Gaining from unshakable modesty
The presidential election came and went. It was fast but not furious. The Filipino electorate is generally happy with the turnout of this momentous event in our national life, notwithstanding the doubts and fears associated with the PCOS machines, the long queues and extended hours people had to go through to cast their votes, and stories of disenfranchisements, vote-buying and violence in some areas. The count was surprisingly fast, and the identified challenges prior to e-day were seemingly surmounted.
After the election dust has settled, the true test for those who won begins — how to deliver their campaign promises and cope with the demands of their respective positions. Congratulations if you won the electoral contest, and as this writer wishes you well, let me share a few “musts” when you start buckling down to work. They may sound basic, but they remain useful reminders as you perform your daunting mandate.
• Authentic servant leadership must prevail. There will be a range of events that will happen in your incumbency — from minor to major, from calm to storm. There will be peace times and panic times, but as communication experts would say, aiming for an air of calm and authentic servant leadership must prevail. As a leader, you should project a sense of dedicated mission; a clear roadmap and an honest-to-goodness desire to work with as many constituencies, needs and demands as possible.
• An immediate feeling of responsibility and resolve must be put in place. As you start serving, decide early on what you are going to let go of, and what you are keeping in terms of people, programs and services to make your administration work. If you have to repair a muddle left behind by a former leader, seek help from the very people that got the country, city or town into such a jumble. It may sound initially puzzling, but they are people outfitted to help you get out of the untidy heap. Your goal is to get everyone on your team determined to get their hands dirty and accomplish the tasks ahead.
• Accurate information must be a major foundation in your decision-making process. This is a simple rule in communication and it cannot be overemphasized. You have to accept that the single most important thing you can do as a political leader is to ensure that the information flowing within your office is correct, truthful and thorough. And what you communicate in public must be consistent with what you communicate in private. You are a public figure, and if you go against this rule, any inconsistency will most likely find its way into face-to-face conversations, carried in mainstream media or uploaded onto social networking sites.
• “Me first” must be your mantra. It is not about being selfish or self-indulgent. It is about taking care of yourself first — physically, intellectually and spiritually — before you can take care of others. As an elected official, you are expected to make good decisions, and can improve the quality of your pronouncements if you heed your psychiatrist’s, consultants’ and spiritual adviser’s fair warnings: maintain a work-life balance, read, study, meditate and pray. All these will give you calm and clear-headedness as you roll up your sleeves, get the baton and orchestrate the team.
• “Strategic humility” must be part of your everyday life. Recognize that you don’t have all the knowledge and skills you need, and take action to do something about it. Such an act is called “strategic humility,” and if you practice it, you can be labeled as an “open-minded strategist.” You should be unashamedly aware of your deficiencies and ask directional questions. In the process, you are able to generate helpful answers to your queries, and generate a wealth of information that can make you a wiser and more effective shepherd.
Admitting to a lack of knowledge or expertise and seeking help to acquire it requires a high level of self-confidence. Seeking guidance from superiors or assistance from subordinates in doing things that you are not so sure about should not be a source of embarrassment. Self-confidence can be hard to muster when you feel inadequate in a situation, but it always pays off when you link up and coalesce with people or groups that can shed light and lead the way.
Humility, far from signifying weakness or low self-esteem, signals extraordinary maturity and self-assurance. Identifying and acknowledging your limitations allows you to replace pessimism with optimism. Things can only go right if you close the gap between what you know and what you don’t know. That means enlisting the help of others who know what you don’t know or who can do what you can’t do. Inspired by author Emmet Murphy’s musings, let me share some lessons in strategic humility that you can easily apply.
1. Define what you don’t know or can’t do. Never pretend you know how to do something and then embarrass yourself when you can’t perform. Whenever you discover a gap, seek the help of others. There is no point feeling uncomfortable about it.
2. Make the most of what you do know. In the world of business, Disney animator Chuck Jones undoubtedly admitted that he couldn’t draw like Leonardo da Vinci, his idol, but he could fashion cartoon characters that leapt from the screen and into viewers’ hearts. This self-awareness led Jones to fame and glory, bringing to our consciousness many fanciful and fun characters like Wile E. Coyote, the Roadrunner, Pepe Le Pew, and Marvin the Martian, among others. These magnificent creations won him three Oscar awards, establishing him as a superior practitioner of his craft. Paradoxically, accept that you know less than you think and more than you realize. You should try to consider both sides of the coin as you move towards your goals.
3. Respect others and they will respect you. You will not lose respect when you ask help from others. Examine yourself. Have you ever accepted as gospel the opinions of a superior just because of that person’s rank? Conversely, do you ever dismiss the opinions of subordinates because of their lower position on the ladder? Does reliance on the opinions of those above or below you raise or lower your self-esteem? Respect engenders respect. People you ask for assistance will usually admire you for owning up to your shortcomings and trying to overcome them.
4. Look at life as a never-ending learning experience. At any point in your continuing education, you should never ever say, “That’s all I really need to know.” You should view each day as an opportunity to learn something new, and should not be surprised to find out that someone knows more about a subject than you do, even if you are acknowledged as a leading expert on that subject. Constantly see yourself as a student who every day goes to the school of life eager to gain new knowledge and skills.
5. Never forget that others look up to you. Remain open to teach, coach and mentor others who may need your help. View yourself through the eyes of others and see yourself as they see you. Aim to be a positive role model. A good teacher never abandons the role of a student, and every good student accepts the role of a teacher to those who need help. Act every day as a student and a teacher.
Based on these lessons, Murphy emphasizes, consider whether you need to change your goals, or look for ways to gain more information and expertise that will achieve them. Consistently practice strategic modesty and gain from it. As Will Henry says, “An open mind collects more riches than an open purse.”
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E-mail bongosorio@yahoo.com or bong_osorio@abs-cbn.com for comments, questions or suggestions. Thank you for communicating.
