MANILA, Philippines – As they say, great leaders usually set out to make a difference not only in their chosen profession but also for society. They set goals that not only serve their best interest but also benefit other people.
This was the fundamental principle that was imparted to the 40 student achievers who participated in the recently concluded 5th ARC Young Leaders Camp (ARCYLC) with the theme, “Inspiring Dreamers to Become Leaders.”
Influencers and renowned change-makers were invited to share their experiences on how they cultivated their own leadership potential.
For Karen Davila, one of the most respected and award-winning broadcast journalists, leadership starts from the inside. Davila set the tone for the delegates’ journey in discovering and unlocking their leadership capabilities: learning self-mastery first and foremost.
“The first person and the hardest one to lead is yourself so stay focused on your goals. Be the best in your chosen profession,” Davila told the delegates.
This was echoed by Angelo Lobrin, best-selling author of the inspirational book, Laugh with God, Today! He motivated the young leaders to explore what they will be good at and not to give up even in the face of failure and rejection. But most of all, “you have to live life first, before you can inspire as leaders.”
“You can never finish work, but work can finish you,” Lobrin added. “How do you define success? Power, popularity, money — these can all be taken away. One thing will stay: relationships. So enjoy every moment of your life.”
Lobrin had his own difficulties when he was younger, which he shared with the batch. But despite being looked down upon by his peers at school, Lobrin chose to show goodness as a way of getting back. “The greatest revenge is not success, but humility. Showing humility in front of those who maligned you — that’s nobility,” he shared.
Using one’s hardships as an inspiration to do good to others is what set some successful people apart to make a change in society. Efren Peñaflorida, CNN’s Hero of the Year 2009 and Kesz Valdez, International Children’s Peace Prize 2012 awardee, shared their experiences of hardship and triumph together with their mentor Bonn Manalaysay, Club 8586 founder.
Before Peñaflorida pushed his famous kariton (pushcart) to promote education for street children, he almost quit school because of the constant bullying. Valdez, on the other hand, was left to wander the streets at athe tender age of four. Both almost succumbed to their lives of defeat, when Manalaysay took them in and made them discover their inner leader.
“It all starts with the aspiration to lead,” Manalaysay said. This desire should then be followed by thorough research to create a solution and bring about change.
Defining new limits, breaking barriers and leading change was also the motivation behind the works of the other change-makers that were invited to share their perspectives for successful leadership. Lynn Pinugu, executive director of the Mano Amiga Academy, a primary school that caters to an indigent community in Taguig City, shared her own experiences raising funds for the school especially after the onslaught of typhoon Ondoy in 2009.
“If you’re working for a cause, you’ll never run out of challenges. But never stop responding to these challenges. Failure is just another word for growing. And sharing is an essential part in the path of growth. Be grateful and remain humble. When you get fame, power and money, the fight gets harder. It’s easy to have integrity at first but how you end matters so much more,” said Pinugu.
Aisa Mijeno, co-founder and chief executive officer of SALt (Sustainable Alternative Lighting) technology, emphasized that working towards a project for social good can be done as long as there is a sound solution and a passion from people to make it a reality.
“You all have access to a world of learning especially through the worldwide web,” she said. “You can actually learn by yourself. Just have the initiative and the leadership to make it happen.”
Apart from the talks that inspired the student-leaders to be the next movers and shakers of the country, the ARCYLC also held hands-on trainings and workshops. At the end of the camp, the student-teams, named after the values espoused by the camp — Integrity, Resourcefulness, Teamwork and Discipline — applied their learning and presented case studies that addressed a specific need in their identified target community.
The ARCYLC is an annual leadership program for the disadvantaged Filipino youth to develop their leadership potential and values. This year’s batch of young leaders was carefully selected from a pool of 200 applicants from the country’s state universities and public colleges, the most number of applicants the camp has seen so far. The 5th ARCYLC was held at Camp Benjamin in Alfonso, Cavite.