by Eric Santillan
I am now part of a group called Heroic Leadership Philippines. The group got its name from the book by Chris Lowney. Chris was an ex-Jesuit who became managing director of JP Morgan and Co. He held senior positions in New York, Tokyo, Singapore and London. While managing JP Morgan, he realized that the principles of leadership sorely needed in the corporate world, has been practiced by the Society of Jesus for hundreds of years already. The same challenges that test great companies today has been challenging the Jesuits for hundreds of years: forging seamless multinational teams, motivating inspired performance, remaining “change ready” and strategically adaptable. So why not use the tried and tested (and oftentimes successful) principles he learned as a Jesuit in the relatively “young” world of business leadership?
He advocates four key leadership principles (NOT strategies) that he learned from the Society of Jesus and he’s found critical in business: Self-Awareness, Love, Heroism and Ingenuity. It was Fr. Javy Alpasa, himself a Jesuit, who approached Chris Lowney to translate his book, Heroic Leadership (HL) into a leadership training and formation program. After getting his “Yes”, different groups have been convened to reflect on and dialogue about how to do this.
Leadership has always been a matter of discussion, and question, in the Philippines. With the recently concluded impeachment trial and the upcoming 2013 elections, we always wonder what kind of leader will spearhead and model the deep and lasting change we have been longing for in our country. And this is not just limited to the sphere of politics. Leadership is also a most crucial factor in the corporate, academic and non-government setting.
It is with the goal of forming leaders who will effect enduring results that Heroic Leadership Philippines was born. Because it is time for a leadership training and formation program that looks at both what a leader can do and who that leader is. Heroic Leadership (HL) Philippines aims to to provide training and formation that goes with and beyond competencies. It is a leadership, not of strategy, but from a holistic perspective–a leadership of integrity–that stems from the person and not from something outside himself. It understands that leadership is a formative experience, not something you just learn in a classroom.
The four pillars show a holistic view of the leader and gives practical inputs for use in both personal and professional contexts. And unlike other leadership trainings that come from other countries and were brought here, the HL training originates from within our very own context and eventually hopes to become global. In fact, HL Philippines is the only group in the world with a formal agreement with the author.
It is open to everyone who aims to maximize their leadership journey and are looking to deepen their impact in work and in their relationships. For more details, the HL Team may be contacted through 0917-630-4376 (0917630HERO) and (632) 296-6868 or email address programs@heroic-leadership.com. Information may also be found through Facebook (HeroicLeadership Phils) and http://www.heroic-leadership.com.
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