Gentleness as a means of leadership?

When we say ‘leader’ or ‘leadership’ we normally equate this with someone who has a swashbuckling personality. They are people who standout among the many because they dare to assume leadership positions when no one dares. They admonish their subordinates not only based on their position of leadership but it’s also rooted on the strength of their character and personality. 

How about gentleness? Does it have a place in a leader’s exercise of his leadership functions especially in the area of discipline? It has a place but this is something that many leaders tend to overlook or intentionally forget. Because they favor the strong personality of leadership rather than its gentle and humble side.

Traditional, leadership styles emphasize boldness, authority, and power. But gentleness offers a unique and valuable approach to leading and managing others. Gentleness humanizes and gives leadership an added dimension that leaders can utilize when they feel that there’s a need for it.

One of the specific areas where we could fully utilize gentleness in leadership is during the imposition of discipline. There are leaders who impose discipline based on the strength of their position, authority, power, and overbearing egos. They do this by personally berating the erring individual(s), and this has become the norm for many of us.

Gentleness  is oftentimes mistaken for weakness by those who have limited understanding of leadership. But this is not true because gentleness can also be bold, determined, courageous, and direct to the point. However, gentleness in leadership is never harsh, arrogant or oppressive. In truth and in fact, gentleness is a powerful technique for leaders and manages which they can harness whenever they want. 

It has been proven time and again that a person is more open to change his ways for the better when we talk to him with gentleness. Rather than talk based on the strength of our character, authority and power.  For example when we approach an erring person with gentleness he is more open to change and there is less resistance. Rather than approach him with our authority coupled with our bloated egos.

While gentleness in leadership can be effective, it is not suitable for every situation. There would be situations when a more assertive or authoritative leadership approach is required. For example, during times of crisis or when decisive decisions are need to be made. The efficiency of leadership style also depends on the leader's ability to couple gentleness with other leadership approach to suit the need of the situation and the need of the organization. 

Gentleness as a leadership technique can help create a positive and productive work environment, improve communication, and foster teamwork within the organization. It's just one of the many leadership approaches available, and its effectiveness hinges on the timing of its utilization.

For a change why not try employing gentleness more often in your exercise of leadership and see the good result that it would give you?  - Marino J. Dasmarinas

Can consideration be an instrument of motivation?

The story is told about an employee who was requesting his boss a consideration if he could give him some days off. Because he will be attending to a personal family matter. After asking a few validating questions the boss said yes!

Consideration is a powerful instrument of motivation, particularly in the context of leadership and other Human Behavior in Organization relationships. Consideration points to the act of showing empathy for an employee’s need and wellbeing. When leaders and managers exercise consideration, it would influence motivation.

For example, Trust, Respect and Obedience are strengthened: When subordinates are listened, understood, and valued, they are more likely to trust, obey and respect the person giving consideration. This positive human behavior dynamics give birth to motivation.

It is a given fact of organization life that when subordinates are given consideration, they become more engaged and committed in their work. They feel a sense of ownership and commitment because they believe their contributions matter and are recognized. This engagement leads to increased motivation and dedication to achieving goals.

Consideration creates an environment of psychological safety. Where subordinates and direct reports feel comfortable taking risks, expressing ideas and being vulnerable without fear of judgment or even punishment. Such an environment encourages creativity, innovation, and intrinsic motivation.

To sum it all, consideration plays a crucial role in enhancing employees’ motivation. Because it creates a positive and supportive organizational atmosphere and it strengthen the leader and employee relationship. But of course, consideration is also subject to abuse by unscrupulous employees. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the leader/manager to carefully evaluate his granting of consideration. – Marino J. Dasmarinas  

Are you a Positive Leader?

 

A positive leader is someone who uses humane and democratic methods in the exercise of his/her leadership. For example, when imposing discipline such as verbal reprimand he would always see to it that the reprimand is done in private wherein nobody will be aware of it except the parties involve. And he does not shout to his subordinates he instead talks to them in a civilized manner. He does this to let them know that there’s always a chance for them to straighten up their behavior. 

This is consistently the behavior of a positive leader. His end objective is always to correct and motivate and not destroy the morale of his subordinates/people. He would at all times think of ways to make everyone in his organization a contributor to the growth of the organization. 

Another quality of a positive leader is his infectious positive outlook in life. You would never see him frown even during trying times he would wear that optimistic smile every time on his face. And this is a very good demeanor for a leader because his positive and optimistic character will certainly rub off to his subordinates. 

A positive leader is also very accessible to anyone; he does not create silos and walls that only creates alienation and division in his organization. He is not egocentric nor a power tripper he instead is a model of humility and hard work. 

Just imagine an organization with a positive leader he will certainly bring his organization to greater heights. And he will surely be a positive influence to his subordinates. We therefore have to use positive leadership in our exercise of leadership because this is the only way for us to become good and effective leaders. - Marino J. Dasmarinas

The importance of Moral Ascendancy in Leadership

The story is told about a leader who had been espousing ethical and good leadership to his people. It was smooth sailing for his leadership during the first year then after his first year his lack of moral ascendancy began to unravel. There were allegations of lavish partying, corruption, womanizing, breach of discipline, abuse of authority to name a few.

What is Moral Ascendancy? Moral Ascendancy is the influence that a leader holds toward his people through his moral, ethical and righteous leadership. A leader who does not have moral ascendancy will not last long in his leadership position.

Sooner or later the people under his influence and leadership will come to realize that this leader has no more moral high ground to lead them. So what they will do is they will protest against the morally deficient leader to let the leader know that he is not anymore fit to lead them.

This protest could lead to the leader’s resignation that is if the leader is sensitive to the pulse of his people. If the leader would decide to cling to his leadership position, power and authority he should be prepared to face the wrath of his people.

Moral ascendancy is very important in leadership be it in government or in the private sector because there is no successful and effective leadership without it. How can a leader effectively lead if the respect that he gets from his people or subordinates is only a façade?

How can he effectively communicate his ideas if he is not anymore being listened too because of his eroding moral authority? How can a leader command discipline and respect if the behaviors that he exhibits are lacking in discipline and respect?

If a leader is aspiring to be successful in his exercise of leadership and if he is attempting to build a lasting legacy upon it. He must see to it that he is not only competent in the exercise of his leadership he must also see to it that he should have the moral ascendancy to lead.

Otherwise his leadership is like a beautiful castle built on sand on the seashore. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

The leadership styles of Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin

Two of the most familiar names right now are those of Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Their countries are neighbors in Europe but both are engaged in a destructive war that nobody wants except Russia. 

Volodymyr Zelenskyy became the 6^th President of Ukraine on May 2019, he exercises his presidential power using the democratic style of leadership. He allows free exchange of ideas, there is check and balance in government and everyone has the right to criticize him.  

When a leader uses democratic style of leadership he encourages growth in his organization. For the simple reason that there is free flowing traffic of ideas which benefit the leader and the organization that he/she leads. Leaders of first world countries such as the USA, Canada, Germany, Australia, Japan, France and a lot more are using the democratic style of leadership no wonder why they are rich, powerful and progressive.     

Leaders who employ the democratic style of leadership are leaders who are confident in their practice of leadership. They know how to exercise their function of leadership without using the factor of fear to push their organizational objectives and agendas. And they exercise their leadership with transparency and openness. They also are sensitive to the voice of the people because they recognize that their temporal power to govern emanates from the people.     

On the other hand, Vladimir Putin is an autocratic leader. He became the most powerful man in Russia during December 1999 until this very day. In total he has been ruling Russia with an Iron fist for almost 23 years and counting. Putin is a dictator and when a nation is ruled by a dictator that nation becomes poor. Why? Because there is no check and balance in his/her governance. Hence, the government that he/she leads becomes a fertile ground for corruption and other abuses by those who are in power. The dictator’s word and rule are absolute no one can contradict him except himself.     

In this unprovoked war which was instigated by Russia we see how weak the leadership of President Putin. Despite of him being a dictator and despite of the gargantuan advantage of the Russian armed forces over the Ukrainian armed forces.  It’s a fact that after almost seven weeks now the Russian military might has not conquered Ukraine. This is attributed to poor planning and logistical shortcomings. 

Why did it happen that Russia was not able to plan and execute properly? Because there was lacking of inputs from the lower level Russian military planners. President Putin listened only to himself and to his select generals/advisers who thought that Ukraine will simply cower in fear once they invade. 

Dictators are actually weak leaders. Since they have to resort to their dictatorial/authoritarian powers to command respect and obedience from the people that they rule. They never consult the broad spectrum of their people when making important plans and decisions. Unlike democratic leaders who encourage people participation in their exercise of governance.    

Strong, effective and respectable leaders can easily command respect and obedience. Because they lead by example, they are loved by their people and they know how to respect the rights of their people. And this typifies the democratic style of leadership of Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenzkyy.  – Marino J. Dasmarinas

The Importance of Consistency in Leadership

Mr. X is a newly designated manager in a government office, upon his assumption of his new leadership role. He spelled out what he wants to achieve in his new office, he stated the targets and he emphasized the discipline that he wants to be strictly observed by his subordinates. He was successful with his function of leadership during his first few months.  

After a year he noticed that there was an obvious decline in the achievements of his subordinates and the discipline of his people has already waned also.      

He pondered on the decline of his subordinates achievement and behavior. But he did not find anything that would say that he was the cause of the decline of his people’s achievement and behavior. Until he consulted a university professor who was an expert in organizational behavior. After a week of analysis and study the professor zeroed in on how the manager exercised his leadership and managerial function. Thus, the manager was asked by the professor: Are you still consistent on how you exercise these functions?  

This question made the leader think on how he exercised his functions as a manager and leader of his office. After honestly evaluating himself he found out that he was not as disciplined as before. He found out that he was not anymore people oriented like before.  

So the professor told him that his problem was his lack of consistency with his leadership functions. He was further told by the professor that he needs for bring back the same drive and fervor that he initially had when he first assumed his position of leadership.  

The manager followed the advice and after a short period of time the office was back on its feet again. The targets were again met and the discipline and motivation of his subordinates were at its best again. 

Every now and then the problem of leadership consistency is a dilemma that every leader/manager encounters. The passing of time and temporary success makes a leader complacent and this is not a good sign for a leader. A good leader is someone who is consistent in his exercise of leadership all the time. 

This Consistency in leadership is right now being exemplified by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Because he has not waivered in his leadership function from day one when Ukraine was suddenly invaded by the vastly superior Russian Armed Forces on February 24. But despite of Russia’s superiority it has not taken over a single Ukrainian city.  

This we can attribute to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Consistent Leadership. He is always a personification of strength, visible on the ground and on social media as if it is still the first day of war. - Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Volodymyr Zelenskyy/Volodymyr Zelensky: A Heroic, Inspiring, and Shining Leadership Masterclass #mjdasma

The man of the hour right now is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy his name, videos and quotes are trending in the world of social media. Why? Because he dared to face head-on Russian president Vlaldimir Putin’s immoral, unprovoked and inhuman war against his sovereign nation.     

It all began on February 24 Thursday, when Putin’s tanks, missiles and other hardware of war and destruction rumbled through targeted cities of Ukraine most specifically the city of Kyiv where the seat of power is located. Because of Pres. Putin’s very superior military might and nuclear armaments the world thought that it would simply be a cakewalk for Putin but it is not, in fact it’s shaping to be a quagmire for Putin and his Russian military cohorts.   

Hours before Ukraine was invaded by the Russian Armed Forces President Zelenskyy in a video address warned President Putin by saying: "When you attack us, you will see our faces not our backs."

On February 25, the morning after Russian missiles rained and tanks went rumbling inside Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted a video and defiantly vowed to stay and fight on and He said: “I am here. We are not putting down arms. We will be defending our country, because our weapon is truth, and our truth is that this is our land, our country, our children, and we will defend all of this.” These courageous words from Zelenskyy galvanized and inspired his people to hold the line no matter the odds against them.  

What lesson/s of leadership can we derived from this video of Zelenskyy and his succeeding other pronouncements?  

Lesson number one: Great leaders such as Zelenskyy always leads the way and shows the way. This simply means that these great leaders are in the thick of things, they are in the trenches they give orders and fight in the battlefield and not within the confines of their luxurious and secured offices. When the USA offered him a safe way out of his besieged nation he stood his ground and courageously said:  "The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride."      

Lesson number two: Great leaders are effective communicators they use social media to their advantage, they carefully craft their messages. And immediately communicate to their people and subordinates what needs to be communicated. Time is of the essence here because a delay of what the leader needs to communicate can cost him dearly in terms of his reputation, character and leadership position. Zelenskyy is a master communicator since he is a former actor and a comedian at that. He flawlessly communicated his inspiring messages of defiance and solidarity with his soldiers, his people and with the world.   

Lesson number three: Great leaders like Pres. Zelenskyy project strong image and calmness at all times. Why? So that he can inspire, mold and motivate his people to fight the invaders/oppressors no matter how strong they are in this case President Putin and his Russian armed forces. Notice that in that video Zelenskyy face was an epitome of bravery, calmness and defiance and he chose a historical and strongly-built building as his backdrop. 

Lesson number four: Great leaders are not afraid to ask for help they show their vulnerability. During the second day of the attack when the chips were down on the Ukrainian side. Zelenskyy was not afraid to say this: “Who is ready to fight alongside us? I don’t see anyone. Who is ready to give Ukraine a guarantee of NATO membership? Everyone is afraid.”   “We’re defending our country alone. The most powerful forces in the world are watching this from a distance.” Hours after saying his lament of vulnerability pledges of help in terms of weaponry, other armaments of war and humanitarian assistance began to pour in.  

Lesson number five: Great leaders have a positive mindset, are effective motivators and they have a vision. As the violent forces of war were being unleashed by Russia against Ukraine.  Zelenskyy addressed his people and his nation’s security forces to inspire them: He told them, “Our military, our national guard, our national police, our territory defense, special service, nationals of Ukraine, please carry on. We will win. Why did he say this despite the odds against them? Because he wanted to fuel the morale, fighting spirit and motivation of his people.  And President Zelenskyy is valiantly succeeding for the reason that he, his nation and his people are keeping the violent Russian forces of war at bay. 

Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Courageous and Inspiring leadership masterclass is a true to life continuing saga that unfolds before our very eyes and ears.  It exhibits his extra-ordinary leadership skills which we can learn a lot from as we manage and lead our own respective organizations. Are you learning gems of insights from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Courageous and Inspiring leadership masterclass? 

Let us continue to pray for peace in Ukraine, let us pray for Vladimir Putin’s enlightenment that he will stop this unprovoked war that he created and let us pray for the suffering PEOPLE/NATION of Ukraine– Marino J. Dasmarinas 

When you Impose discipline impose it with civility and respect

How do you impose discipline in your organization? 

Some if not many of us impose discipline the old fashion way. This means that we punish the transgressor right in front of the crowd to shame the person. But when we do this we only plant the seeds of anger and resentment on the person being disciplined. He/she may not immediately vent out the anger and resentment for the shame that he/she had been subjected. But sooner or later he/she would vent out the anger and resentment. 

There are leaders/managers who are heavy-handed when they impose discipline because they think that it is the appropriate way. But heavy-handedness in imposing discipline is counterproductive because it results to the development of deep-seated feeling of resentment. 

So, what should a leader/manager do when he/she impose discipline? The leader/manager should immediately call for a private meeting with the subject transgressor/s so that appropriate punishment could be imposed in private. By doing this the leader/manager avoids the unnecessary and arrogant projection of his/her power and authority. 

What is the importance of having a private meeting with someone who breached the discipline of the organization or someone who is at fault? You signify your sincerity to correct the person who is at fault. And you send a message that you want to immediately contain and solve the problem without grandstanding, ego-tripping and without insulting anyone. 

By doing so, you create a sincere message that you want to heal the wayward behavior without shaming the concerned person in front of the crowd. If you do this you will even get the respect of the person whom you are disciplining.

Many of us commit the mistake of correcting a person in front of a crowd but this will not help heal a wayward behavior. This would only create a deeper emotional resentment to the person who is at fault. Hence, instead of bringing him/her closer to correction, healing and reconciliation we instead are creating an emotional bubble within the person being disciplined which could explode anytime.

 Let us not let ourselves be eaten by our power and authority when we impose discipline or when we exercise our leadership because this will not do us any good. When we unnecessarily and arrogantly discharge our power and authority we are only exposing how flawed and limited our leadership skills are. Let us instead hold on to civility, respect and reason because this is the only way to correct and completely heal a wayward behavior.

What is the use of showcasing our power and authority in public if it would only create deeper emotional injury? What is the use of correcting a person in full view of the crowd if it would only create a monster called hatred and resentment? – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Secure leaders vis-à-vis insecure leaders

In a faraway kingdom lived an insecure leader who was about to end his term. So, he said to his underlings: “I want you to highlight all the accomplishments that I did during my term.” His minions were in a quandary on how they would undertake his order because he had nothing to show but his incompetence, arrogance, autocracy and laziness.  

Effective, secure and humble leaders would never be concerned if their accomplishments during their term of office would be noticed or not. Why? Because they are secure with what they have accomplished. They know in their hearts that during their incumbency they had laser like focus on their Mission and Vision for their organization. And they saw to it that they were surrounded with the best intellectual minds that would help them achieve their Mission and Vision. 

On the other hand, insecure leaders will always crave for attention. They would normally do this by using bombastic words or words that would picture them as having a strong character and personality. Insecure leaders are not consultative they would decide based on their whims and caprices without regard for the greater good. What is important for them is they are able to bulldoze their own personal agendas.     

But a leader who is secure in his leadership will not be afraid to make decisions that are unpopular. Because he knows that his unpopular decision will be for the long term welfare of the people under his organization. 

At the end of the day, leaders are not judged by their present actions and accomplishments. They are judged by history and the legacies that they have built and left behind. For example, how they’ve improve the well being of their people, how they were able to enhance the financial wealth of their organization/country. How they’ve fought for the welfare of their people and organization against a bully organization/country and so forth. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

The price of manipulative Leadership style

The story is told about a politician who cannot accept that he lost an election contest. So, he  fed his rabid supporters a false narrative that he was cheated. But whenever he was asked to provide evidence about his allegation he could not present any.   

His narrative of being cheated struck a chord among his rabid supporters that they believe it hook line and sinker. Hence, the losing politician told his rabid supporters to be ready to protest and they marched and protested. 

However, during the day of the protest the losing politician was nowhere to be found he simply let his supporters undertake the protest. Unfortunately it turned violent and there were casualties among the politician’s supporters and the authorities. An investigation was conducted by the police and they found out that the losing politician fed his rabid supporters the false narrative that he was cheated. Therefore the manipulative, arrogant and egotistical politician was arrested and was put in jail. 

Manipulative leaders/managers exist in every area of an organization. They are arrogant, brash and egotistic. They exist not to serve their organization but to serve their own selfish interest and agenda in the organization. They will do everything including feeding their direct reports and subordinates false narratives for them to survive. And they would be quite successful in using their manipulative leadership for a certain period of time. 

But leaders who employ behaviors that are deceiving and manipulative do not last for long. They are sooner or later exposed for their insidious behaviors and actions. Not only that they are exposed for who they really are they are also severely punished by laws that measures up to their crimes and they are judged harshly by history. Why? Because that’s the steep price that they have to pay. 

Do you know a leader/manager that has a manipulative behavior? – Marino J. Dasmarinas    

On undesirable behavior

Once upon a time there was a professor who had a group of favorite students. Whenever there was a recitation he would always call upon this select group of students. He was confident with them for the reason that whenever they were called they would always give a satisfactory answer. 

But as the days of his class were progressing he noticed also a sudden change on the behaviors of his favored students. They started to behave abrasively they would react to questions even if the questions are not meant for them to answer. So the professor thought of a strategy on how to stop their undesirable behavior. 

During their succeeding classes he did not anymore call on them during recitations. He also distanced himself from them unlike before where he would easily open conversation with them. By doing this the professor sent a strong message to his former favored students that he means business and he doesn't want any misbehavior in his class. Soon enough their undesirable behavior stopped. 

In an organizational setting a manager/leader deals with a lot of behavioral idiosyncrasies. There would be direct reports or subordinates who would always try to get your attention as if to tell you that they know more than their co-employees. Or they know more than what you know and they would somehow try to dominate you. The moment you fail to properly handle this kind of employees they would become a behavioral nightmare for you.  

So what must you do as a manager/leader? Start by keeping your distance from them. If before there was no space that divides you; start by creating an invisible demarcation line so that they would know their limits and the proper respect that they must observe over you.  

This doesn't mean that you will not be accessible to your direct reports and subordinates anymore. This simply means that they must learn to respect you because of the position that you hold in your office. And you must act respectably as well because respect is always two way traffic as the saying goes, “Respect begets respect.” - Marino J. Dasmarinas

The power of positive mindset #mjdasma

The story is told about Jacinda, a Chief Executive Officer who noticed the weary behavior amongst her subordinates since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.  The usual happy, alive and bubbly behaviors amongst her subordinates were not there anymore. So, she thought of a way to bring back their motivation otherwise if she would not it would surely be the end of their organizational life.

Hence, she called for a meeting of the entire human resource in their organization’s gymnasium. And she told them, “We have to have a positive mindset notwithstanding our present predicament if we want our organization to survive otherwise we would be all out of job sooner or later.”

But what is positive mindset? Positive mindset is a mental attitude that expects nothing but the best despite of all the negativity, gloom and adversity that surrounds us. Positive mindset is also the beginning of having a positive life for without positive mindset there would be no bright future ahead of us.

Positive mindset opens new avenues, new doors and new windows for life’s opportunities and success. It ushers us to uncharted lands that give us nothing but the best. Helen A. Keller the famous blind and deaf author has this to say about positive mindset: “No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.”   

Positive mindset is also the secret of athletes in winning and achieving success in their chosen sport. Michael Jordan the greatest basketball player of all time has this to say about positive mindset: "If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it."

Positive mindset is the best mental attitude that we need to have during this trying times. Because it programs us to have a laser like focus on the brighter side of life. It blinds our eyes to all the negativity of life. And when we are focused on the brighter side of life we naturally invite it to come eventually into our life. 

Going back to the story of Jacinda. She was able to bring back the sagging morale of her subordinates and their organization is still vibrantly existing right now. Simply because she encouraged them to live with a positive mindset.

This too we can apply in any arena of our life: Family life, organizational/work life, married life, personal life, retired but not tired life or whatever area of life that we are in right now. We will be able to survive and eventually win this battle against pessimism, gloom and negativity brought about by Covid-19. Because we will use to the hilt the power of positive mindset. Aye! – Marino J. Dasmarinas  

When we are overly conscious of our titles

Do we love to be called by our titles in the workplace for example, sir or ma'am?

The story is told about Mr. X, a newly promoted employee who is very particular with his new found status. He would tell his former colleagues who are now his subordinates to call him sir. because according to him to be called sir is like music to his ear and besides it tells a lot of his status in their office.

Therefore, his subordinates started to call him sir and he would mischievously smile when he is called sir. His newly found status created an air of arrogance in his attitude also.

What he did not know was his demeanor started to create a negative impression to his subordinates. They would silently say that their former colleague has changed for the worst since he got promoted. Thus, it resulted to their distancing themselves from him it also created a big dip on their office performance.

Mr. X is a typical example of a person who became swellheaded by his new found office status. Being swellheaded is a big no-no in human behavior in organization and in human behavior in general because this only creates animosity and friction with our subordinates.

Our promotion must not go to our heads because instead of building bridges we create walls that will isolate us eventually. As we ascend higher in the organizational hierarchy it would be better if we bring ourselves closer to our subordinates.

The more that we go up in the organizational hierarchy the more that we go down to reach-out with our former colleagues. We bridge the gap that separates us with them. Thus, we build teamwork, respect and we amplify office/workplace solidarity. The bad thing about being overly concerned with office/workplace title is it creates disunity and hidden disrespect.

Leaders/managers should not be very particular with their office title whatever it may be. They should rather focus on their performance and on building teamwork. For this will further result in the growth and enhanced performance of their office.

Office titles if allowed to go to the head by a swellheaded/ego infested person would only create isolation, animosity and disunity. This is the reason why there are managers/leaders or even company Presidents and Chief Executive Officers who avoid the trappings of their titles. They instead silently work and let their achievements speak for them. - Marino J. Dasmarinas

The three primary leadership skills

There are three primary leadership skills: Technical, Human and Conceptual. Each of these skills can effectively help leaders/managers in exercising their function provided they know how to use it appropriately.

The third leadership skill is Technical skill: This is the knowledge of the leader/manager about the nitty- gritty or the specific details of the job of his direct reports and subordinates. For example, in a food business such as Mc Donalds the leader/manager must know every small details of the job that his crews are doing. Such as the preparation of hamburger, spaghetti, fried chicken and so forth. The proper mixture of fruit juices, dispensing of coffee and other drinks. Inventory and set up of supplies and every little detail that makes a food business work.

The second is Human/People skill this refers to the ability of the leader/manager to work effectively with his people; this is human relations in action. We all know that humans are the most precious resource of an organization. We also know that no human is an island, thus, it is a must for the leader/manager to know how to build teamwork. He must learn how to effectively communicate towards his people, he must be sensitive to their needs. He must know how to empathize and he must always start the communication process.

The leader/manager must also know how to mediate and ease tension brought about by the behavioral idiosyncrasies of his people. He should also know how to be vulnerable when there’s a need to be vulnerable this he can best do by asking questions. And by asking his people to teach him of the things that he needs to know.   

The number one leadership skill is Conceptual skill, this is the ability of the leader/manager to think on how he can best run his organization: In terms of expansion, profitability achievement of organizational goals, mission and vision. He must also know how to conceptualize strategic plans and solutions for his organization when it encounters problematic situations. 

Simply put, Conceptual skill is the ability of the leader/manager to think on how he can successfully Lead, Manage and Grow his organization. That will not only benefit his organization but also benefit his employees and the environment at large.  

Most especially during this era of Covid-19 pandemic wherein many business organization are finding it very hard to survive. Therefore, a good and effective leader/manager must harness whatever conceptual skill that he has and put it to good use. So that he can safely navigate his organization in the midst of the business disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.        

For leaders/managers to be successful, they must know how to properly utilize their Technical skills, Human/People skills and Conceptual skills. - Marino J. Dasmarinas

On jokes and leadership

The story is told about a leader who made light of the crisis that his organization was going through. So, he would make jokes about shutting down the organization which he leads and the lives of his people after they become jobless. To one male subordinate he said, “You will become a villain in a movie because you have a face that only your mother can love.” To another female subordinate he said, “You will become a nightclub bouncer because you are built like a male even if you’re a female.” His subordinates did not buy his jokes they simply smirked and left him.    

It’s not right for a leader to joke with his subordinates while exercising his leadership function. And it’s not right also to make jokes while the organization is in crisis mode. However, there are leaders and managers who cannot help but make jokes at the expense of their direct reports and subordinates even if the situation doesn’t warrant it. They sadistically love it when their people laugh at their jokes.

This is quite fun in the short run but as the leader does this every so often this becomes ineffective and insulting already. Until it reaches a point that the leader/manager is not being respected anymore and he himself becomes a joke to his direct reports and subordinates.

Does this mean that a leader should not joke with his direct reports and subordinates? Not really, because it’s OK for a leader/manager to banter with his people but he must see to it that this is done in the proper environment. For example, during activities not confined to official working hours wherein the leader/manager becomes just one of the guys.

 In this instance he can freely exchange jokes for so long as he wants. It makes him more human and more approachable when he does that. It breaks the unseen barrier that separates his position from his direct reports and subordinates. And this also solidifies their team spirit.

It’s not actually bad to tell a joke for the sake of hilarity provided that this is done in the most appropriate situation.  And provided that the jokes will not infringe on our honor, office and integrity and the honor and integrity of our direct reports and subordinates as well. - Marino J. Dasmarinas

The best Leadership Trait

What is the most important Leadership trait?

There are so many important traits that a leader must have. Such as Charisma, Positive behavior, Confidence, Courage, Knowledge, Integrity and the like.

But there’s one that’s in front, this is the ability of the leader to inspire his people. Leaders that know how to inspire have an incredible enthusiasm for their job. They always have a positive mindset and as a result, this positive mindset cascades down to each and every member of his organization.

Leaders that inspire must also be an exceptional communicator: Every word that he utters must be motivational and inspiring. They must also embody their utterance.   However, there are leaders who are only good with communication but they don’t walk what they preach, this is the principal reason why they fail to inspire their people.

An inspirational leader should also know how to sacrifice his personal comfort for the sake of his people. Not sacrifice his people for his personal comfort. For instance, if the budget is tight thus there is no money for important miscellaneous expenses. The leader must not think twice to shoulder the expenses.

A Leader/Manager gains tons of respect from his people when he is always there to help them. When he dives with his people in the sea of problems that they are in. By doing so, he earns their respect and commitment. Thus, he further inspires them to be his committed team members in the achievement of his goals.

Are we the kind of leader/manager who knows how to inspire our people? - Marino J. Dasmarinas

Let us not let social media dictate upon us

Are we always tension filled caused by the Covid-19 pandemic? Many are tension filled these days and when we ask them where it emanates they conveniently point to the havoc caused by Covid-19. This is correct to a certain negligible degree! But what really cause the useless tensions that many of us are feeling right now? It’s our addiction to social media!

Many of us are so addicted to our smart phones and laptops that we always browse facebook and other online portals to get news about what is happening regarding covid-19. Many would even uselessly comment and share news items about it not minding the psychological injury that in can cause to themselves and to those who read and receive it.

When we do this we let social media dictate upon us, we let useless tension creep into our system of thinking. And we end up what? We end up like fools and neurotic people, we end up like headless chickens swarming an unknown environment, all because we let social media dictate upon us.

The Wise and Wisdom filled don’t allow social media to dictate upon them they instead dictate on social media. How are they doing this? For example, they purposely limit their time of exposure to social media for the simple reason that they know the psychological harm that it can cause them.

So, they set limited time to browse facebook and other social media platforms. Say, 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes before retiring at night and that is more than enough for them. And what are they doing for the rest of the day? They go about their usual routines: They clean the house, they read, they listen to uplifting music and useful audio books.

They pray the rosary, they read the bible and reflect upon the word of God. They tend their gardens with facemask of course :) and they talk to their plants but let us not overdo talking to our plants because our neighbors might accuse us of neurosis :) :) :).

We can still do so much outside of social media; we can plan on how to carefully walk the post covid-19 new normal. And then we set our sights and soon after sail and carefully navigate to a bright, hopeful and faith filled future ahead of us. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Leadership, Organizational Culture and the Covid-19 pandemic

Organizational culture is the standard, philosophy and shared ideal of an organization. Organizations that have competent culture are the ones that succeed.

For an organizational culture to be pervasive; it needs to be implemented from the top management down to the lowest ranked employee of an organization. A good and competent Organizational Culture is very contagious especially when it is thoroughly implemented and lived by its leaders.

For example, in the present Covid-19 pandemic many countries are struggling to fight this pandemic. On the other hand there are also countries such as Taiwan, Vietnam, South Korea, Germany  Singapore, Israel, New Zealand and Japan that are able to contain the spread of this Covid-19 pandemic. What separates them from the other countries that are struggling to contain the spread of this pandemic notwithstanding the draconian measures that they have instituted?

What separate these countries are the competent organizational Culture that they’ve put in place. And who is in charge of putting in place this competent organizational Culture? It’s their respective leaders! 

 A good and competent Culture also attracts the best and brightest work force. For the reason that everyone would want to work for a company that has a good organizational culture. Who would not like to work for an organization that has a competent organizational culture?

For an organizational culture to be effective, it must be inculcated into the minds of the employees during their very first day of work. This is normally facilitated by orientation wherein the newly hired employee is informed about the culture and other policies of the organization. The workers are introduced to the many guidelines of their new organization. And if competently done it is expected that these employees would follow every rules and regulations of their new organization.

Does your organization have a good and competent Organizational Culture? - Marino J. Dasmarinas

Leadership in the era of Covid-19 pandemic

In a faraway place lived an arrogant king who was advised by his people to prepare for an incoming dreaded disease. The king arrogantly told his people that they need not worry because he will immediately kill the dreaded disease the moment it arrives in his kingdom. Soon after, the dreaded disease arrived and because of his arrogance and laxity his kingdom was ravaged by the dreaded disease.

How does one exercise leadership in the era of Covid-19? Effective leaders during this time should be proactive in anticipating what can occur ahead. For example, due to the flat economic activity lay-offs of employees would seem predictable. However, a good leader/manager must not only look at lay-offs as a solution to sustain the survival of the organization. Temporary reduction of working days should also be looked at as an alternative until the economic activity begins to increase and normalize.

Ego-tripping and the mindset of I am the only voice in the organization must be discarded. Leaders who are ego-tripper and power-tripper are insecure thus they are not good leaders. Leaders during these extra-ordinary times must be humble but decisive and they must listen to the other well-intentioned voices in the organization.

Countries that are being severely ravaged by the Covid-19 virus are countries who took action reactively. They belatedly instituted measures to counter the pandemic when it was already in their territories. For example, belatedly imposing travel restrictions.

Other countries took action proactively they closed their borders ahead of time. They immediately quarantined and monitored those whom they suspected to be carriers of the Covid-19 virus. They also proactively imposed travel restrictions ahead of time.

Leaders who are talkative are also strongly admonished to do away with this ego-infested mindset. Because this only exposes their incompetence the more they talk the more that they waste the precious time of their employees. Excessive talking is cheap during times of emergencies. What the people wants from their leaders are concrete acts of leadership.

In times of crisis such as this pandemic Covid-19 virus the actions and pronouncements of leaders will surely determine their fate in the organization. The best leaders are those who are able to tow their organization outside the door of the crisis. – Marino J. Dasmarinas