‘HEROES’ TODAY, LEADERS TOMORROW
THE future holds a lot of possibilities for the youth of today. With the right leadership skills and enough preparation, they can pave the way toward a better Philippines.
With that in mind, the Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. held the 9th Aboitiz Future Leaders Business Summit last Aug. 14 at the Marco Polo Plaza with the theme, “Significantly Changing My Philippines.” The three-day event united 90 college student delegates from all over the archipelago who were eager to participate in the fun and knowledge-filled activity.
Top executives from the Aboitiz Group like Jaime Jose Aboitiz, the executive vice president of the Visayan Electric Co., Eugene Acevedo of Union Bank and City Savings Bank, and the chairman himself Jon Ramon Aboitiz, shared their inspiring stories and insights with the delegates in order for them to take action and be the best leaders that they can be someday.
They also gave tips on how to be a good leader and at the same time, they told delegates to enjoy what they do as leaders.
During the summit, the students were reminded that a leader should have the right qualities in order to lead effectively.
What it takes to be a leader
Demi Lynn Fianza, a senior accountancy student of the University of the Cordilleras, said that a leader should first and foremost have a vision. “Once he has a vision, everything will follow,” she shared. Other than the vision, Fianza said that having a sense of responsibility and a positive attitude can make a good leader. She was the vice governor of the College of Accountancy in their university last year, and joining activities of the Supreme Student Government built her character and personality as a leader.
“I was able to show them what being a leader does to me and with that, they are willing to undergo the changes I have undergone,” she added.
Kereen Ria Genteroy considers humility as one of the important qualities that a leader must have.
“Every leader should be humble. He should know where he or she exactly stands as a leader. Every quality a leader should possess should be grounded on humility,” she said.
Genteroy is the president of the UST English Language Studies Society and one of the organizers of the “UST BlogCon 2013: Reinvent Your Theme,” which students from all over the country joined.
They invited Saab Magalona, Bogart the Explorer, Bjorn Bedayo and Danny Baretto to speak in the fields of video blogging, photography and fashion blogging. For her, it’s a big achievement knowing she inspired a lot of students to give their best and empower more people as well.
For Justin Carlo Bolilia, every leader must have integrity, self-discipline and the right perspective.
Forward thinking
“A leader must be able to impose discipline on himself and must be able to impose it on the people he leads. A good leader doesn’t only focus on the task at hand but also looks to the future and considers other factors that are beyond the scope of his work,” he shared.
Today’s youth are not just future leaders. They can also be everyday heroes in their own little way. Bolilia was part of the team of Ateneo de Manila University that gathered 80,000 relief packs in just five days for the victims of typhoon Yolanda. Being a senior and taking up management engineering, he added that he was able to use his business competencies in making an impact in his community.
The summit was over-all empowering and overwhelming for them. They learned a lot of things and it inspired them to become better leaders.
As what Jon Ramon Aboitiz said, “Leadership is a role. Leaders are unafraid of failure.”
After hearing words of wisdom from the Aboitiz Group’s leaders and enhancing their leadership skills, these students are on their way to becoming better leaders of the country in the coming years.