What's Leadership?

ESSENCE OF LEADERSHIP

FOR CHANGE THROUGH ETHICS AND MERITS (“CTEM”)

(By HRH Prince Omar Kiram Dux de Legazpi Duque de Vivar-Maniquiz)

“Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that you may be wise in the days to come.” Proverbs 19:20

“Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.” Chaplain Howell M. Forgy in the battle cruiser USS New Orleans in battle during the 7 December 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

DEFINITIONS OF TERMS:

INTEGRITY

In*teg"ri*ty\, n. [L. integritas: cf. F. int['e]grit['e]. See Integer, and cf. Entirety.]

1. The state or quality of being entire or complete; wholeness; entireness; unbroken state; as, the integrity of an empire or territory. --Sir T. More.

2. Moral soundness; honesty; freedom from corrupting influence or motive; -- used especially with reference to the fulfillment of contracts, the discharge of duties of agencies of governments, trusts, and the like; uprightness; rectitude.

3. The moral grandeur of independent integrity is the sublimest thing in nature. --Buckminster.

4. Their sober zeal, integrity, and worth. --Cowper.

5. Unimpaired, unadulterated, or genuine state; entire correspondence with an original condition; purity.

Syn: Honesty; uprightness; rectitude.

CHARACTER

char·ac·ter (kār'ək-tər) n.

1. The combination of qualities or features that distinguishes one person, group, or thing from another.

2. A distinguishing feature or attribute, as of an individual, group, or category.

3. Moral or ethical strength.

A description of a person's attributes, traits, or abilities.

CHANGE

–verb (used without object)

1. To become different.

2. To become altered or modified.

3. To become transformed or converted.

ETHICS

(Used with a singular or plural verb) a system of moral principles.

1. The rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc.

2. Moral principles, as of an individual: His ethics forbade betrayal of a confidence.

3. (Usually used with a singular verb) that branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions.

MERITS

1. Claim to respect and praise; excellence; worth.

2. Something that deserves or justifies a reward or commendation; a commendable quality, act, etc.

BACKGROUND

As a military historian and a positive motivation speaker, I read many great leaders and captains of men like Xenophon ancient Greek general, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Hannibal Barca, Genghis Khan, Tokugawa, Frederick the Great German Emperor, Oliver Cromwell — Lord Protector of England, Napoleon Bonaparte – French Emperor, Eisenhower, Patton, Ridgway and others, and I came to the conclusion that great men had least common denominator why they were able to lead and rule their society at a given time.

In short, I learned and extrapolated that the Essence of Leadership of past leaders must be of some benefit to our current and future generations.

I watch with anxiety and dismay the continuing downward spiral of graft and corruption in the Philippines and the march of this nation to the quagmire of the abyss that permeate all sections of government that must be ameliorated. I also heard the pronouncement of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to pursue drastic change by peaceful means. Change in society and government is now badly needed.

Change is no modern invention. It is as old as time and is unlikely to disappear. It has always to be counted as of the essence of human existence.” James Rowland Angell.

So I say, we live in a world of change such as the change of night into day. The seasons change. Change is a part of life and one that will govern our lives in years to come. Advance technology is founded on change. What is fashionable today is obsolete in six months such as cell phones or computers. This is fact of life. Nothing fearful or daunting.

Accept change as a fact of life. Reminder: US Senator Barack Obama was elected president of the USA on the motto and central issue of CHANGE.

Therefore, the time for change is now a cadenza of reality that must be made possible by men and women who love this nation and the future of this nation must be secured for the generations to come. If we are to advocate for change now in our society and government, who will be the leaders that must articulate and amplify this need for change by peaceful means?

I will now turn to some great leaders of men who succeeded in the past to build a strong society that must be replicated by us.

INTEGRITY AND GOOD CHARACTER ARE BEST QUALITIES OF LEADERS

In 1603, Tokugawa Ieyasu after his victory in the Battle of Sekigahara stated that: “Integrity and good character are high qualities of a leader that will inspire trust and confidence from people to allow a leader to lead and rule. He continued that without integrity and good character a leader forfeits and surrenders one’s rights to lead and rule.”

Tokugawa, the Great Shogun of Japan, with this dictum that centered on integrity and good character of a leader founded his Tokugawa dynasty that ruled Japan and lasted for 250 years which only ended when the last Tokugawa Shogun did not possess the two (2) primordial qualities of a leader – integrity and good character.

The current situation in the Philippines points to the conclusion that integrity and good character of leaders have deserted the halls of government. It bears remembering the words of Tokugawa that without integrity and good character any leader has no right to lead and rule! Tokugawa’s words not mine.

It also reminds me of the haunting words of Gen. Mathew B. Ridgway, US Army (1895-1993), former UN commander Korea who replaced McArthur and Eisenhower as NATO supreme commander: “Integrity and good character are qualities needed by our society, business, politics and military. Without them, in particular in politics and military, will result in failure in peace and disaster in war that can destroy an organization or a nation.”

The continuing malaise and endemic graft and corruption in government result from lack of integrity and quality character of leaders. This is the long and short of it. Nothing more, nothing less!

“CHANGE THROUGH ETHICS AND MERITS (CTEM)”

Allow me to express my own personal conviction on the subject of change.

We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are.

We are what we are today because of decisions we made yesterday, we can be what we want to become tomorrow, by making decisions today.

Our past cannot be changed but we can change our future by making decisions today.

To achieve change and effect change is possible just by making decisions today. As a first step.

Human change in history is achieved not by brute strength but by single action of an individual or a group constantly repeated with commitment and determination – that will lead to the realization of the change being attained.

WHO CAN ARTICULATE AND AMPLIFY BETTER “CTEM” IN THE PHILIPPINES FOR THE PEOPLE TO FOLLOW?

Many traditional politicians and politicians are tainted with graft and corruption that they cannot be trusted to effect change that will lead to ethical and meritorious system of government. CTEM is against graft and corruption as it is synonymous to clean and honest government that will deliver the basic services to the long suffering people – without bribe or favor.

CTEM Is the war cry of providing public service without the usual payment of bribe to government public servants to do a job that they are paid by taxpayers’ money in the first place. CTEM, when well-founded as a system of public service in the Philippines, will diminish graft and corruption and will enhance and increase the funds for public hospitals and medicines, roads and bridges, schools, housing for the elderly, widows, orphans and underprivileged, better transport system and renewed pride and dignity for the Philippines and the Filipino people.

LEADERS WITH INTEGRITY AND GOOD CHARACTER ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN EFFECT BETTER CHANGE

This is a bold statement and I know many will feel some incredulity or surprise with it. I say this to be true because integrity and good character are etched in our moral code of this nation of law-abiding citizens and of a people who believe and practice religion.

This is so because a leader of integrity and good character is synonymous to ethics and merits and one who understands ethical and meritorious behaviour in life and in pubic service. Such leader with integrity and good character can be tried and trusted to effect change that will lead to ethical and meritorious system of government.

We need men and women, though not politicians to lead and rule, who have the ingredients of leadership, i.e. integrity and good character.

HOPE IS EXPOUNDED BETTER BY LEADERS OF INTEGRITY AND GOOD CHARACTER AS THEY ARE ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE

Napoleon Bonaparte, French Emperor (1769-1821), regarded as the greatest French general and king of France came from humble beginnings in Corsica. Napoleon said in 1804 that “a leader is a dealer in hope.” Napoleon articulated hope in the hearts and minds of the French people that in a little less than 10 years he conquered the whole of Europe except Russia and England.

Frederick the Great, German Emperor (1712-1786) wrote “the principal duty of a leader is to motivate.” His book The Instructions of Frederick the Great to his Generals is a must reading and study in Western military academies. Frederick the Great is regarded as a great captain of men as he succeeded against all odds by defeating bigger armies than his own. During his time, he expanded Germany’s territory.

Historically, leaders of integrity and good character could best expound and instil hope and motivation so that men and women followed. Leaders lacking integrity and good character lack the required credibility and, therefore, cannot enhance and foster hope and motivation badly needed by a group or a nation.

Why is hope needed to be stressed by leaders with integrity and good character if we are to effect CTEM?

The answer is rather obvious. According to Field Marshal Maurice Comte de Saxe, French Army (1696-1750): “Hope inspires men to achieve seemingly impossible tasks. In depriving them of hope or making it too distant to them, you deprive them of their very souls.”

Oliver Cromwell, English Parliamentary Army general (1599-1658) in the battle of Naseby in 1645, where he was victorious, shouted to his troops: “Put your trust in God, my boys, but keep your powder dry.” Cromwell also exclaimed “strike while the iron is hot but keep it hot while striking.”

Gen. Colin Powell, US Army, said wilfully: “It can be done.”

It is clear that leaders of integrity and good character have moral ascendancy against those who lack these two vital qualities of leadership. Such leaders of integrity and good character can also expound and articulate the vision, hope, and motivate the people to follow and install better change in our society and government.

Change is inevitable in any society and it is time that we effect change through ethics and merits. It can be done through commitment and determination. General Colin Powell said, it can be done.

Believe it, because success comes in cans, not in cannots! We can do it and we will succeed and we will install much needed change in the Philippines.

But we require to search and support a leader of integrity and good character with wisdom. Why? Because integrity, good character and wisdom are virtues of an upright man and these virtues have their rewards.

For what is virtue? “It is to hold yourself to your fullest development as a person and as a responsible member of the human community.” Arthur Dobbin.

“Sincerity and truth are the basis of all virtues.” Confucius.

“Blessings ever wait on virtuous deeds, and though a sure late, a sure reward arrives.” William Congrove.

INTEGRITY AND GOOD CHARACTER PLUS WISDOM EQUALS GREAT LEADER

“The union of integrity and good character with wisdom constitute a great leader.” General Henri de Jomini, French Army, Russian Army (1779-1869).

General de Jomini under Napoleon Bonaparte during the Russian Campaign served as Military Governor of Vilno and Smolensk. He was recommended for promotion to major general by Marshal Ney but before this could happen, his enemy, Marshal Berthier had him arrested on somewhat dubious charges. Incensed he switched to the Russian Army and he was made lieutenant general. Napoleon later said his desertion was justified. In those times switching of sides was acceptable so long as it did not involve treason. During the war with Turkey (1828-1829) he and his soldiers distinguished themselves against the enemy and he was promoted to full general by Czar Nicholas I. He wrote his famous book of same name as Sun Tzu’s book “The Art of War” that became text book reading in Western military academies. He retired after the Crimean War in 1859.

Let us all embrace CTEM – CHANGE THROUGH ETHICS AND MERITS --and change the way the government provides public service to a better one than what we have today, and achieve lasting change devoid of graft and corruption, that we can all be proud to be inherited by our future Filipino generations to come.

One final word. This nation is founded on religion. Religion gives us moral code and moral principles. CTEM is the core of our moral code that is known to all religions. Believe this – religion and ethical and meritorious government service that work for the common good are the highest creed.

Cicero summed it all up in the Roman Senate during the time of Julius Caesar: “In men of the noblest character, genius and wisdom, there is to be found an insatiable well-spring of integrity, honor, duty, ethical and meritorious behavior and action – leading to and ending in glory.”

Let us press on, and keep on keeping on, and change the Philippines to a better nation.