I have always been interested in how people act and behave- as an individual, as part of a team and as part of larger organization. As I have observed, some people’s behavior vary depending on the crowd they are with, the situation they are in, and the expectations of others around them. There are also some whose actuations are consistent regardless of who they are with, or what and where they are. Human behavior is such a huge puzzle for me. It is as intriguing as economics and as baffling as the solar system. As such, when the course Human Behavior in Development Organizations (HBDO) was opened, I had nothing on but my five senses. The entire course was like journey. It opened myself for introspection back to the immediate past, and got me reflecting about my future as a soldier, a development manager, a leader, and most importantly, as father and a husband. Questions after questions, I have had the most important realizations about my life, about my own attitude and behavior, beliefs and biases, and emotion and motivation. Answers did not come easily. Some are still left hanging. Some, I have intentionally left for me to ponder on as I continue my journey in development management.
On Leadership
Leadership is one of the most basic things I have learned as a soldier. Our trainings are replete with various lessons on leadership- tactical, operational and strategic for both combat and non-combat situations. With HBDO, I was able to revisit what leadership meant for me beyond the BE-KNOW-DO framework. I had the chance to look back and refresh myself on the military’s Principles of Leadership and assess myself how I fared on each. What kind of leader was I? What kind of leader am I now? What do I aspire to be?
I realized that I was and still am a transactional leader most of the time. I often focus on setting goals, rewarding achievements and recognizing superior performance especially when I am placed in- charge of a small unit. Proactive that I am, I try to anticipate things, constantly running scenarios in my head, and consciously developing actions and counter actions. I take immediate action when my team or unit is confronted with a situation. Victory favors the prepare, or so they say.
There are many occasions when I also practiced transformational leadership. When entrusted with leadership of a problematic or dysfunctional unit, I had to find ways on how to put it on reverse, and stir it forward along a new course. Adoptive or situational leadership also comes in handy for me
when dealing with an ‘alphabet soup’ organization. Company leadership is very much different from small unit leadership. The principles may be the same but the art and science behind it are quite different. On many occasions, I had to put together a team of soldiers with diverse backgrounds and personalities. They came from various ethno-linguistic groups, had assorted cultural and religious biases, dissimilar level of skills, and most importantly, different motivation. I had to adopt my style to the team’s ‘personality’, and the task or mission at hand. Failing to recognize this kind of diversity could easily lead to the breakdown of the team. The lack of solid teamwork and camaraderie among soldiers results to mission failure, and worse, to loss of lives.
A leader’s leadership style is not developed overnight or acquired in an instant. Lt. Col. Enrique Ileto, a bemedaled Army officer said, his leadership style is a blend of that of his former commanders. I agree. We tend to adopt leadership styles practiced or embodied by persons we admire, idolize or respect immensely. Three of my former commanders were among the greatest influencers of my career. They have immensely contributed to my growth us an officer and leader and until now, I still consult them about leadership decisions, career moves and even family matters.
A big part of our personality is shaped by our environment: the family we grew up with; the circle of friends we have; the peers we relate with; the organization we belong to; and the society we live in. It is also heavily influenced by people’s expectations and institutional mandates. I have always encouraged collective decision- making because my family always consulted us when making decisions that could affect the entire family. My parents despised conflict in any form and were more into forging consensus and creating harmony among the family members. They were always willing to sacrifice anything to give us the best despite their meager resources. They were always ready to go the extra mile without expecting anything in return. When it was my turn to lead a unit, I saw to it that my men lived and worked in harmony amidst adversity and diversity. I shared to them what my parents taught me, what the academy has honed me for- to give more and take less.
Barbara Kellerman in her article “Leadership- Warts and All” said that “leaders weren’t always nice”. She said Machiavelli admired “unscrupulous leaders who exercised authority with an iron fist”. Machiavelli, according to Kellerman, believes “the only truly bad leadership is weak leadership”. Perhaps she was right. Perhaps Machiavelli was correct as well. There are no perfect leaders and there are no unblemished organizations. I, for one, wasn’t always nice to my men. I generously rewarded people but I punished twice as much. I was liberal with privileges but I was hard on people when it comes to mission accomplishment. I surely made a lot of mistakes and bad decisions but one thing I am NOT guilty of, was the lack of decision. An unwise decision is better than having no decision at all. Faced with a perilous situation, soldiers always looked up to their leaders for decision. It might be not be the best decision at that moment but it is just what soldiers need, and it must come quickly. Lack of decision kills more soldiers in the battlefield than bad decisions. Soldiers would always be willing to die for something rather than fight for nothing.
Reflecting on my past, I often wonder how I did as a leader, from the perspective of the men I led. I knew I had a vision for my unit which I articulated to my men when I started my stint. But was I able to effectively and clearly communicate it them? Was I able to develop the culture of giving rather than taking in my unit? Was I able to instill pride in them? Was I able to effectively carry them to victory? Was I able to meet their expectations of me as their leader? What about my superiors who entrusted me with leadership? How about my fellow leaders?
My introspection was both humbling and eye-opening as I realize I wasn’t as good as I thought I was. Perhaps not even close. But as I look back, it also dawned on me that I still haven’t maximized my potential as a leader, and that there is bigger room for me to develop. But what kind of leader do I really want to become? Do I want to be charismatic like Obama? Inspirational like Gandhi? Or a revolutionary like Bonifacio? And what kind of organization do I want to build? What kind of organizational culture do I want to create and promote? A ‘just-do-it’ and ‘giver’ kind of place ala St John the Compassionate Mission, or a ‘to-each-his-own’/ ‘taker’ organization like Goodjobz?
On Motivation
Why do soldiers do what they do? Why do they go to battle knowing that it is always a ‘50-50’ chance- you either go home alive and unscathed, or go home lifeless or injured? Most soldiers like me would tell you that they love being a soldier. It is what we have always wanted to do. It was my childhood dream, and being in the Army is a dream come true for me. This might be a classic example of Intrinsic Motivation. We find soldiery personally rewarding. Soldiery is a hazardous profession and yet thousands are lining up to enlist. Training is literally blood-sweat-and-tears but volunteers are overflowing even for the most grueling courses.
Now this is the challenge for leaders, a test of leadership. Soldiers already have that inherent motivation to serve- the reason why they enlisted in the first place. The challenge is on how to keep this motivation going, to keep the fire burning and to keep soldiers moving forward despite adversities and challenges. Those who have lost a meaningful reason to serve, and lost someone to motivate and inspire them are usually the ones who bolt out and abandon the service first. Those have managed to keep the fire in them alive are those who survive the most dangerous missions.
What does it take to develop, maintain and sustain the motivation of soldiers? Is it enough to give them autonomy or develop their competence? In my experience, quality training along with adequate equipment are among the most crucial factors that motivate soldiers. Soldiers are competitive and competition sometimes comes at a huge price-life. As such, they must hone their skills to perfection, and continuously polish it to stay alive. Training develops their competence, and competence gives them confidence. The more confident they are the more motivated to serve they become.
However, it goes beyond the physical or material aspects. To endure the rigors of training and survive hazardous environments, a soldier must be motivated not only by his salary, not only be promises of benefits, not only by awards and medals, but more importantly by his own passion to serve and do good for the people and the country. Soldiers need to be constantly counseled as they need somebody to talk to. They have their own dreams, hopes and aspirations. Family support is as critical to keep them energized, inspired and motivated.
Meanwhile, it also goes without saying that a leader must also be motivated enough to be able to motivate others especially his subordinates. “Knowing one’s self and seeking self-improvement”; and being “tactically and technically proficient” are principles that develop a leader’s competence. He must be courageous enough to be able to set the goal for the organization, and lead toward its pursuit. He must be committed enough to inspire commitment among his subordinates. He must be competent enough to promote and build confidence among his people. And most of all, he must possess integrity to foster accountability, fairness and equality in the organization.
Over and above these attributes, a leader must have a heart to be successful in leading. He needs a big heart to have the courage to lead both in times of peace and war. He needs a bigger heart to motivate people to have equal or even greater motivation than him. And he needs an even bigger heart to be able to create an environment that promotes these values, and build an organization that opens unlimited opportunities for people to progress and succeed.
On Leadership
Leadership is one of the most basic things I have learned as a soldier. Our trainings are replete with various lessons on leadership- tactical, operational and strategic for both combat and non-combat situations. With HBDO, I was able to revisit what leadership meant for me beyond the BE-KNOW-DO framework. I had the chance to look back and refresh myself on the military’s Principles of Leadership and assess myself how I fared on each. What kind of leader was I? What kind of leader am I now? What do I aspire to be?
I realized that I was and still am a transactional leader most of the time. I often focus on setting goals, rewarding achievements and recognizing superior performance especially when I am placed in- charge of a small unit. Proactive that I am, I try to anticipate things, constantly running scenarios in my head, and consciously developing actions and counter actions. I take immediate action when my team or unit is confronted with a situation. Victory favors the prepare, or so they say.
There are many occasions when I also practiced transformational leadership. When entrusted with leadership of a problematic or dysfunctional unit, I had to find ways on how to put it on reverse, and stir it forward along a new course. Adoptive or situational leadership also comes in handy for me
when dealing with an ‘alphabet soup’ organization. Company leadership is very much different from small unit leadership. The principles may be the same but the art and science behind it are quite different. On many occasions, I had to put together a team of soldiers with diverse backgrounds and personalities. They came from various ethno-linguistic groups, had assorted cultural and religious biases, dissimilar level of skills, and most importantly, different motivation. I had to adopt my style to the team’s ‘personality’, and the task or mission at hand. Failing to recognize this kind of diversity could easily lead to the breakdown of the team. The lack of solid teamwork and camaraderie among soldiers results to mission failure, and worse, to loss of lives. A leader’s leadership style is not developed overnight or acquired in an instant. Lt. Col. Enrique Ileto, a bemedaled Army officer said, his leadership style is a blend of that of his former commanders. I agree. We tend to adopt leadership styles practiced or embodied by persons we admire, idolize or respect immensely. Three of my former commanders were among the greatest influencers of my career. They have immensely contributed to my growth us an officer and leader and until now, I still consult them about leadership decisions, career moves and even family matters.
A big part of our personality is shaped by our environment: the family we grew up with; the circle of friends we have; the peers we relate with; the organization we belong to; and the society we live in. It is also heavily influenced by people’s expectations and institutional mandates. I have always encouraged collective decision- making because my family always consulted us when making decisions that could affect the entire family. My parents despised conflict in any form and were more into forging consensus and creating harmony among the family members. They were always willing to sacrifice anything to give us the best despite their meager resources. They were always ready to go the extra mile without expecting anything in return. When it was my turn to lead a unit, I saw to it that my men lived and worked in harmony amidst adversity and diversity. I shared to them what my parents taught me, what the academy has honed me for- to give more and take less.
Barbara Kellerman in her article “Leadership- Warts and All” said that “leaders weren’t always nice”. She said Machiavelli admired “unscrupulous leaders who exercised authority with an iron fist”. Machiavelli, according to Kellerman, believes “the only truly bad leadership is weak leadership”. Perhaps she was right. Perhaps Machiavelli was correct as well. There are no perfect leaders and there are no unblemished organizations. I, for one, wasn’t always nice to my men. I generously rewarded people but I punished twice as much. I was liberal with privileges but I was hard on people when it comes to mission accomplishment. I surely made a lot of mistakes and bad decisions but one thing I am NOT guilty of, was the lack of decision. An unwise decision is better than having no decision at all. Faced with a perilous situation, soldiers always looked up to their leaders for decision. It might be not be the best decision at that moment but it is just what soldiers need, and it must come quickly. Lack of decision kills more soldiers in the battlefield than bad decisions. Soldiers would always be willing to die for something rather than fight for nothing.
Reflecting on my past, I often wonder how I did as a leader, from the perspective of the men I led. I knew I had a vision for my unit which I articulated to my men when I started my stint. But was I able to effectively and clearly communicate it them? Was I able to develop the culture of giving rather than taking in my unit? Was I able to instill pride in them? Was I able to effectively carry them to victory? Was I able to meet their expectations of me as their leader? What about my superiors who entrusted me with leadership? How about my fellow leaders?
My introspection was both humbling and eye-opening as I realize I wasn’t as good as I thought I was. Perhaps not even close. But as I look back, it also dawned on me that I still haven’t maximized my potential as a leader, and that there is bigger room for me to develop. But what kind of leader do I really want to become? Do I want to be charismatic like Obama? Inspirational like Gandhi? Or a revolutionary like Bonifacio? And what kind of organization do I want to build? What kind of organizational culture do I want to create and promote? A ‘just-do-it’ and ‘giver’ kind of place ala St John the Compassionate Mission, or a ‘to-each-his-own’/ ‘taker’ organization like Goodjobz?
On Motivation
Why do soldiers do what they do? Why do they go to battle knowing that it is always a ‘50-50’ chance- you either go home alive and unscathed, or go home lifeless or injured? Most soldiers like me would tell you that they love being a soldier. It is what we have always wanted to do. It was my childhood dream, and being in the Army is a dream come true for me. This might be a classic example of Intrinsic Motivation. We find soldiery personally rewarding. Soldiery is a hazardous profession and yet thousands are lining up to enlist. Training is literally blood-sweat-and-tears but volunteers are overflowing even for the most grueling courses.
Now this is the challenge for leaders, a test of leadership. Soldiers already have that inherent motivation to serve- the reason why they enlisted in the first place. The challenge is on how to keep this motivation going, to keep the fire burning and to keep soldiers moving forward despite adversities and challenges. Those who have lost a meaningful reason to serve, and lost someone to motivate and inspire them are usually the ones who bolt out and abandon the service first. Those have managed to keep the fire in them alive are those who survive the most dangerous missions.
What does it take to develop, maintain and sustain the motivation of soldiers? Is it enough to give them autonomy or develop their competence? In my experience, quality training along with adequate equipment are among the most crucial factors that motivate soldiers. Soldiers are competitive and competition sometimes comes at a huge price-life. As such, they must hone their skills to perfection, and continuously polish it to stay alive. Training develops their competence, and competence gives them confidence. The more confident they are the more motivated to serve they become.
However, it goes beyond the physical or material aspects. To endure the rigors of training and survive hazardous environments, a soldier must be motivated not only by his salary, not only be promises of benefits, not only by awards and medals, but more importantly by his own passion to serve and do good for the people and the country. Soldiers need to be constantly counseled as they need somebody to talk to. They have their own dreams, hopes and aspirations. Family support is as critical to keep them energized, inspired and motivated.
Meanwhile, it also goes without saying that a leader must also be motivated enough to be able to motivate others especially his subordinates. “Knowing one’s self and seeking self-improvement”; and being “tactically and technically proficient” are principles that develop a leader’s competence. He must be courageous enough to be able to set the goal for the organization, and lead toward its pursuit. He must be committed enough to inspire commitment among his subordinates. He must be competent enough to promote and build confidence among his people. And most of all, he must possess integrity to foster accountability, fairness and equality in the organization.
Over and above these attributes, a leader must have a heart to be successful in leading. He needs a big heart to have the courage to lead both in times of peace and war. He needs a bigger heart to motivate people to have equal or even greater motivation than him. And he needs an even bigger heart to be able to create an environment that promotes these values, and build an organization that opens unlimited opportunities for people to progress and succeed.
