Zulueta, the "King," and Lowney

the news today
Where else can you find a public official of national stature who, instead of making initiatives to ensure a clean and honest poll, this "King of Justice" allegedly employs trickery that includes vending of votes (for a 12-0 senate win) to the tune of P10,000?

On top of it all, this so-called "political nincompoop and oxymoron" has even duped some barangay chieftains to ensure the loss of two non-administration candidates, Lex Tupas and Perla Zulueta, for city councilors.

This kind of desperate move is beyond comprehension that even his buddies (also known as dogs, for obvious reasons) can't help but stand still and drool in awe.

I can speak less for Tupas except that he is young, a son of another contentious fellow, a Cable TV Jockey if you will, and a graduate of Ateneo de Manila University. Hence, I would like to zero in the issue that only concerns the staunch fiscalizer Zulueta.

Re-electionist Zulueta has been in metro politics for a long time already and her trailblazing performance (especially against graft and corruption) is beyond reproach. In fact, even in the context of a thinking ally of the administration, it is very difficult to campaign against her for it is simply corrupt to throw away a worthy proposition.

It is as if the city council without Zulueta is like a car without breaks. Her presence in the august hall is highly essential that her absence may mean a local ruling body that will end up blindfolded and that will work like the "King's" stamping pad.

For this man (in all his imperfections, hunger to power, and recklessness) wants Iloilo to function, with him holding the puppet strings. He seems to see himself as the "Angel of Light" and us his non-thinking minions. And these are all given emphasis in how this supposed public servant deals with us, with the law, and with the ballot. History, Benjie Gengos, and Conrado de Quiros are our witnesses.

I understand though where the anger of the "King" came from. I remember before that Inday Perla humiliated him in an interview in the Inquirer. She called him a liar for saying the Supreme Court lifted his indefinite suspension as a lawyer voluntarily and without any appeal from his part.

Zulueta, the Iron Lady of the City Council, instead said in an interview that he "went down to his knees and begged the SC justices to reinstate him in the rolls of lawyers." Nevertheless, the dirty ploys of this cabinet clown against Tupas and Zulueta (and even against all the other anti-administration candidates) is a crystal sign of the worst to come. Henceforth, a conscious effort from the silent majority must be done to counter this clear and present threat. His ways of the world must be answered by our ways of the Word.

Therefore, let this May 14 Elections be the next big thing. Vote well and make the "King" run like hell.

***

Last week I was so privileged to be part of the Workshop on Ignatian School Leadership in Antipolo City sponsored by the Jesuit Basic Education Commission (JBEC) and the Ignatian Institute for Teaching Excellence (IGNITE).

The four-day in-house affair, participated in by 30 or so top and mid-level educators from eight Ateneo's and other Jesuit schools in the country, covers sharing of concerns, strategies, and resolutions on administrative, academic and community leadership--all anchored in the Ignatian ideals of magis (more) and cura personalis (care for self, care for others), among others.

What struck me most is the topic on Herioc Leadership in the words of Chris Lowney, a former Jesuit seminarian.

What can a 16th-century priest tell a 21st-century education leader about leadership? Plenty, Lowney believes.

Here he points out that from a 10-man "company" founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola in 1540, the Jesuits are now the world's largest religious order, with 21,000 professionals. Jesuits have successfully grappled with challenges that test great companies-forging seamless multinational teams, motivating performance, being open to change and staying adaptable.

In the seminar, it was stressed that in Lowney's heroic leadership, an effective leader must have personal reference with the four Jesuit pillars of success: self-awareness (reflection), ingenuity (embracing change), love (positive attitudes toward others) and heroism (energizing ambitions).

Despite the emphasis on the four pillars, this is no formulaic "steps-to-success." Rather than focusing on what leaders do, it shows how the Jesuit approach focuses on who leaders are.

Let's take the case of "self-awareness." Here, it is stressed that a leader must understand his strengths, weaknesses, values, and worldview. This sense of acceptance and discernment will give the person the right condition and tool to make logical and better decisions in the proper context.

But self-awareness must also be peppered with a great sense of ingenuity. One must be confident enough to make innovations and adaptations to a changing world that we have. This is an essential ingredient, especially in the present times for our fast-paced setting.

In the same token, a leader must also engage others with a positive attitude that unlocks their potentials. The approach towards people must be supportive rather than punitive, dogmatic or anything in between. The adaptive challenges must be addressed more than the technical challenges, for the former is more lasting and effective than the latter.

And all these should be powered by the right engine to push everybody forward to a well-thought-of goal. Energizing oneself and others with heroic ambitions and a passion for excellence is a must for a proactive leader. In essence, one must embrace ambitious goals and a passion to excel.

The four principles address a person's whole life--personal and professional--and are rooted in the idea that we are all leaders. They form an integrated way of living, a modo de proceder ("our way of doing things") as the Jesuits called it.

The Jesuit approach scraps the "command and control" model that relies on one great person to lead the rest. Convinced that people perform best in a supportive climate, Loyola and his colleagues sought to create environments filled with "greater love than fear." They lodged their hopes in the talents of their entire team, showing that success flows from the commitment of many, not the isolated efforts of one.

This points how the same principles that inspired sixteenth-century Jesuits can still mold dynamic leaders in the twenty-first century in all walks of life. Indeed, it is a point well taken.