I took those six months of being unemployed to “reset” myself. While looking for my next job, I read books on management—not just any business management book, but those that discussed building the right culture and nurturing employees.
I now wanted to be a manager whom the team respects, not because he was an ogre, but because he was a mentor and coach. To do that, I knew I had to work with a manager and an organization that were aligned with my values. It took a while, but I eventually found them.
The next company I worked for —my current one—isn’t as big as the previous one, but it still has a fairly large footprint in the country and in the region in general. I was given a team to run, just like I had in my last role. My managers, though, are very different from the ones I had before. They show that they care for the employees, not just the numbers. When I look to them for guidance, they give it. I give the same to my team.
Although my management style has completely changed, I am still able to hit my targets, to my surprise. The team is able to perform despite (because of) my caring for their well-being. The company culture truly focuses on what matters most: overall value, not just profit.
I enrolled in the MBA program not just to add a title to my already long name. I want to develop my business management skills further. I do not want my sole purpose to be just making a profit for the organization I work for. I envision myself developing the capability, skills and business acumen of the team members under my supervision and hopefully help them in their careers.
I commit to being a leader who cares for people and not just for profit. I commit to being a mentor to my team leaders and their direct reports. Aside from just delivering targets, I will prioritize my people’s health, safety and personal development by sharing value learning. My idea is to guide them in balancing work and life, prioritizing the most important aspects of life and not just pushing them to meet targets. More than anything, I want to leave them with career lessons and business knowledge that they can use as they move up their career ladders by establishing learning sessions alongside routine meetings.
With the proper balance of business management and transparency with the team, these goals, along with hitting our targets, can and will be achieved.
Now, I know what I want to become.
The author is an MBA freshman at the Ramon V. Del Rosario College of Business of De La Salle University. He wrote this reflection paper for his class on Lasallian Business Leadership, Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility. He can be reached at [email protected].
The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty and its administrators.