Favorite Quotes for New Students

Photo courtesy: http://interface.edu/



"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." Eleanor Roosevelt



"Learning is easy when you're having fun." Anonymous



"If you want improvements in your life. You must be willing to sacrifice the OLD for NEW. Know someone else. Be somewhere else. And do something else." Anonymous



"Don't hate Mondays, they stand for new beginnings." Anonymous



"Fresh thinking and new hope, new aspirations and new scope, keep smiling without any fear, to welcome the New School Year." Anonymous



"The School New Year is a time for new hopes, aspirations, dreams and wishes. I hope all of yours come true." Anonymous



"Open your eyes to a new world out there, waiting for you to come out and explore. Welcome this new morning with a smile and a determination to do something great." Anonymous



"Salute the past and give thanks for the lessons and experience it gave. Welcome the future and be ready for new challenges." Andrew Guzaldo



"A smile is the universal welcome." Max Eastman



"We must welcome the future, remembering that soon it will be the past; and we must respect the past, remembering that it was once all that was humanly possible." George Santayana



"Sunshine is a welcome thing. It brings a lot of brightness." Jimmie Davis



Odd News from Reuters - 3 March 2015

Reuters Election 2012 Daily round-up of the day's top news from the campaign trail, the White House and all the politics in between
South African doctors perform world's first penis transplant
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South African doctors have successfully performed the world's first penis transplant on a 21-year-old man whose organ had been amputated three years ago after a botched circumcision.


Paper planes, parents help Indian pupils outsmart state exams
PATNA, India (Reuters) - Images of Indian students blatantly cheating on school-leaving examinations under the noses of supervisors have gone viral, inviting ridicule on Twitter and exposing flaws in the much-maligned education system of an impoverished eastern state.



California man fatally impaled on fence after falling from tree
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A California man who authorities believe had been drinking in a tree outside of his home was fatally impaled when he accidentally fell from its branches and landed on a spiked fence, police said on Wednesday.


No claws for alarm: 30,000 pounds of lobsters survive Maine crash
PORTLAND, Maine (Reuters) - Some 30,000 pounds (1.4 tons) of live lobsters from Canada survived for several hours after a truck carrying them slid off a highway in central Maine on Wednesday, but the crustaceans were quickly back on their way to New Hampshire and Rhode Island markets, police said.


Nevada lawmaker wants medical marijuana for pets
(Reuters) - A Nevada lawmaker proposed a bill in the state legislature on Tuesday that would grant ailing pets access to medical marijuana.


Thais warned against taking 'underboob selfies'
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's military government warned women on Monday against posting 'selfie' photos of the lower half of their breasts - a social media trend that has gone viral - saying their actions could violate the country's computer crime laws.


Oregon woman sets herself on fire, crashes car, jumps off bridge - and lives
PORTLAND, Ore. (Reuters) - An Oregon woman who set herself on fire while driving, crashed her car on an interstate and then jumped off a highway bridge to a park below, survived the ordeal and was being treated at Portland area hospital, police said on Friday.
 


Time stands still in Japan's village of scarecrows
NAGORO, Japan (Reuters) - Tsukimi Ayano made her first scarecrow 13 years ago to frighten off birds pecking at seeds in her garden. The life-sized straw doll resembled her father, so she made more. And then couldn't stop.

 

Avoid Checking your Portfolio 5 Times a Day

Are you guilty of checking your stocks at least five times a day?

Appear!

I used to check my portfolio because it was exciting to see the sudden up and down in my stocks. It’s exciting to see it go up. It’s scary to see when it goes down. Take note, I use past tense here. Last time I checked was 2 days ago. Today is Sunday!

I have learned that it is not a good practice to check your stocks often. It is a waste of time, most especially if you have slow internet connection. It makes you impatient, that you make decisions based on what you instantly feel.

I once sold one of my stocks because I was so excited and afraid at the same time. I was afraid that it might go down the following day. I regret not because of loss, as a matter of fact, I have gained 12%. The stock went higher and higher after each day for straight weeks. I know it’s greedy to wish for 40% if I had 12%. My point is if I were not so excited and impatient, I could have earned more. Patience indeed is a virtue.

I was invited to join Truly Rich Club many times before. Because of my usual hesitation, I didn’t join. What else I could get from TRC if COL post updates on their website, I always thought! The thing is that COL has hundred of updates. It’s overwhelming to have hundreds to choose from! And it eats a lot of time.

One of the benefits of TRC membership is that out of hundreds of Blue Chip companies, they pick top 10 companies (sometimes less) that have potential high return. So, it saves you time to choose among hundreds of companies to buy. It gives you direct advice on whether you should hold or buy certain stocks.

Another benefit a member can get from TRC is patience. Patience is very hard to maintain. TRC will give you regular updates; you don’t even have to open your portfolio every day.

Aside from stocks update, you will also receive daily scriptures. It’s usually one to two sentences long, it won’t bother you much time to read. But surely, it keeps you ponder about a lot of personal things.

I want to share this to you because it has helped me and I have enjoyed it. I want other people to also experience such benefit.


Be a member now and you will receive some FREE e-books from Bo Sanchez.

Sign-up now, FIRST simple step, just click the below button:


If, for whatever reason the button does not work, please let me know. You may also click the below link:
  

6 Benefits of Drinking Coffee, Coffee Drinkers love to Hear

I love coffee. Who doesn’t? 

Oh, I could sense that some of you are raising your hands right now. Sorry, this is only for the coffee lovers. Go on, you can leave now and close this page. Kidding! 

Photo courtesy http://eatlocalgrown.com/


In case you’re just curious, here are some of the benefits of drinking 2 cups of coffee every day.

1. It has more antioxidants that fruits and vegetables combined. (Reference: Journal of Nutrition) A cup of coffee also contains minerals like Folate, Manganese, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorus and the following Vitamin B-complex components, which are good for body growth and red blood cell production:

11% Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
6% Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)
2% Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)
2% Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

2. Compared with tea and chocolate, coffee contains the highest caffeine, which is a stimulant that can enhance brain function and boost metabolism.

3. Coffee drinkers have lower risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and other old age diseases.

4. It lowers the risk of having type 2 diabetes

5. It lowers the risk of liver diseases.

6. Coffee drinkers have lower risk of depression and suicide.



Chrysanthemum Tea Benefits

Chrysanthemum tea is a popular beverage in southern during summertime.

Traditionally as a plant, it is used to treat chest pain, high blood pressure, diabetes, fever cold, headache, dizziness and swelling.


Photo courtesy: http://www.herbalteasonline.com/

Please take note also of its side effects.

For the pregnant women and those breast-feeding, you may take extra precaution. Before taking in, seek advice from your doctor.

For those who are sensitive to plants, you may also take precaution. Chrysanthemum is a member of Arteraceae/Compositae family, which also includes ragweed, marigolds, and daisies.

Here are some of its benefits:

1. It has Vitamin C, which relieves tension in the head and sinus during colds.
2. It is caffeine free. It is free from all side effects of anxiety and nervousness from coffee.
3. It is good for detoxifying the liver. It helps lower cholesterol levels.
4. It has a natural coolant. It helps lower the temperature of the body. That is why it's the most favorite tea in China during summer.
5. It helps in the treatment of coronary artery disease and even varicose veins.
6. It as a property that rejuvenates the brain.
7. It calms the nerves.
8. It provides relief in sore throat and eye irritation.
9. It makes the lungs strong.
10. It helps ease digestion.

Reference:
WebMD, LLC (http://www.webmd.com/)
Be Well Buzz, USA (http://www.bewellbuzz.com/)


Tips for the Advisers of Student Leaders when Facilitating Leadership Activities

Facilitating activities for student leaders in elementary and high schools can be challenging. Attention span of teenagers are quite shorter compared to that of adults, especially in lectures. You need to tickle their imagination and you need to let them physically move. As their adviser, you need to get them involved in activities because that is how they retain their learning. 

Photo from http://acrobranch.co.za/

Hopefully these learning will hone their leadership skills for the future. Your main role as a facilitator is to provide them with activities that will get them engaged. You can let them play some games. However, to let feel a little bit of thrill, you can call these games as challenges. Their confidence as a team builds up once they succeeded in a challenge.

Your second role is to guide them in the reflection. Except for some filler games, like stretching exercises and getting-to-know games, it is important that there is enough reflection after each activity. This way, they see meaning in everything they do, despite its play format.

During the entire activity, you have to be enthusiastic. The mood of the team is greatly influenced by the mood of their adviser.

Though you are their teacher as well, when conducting team-building or leadership activities, you have to take off your hat as a lecturer. This time, you are a facilitator and not their teacher who tells them to do this and that.

Here are some of the tips I can share with you when facilitating team-building activities with your student leaders.

1. Make the team-building experiential. Avoid lengthy lectures. If you are to give some insights, make it quick and brief. Provide them more physical activities than talks. Give them projects. Let them run the majority of the program. As Confucius once said, “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”

2. Define your basic guidelines. Before you start the whole activity, make sure to announce these guidelines. For example, “Turn off all your cellphones.” Everyone is encouraged but not forced to participate in all activities. This will give them a sense of control of their own decisions. Make sute to include priority of safety of each participant and cleanliness of the activity area.

3. Be clear with the goals of each activity, but be creative. For example, the activity is basically to cross from one area to another. Instead of stating it directly, use a story line. Play with their imagination. You could say like this: You live in an island surrounded with vicious sharks. One fateful day a volcano is releasing some poisonous ashes. All the inhabitants must relocate to the mainland. Their challenge is to cross to the mainland alive. Something like that! To add more thrill, allocate time for the activity. Teens love to be timed.

4. Process the activity. After a challenge, you have to gather them in a circle. You have to be with them in the circle. This way they will be more open to you. When processing, use open-ended questions. It should start with “how was the activity?” Avoid saying “did you enjoy it?” Ask them, “How did you feel about the activity? What do you think contributed to the success of the activity?” If they failed in an activity, ask them “what do you think could each of you have done to improve next time?”

5. Summarize the activity. When you summarize the whole activity, use the words they say. Or you can paraphrase their statement and ask them for confirmation. That way, they will know you were listening and that you value their inputs. Make sure that they realize the “Aha!” moments in the activity. Still, avoid forcing to them what they should learn. Let them realize the value and meaning of what they are doing.


Leadership and Commitment - Chapter III

 COMPONENTS OF COMMITMENT

Photo Courtesy: www.mindtools.com/

In the previous chapter, the pig becomes the symbol of commitment. In this chapter, I want to connect to the pig once again. The meat of the pig is pork. The components, then of commitment is in the acronym P-O-R-K.

1.    PROMISE


A commitment is a solemn promise, an oath that no one should break. If you are to make a promise, you must not break it. Sadly, a lot of politicians make some promises during election but once they got the position, they just forget their promises. A promise is supposed to be holy. It is a promise not only to your team and to yourself, but also to God!

So, if you are not sure to fulfill your promise, because of whatever excuses, then it is best that you avoid making promises.

2.    OBLIGATION


As a leader, you have moral obligations. It has no expiration date. Even if your term ends, you still have many obligations to fulfill. Your number one obligation is to spread positive change in your team, the society and the world.

A.     HONEST BUT WITH INTEGRITY


They say, honesty is the best policy. I say, it depends!I agree that we have to be honest at all times but we also have to be sensitive of the feelings of other people. People are humans with emotions. No matter how civilized they seem to appear, they still have that sense of softness in them.

As a student you were given a school project that requires 50 dollars. Instead of asking only 50 dollars from your parents, you asked them 100 dollars. Obviously, you are being dishonest by not telling the truth. This is where the principle “Honesty is the Best Policy” is applicable.

Another example is what if one morning you told your friend “you’re so ugly today!” Yes, you were just probably being honest. However, it doesn’t mean you have to be insensitive. That kind of harsh comment is worse than slapping them hard on the face. What if he/she just had a bad day? Proper choice of words is important in this situation. Perhaps you could tell your friend, “You can borrow my comb and mirror, if you like?” This way, it appears more like a suggestion. It is encouraging because you pointed out what could be done, rather than by commenting on what is wrong.

That is what I meant by honesty with integrity.

B.     AUTHENTIC


You have to be true to yourself! Each one of us is unique. You have mixed of characteristics that others don’t have, and vice versa. So, you have to know yourself. You should listen to that little voice inside your head.

One day, I asked my little brother what he wanted to take in college. He said he wanted to take an Engineering course, like mine.

“Are you sure?” I said. “How are your grades in Math and Physics?” He just smiled in silence. I looked at his card and I knew why he just smiled without telling a word.
He wanted to take a course, the same as mine because that was what father had told him.
I told him to listen to himself on what he really wanted to be. He should listen to himself and not anyone, not even our father.

As a leader, you will be bombarded with so many suggestions, both good and bad. “What you’re doing is wrong! Do this, instead of that! Do that, instead of this!” Before you say yes or no, ask yourself, “what do I really want?”

C.      INTELLIGENT BUT HUMBLE


Being intelligent is not just about getting good grades in school. There are so many forms of intelligence. I also want to stress out that despite being smart and intelligent, you still have to be humble. Just because you’re smart doesn’t mean you know everything. There is always something that you need to learn.  And there are so many things you learn outside the fours of the classroom, things that cannot be measured by grades.

There are 3 ways to improve our intelligence by learning:

                                               i.          Learn by reading.


Read stuff that you like, especially those that nourishes your soul and imagination. 

When I was a teenager, I fancy fiction books like the Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and horror-themed books of Stephen King. I even collected more than 30 Stephen King Books, which I later on let go. My taste of books changed. I am now more attuned to read books about leadership, public speaking, finance, investing, personal-development and many others. 

When reading, it is good to also ask questions. Are the lessons and stories from the book useful to me or not? Don’t just read for the heck of reading. Don’t just read and believe what you have read right away. You have to assess. When Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code was on hype, a lot of people told me it would destroy my faith. It didn’t! I knew it was fiction. I just read it out of pure curiosity and entertainment.

And don’t just read something because it’s what most people are reading. Just because it’s trending doesn’t mean it’s good.

                                             ii.          Learn from Mentors.


A mentor is someone who can be your coach or your guide. He/she could also be your source of helpful advice in times when you are in doubt. A mentor could your parent, your best friend or your teacher. Ask them questions. Seek their opinions. Get something out of their mind. When making decisions, it is good to ask opinion from your coach for another person’s point of view. You may or may follow their opinion but you have to hear it to weight your options.

I have plenty of mentors as a leader and public speaker. I may not have a written agreement with them but every time I seek their advice, they are simply so generous and kind to give time to response to my inquiry, sometimes through email or through text.

                                           iii.          Learn by experience.


There so many things we can learn about life if we just continue to explore the world. Unfortunately, a lot of people nowadays are so riveted to virtual living. They spend more time in front of their computer or mobile phones. They want to connect to the world through their fingertips by disconnecting to the world around them. They spend more time in social networking sites, rather than to live a real life.

When I was little, my father used to tell me to go to the beach with friends or whoever I wanted, just as long as I would be outside. I was always inside the house reading, writing, or tinkering with some stuff in the kitchen. I didn’t get what my father used to tell until now. My father was right! I had to go out more often because there are more to it in life than just staying cozy under a roof.

Dealing with people is one of the things a leader must master. When you’re outside, you’ll meet different kinds of people. When you get used to be in their presence, you will be able to learn how to deal with them in different circumstances.

D.     LOVE


I know love is quite a broad subject to tackle. In fact, thousands of books have discussed love but are still unable to cover all of its dimensions. Love is complex. It comes in many forms. You can be loving, compassionate, caring and fair to people but not to other living creatures. Sometimes, it is also hard to show these traits to people who we least like. You have to be aware of it. When you notice yourself disliking a person, do a self-check. Ask yourself, “How can I control myself from disliking this person?”

Sometimes, we just dislike a person for no reason.If it is impossible to like that person, it is fine! Just make sure you control your urge to bark at them. You have to be civil, polite and respectful at all times.

You can also love the environment. To do show this, you have to be responsible with your trash.

To love, in whatever form is every leader’s obligation!

3.    RESPONSIBILITY


A basic responsibilities of a leader are simple – to talk, to walk and to think!

A.     Talk


You must make plans. You must have visions and ideas. You have to communicate it to your team. You have to talk to give instructions. It could in a formal setting like a meeting. It could also be informal like through phone call or email or short messaging.

B.     Walk


Whatever you talk about, you must the first person to live by it. In short you have to walk the talk.

C.      THINK


It is not right to just talk or walk or both without thinking! You have to assess.

I have seen people posting something on social sites because it is what everyone is doing. Facebook and other social sites are great tools to spread good things. Sadly a lot of people use it for the wrong purpose.

I got the acronym T-H-I-N-K on Facebook, which says it all. Before you say anything, before you do anything, THINK! Is it Thoughtful? Is it Helpful? Is it Important? Is it Nice? Is it Kind? If it is not any of the T-H-I-N-K meanings, then don’t say it. Don’t do it! 

Don’t post it!


4.    KNIFE


Think of your leadership role as a knife. It is sharp, it can be painful because sometimes, it takes sacrifice. Sometimes, you are faced with tasks that seem impossible to do. It can be stressful as well.
Just like a knife, if you handle it the wrong way, you’ll get hurt. But if handle it well, it will serve its purpose.

They say rough seas make good sailors.You have to experience challenges and pressures to produce the best in you.

If you are in less favorable environment, you have 2 options. First is to give up and simply accept the situation as it is. Second is to make the most out of it but find ways to get out of there.

Difficulties provide us an opportunity to better ourselves up. They appear paralyzing because they threaten our comfort. Nobody likes discomfort!

Rather than doing something productive, I know a lot of people wish for something they don’t have. I wish I were smarter. I wish I were richer. I wish I had a better job. I wish! I wish! They wait for something to fall on their lap before they do anything to change their lives.

If you’re in a rough situation, you have to work your butt off to get out of there! And you shouldn’t settle down until you get out of there. You shouldn’t feel cozy. No one is supposed to be in a rough life all the time.

The roughness of life helps us dig out whatever gem hidden inside us. The environment you are in helps shape your style as a leader and as a person in general. You should let it shape you beautifully.

My leadership journey started as little boy with big dreams.


Leadership and Commitment - Chapter II

 WHAT IS COMMITMENT?


Commitment is a component to the success of a team. I have learned that a parachute company has improved their performance because of the individual commitment of each of the parachute folders. The folders not only fold the parachutes, they also test its quality by jumping from the plane wearing the parachute they were assigned to fold.

The folders must have to make sure they fold the parachutes perfectly or else they would experience accidents. When we are at stake, we have no other choice but to make the best quality of things we can do.

A simple illustration of commitment is the story of three friends – the Cow, the Chicken and the Pig! They have to make a breakfast for their school project. The cow decided to donate some milk and the chicken some eggs. Since the pork can neither produce milk nor eggs, he has to cut his leg to donate his meat to make some bacon. Of the three friends, the pig is the most committed!

Commitment is also like that of the experience of the pig. That is what I have experienced when I try to live up to what I had promised myself to support the finances of my siblingsin college. I didn’t have to do it but I wanted to. I was not easy. Commitment can be excruciating but in the end it is rewarding.

When I think of commitment, the first thing that comes to mind is D-I-E-T. I know some people who wanted to lose some weight through diet. They declare “I want to lose 5 pounds,” in the most creative way. Some included it in their new year’s resolutions. What happens is that a week later, they get tired of dieting. They just stop! I believe the main reason a lot of people fail in their diet is their lack of commitment.

To sum up the meaning of commitment, let me expound it as D-I-E-T.

1.    DEDICATION


Commitment is dedication. If your team is given a task, you have to give your full dedication to finish it on time and with desirable quality. You have to persevere to fulfill it. Just like in marriage vows “for richer or poorer, in sickness and health,” your dedication must be consistent regardless of circumstances.

2.    INVESTMENT


When you commit yourself to your team, you invest time, effort and resources for them. In some ways, you invest something to achieve a goal.

My sister who is an elementary teacher, being a fresh graduate had once asked me allowance to decorate her room. She explained that it is not part of the school’s budget, so she has to get from her own pocket to make her room pleasantly looking. To make her room look more presentable, she had to invest some money to buy the materials. She also had to render unpaid overtime to put the decorations.

When you invest yourself in a cause, you even sometimes invest physically, mentally and emotionally.

3.    EXCHANGE OF VALUES


When you commit yourself to a group, you allow yourself to be vulnerable. You share to them your own values and the same time, you absorb the values of your team members. If as a leader you exhibit the willingness to sacrifice for the team’s sake, some, if not all of the members will also be willing to sacrifice themselves for you.

4.    TOGETHERNESS



You team will flourish if there is a sense of togetherness among its members. The more people are committed, the better and stronger the team will become. Commitment is required not only from 1 or 2 members of the team, but it should be from each of the members. 



Proceed Reading

Leadership and Commitment - Chapter I

THE THREE FACETS OF LEADERSHIP

Photo courtesy http://thesalesblog.com/

1.    Leadership is acquired.


Leaders are not born. They are made. No one is born and right away becomes a leader. Even a sole heir of a royal family doesn’t become a leader the moment he was born. First, he has to undergo training in the actual world. If he is assumed to take a leadership role someday, like a king for instance, he has to be trained. He has to acquire the basic skills a leader must have.

Leadership is acquired either by choice or by no-choice.

Being the eldest brother wasn’t my choice! It was given. There is nothing I can do about it. But the decision to help my siblings’ college education was my personal choice. No one forced me to do that.
Being appointed as an officer wasn’t also my choice. It was given to me. But I had to accept it not because I necessarily knew how to do it. I just had to step up and function according to the role entrusted to me. I accepted it because everything is learnable. I had to learn the skills necessary to perform the tasks for the given role.

There are skills a leader must acquire to become effective. They are what I call the 5 C’s of a leader.

A.     CONFIDENCE


A leader must be confident. He knows what he stands for and he must be willing to present it to the right audience.

Unfortunately, confidence wasn’t my strongest suit. If you could measure my self-confidence, I could barely fill a teaspoon. I always have self-doubt. It is probably because of my childhood experiences.

I didn’t have the experience most kids have. Their parents were always there by their side to support them. I envied other kids in school. On graduation, even with “most behave” awards, their parents gave them on stage psychedelic gifts. They’re all flashing smiles. I didn’t envy their gifts. I pitied myself most of the time because even with having honors, my parents were not there with me on stage. My high school graduation was epic! Before marching to the stage, I had to beg 2 people from the audience to act out as my escorts.

When I became an Area Governor for Toastmasters in the Province of Leyte, I had to practice being confident. At first, it was just an act. I had to act as if I were confident. As the saying goes, “fake it until you make it!” Eventually, it paid off. It was also very helpful that I expose myself to people who are confident, supportive and who have positive outlook in life.

Self-confidence was a personal issue. Though it was a thing in my past, but I still feel its sting every once in a while. I am fine with revisiting my insecurities every now and then, because it’s making me grounded and unassuming.  


B.     COMMUNICATION


Effective communication is very important in leadership. I don’t just mean speaking or talking. Communication is a two-way process. It involves speaking and listening.

Listening is important if you want to get good inputs from your teammates. By listening to them, you encourage them to be bold, open and tickle their brain. You might be surprised that even the most silent person in your team has something brilliant to contribute. You have to encourage them to be courageous in speaking their minds out by sincerely spending time to listen to what they have to say.

Speaking is as important as listening. That is how your ideas and visions come across to your audience, your team members. It is not enough that you have plenty of brilliant ideas. It is not enough that you know a lot of things. They say knowledge is power. 
However knowledge that is left to rot in the brain is not power. Knowledge has to be shared. It has to be put to action. Knowing is only a piece of the puzzle. Being able to transfer to the team some information and anything that you know is more important than having the information. Hording an important knowledge is selfishness.

The knowledge that I am referring to is something that will benefit the whole team and others. By the way, gossiping is also a form of transferring information, but that is not what I meant.  Again, transfer knowledge that would benefit the team!

C.      CHILL


As a leader, you have to learn how to relax, to exhibit grace under pressure. You should not crack under pressure. When there is a problem and you panic, your team members would also panic. What they see, they copy. When there is a problem and everyone is panicking, it would be chaotic.

D.     CARING


Though as a leader, output is your priority, it doesn’t mean you just ignore the welfare of your subordinates. You have to show compassion for them; that you care for their feelings and state of being.

If there are certain tasks they find hard to accomplish, instead of beating them up and crashing their spirits, you have to encourage them. You have to find options to boost their morale. Anyone who has good morale is inspired to perform their tasks and has the tendency to reach their full potential as an effective team contributor.

E.      CHEERFULNESS


Life itself is very serious. If you watched the news, you’d think there is nothing positive left in this world. If you just open your eyes, you will see that there are so many wonderful things in life worth celebrating for.

As a leader, you have to possess that kind of attitude especially when you are in front of your members. Your energy is contagious. You mood in front of them is easily transferred.So, you have to choose which attitude you want them to get from you. Regardless of situation, you have to show them that having problems is not really a problem.They should not let their problems affect their spirit the negative way.

A cheerful leader makes a cheerful follower. A cheerful person easily finds a way to blossom wherever he’s planted at.

2.    Leadership is ability to L-I-F-T.


To lift is to empower people. That is the most important skill a leader must have. There are times team members become so down, especially when faced with trouble and defeat. As a leader, you must be able to point that out and be able to give encouragement to them. For a team composed of a few members, to approach each member and know their situation is crucial. Even if there is no trouble, when one of them gets something done that is worthy of commendation, you have point that out. By announcing one person’s achievement to everyone, you encourage not only that one person but also the rest of the team members.

If they do well and you have never pointed that out, it is as good as shredding their output. Being ignored is the worse feeling one could ever get. To be recognized every once in awhile, at least through a thumbs up is a longing each person wants. It boosts our moral to continue doing something good and become even better at what we do.

A.     LEAD: Leadership is ability to Lead.


To lead is to have some people following your footsteps. Some call it leading by example.

Let’s say, you have been appointed as the new manager of a department. You are expected to lead the team and to represent them to the top management. As a new manager, you can’t expect everyone to simply follow your orders. Only the naturally submissive people will do that. Unfortunately nowadays only a few of those types of people have left. Most people will look for clues and reasons why they should follow you and your orders.

Your success as a leader depends on your team’s participation. You have to win their support. Some managers rely on Martial Law and claim “I am your boss. You should follow my orders!” Martial Law is the thing of the past. It is no longer effective nowadays. People have become wiser and more inquisitive in terms of following orders.

To win their support, you have to show them you are worthy of their trust and support.

B.     INSPIRE: Leadership is ability to Inspire.


How to inspire varies from one person to another. But the most common way is to target their hearts.

Every person has a heart-trigger. It is something that when you start talking about it, they can’t help but listen to you. And they start to talk about it, they can’t seem to stop. If you show them that you care for the things that they care about, they would be inspired. By simply listening to what they have to say, that is something precious to them. They tend to seek your opinion about it.

I didn’t know I am capable of inspiring anyone! Soon, I realized that anyone can. You don’t even have to try hard.

I invited my 3 little half-brothers to stay with me for a week during summer. I just wanted to see them and to get to know something about them. There was no agenda about it. Every morning for the whole week, I had breakfast with them. Then, I just left them in my room. They just watched movies the whole day. The only request I had for them is to fix my room, arrange my books, fold neatly my clothes in the closet and wash the dishes after eating.It was executed perfectly!

When they went back home after their one-week vacation, they all talked about it as if I were a hero. I was flattered, somehow. They talked about my ref that was filled with food. They talked about wanting to have their own room with air-con someday. They wanted to have a swimming pool nearby. They wanted to have a closet filled with clothes of their own. They wanted to be called “Sir.” They didn’t know that those people they saw who called me “Sir” were janitors. They didn’t know that the janitors in our place were trained to be polite and to call everyone “Sir” or “Ma’am.”
“I will do better in school to be like Kuya,” they told everyone at home.

C.      FIND OTHER LEADERS:  Leadership is an ability to find other potential people who could step up to become a leader.


It is important to look for potential leaders to step up and take a lead role especially when you’re not around.

Some position-holders fail to recognize the importance of mastering this skill. They think it is not their role to find other leaders. Some of them are maybe selfish enough not to do it because they believe in their leadership skills so much that that they think they are irreplaceable. They feel threatened someone might take their place. The truth is if you don’t perform well, someone will take your place.

Finding other potential leaders helps smooth transition. It also helps topass on the good practices of the team.

If you spotted one or two, you have to help mold them. You have to mentor them to help them discover their full leadership potential.


D.     TAKE ACTION: Leadership is ability to take action.


It is not enough that you tell your constituents to do something. You also have to exhibit the willingness to do it. As a captain of a ship, it is not right to tell your crews to say “let’s jump!” but you don’t. It is more than words. It is best demonstrated by your actions as a leader. What you do on a regular basis is what fuels them to follow you. They will listen to your words but they will ultimately measure your character by your actions on a regular basis.

3.    Leadership is a process.


Everything evolves with time. Tasks change. The essence of success also changes. What people call a success in the past may no longer be applicable in the present. Success then is a process. It does not happen overnight. To achieve something that continuously changes also requires a leader who is open to change.

It does not happen overnight. A leader must also seek for ways to improve his skills and not just rely on what he already has. 


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Leadership and Commitment - Introduction

Position and title don’t make a person a leader. You don’t need to be a mayor or a president before you become a leader. You don’t need to be a manager before you become a leader. Anyone, even as an ordinary student, a farmer, an ordinary employee, a brother or a sister, you can be a leader!

Being elected as an officer of an organization, a society or a company is an opportunity. It is given to you because you are perceived to be a potential leader. Position, as well as title is like a vehicle. It speeds and boosts up your leadership capacity. It enables you to connect with others having similar designation.

It is good to have a supportive team when you take a leadership role. You can’t do everything. You have to delegate certain tasks to certain people. These people help you become successful in taking your tasks.

I believe that my leadership journey started in my childhood as a big brother. I didn’t have the best things in life. I didn’t have an ideal family. As a little boy wandering what had been going on with my life, I knew I couldn’t be cozy or I would stay helpless forever.

It was like living in a dark tunnel. I had to find a spark of light to guide me through to get out of it.
My dreams were enough reason to get out of there. As a kid, I dreamed of a lot of things. I still find it a mystery where I got them from. God must have planted it in my mind. Or perhaps it’s because of the longing of having them.

We didn’t have books at home. It was a luxury to buy books that no one would ever read. I don’t remember seeing someone from the family ever read something, except for Jai Alai ticket.

One day as I visited my classmate’s house, there flashed in my eyes books that seemed like golden acorns neatly piled on their shelves. Out of pure wish, I asked from my father a set of encyclopedia on as a present my graduation. Of course, that didn’t happen!

So, I kept on dreaming and wishing about books.When I got a job after college, the first thing I bought was a book, a fiction novel by Stephen King.

When I was in high school, I promised myself that once I finished my studies and got a decent job, I would help finance the education of my siblings.

So, I did! Three of them are now college graduates.


That is how my leadership journey started.

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