LAST Saturday, July 14, 2018, I was part of the first ever Growth Summit organized by Distinguished Toastmaster Chris Dao-anis. Notable speakers were Sha Nacino, a certified Jack Canfield Trainer and Author, March Nacino, a Digital Marketing Specialist and Trainer, Trixie Esguerra, a vision board coach and sought after events host, Neb Perez, a professional reviewer and this year’s national TM International speech champion.
I was the last speaker and was invited to speak on Successful Leadership. Here are excerpts of my sharing:
Two questions guided me as I prepared my talk:
1. What do I wish someone should have taught me when I was your age?
2. What do I know now that I wish I knew when I was your age?
I shared that during my college days, all we had were management classes.
We were taught the principles of management. In fact, I learned and applied one Management principle consistently for a long time. It was the concept of “Management by Exception”. MBE. I focused only on things that were wrong, or went wrong and was quick to point them out for correction, and ensure action was taken. Was that good? Yes, it worked. But I could have done better.
I should have acknowledged, affirmed, and appreciated the good work that our people did. I presumed wrongly that everyone would just do their job without need for appreciation. I felt that everyone was just like me. Trabaho lang. Work. Work. Work. Twelve to 16 hours a day, seven days a week. I had no days off for more than 20 years since college.
While I worked hand in hand with our people in the bakery and grocery, and exhibited Confucian values of frugality and hard work, I managed people and other resources, I should have LEAD our people and managed other resources.
My management style gradually changed when I was trained at McDonald’s.
As we all have different concepts on leadership, let’s check what the Lord says about the traits of a leader.
1 Timothy 3: 2 -4 “ Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect.”
With that as a starting point, I shared 3 concepts:
1. Servant leadership
Many years ago, I read a book entitled “JESUS, CEO”. It had a big impact on me. It described how Jesus is the true model of a leader. Jesus emphasized the concept of servant leadership by His teachings and by His life.
Mark 10:42 “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be a slave of all.”
Simply saying, “I want to serve you” during elections, will not make one a public servant. What he does after winning the election determines whether he is a servant leader or not. Practicing servant leadership is essential not only in public service but in private companies and organizations.
I know one manager who had difficulty leading, and who had difficulty asking his people to stretch, to work overtime when needed, to do challenging tasks.
Why? He asks and expects people to go overtime when needed. But he does not help out. He goes home at exactly 5 p.m. He often comes to work late. He issues memos, but does not follow them, even when applicable to him. Was he an effective leader?
Was he a servant leader?
To demonstrate servant leadership, and give us a lasting image of servant leadership, Jesus washed the feet of His disciples.
Humility is one trait of servant leadership, not corrupted by authority and power of our positions.
2. Leading by good example
About 28 years ago, I trained in McDonald’s Greeenbelt While I was cleaning the toilets, someone asked me,“Haan aya negosyante ka nga taga Baguio? Anya ararmidem ditoy? (Aren’t you a businessman from Baguio? What are you doing here?”)
Yes, I was required to train in all the stations of the kitchen, counter and dining area. During my OJE, I was being observed and evaluated in all the stations.
Yes, to lead, it would be good to know the tasks you will be overseeing. We must know how to do it first, and be willing to lead others by our example.
Our managers at our hotels do housekeeping and front office work before becoming Duty Managers. Our managers at Sunshine do bagging and cashiering before running shifts, and continually help out in such tasks when needed.
Yes, we all have to Lead by Good Example!
3. Earn respect. Build trust.
This is one concept I never fail to share whenever I talk to our new managers and leaders. And like a broken record, I keep repeating this concept to them.
When I repeat it to them, I am also reminding myself to apply this concept and how to ERBT.
How does one earn respect and build trust? “I” PLUS 8 C’s
Integrity – being true to oneself and to others, and Doing What Is Right.
How do we earn respect?
1. Competence
You build competence by studying about your job, doing it repeatedly; and even by committing errors as you go about enhancing your skills.
2. Credentials
Educational degrees, awards, positions and books written, gives one added credibility.
3. Courage
Be willing and ready to take action, to face risks, and exercise boldness, while exercising prudence.
4. Coachability
Be willing to learn from others. Be humble. Have a counselor, a trainor, a coach, a consultant, and/or a mentor.
Prov: 27: 17 “as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
5. Character
It is not just skills that are important, it is a display of character that people observe and are affected by them. Skills are secondary to good character in training for higher leadership positions. The other C’S lose their value when a man is of poor character.
How do we build trust
1. Care
People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.
2. Communication
Is a basic tool. Listen. Respond. Give clear instructions. Remind. Follow up. Follow thru. Join toastmasters!
3. Consistency
It is about doing things over and over in the same manner producing the same result. Given a similar situation, the same decision is made each time.
My head managers know how i will decide. So they are confident when they make their decisions. Even if their staff will make an appeal to me, i support the decisions of our managers. If i deviate, i explain that the decision of the manager is correct, but am making an exception just this time due to some mitigating circumstances.
My dearest leaders,
The world measures success by our possessions, power, prestige, and pleasures we enjoy. I wish to share with you my belief that there is another way of defining success. Success is achieving our vision and our goals by exercising our leadership skills and being the best we can be, in all that we do.
Don't just be a leader, be a successful one.