to leadership from a recent bestseller entitled "Heroic leadership". The book was written by Chris Lowney, a former Jesuit, and who worked for many years with J.P. Morgan, a well-known financial institution in the US "Heroic Leadership" is the best practice study of the famous and controversial Society of Jesus, a company that has lasted for almost 500 years amidst all kinds of trials and tribulations. And today it is still going strong. Lowney summarized the Jesuit style of leadership into four pillars of success, namely, 1. Self-awareness, 2. Ingenuity. 3. Love. And 4. Heroism.

Self-awareness means leaders understand their strengths, weaknesses, values and world-view. It is self-leadership, putting into order one's life. It is the beginning of wisdom. Self-awareness roots and nourishes the other three leadership virtues.

Ingenuity. Leaders are confidently innovated and adopted to embrace a changing world. St. Ignatius Loyola described the ideal leader as "living with one foot raised,"-always ready to respond to emerging opportunities. It disposes people not just to think outside the box but to live outside the box.

Love. Leaders engage others with positive, loving attitude. Love lends purpose and passion to ingenuity and heroism. People perform at their best with genuine support and affection.

Heroism. Leaders energize themselves and others through heroic ambitions and great desires. Heroes encourage people to aim high and keep them restlessly pointed towards something more, something greater.

According to Lowney, four wisdoms come out from this leadership style. First, we are all leaders, and we're leading all the time. Everybody is involved from top to bottom. Second, leadership springs from within. It's about my life, not just my work. Third, leadership is not an act. It's a way of living. And fourth, the task of becoming a leader is never completed, it is an ongoing process.

To conclude. We need to break the chain of the "Hawak-sa-leeg" syndrome. The purok leader hawak-sa-leeg by the kapitan; the kapitan by the mayor; the mayor by the governor or the congressman; the governor or congressman by the president or the ruling party. We need a new type of leaders who do not lead just followers. We need leaders who lead leaders who can stand on their own.

What happens to the traditional leaders? They will have to say: "I have to follow them. I am their leader." This is people power at its best. Hopefully, the majority of the Filipino people will awaken to this type of leadership and become, sooner or later, an irresistible force again.