‘Kayo ang boss ko’ (‘You’re my boss’) was the catch phrase that made the headlines on President Benigno Aquino III’s inauguration. This was a reprise of his campaign message, ‘Kayo ang aking lakas’ (‘You are my strength’) and while it sounds simple, it represents a paradigm shift from traditional to transformational leadership. He has, in fact, declared that he will be a servant-leader.
The inaugural speech evoked memories of the response that he gave at the memorial service for his late mother, former President Corazon Aquino in Manila Cathedral last year. He echoed then the sentiments of Juan de la Cruz as he asked: Why is it that people who study and work hard, lead honest and simple lives just can’t seem to make it out in Philippine society today?
Without giving an answer, he mirrored the feelings of millions of Filipinos who had quietly yet painstakingly endured many years of arrogant misrule. It’s simply because of a national leadership that had become too heady with power and too preoccupied with transactional politics and self-aggrandizement.
People warmed up to his message during the campaign because he connected with them like a simple, no-nonsense and reliable friend. No fiery oratory, no claim to charisma, just plain honesty and sincerity. The other day at the Luneta, Noynoy Aquino had come full circle from Manila Cathedral: he was already articulating the dreams and aspirations of his people, this time as their President.
Recall that at the start of the formal campaign period last February, he was struggling to maintain his frontrunner status as one of his rivals poured in tens of millions in television advertising. He had difficulty connecting with the younger voters, mostly from Class D and those that composed the main working force of the nation because his message wasn’t delivered in a blunt and direct manner.
In his inaugural, there were no abstract platitudes or lofty philosophy, only plain speak: “Kayo ba ay minsan ring nalimutan ng pamahalaang inyong iniluklok sa puwesto? Ako rin. Kayo ba ay nagtiis na sa trapiko para lamang masingitan ng isang naghahari-hariang de-wangwang sa kalsada? Ako rin. Kayo ba ay sawang-sawa na sa pamahalaang sa halip na magsilbi sa taumbayan ay kailangan pa nila itong pagpasensiyahan at tiisin? Ako rin.”
(“Have you ever been ignored by the very government you helped put in power? I have. Have you had to endure being rudely shoved aside by the siren-blaring escorts of those who love to display their position and power over you? I have, too. Have you experienced exasperation and anger at a government that instead of serving you, needs to be endured by you? So have I.”)
In the face of such rude awakening, this is he proposed a common pact between him as leader and the people: “Inaanyayahan ko kayo ngayon na manumpa sa ating mga sarili, sa sambayanan, walang maiiwan.Walang pangingibang-bayan at gastusan na walang wastong dahilan. Walang pagtalikod sa mga salitang binitawan noong kampanya, ngayon at hanggang sa mga susunod pang pagsubok na pagdadaanan sa loob ng anim na taon.Walang lamangan, walang padrino, at walang pagnanakaw. Walang wang-wang, walang counterflow, walang tong. Panahon na upang tayo ay muling magkawang-gawa.”
(“Today, I am inviting you to pledge to yourselves and to our people. No one shall be left behind. No more junkets, no more senseless spending. No more turning back on pledges made during the campaign, whether today or in the coming challenges that will confront us over the next six years. No more influence-peddling, no more patronage politics, no more stealing. No more sirens, no more short cuts, no more bribes. It is time for us to work together once more.”)
President Aquino breaks new ground as he offers Filipinos a new brand of servant-leadership that departs from the norms of traditional and transactional politics that his predecessor personified. The People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) has come up with a competency profile for the Philippine President that was developed for the 2004 presidential elections and updated last year.
Servant leadership was among the key competencies listed and the servant leader was defined as one who “serves the people with a genuinely caring heart. Works hard and well to achieve the goals of government.”
What makes servant leadership essential? PMAP’s rationale:
“The Philippine president must genuinely desire to serve the interests of the Filipino people instead of simply using the powers of the position to enrich himself and his/her relatives and cronies. The President sets the tone for the entire bureaucracy. Government servants pick up subtle and not- so- subtle cues from the President’s speech and behavior; thus (s)he should be beyond reproach. At the same time, the president’s job follows an exacting work pace. Equally very important tasks demand his/her attention given the limited time of the day. Thus, S/he must be able to exemplify very good work habits of working and learning continuously to discern and act effectively on the issues of the day.”
The behaviors associated with being a servant leader are: a) sacrifices personal, familial or other vested interests for the common good; b) displays humility and reaches out to all sectors; c) practices good work ethic; and d) learns continuously. The associated competencies are integrity, humility, continuous learning, and decisiveness and stress tolerance.
P. Noy (as he himself wants to be called by the people) has sufficiently demonstrated many of the aforementioned traits that have, in fact, endeared him to the people. In the months and years ahead, he will have abundant opportunities to cultivate and develop especially the competencies of continuous learning, decisiveness and stress tolerance.
From the professor to the student: this was another facet of the Arroyo to Aquino transition. P. Noy’s presidency represents a great leap forward by a much younger generation of Filipinos. He is not just the first President to be elected in automated national elections. He is also the first to be elected in the era of social networking.
This is why it is absolutely important that the second Aquino presidency be characterized by yet another clear break from the past: that it will be a presidency that truly initiates and promotes open, free-flowing and continuous two-way communication between the government and the people. Gone is the era of unilateral downloading (or cascading) of directives and pronouncements from the mountaintop. If the people are truly the boss, they deserve full and untrammeled access to the proverbial corridors of power --- if not physically, then virtually, 24 by 7.
P. Noy may not be able to text back an answer to every question pronto, but it certainly feels good for his boss Juan de la Cruz to know that he is only an SMS away.
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