Every crisis is also an opportunity, not just for people to show their good side their altruism, charity and compassion but also for leaders true leaders to shine.
There is this book Forged in Crisis: The Power of Courageous Leadership in Turbulent Times written by author and Harvard business historian and professor, Nancy Koehn.
Her findings, after studying courageous crisis leaders for two decades, is that “real leaders are not born; the ability to help others triumph over adversity is not written into their genetic code.”
Real leaders are, instead, made. According to her, they are “forged in crisis.” Leaders become “real” when they “practice a few key behaviors that gird and inspire people through difficult times.”
Our chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, fondly called “MVP” by peers and fellow workers alike, cited this book in his recent talk on leadership during crisis, the first virtual talk conducted by the Wharton-Penn Alumni Association of the Philippines. This was made possible by Duane Santos, alumni president, and alumna Julie Carceller.
The crisis in focus is the current COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on life and business in the country, particularly under various phases of community quarantine.
When asked by award-winning host Cathy Yang on what he did when Luzon was first placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), MVP, himself a Wharton-Penn alumnus, said that he had to take care first of three things: 1. The employees of the various companies under the MVP Group; 2. Maintaining connectivity and service excellence; and 3. Assisting government with its COVID-19 response to those most affected.
Profitability had to take a back seat, MVP said, because the health and safety of our people, our employees, was of the highest concern.
Most of the companies suffered under the pandemic, the hardest hit during the ECQ being the transportation-related businesses like the LRT1 and Tollways.
In spite of the challenges to cash flows and capital expenses, all companies managed to survive. In fact, they will even thrive in a post-pandemic world.
According to MVP, crisis can either be a “black swan” (unforeseen, but with a huge blast effect) or a “gray rhino” (highly probable, but ignored, like the proverbial “elephant in the room”). COVID-19 has painfully reminded us, says MVP, that businesses operate in a Darwinian landscape — that it will not be the biggest or smartest who will survive, but those who best adapt to change.
He also referred to a recent homily made by Fr. Danny Huang, S.J., former provincial of the Philippine Jesuit Province, which read: “One concept I have found helpful in naming our time is that of ‘liminality’ — that strange and unsettling time and state… that space between no longer and not yet.”
For MVP, this best describes where we are today: “in transition, a passage into ambiguity and disorientation — a point in time where the doors of the past are closing behind us, and we, standing at the threshold of a future that is fluid and unknown.”
This makes our job of telling what’s ahead dangerous. This VUCA world that I cannot over-emphasize enough.
As he remarked at the end of his talk, “I’m reminded of what was once said, ‘If you want to make God laugh, just tell Him your plans...’”
With leaders like MVP, who continues to inspire me and others with his leadership by example, with his humility and faith in God Almighty, we will see this through.
A real leader forged in crisis.
Every bit a Filipino who wants nothing more than for Filipinos to prosper, for this nation to grow.
Happy birthday, Boss MVP!