Rational Insanity
Leading from within – a leadership paradigm for the new millennium
(Excerpts from the talk delivered by this writer during the Gerry Roxas Leadership Youth Camp last April 15, 2008)
'The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, widely known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre, in China referred to as the June Fourth Incident to avoid confusion with the two other Tiananmen Square protests and as an act of official censorship, were a series of demonstrations led by labor activists, students, and intellectuals in the People's Republic of China (PRC) between April 15 and June 4, 1989. While the protests lacked a unified cause or leadership, participants were generally against the authoritarianism and economic policies of the ruling Chinese Communist Party and voiced calls for democratic reform within the structure of the government. The reported death tolls ranged from 200–300 (PRC government figures), to 400–800 (The New York Times), and to 2,000–3,000 (Chinese student associations and Chinese Red Cross).'
Pico Iyer, a writer for the TIME Magazine, said the following about this unknown rebel, "the man who stood before a column of tanks near Tiananmen Square — June 5, 1989 — may have impressed his image on the global memory more vividly, more intimately than even Sun Yat-sen did. Almost certainly he was seen in his moment of self-transcendence by more people than ever laid eyes on Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein and James Joyce combined. The meaning of his moment — it was no more than that — was instantly decipherable in any tongue, to any age: even the billions who cannot read and those who have never heard of Mao Zedong could follow what the "tank man" did. A small, unexceptional figure in slacks and white shirt, carrying what looks to be his shopping, posts himself before an approaching tank, with a line of 17 more tanks behind it. The tank swerves right; he, to block it, moves left. The tank swerves left; he moves right. Then this anonymous bystander clambers onto the vehicle of war and says something to its driver, which comes down to us as: "Why are you here? My city is in chaos because of you." One lone Everyman standing up to machinery, to force, to all the massed weight of the People's Republic — the largest nation in the world, comprising more than 1 billion people — while its all powerful leaders remain, as ever, in hiding somewhere within the bowels of the Great Hall of the People."
The scene of this unknown rebel as described by Mr. Iyer is a very familiar scene for all of us here in this hall today. An insignificant nun clambering up a tank and offering a soldier flowers and food is a scene that precedes the 1989 Tianamen incident by three years. I am sure you know what I am referring to – the EDSA Revolution. Let me now ask you, what do these two scenes have to do with leadership and being a leader?
This millennium is an era of rapid technological advancement, and whether we like it or not intangible values have inevitably taken the back seat. Leadership is foremost of these traits that has unfortunately been relegated to history books and highly dramaticized 'so-so' historical films. Daniel Boorstin, a historian said of this age, "Two centuries ago, when a great man appeared, people looked for God's purpose in him; today we look for his press agent." He continues by saying, "The hero was being replaced by the celebrity, and where once our leaders seemed grander versions of ourselves, now they just looked like us on a giant screen."
Many of our leaders today have become very insignificant reflections of a wrong set of ideals. Hence, it is time to draw from the past, from the examples of our very own President Manuel Roxas, and Senator Gerry Roxas who were accurate epitomes of a concrete divine purpose showing through their actions and their sincere dedication to service. These two great leaders of our time did not have to candy coat or window dress their intentions – only unpure intentions need to be concealed. It is time for us to revisit our own individual purposes for leadership. It is time for us to slink back and reflect on the internal reasons for our existence. We are all leaders in our own right, but are our purposes for leadership as sincere as the 'unknown rebel's', or the 'flower-giving-nun's', or even the common grocery bagger at your nearest department store toiling each day for a crumb to eat?
In my research I was bombarded with technicalities and academic theories on leadership, but I realized that perhaps the reason why many rotten leaders grow out of the woodwork is because of this crazed and misdirected obsession for the 'academization' and theorization of leadership.
The challenge in any effort at leadership is always knowing its various elements and knowing these well. Are we all fit to become leaders? Well, in theory, yes, but do we all recognize true leadership when we see it or have it in ourselves?
'We cannot give of something that we do not have', so said the philosopher, Kahlil Gibran. Therefore, like love, and hope, and peace, leadership is something that we should possess within ourselves first before we can actually give of it. Leadership is not having an Arian race well assembled right in front of us, responding to our every whim. Hitler was not a leader by heart, he was a leader by mind, and leadership is not within the comprehensions of the human mind. Leadership is being among your subjects, doing what they do everyday in sincere concern for their welfare; putting those we lead above the self, a self that becomes insignificant to the leader in pursuit of sound leadership, like President Manuel Roxas did during his time. Leadership is building a family out of millions who have forgotten what their purpose is. This particular brand of leadership is merely an echo of what Senator Gerry Roxas did for our all of us. Leadership speaks a language understood by all – a language spoken by the unknown rebel, the nun at EDSA and many other unsung heroes who led from within and tipped the scaled of democracy and justice to pave the way for a brand new millennium – our millennium. Let the glares of this millennium not sway us from our self, more so from our values, our purposes, our strategies, our focused actions, from leadership. Leadership has a name – YOU!
Be rational; be insane…once in a while! TTFN!
I love you all! Byers!