Best of both worlds

I did not know what AYLC was before. I have literally never heard of it. I must say, however, that the word AYALA, was the one which caught my attention. I am a business student and so we get to hear topnotch businessmen’s names every day. We even study their profiles. I learned about Ayala Young Leaders Congress though a poster posted in the school’s bulletin board. I just saw it once wishing I could be a part of it, but at that time, I thought it was not going to happen. I simply was just not the one next in line. That’s why you could just imagine how elated I was when I was given the chance that fateful Friday afternoon.

The name is Net, and I will pen my heart into paper after the most amazing week I have had in my life.

Unlike everyone, I wasn’t a hard-core student leader. I never became the supreme student government president in high school. If anything, the only leadership positions I had were those acquired by merit, ergo skill. I was the editor-in-chief of our high school publication for two years. Chairman of the science club.  President of the Chess club. On top of that, I was notorious for being a grade-conscious student. And I still am, by the way (LOL). So you have me as one of the campus geeks. Class valedictorian. My friends always have the balls of reciting my litany of achievements. And the way I was raised by a family with mega standards have always influenced me. I have always shunned the offers for running as student council president because I was on top of my class and my parents figured being a part of the student council might compromise my academics. After all, as a student, academics is still my priority.

But I was awake. I have skills. And I was reasonably disturbed.

 I couldn’t help thinking about me doing nothing but focus on academics when many in our school couldn’t even understand the basics of English, Chemistry and Physics. That’s when two of my friends and I together with our adviser launched the Peer Tutoring Program. It’s now on its third year under the leadership of the third batch tutors. Then, I graduated from high school and somehow I stopped after teaching around 20 students. I somehow stopped after throwing a few starfishes.

College came and I swore to myself upon entering the gates of BU that I would totally focus on academics. Damn the extra-curricular. I survived for two years doing my tradition of saying NO to offers of candidacy. My “geek” gear was totally all over me and the words “I want to be summa cum laude” literally written all over my face. I told them I was busy and they understood. At the time, there were many complaints about the management ways of the then incumbent officers. I had my share of complaints too. And I realized, I should really be the change I want to see in the world.

Again, I was reasonably disturbed.

My third year rolled in and I assumed the position of the executive head of the Junior Institute of Management and at the same time the Vice President of the Business Management Association of the Philippines at Bicol University. For the second time, I had another shot at throwing my own starfish. As of now, I am running for my second term unopposed. I don’t know what I did or did not do to deserve their trust. All I know is that I will be forever grateful to these people.

Now, allow me to recount the memories I have pre-AYLC. It was during the day I looked forward to, for me, at least as the President of the Junior Institute of Management that my AYLC journey began. There I sat in the back row, representing the business students to receive the awards we have amassed after the college intramurals. I thought that day would end with me receiving the awards, locking it all up at the office and finally get my most-awaited opportunity to rest after a week of leading, motivating and inspiring the team to win. How very wrong I was. Something big was going to come.

Just as I was about to leave the hall, our CSAC adviser told me to go to the office of the student services, get my password and do as I will be told by the OIC. It was raining hard that day. I didn’t even know what the password was for. I totally didn’t know what our CSAC Adviser signed me up for. But the bottomline: I DID AS I WAS TOLD…I did as I was told and only then did I know that I was being given the chance to apply for the AYLC 2013. Lucky me.

Fast-forward to the application process. It was a good thing my portfolio was always kept updated. I began to input my credentials but I was worried because I was not really able to fill out all of them. I finally decided to hit that big SUBMIT button and I prayed to God to grant me one more step forward.

Panel Interviews. I was happy to learn that I made it to the panel interviews—the final step. Make it or break it. I prayed for one more step but I actually got a free ride from God to my AYLC destination with lots of bonuses. I got the chance to be interviewed by no less than Ma’am Luli and Don Jaime himself. And being given the chance by them to be a part of the AYLC journey is just really overwhelming.

Finally, AYLC 2013. I’m writing this account roughly two weeks after AYLC- the most amazing, insightful and unforgettable moment in my life as a leader. Being given the chance to meet 80 others from all over the country, of different walks of life is really a big blessing. I will never forget the workshops, the outdoor challenges that molded trust and friendship, the sessions that allowed us to free our minds and the executives and all these AYLC people of high credentials who reached out to us to hear our ideas.

And the starfish story I kept retelling to my brother, friends and colleagues in the organization. I was amazed to realize that the little starfishes I have thrown on my own before is actually contributing to this vast network of AYALA alumni who are throwing their starfishes in their own corner of the world. Before, I felt alone in pursuing my advocacy for literacy and education. I felt like it was only me and my three friends who were actually trying to effect change. Because of AYLC, I felt the support of a big family. As of this writing, I and my classmates are preparing for a community outreach and literacy campaign slated next week and I am just so happy that we would have another shot at throwing our own starfishes.

I realized that with all the many starfishes that needs to get thrown, I shouldn’t ever get tired of throwing hundreds or even thousands more. It should be a continuous process. As my workshop groupmate said, “Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.”

 I left the school worrying about my exams (the geek side of me freaking out), the activities I’ll be leaving behind and all my other commitments. But true enough, it was all worth it.

 Because of AYLC, I had the best of both worlds.

________________________________

MOnette Jane Vargas is a student of the Bicol University

The Common Denominator of Incongruities

I conquered to seek. I dared to speak.

I am a person whose personality is faced with contradictories. I am a writer but I want to be an accountant. I love numbers when I also love words. I speak and I write. I make decisions with my mind but I foresee consequences with my heart. I am rational but I am emotional.

But my contradicting traits are gains. A turning point in my life showed me how to transform these contradictions into a powerful force of action.

A way of giving back

There were lesser self-inclined motives. In fact, if I would put it in percentage, it would just comprise 10 percent. Of course, I am not a hypocrite to say that I also did it for myself. The selfish motive for AYLC was to hone my leadership skills to be able to serve people more and build networks for the expansion of the institution I live in and the community where I belong.

The application was more for Divine Word College of Legazpi. I was aware that it was already six years since we had a Divinian delegate. I wanted to give back to my soon-to-be Alma Mater. I wanted to give back to the institution which nested me when I had nowhere to go way back then. I wanted to give back to my home which has molded me to the person I am today, the place which has opened doors of opportunities and chances, and the place which has made me stronger. And most of all, I wanted to shout to the whole world, “Hey, Divine Word College of Legazpi exists. And it certainly has student leaders who want to make a change.”

Servant-leader in the making

AYLC is a blessing that calls for responsibility. It is accountability. I am accountable. I am accountable for all that I have, for all that I will be receiving, for all that I would give and for all that I would share. I am accountable to the people who have given me their trust, their love and their support. I am accountable to the people I serve. I am accountable for all my thoughts, words and deeds.

We were challenged to pay forward, “To whom much is given, much is expected.” And it’s definitely true. We student leaders have the responsibility of helping shape the future. Indeed, we are the powerful force that can drive the Philippines towards progress. We can always make it hand in hand.

The first thing that hit me was the trust challenges. I really cannot say the words, “I’m Bebs and I’m ready to fall.” It’s simply because I’m afraid to fall. I fear to disappoint people. I don’t want them to get frustrated. I have always lived to reach their expectations. I don’t want to see people getting hurt. I have failed my father once and I told myself from that moment not to fail anybody else.

Falling for me is failing. And I have always seen myself catching people and supporting them to stand up when they fall. I have always told myself, “I have to be strong. I should not fail. I should always be okay to help people out.” And I guess that’s what made me be afraid of falling.

Yet, the trust challenges made me realize the importance of falling. It’s not all the times that I would face success. I have learned that there are times that we need to push and there are times that we have to pull. Other times, we are on top and other times we are down. Sometimes, we are on the frontline, sometimes we are the support. Time would come that we have to catch those who fall and help them stand again but there will also be the time that we would fall and they would be ready to catch us. But all the times, we are not alone in reaching our goals. We would always be together because we are interconnected.

I am not Wonderwoman to save the world. I am an ordinary person without a supernatural power. But I am a servant-leader with an extraordinary force of network to make a difference, to make a change.

Sangandaan challenge

Ngunit bawat pusong naglalakbay dumarating sa sangang daan. Ngayong narito ka, kailangang magpasya. Aling landas ang susundin ng puso? Saan ka liligaya? Saan mabibigo? Saan ka tutungo?

Even before coming to AYLC and even prior to the panel interviews in November, I was already facing the question, “Stay in the publication or run as the chairperson for the council?” I had a 30-70 decision by then.

During the reflection time in Caleruega, the song suddenly played. I reflected on the three days that have passed. Yet, all that appears before me was the situation I was in. which road will I take? Which road will I walk?

Tears started to fall. I can’t help it. My whole life, I have been with the publication. Yes, I had student leaderships with the Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants and Rotaract Club of Legazpi West but it never asked me to leave the publication. This one is different.

The silence was deafening. It was breaking my heart. It seemed to be a torture to hear that song which was as if challenging me to make a decision at that very moment. I looked up, prayed harder and asked God for His plans. I closed my eyes and looked deep into my heart. I wanted to move with the people. And I told myself, “Whichever road I take, I can serve my fellow students. It is God’s plan that I will follow.”

I felt calm. I’ve made my decision to 0-100. Yes, I would run for the student council as its Chairperson. The sangandaan really is not making a choice between the publication and student council. They are different worlds but their common denominator is student service. The upcoming CSEB Election is my sangandaan. Whatever the result will be, I would respect it and accept it. It’s God’s plan. What is important is that I have fought fairly for the position. I have the clean intentions. My sangandaan lies on my fellow Divinians.

AYLC made me realize the different forms of leadership and service. It all boils down to self-awareness. When you are aware of who you are and what you can do, you know your place. And with it, you can serve because you can give yourself to service and to the people you serve. If you’re not able to give yourself to what you do, you are not a good leader: you can never become a servant-leader.

Multi-faceted voice

What kind of servant-leader am I? How would I be able to throw a starfish back to the sea? The answer leads me back to a question in the panel interview.

I was asked, “You are a writer. You want to be an accountant. But you are also in Rotaract. Which is closest to your heart?” I certainly was expecting to be asked why I was in writing when I wanted to be an accountant. I was always asked about it. But that moment came straight to my face. It took me a minute before I smiled and answered comfortably, “We can always have the best of both worlds. They are all close to my heart because they share a common denominator. They all make me the voice.”

The Lord Jesus Christ is the perfect example of a servant-leader. He is also filed with contradicting personalities. But He is the Greatest Leader. And to Him, I kneel and pray that we will all continuously be shaped as tomorrow’s leaders.

After six years, I was able to share again a Divinian’s voice. And I would always be the voice who would speak of the truth, hear the hope of the people and shout their cries for change. I am the voice who would teach them also how to speak for themselves.

And if there is one thing I realized with AYLC, that is the common denominator of my incongruities. And it leads me to saying – My passion is writing. My profession is accounting. My mission is serving.

_____________________________

Baby Lyn Morota is a 3rd year BS Accountancy student of Divine Word College of Legazpi

The Center

Macky is a magnet and achievements are metal items. Macky is the sun, the center of the solar system. Macy is a citrus, the number 1 source of vitamin C. Macky is the sow, whom we are all waiting hen winter will pass. Macky is the Gold that treasured by the minors. Macky feels he is so much essential. Macky thinks he I very good. Macky touched and help lives. Macky always seeks for affirmation.

            And I am Macky Lim.

            This was the very thing that I see myself from the very start when I was just a student leader in my elementary days. I influence and change other people’s lives and feel happy because of it. I always do several tasks at the same time and able to accomplish it in just a snap. I always think that I am always the super hero in my comic story and my fairytale will always have a happy ending.

            On the contrary, something in me has changed right now because of my AYLC experience.

            Since then, I always ponder on this quote. “You don’t need to have a position to serve people”. Ever since, I stand and live with this quote. I even use it as a motto of my life. Inevitably the quote became part of me since then yet, it became a part that was never been substantiated enough. Then I realized that the quote was just a quote that comprised with words within me- I never substantiated it with meanings.

            Because of AYLC, I understand the meaning of servant leadership. This is a service for the people’s improvement ad society’s betterment without seeking due acknowledgment or affirmation. AYLC substantiated the meaning of trust, camaraderie, respect, diversity, unity and leadership as a life learning process.

            As of now, I’m planning to be back on my school with a brand new motivation. This motivation will not be only mine but instead, I will influence other students, my friends and colleagues to take part on the thought of servant leadership in practice it in our community.

            I strongly believe that the job of being a leader will not just end about our projects sustainability, success, efficacy, grandness, or even hugeness- Beyond all of these, threes more that we must ponder.

            More than achievements, travel abroad, designations, awards, titles, and honor that we have it will still boils up at one thing- do you accept that you are a servant?

A servant leader is a servant first. We must realize that the job of being a leader is by making himself not the center of acknowledgment, not the top of the most outstanding leaders, not the one who has lots of connections, and not even being the USC Chairperson and a Student Regent.

            Being a leader means you are initiating an impact for others to learn on the things around us because leadership is long journey and we must maximize the time of learning, loving, and serving.

            I maybe Macky Lim and not the sun, the center of the solar system yet I am Macky Lim- the center of rightful motivation for others to act and learn.

I am Macky Lim, and I’m an Ayala Young Leader.

*********************************************

Macky is a third-year student of the Bicol University

THE BAHAGSUBAY EXPERIENCE

Meggie Eleazar

            I was both excited and apprehensive at the start of the Congress. I knew that it was going to be a great experience, one that would surely teach me a lot. But, it can never be denied that once placed in a room full of bubbling, passionate young leaders, you can never be certain on how well you’ll be able to deal with everyone. Yet, I had this mind-set that I was here in this congress because I wanted to learn, I wanted to improve myself so that I could be a more effective leader of the school and the community. I constantly reminded myself of this throughout the duration of the activity. In everything we did, I kept this in mind.

            One thing that was evident in the congress was that we were there to talk but more importantly, to listen. Yes, we had to express our questions, thoughts and opinions -  but what was more persistent was the yearning to listen and to learn through what you hear. In the congress I heard three things, the first was the speakers. The panel discussion that we had was very enlightening and helpful because unlike other seminars that had speakers directing the participants on what must be done based on concepts and norms of the community – here, the panelist presented us their true and real life experiences and stories. We were able to see them as something more than a celebrity or a public figure but as a person, as a leader. We heard them as they went through difficulties in their lives and how they overcame such. We were awed by their realizations and their decision making. The panel discussion was more personal and it was real. As such, it made a greater impact on me also because some of their experiences are the same as mine.

            The next voice I heard was that of my co-delegates. Most especially in our workshop groups, where we openly shared our problems and reactions to the aforementioned, I was frequently awed by the opinions of my group mates. It was a great experience to hear the stories of young leaders nearly at your age. Hearing both their personal and professional problems both inspired and saddened me at times. It was great to be a part of a young leaders’ path to development and self-improvement. The input we shared in our workshop groups gave us all realizations on our own leadership problems and dilemmas.

            The last voice I heard was my inner voice. That was the voice I listened to at dawn when I was reflecting the things I learned from the day’s activity. It was the voice of a new hope and determination within me, eager to put into action the inputs that I got and the changes that I wanted to make within myself and within my school and community.

            Another important thing that I realized from the congress and which I would always keep in mind was the lesson on trust. One of our outdoor activities really struck me – how the team really worked together, kept together, literally held each other and kept each one firm and strong so that one of us would be able to achieve her own personal goal. Considering the effort everyone repeatedly made, it had this impact on me – making me realize the true importance of trust and dedication to teamwork within organizations. I knew that having trust in yourself was an important thing. But another thing I realized was that you also had to really trust the other people you work with. And it is not enough that you silently and conceptually trust them, you had to show them that you trust and support them. Such an action would in turn make that person increase her trust in herself and make her all the more eager to do her best and perform her hardest in  achieving her goals. I used to think that if a good, she could be able to do everything by herself. But after that activity, I realized that the true effective leader would be someone who is able to stand by calmly as she lets other people do the tasks assigned to them, trusting their capabilities and knowing they would be able to do the job.

            Another thing that was almost always mentioned by our speakers was something in relation to values. As an Atenean, I was familiar to this concept already. Nevertheless, hearing from these professionals the difference their values made in their decision making and in the course of their lives made me see the true impact one’s values has in determining not only the decisions we make but also the courses our lives will take. We were told that our values were something non-negotiable. It cannot be applicable to others but not to some. It can’t be called in this situation but inapplicable in the next. Values are one important aspect of leadership. It is an indication of our identity. It determines who we are, what we are, who we are for and what we are for. Our values guide us in doing the things we do. It is something we go back to when faced with making decisions and choices. Our values identifies who are, and is very important to young leaders like us. It is something we stand for, fight for and live for.

            To end my reflection on the congress, I want to share my appreciation of the staff and everyone who is behind this leadership congress. Without question this was an experience that will forever change our lives. I am a firm believer that this is an effective and fruitful campaign on directing change and development in our country – through forming young leaders with service for the community and their country as their foremost devotion.

            One of our panelists shared that truly, it is important to love what you are doing – to unconditionally  love what you are doing. As I spent those four days in the company of 80 other young leaders, I saw an unwavering smile on everyone’s face and an unmasked dedication and passion for what we were there for. As such, with 80 others, I am very hopeful that indeed, the future of our nation would be a bright and progressive one.

__________________________________________________

Meggie is a third year business student of the Ateneo de Naga University

What Makes Us Tick?

Little comes to mind when I try to figure out how I eventually came across “AYLC.” But then I found myself one afternoon conversing with a good friend about many bizarre things we seldom talk about. It was an unusual chitchat that came right after we had a disturbing yet moving discussion in our Moral Theology class. At the back of our minds, there were the questions which we did not ponder on more deeply than before: “What makes us tick?” “What gives us life?” “How do we live our lives to the fullest?”

Those and much other questions and thoughts were what unusually sprung forth in the middle of our conversation. And that same afternoon some time in July, as we were going our way from the classroom back to the student publication office where we both serve, we happened to pass by the University’s bulletin boards where a certain AYLC poster caught our attention. All of a sudden my friend and I looked intently at each other as if trying to communicate through our eyes: “What now really makes us tick?”… “What now gives us life and the zest for life?”

Then we knew from that moment on, God was exactly calling us to live life to the fullest and to seize every moment of our lives—these we have taken on as our own mantra and philosophy in life from then on.

Drawing yet again from that fond memory, it was perhaps such unusual conversation, such earnest desire to ponder on thoughts I have paid the slightest attention to and such yearning for the meaning of life itself which altogether pushed me to set out and to embark on a long and tough journey which, albeit, would forever be dear to me. 

Keeping one’s self “together”

When the longed-for moment came (after the lengthy process, the nerve-wracking panel interviews and all) for me and for 80 other spirited, youthful souls to start off with our journey at the 15^th National Ayala Young Leaders Congress (AYLC), it suddenly sank in me: “Why me?”

There was, at first, a sense of being overwhelmed by how unimaginable it was for me to be chosen out of the many to take part in such a grandiose gathering of student leaders across the nation. The ability to have self-confidence always came up to me as a struggle I have to battle with as a student journalist. Time and again, I see myself as snob and aloof, and, therefore, hesitant in making decisions which do not satisfy the expectations of other people. At some other instances, this lack of self-confidence and the ability to trust in my own capabilities tends to pull me to different directions and causes me to be constantly torn apart by the many demands and pressure of my work as a writer.

Coming face-to-face with my own struggles as a student journalist and a student leader, I saw myself broken into fragments which made me feel even more undeserving of the opportunity to embark on this journey.

I came to grasp, however, that the AYLC was not merely an opportunity to become aware of my own strengths or to hone my untapped potentials but also an opportunity to brawl with my own weaknesses and insecurities or to challenge my deepest fears.

Many times during the congress, there had been a special routine that brought my fellow participants and I to share, discuss and explore on our respective leadership problems and difficulties. Gradually, this served as one of my “turning points” in the Congress. Each of my fellow workshop members’ sharing was like dripping water creating a dent in me. The fact that others had been more than willing to expose their own flaws and to make themselves vulnerable, as well as the fact that others had generously given of themselves to me altogether stood out as an immense challenge to the way I look at myself and my leadership.

Then it came to me that the very reason of my brokenness and self-fragmentation as a student journalist and a leader was not the lack of ability to have self-confidence nor the hesitation to make bold decisions because of others’ expectations. It was, in reality, the absence of a common thread that ties and keeps my whole self together which further divides me into pieces.

Ultimately I had to ask myself what ought to be this common thread, after all? The answer lies in having a vision of what we call in AYLC as servant leadership.  This vision moved me to go beyond the self and to start learning how to empower others, to make them realize their own hopes, aspirations and dreams. What we also call in AYLC as “litmus test” of servant leadership further had a great impact in me: “Do those served grow as persons?”   

Finding that common thread was what helped me find a bit of wholeness and peace. It even struck me that what I say or feel, or what others think or say of me would not matter much. It would be enough that I have served first and that I can place my confidence in God who would take care of the rest.

Call to pay forward

All the significant moments I had in AYLC gave me both joy and some kind of sadness. There was sadness at the thought of parting ways with new and dear acquaintances and there was unease at the thought of leaving. But perhaps the thought of leaving was somehow different in the sense that I would not be leaving behind what I learned, but more importantly, I am called and disturbed to pay my learning forward.

Our travel to Caleruega (Batangas) was another key moment during the Congress. There we had the chance to glimpse back at all the sessions and outdoor activities we had in AYLC; moreover, we had the chance to look forward and to see what we would be of ourselves after the Congress.

When I tried to look back at the past three days of my AYLC experience, I came across one of our speakers’ pieces of thoughts for us: Thinking of our own leadership and our commitment to serve others, we ought to think that—in the words of our Lord himself, he who gave himself wholly to us—“Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do it to me.” And musing over the thoughts of Albert Camus: “Put yourself at the service not of those who make history but those who suffer it.”

Savoring the invaluable insights each of us gained from the Congress, we were then challenged to “pay our AYLC experience forward.” Little by little I became aware that this was the hardest of all the tasks I have to commit myself after the Congress. We had another sharing session then about our “paying forward” and in the letters we were asked to compose I wrote:

“The AYLC, after all, taught me that at the heart of servant leadership is love and genuine service. And so what Mother Teresa once said comes to mind: ‘to love until it hurts.’ Or phrased in another way: ‘Ang magmahal at magsilbi hindi dahil sa kundi kahit pa.”…A more gigantic role is thus set before me after this Congress—to re-echo my learning not only by means of more effective activities or more efficient performance of my duties as a student journalist, but primarily, by beginning to change myself when I go back to the community I serve, to challenge whatever grain of cynicism remains in my heart, to uproot all seeds of indifference and fear, to reconcile all the incompatibilities between ‘what is’ and ‘what should be’. ”

The “Magis” in me

Days have passed by so swiftly since I took part in such a really life-changing and unparalleled Congress. I would surely miss the friends I have known in AYLC and would continue to keep in touch with them in many ways. And back in Bikol, back in the University I serve, I am yet again a student journalist and an Atenean. Nevertheless, becoming a student journalist and an Atenean “yet again” has become, for me, “more” profound.

That “more”—magis—is now embodied in the way I view my role as a writer, a writer who does not write for writing’s sake nor simply to express his own thoughts and emotions. Embracing the meaning of servant leadership, I became aware that as a writer, I am everybody’s pen. I am the pen of those students who do not have the opportunity to express themselves whenever their rights are being trampled upon. I am the pen of those who do not have homes, those who cannot afford to have the quality education they desire, those who cannot dream because of their social condition. I am the pen of those who strive to have a better nation and those who struggle to seek the truth.

And in the many twists and turns in life I am yet to face after AYLC, that magis will be embodied in the decisions I will have to make: Ang daan ay tuwid at patag sa buhay mo noon/ Ngunit bawat pusong naglalakbay dumarating sa sangandaan/ Ngayong narito kailangang magpasya/ Aling landas ang susundin ng puso?/ Saan ka liligaya?/ Saan mabibigo?/ Saan ka tutungo?

In the end, my AYLC experience and that yearning for magis brought me back to the thoughts I had way before I embarked on this memorable journey:  “What makes us tick?” “What gives us life?” “How do we live our lives to the fullest?”

________________________________________________________________________
Jeff is a 4th year Accountancy student of the Ateneo de naga University and was the former Editor-in-Chief of  ThePillars Publication.

Building a Cathedral

There once was a traveler who journeyed all over the globe in search of wisdom and enlightenment. In the midst of one village, he came upon a great deal of noise, dust, and commotion.

 He approached the nearest laborer and asked, “Excuse me, I’m not from this village. May I ask what’s going on here?” The laborer replied curtly, “Can’t you see? I’m busting rocks.”

The traveler approached a second laborer doing the same thing and asked the same question. The second laborer replied, “Can’t you see? I’m earning a living to support my family.”

 

The traveler then approached a third laborer who was also breaking up rocks and posed the question a third

time. With a broad smile and a gleam in his eye, the third laborer replied with great pride: 

“Can’t you see?We’re building a cathedral.”

Ask Before You Throw: Rewriting the Starfish Story Through the Lens of Development

PUBLISHED IN STARFISH E-MAGAZINE

By Loren Eiseley

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?” The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.” “Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!” After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said, “I made a difference for that one.”

As a leadership development tool, the story tells us that leadership starts with a person who has a vision and the heart to take on the challenging road towards change. The story pulls out the risk-taker in the leader through the message that even if there are “miles and miles” of work that needs to be done, what matters is that you do something, you start with something, and then some difference will be made. The boy represents someone who wants to serve and help, while the starfish is assumed to be those who need the help – usually in the form of underserved members of the community who are in need to have their lives bettered.

While the story deeply inspires, the process through which “making a difference” is portrayed in the story needs revisiting through the lens of development. Leadership in these trying times must dialogue with the discourse and processes of development. The leader is most often the catalyst for development, but is not alone in the development process. Leadership must assume forms of social engagement targeted towards change [loosely defined here as the transformation from one state to another, from point A to point B].

Simply put, leadership does not end with transforming only the leader. The leader is as good as the change she jumpstarts by her acts of ‘making a difference’. This is why it is important that we sensitize our understanding of the Starfish story as a leadership tool that accounts for the processes towards development.

Other-orientedness, Leadership and Development

The Starfish story tells the development intervention that the unnamed boy did. In simple terms, the boy saw the need to save the starfish – miles and miles of it along the shore – and the means by which he intervenes is by throwing them back to the sea. Noble intentions, definitely. But he misses out on a few key development assumptions.

In more recent development literature, there is growing support given to an “alternative paradigm” (Kaplan, 1999, p. 16), which forwards an understanding of development as a process. This alternative paradigm refutes the idea that development is created and engineered, and brought by others who are presumed to be more development to those who lack the standards of such development. Referring back to Eisley’s story, the boy assumes the position of a more developed, more knowledgeable entity, and single-handedly decides that throwing back the starfish into the sea is the intervention that will be best for the starfish.

The problem with such interventions according to Kaplan is that development is considered an outcome rather than a process, which tends to compromise the people on the ground and their knowledge (and constructions) of their own world (Ibid, pp. 5-7). In simple terms, if we take on the assumption that the starfish are beneficiaries of the boy’s intervention, the boy forgot to account for the context and perspective of the starfish in the process of service intervention. Development is a process, and if the process of development can be jumpstarted and sustained with the people-in-need for and by themselves, then development in itself is achieved.

Key word: PARTICIPATION. And it manifests in different ways, such as participative decision-making, participative processes, and participative leadership. The paradigm of development dialogues with the servant leadership principle of other-orientedness.

If we’re going to take on this paradigm to intervention and apply it to the Starfish Story, here are a few notes that the boy needs to consider before throwing another starfish into the sea:

Ask 'Why'.

Why are the starfish along the shore? Perhaps they are there out of their own choosing [if we assume that starfish can make choices; but in the leadership process, we always deal with people who can and must have space for their own choices]. Never assume what others want, though you might have an initial hunch of the need. Learn about how they perceive their world. Development practitioners call this process by many names – community scanning, consultations, community vision-setting, and so on. Even if we think something in the situation needs changing, we do not jump into saying what needs to be done. We might have the noblest of intentions, but borrowing from a popular saying, “The road to hell is also paved with good intentions.” Leaders that initiate change do not perform acts of service from noble intentions alone. Planning, consultation, and strategy must also be accounted for.

Another ‘why’ approach is, why are the starfish washed out into the sea? In the story, there are hundreds of starfish on the shore, and it is assumed that without intervention, they will all die of dehydration. Because of the gravity of the situation, the problem is most likely systemic. Perhaps the waves are too strong and the starfish keep getting washed out of the sea. Perhaps there are groups of people who take the starfish out of their natural habitat. This opens the room for the next consideration …

Ask 'How'.

Most problems in need of intervention are outcomes of a system. And a bad system at that. Hence the efforts of the boy in the story are rendered very small compared to the task to be done. Of course, the value of doing small good things is still there, but since the boy is inclined to help, shouldn’t he consider saving the starfish more systematically and maximize his efforts?

Development-oriented leaders learn about the causes of the problems they are facing. You do not solve the manifestation of the problem; it does not really solve anything. Maximize efforts to contribute to the largest impact possible. The question at hand for the boy is, “Given the resources that you have, and could realistically have, how do you account for the greatest impact of your intervention?”

Do not just throw the starfish randomly into the sea. Systematize. Target to do purposive, structured processes. Engage others who can help. The boy could possibly call out to the other people at the beach to help him bring the starfish back to the sea – through this he gathers manpower to match the rate by which the starfish are washed out onto the shore. He could get the man (assumed to be much older) to call on his networks and lend hands (or donate resources; who knows, it’s worth asking), to help the boy create systems to save the starfish. The range of options is wide for exploration. The development process calls for leaders who can engage different groups and stakeholders to give their counterparts to augment current resources and to achieve target outcomes.

The point is, since the boy has the energy and the spirit to help, better make it count the greatest way possible. Make the difference not just a difference, but a great difference for that matter. This is perhaps the biggest challenge that leaders face today – how do you make efforts count the most? There are so many problems that need to be addressed. We need to keep on aspiring to co-create the greatest impact with those who share our vision.

Rewriting the Starfish Story

Now let us try to rewrite the Starfish story in a more development-oriented approach:

One day a man was walking along the beach when he notices a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?”

The youth replied, “Oh good, thanks for asking. I learned that starfish in this area is continuously being washed to the shore. As you can see there are hundreds of them around here, and more over there. If we leave the starfish out here, they will all die. I want to help them, but I cannot do it alone. I can throw them one by one, but I can only do so much. I want to save as many of them as possible, in the fastest time that I can. Could you help me?”

The man, giving out a faint smile from the boy’s answer, said, “What kind of help do you need?”  The boy politely replied, “Could you help me call on the people nearby? I see you have friends with you too. Do you think you can ask them to help us?” The man said, “Sure I can try.” And he started walking towards the other people at the beach.

“Mister, wait a second!”, the boy said, “Could also tell them to bring their own friends along? I can talk to them so they would know what we’re up to. I am hopeful that when they understand what we’re trying to do, they’d help and call more people to help us here.”

The man said, “Of course they would. You’re something, boy. You can really make a difference.”

And as the day went by, more and more people came to help the boy and the man. Each helped according to her own capacity. Some able men started making fences that would prevent the starfish to be washed back to the shore, while most of the others kept throwing as many starfish as they could back to the ocean every minute. As the day ended, the miles and miles of beach were cleared of the starfish. And each person found a new friend.

The man said, “It is done now. All is well.” The boy replied, “We’ve done what we can do for now. You think they will help us again to save more starfish in other areas?”

The man said, yet again, “Of course they would,” then he turned to the boy to say, “You are one who can bring us all together to make such difference.” ■

Reference:

Kaplan, A. (1999). The Development of Capacity. New York: United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service.

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Marcia Czarina Corazon M. Medina, MA, is an alumna of the Ayala Young Leaders Congress 2006. She works in the field of development, leadership, and social change as a sociologist, and faculty from the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Ateneo de Manila University. As practice of her profession, she takes on research projects related to development and assessment of development programs and frameworks with different organizations. She also works as program manager for the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, and research consultant for Garilao and Associates. Her youth leadership development engagement is most fervent in the Ayala Young Leaders Alumni Association as National Secretary and head of the Department of Research and Publications, among other youth programs in Ayala Foundation Inc. You may reach her atczarinamedina@gmail.com.