Defining the innovative Filipino leader

ONE of humanity’s deepest needs is to be led by a good leader.

Across the ages, around the world, we have seen and heard people long for a leader to inspire, guide, and even rule them.

Even within the organizations we work in, people search for a leader to see them through the rigors of life, often being more productive and able to contribute when there is someone to inspire them.

Not surprisingly, investors gravitate toward countries with strong leaders, recognizing that good leadership benefits society and people tremendously.

Much has been written about leaders and leadership styles, but I have yet to find a distinct style that would resonate strongest with the Filipinos of today.

In a world that is quickly shifting due to the pervasive and constant influence of technology, changing social-economic realities, and evolving cultural mores, I have always believed that Filipinos need an innovative leader, yet I have struggled how to best define him or her.

I must admit that the last person I expected to help me define the innovative leader was a man of the cloth, better yet, a Cardinal of the Catholic Church.

But during the 2015 Inaugural Meeting of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), I listened intently as His Eminence Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle offered a rich working definition of the innovative leader, highlighting important leadership tenets and traits that he should possess.

The Cardinal described each of these traits, as exemplified by Pope Francis, whose leadership has brought back the fervor of many lapsed Catholics and has inspired even non-Christians. Yet one does not have to be a Pope to become an innovative leader.

With dedication and commitment, we can nurture innovative Filipino leaders right in our midst.

Ethical imperative

Because of what he does and what he stands for, a true innovative leader inspires, said the Cardinal.

He is competent and is a person of integrity, inspiring people not so much with words or what he has built, but what emanates from him or what people feel or even imbibe from him.

Moreover, a true leader is ethical and has an ethic-inspired view of the society, the economy and development.

He recognizes that building trust is an imperative in leadership, and establishes trust by three important ways:

First, a true leader has genuine concern for others. This concern is real and goes beyond what is superficial. An innovative leader gives generously of himself, and is selfless. His acts of giving are ethical and authentic, and do not come with egoistic motivations.

Second, a true leader recognizes the inclusion of the poor as a non-negotiable, seeing it as both a spiritual and ethical imperative.

He includes the poor in his personal and corporate vision, factors them into planning and the formulation of goals, and considers their real needs when thinking of products to produce and sell.

Moreover, he is incredibly patient in finding ways to engage the poor.

Third, a true leader believes in personal encounters. He encounters people and recognizes that they are, like the rest of us, beings with feelings, dreams and pains.

We’ve all seen the Pope personally reach out to the marginalized and disfigured people—something that makes him understand the people he leads.

Personal encounters

This personal encounter makes the leader well grounded, making him real to the people that he will lead.

Needless to say, a good and inspiring leader must know how to deal with persons and must be an authentic person, emphasized Cardinal Tagle.

He draws strength and learns from the people he encounters. He goes to people, touches them and learns from them.

I wholeheartedly agree with the Cardinal’s definition of an innovative leader, not only because they resonate with me, but because they are the exact traits that engender trust among people.

Innovative leadership

The Third Philippine Trust Index (PTI), released late last year, offered insights on how trust is built between people and institutions.

As it happens, the traits that evoke trust are the qualities that Cardinal Tagle mentioned in describing the innovative leader.

For instance, the PTI showed that integrity, or being free from graft and corruption, is the most important driver of trust in government among respondents, with about 40 percent of respondents citing this as the most important attribute they are looking for from the government.

Apparently, for these respondents, being free from corruption reflects genuine concern for people.

The PTI findings also showed that competence, the ability to provide better jobs, attend to the needs of the poor, transparency, and communication are necessary to earn the trust of people.

For businesses, the most important trust drivers are how employees are treated, specifically by giving fair salaries and benefits, having competent leaders and keeping fair labor practices.

For NGOs, three out of 10 Filipinos identify incorruptibility as a major trust driver.

Being free from political interest is also a significant trust driver, as are being able to help those in real need, employ competent leaders, provide livelihood, and communicate and listen to their stakeholders.

In sum, the ability to win people’s trust is the mark of an innovative leader.

Nurturing leaders

This brings us to an important question: How can we nurture innovative leaders?

Leadership can definitely not be developed overnight, but the PTI shows us one way to develop innovative leadership using an important tool—communication.

Across all sectors, communication was shown to be a very important trust driver.

Communicating frequently, listening for feedback, and reaching out to audiences are important trust drivers that can help one become an innovative leader who constantly listens to and engages his followers and constituents.

The PTI also showed that organizations need to deliver good results in order to win the trust of their stakeholders.

These are the hallmarks of innovative leadership, and will show that it is indeed sincere in its engagement with their stakeholders.

Innovative leadership should not be a mere concept for us, but an evolving target that we should aspire to constantly define and live up to.

As we seek to build trust, so should we seek to develop innovative leaders who can show us the way forward.

(The author is the Governor-in-Charge of the MAP. Committees on (1) Asean Integration, (2) CEO Conference, (3) CSR, and (4) Trade, Industry and Tourism. He is the President and CEO of EON The Stakeholder Relations Firm, regarded as the pioneering stakeholder relations firm that puts trust at the heart of its collaborations and dialogues with different stakeholders of its clients. Feedback at <[email protected]> and <[email protected]>. For previous articles, please visit map.org.ph)