No matter how and where you find it, promise us one thing: always keep it burning. (Jonathan Yabut) Recently, we conducted our Student Leadership Development Program. This an activity attended by student leaders from different colleges.
We conducted activities and training programs that will fit for them and expecting that learnings will be applied in order for them to effectively and efficiently manage their respective organizations. I invited my friend to share his insights on leadership.
Being a student leader himself during his college days, he was able to reach out and deliver what is expected- to motivate all of us. And yes he did. I admired him for his deep thoughts and rationalizations every time we had our late conversations at night or even during our catch- up moments with the barkada.
One of his topics gave me an idea for self-evaluation- I reflected and asked myself the following questions “What is the reason of my existence and my being? What is my personal mission in life? Is it aligned with the plans of the Force? Will the universe conspire and conform to my wishes?” My friend introduced Ikigai- a Japanese concept usually used to indicate the source of value in one’s life or the things that make one’s life worthwhile.
According to research, discovering your personal Ikigai can bring fulfillment and happiness in everything that you do. In order for you to determine your Ikigai, you ask yourself: “What do I love? What am I good at? What does the world need?” This will guide you. Tracing my memory lane, I became a Human Resource and Administrative Manager at the age of twenty two (22) when I joined the private sector.
Highly competitive, young and idealistic. It was not easy but I gambled just to prove to myself that I can. I just applied the best practices I gained from my previous employer – the government, learnings gained from school when I was then a student leader, my people skills, used my common sense and take risks from time to time. Being responsible for the well-being, success and failures of the employees is big challenge and burden to take on.
Managing my own work, managing and leading employees and making sure that the team is working cohesively can be both tiring and overwhelming. Becoming a good leader doesn’t happen overnight. And it’s difficult to get things right. It is something you need to continuously work at. All throughout the years I engaged in continuous learnings- including but not limited to reading Management related-books, enrolling in short term courses and post graduate studies to fully equip myself with knowledge. Because I know that “Thought Leaders” matter and has huge impact on business competiveness, productivity and employee engagement in a particular organization. As HR Practitioner, I am wearing many hats.
Wearing many hats requires strong interpersonal skills, compassion, objectivity, fairness, leadership and motivational skills. I interact with various types of people with different personalities, needs and demands every day. Not to mention those with attitude problems, psychos, drama kings and queens and etc. This is normal and acceptable- part of the job. But sometimes, I get angry for many reasons. Getting angry is natural and can create healthy responses in a given situation but holding to that anger is not. I got easily irritated and angry nowadays- and I appreciate it. It allows me to feel something and to feel alive.
It gives me a strong sense of identity. I always stand up for what I believe in and something to stand up for. When I’m angry, it’s one way of letting people know that they are wrong, they should listen and evaluate themselves too. Sometimes, you need to generate pain to motivate someone in order for them to make a change in their lives.
Nothing personal. I am guided with the ancient teachings of Desiderata, motivational statements of Jonathan Yabut, the strategies of Art of War and the concept of “Servant Leadership” originally introduced and coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in one of his essays published in 1970s, The Servant as Leader which says “The servant leader is servant first, it begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first” Now, I can answer my questions- I am destined to teach, to lead and to serve without expecting something in return. Go and find your Ikigai!