Transform

The Quiet Power of Kindness

“Don’t underestimate the power of kindness in the workplace” is another genuinely insightful study from Harvard Business Review. The article drives the point home that everybody wants to be happy. It’s a basic human instinct. The context of the article is todays new normal. A regular ‘Thank you, Garry’ or ‘Great Job’ recognition in the hallway is no longer the norm. It now seems like a practice…

Knowing your purpose is liberating

‘Igniting potentials’ is my life’s purpose. For the longest time, I know I have a purpose in life. Deep inside, I know I’m not a mushroom that grew in the dark under a massive tree. Our life is not like a paper boat floating in a river. The boat is dragged to where the water decides to take you. We all have a purpose. We are all here for a reason, and it’s not just to take up space. We are not…

Why is mediocrity common in most organizations?

Source: Unique Vision / Shutterstock “Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. We don’t have great schools, principally because we have good schools. We don’t have a great government, principally because we have a good government. Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life.”…

My Origin Story on Leadership

I am fortunate enough to witness several kinds of leaders through the ’80s, 90’s until today. Leaders I had the privilege to work for comes in different colors, sizes, and shapes. They come from diverse backgrounds, education, and temperament. For over 30 years in the workforce, I have witnessed how the different leadership styles affected employee morale, productivity, and the organization’s…

How to process wrong decisions

There are two types of leaders when it comes to dealing with their subordinate’s erroneous decisions. On the one hand, you have leaders quick to punish direct reports that make the wrong decision. On the other hand, there are the leaders that genuinely care for the learning of the direct report. The servant-leader is the second one. When I worked as the head of Banking Operations a few years ago…

We don’t have a monopoly of great ideas

The beauty of Simon Sinek’s quotes or lessons is that deep inside; we already know most of the lessons he shares. If you watch his brief talks and read his books, you will think, “Hey, I already know this.” The value Simon brings is articulating the insight. This particular insight has already been at the back of my mind for a long time. Every time I witness someone trying to take credit for the…

8 Things Leaders can consistently do to create a great culture

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com Leadership is not always about grand gestures. It’s not about mega-deals. It is not even about trying to be the hero of the day. Authentic leadership is about the little things as well as the big things. It’s the small yet consistent altruism. The keyword being “small” and “altruism.”After years of observing leaders of different nationalities and ages,…

Are you pushing your employees to stop caring for the organization?

Photo by Ron Lach on Pexels.com “The biggest concern for any organization should be when their most passionate people become quiet.” Bridgette Hyacinth Back in the day when Fast Bank and Trust (FEBTC) was one of the best banks to work for, I mustered up the courage to apply for a job in their IT Division. Four sets of interviews, and a month after, I received a list of hiring requirements. I…

On Ken Blanchard’s article – Coaching and Servant Leadership go hand in hand

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com I never knew how to articulate the connection between servant leadership and coaching until I came across an article from Ken Blanchard.  Come to think of it; coaching is indeed an integral part of servant leadership. Christ himself, the model for servant leadership, coached the twelve disciplines for a few years before giving them the “Great Commission” written…

The 4 Legs of Servant Leaders

Photo by mentatdgt on Pexels.com A chair will not stand if one or more legs are missing. A Servant leader will not lead effectively if one or more of the legs are missing.  Leg 1: The Heart of a Leader Genuine Servant leadership starts from the heart. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23 NIV. Everything we do flows from our hearts. The way we…

The 4 Stages of Growth

This is a prelude article to a four-part series I will be writing. The next article will be called ‘The four building blocks of servant leadership.’ Before we dive into the four building blocks of servant leadership let us first talk about the stages of growth. It is a simple framework I learned after working with a McKinsey consultant a few years ago. In a nutshell, when we learn something new,…

Great leaders are driven by a vision for the greater good

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com If you do not have a properly communicated clear vision, then what do you have? How do you lead others without a vision. A secret vision does not count. A vision that stays in the executive boardroom does not mean a thing. A vision crafted for hanging on hallways and staircases does not count. Those are simply. decors. These are visions so generic they might as…

Decision making requires courage from our Leaders

One, of many admirable traits of our Pasig City Mayor, is that he is not afraid to go against traditional political decision-making. Mayor Vico Sotto dares to push through on decisions that he feels are for the good of his Pasiguenos.There were instances where he was criticized for his stand. He was criticized for being the first City to implement the Universal Healthcare law. Many of his peers…

Five steps to living your purpose

Finding your purpose is one module in my workshop that provides a deep insight for the participants. For most, it is similar to a “wow” moment. A moment of realization. Most of us know we have a purpose. But, we cannot articulate it. We have a feeling of what it is. We just cannot put it down into words. So here, I wrote an article on how to identify and live your purpose. I hope you find this…

“Do you ever win in marriage? Do you win in parenting? Do you win in life? Do you win in business?” asked Simon Sinek in his book The Infinite Game. Simon is one of the best Leadership gurus out there. He provides an interesting framework. I thought about it and how it applies to life. It is true that you never really win in marriage or business. Yet, most of us go through life as if there are…

Five Pitfalls of a work environment created by an untrained leader

Hundreds of work environments are what the millennials call “toxic”. It has been baffling me for over twenty years. I have experienced this personally as I consulted with several companies. Of course, these come in varying degrees of toxicity depending on the leadership of the function. Depending on where it starts, the toxicity can cover the entire company or just an isolated department. I…

Leaders help build confidence. They do not just demand it.Corporate life is a team sport. As a team sport, we need to trust one another. We need to be able to sleep at night knowing that someone has our back. We are not worried that someone from the team will stab you in the back. We are not concerned that a team member will sneak into the office of an executive and bad-mouth you. We are not…