A IM L eader Magazine | Second Quar ter 2010
for either family or community through service. The job was simply a means to do that. Connecting to your purpose. It is important that you connect to your personal purpose because this serves as your life’s anchor. And when you identify your purpose, you can use the MM program for self mastery. While I did not have the opportunities for deepening self-awareness when I did my MM in 1982, I was fortunate that in the development field I was in, one had to be clear about personal purpose if one was to stay and find meaning in the work. With that, I used my MM program to enhance my development competencies to prepare myself for higher responsibilities and greater challenges. I had many unforgettable experiences: the strategic mind of Vic Limlingan, the critical thinking of Gaby Mendoza, and the attention to details of Leni Panganiban—all these gave me the skills to look at case facts, analyze them critically and come up with recommended action. Inequities and Bill Gates. When Bill Gates was asked to give the commencement speech to Harvard graduates in 2007, he introduced himself as Harvard’s most successful drop-out. In that address he said that the only thing he regretted about Harvard was that he was not introduced to inequities. He said, “I left Harvard with no real awareness of the awful inequities in the world—the appalling disparities of health, and wealth, and opportunity that condemn millions of people to lives of despair.” At the end of the address he said, “I want to exhort each of the graduates here to take on an issue—a complex problem, a deep inequity, and become a specialist on it. If you make it the focus of your career, that would be phenomenal. But you don’t have to do that to make an impact. For a few hours every week, you can...get informed, find others with the same interests, see the barriers, and find ways to cut through them.” These words came from the then world’s richest man. And he discovered inequities while he was foraying with his billions in Africa where he slowly realized what a bum deal the rest of society got from their governments, from their leaders and from the corporations that made money on them. One might then surmise that if Harvard gave him an early understanding of inequities then, perhaps, his story and many stories of his generation could have been different. The vision of Dean Mendoza. In the late 1960s, then Dean of the Institute Gabino Mendoza wrote an AIM Values paper that went on to be approved by the Faculty, the
Trustees and the Governors. The paper was prescient. It stated that it was the responsibility of AIM among others to develop Asian leaders “whose skills, knowledge and attitudes are relevant to Asian conditions and concerns, who are sensitive to Asian values and sensitivities, and who are committed to the development of Asia and its peoples, particularly the disadvantaged, the underprivileged, the poor.” Linking personal purpose to societal outcomes. In today’s terms, it frames Professor Gavino’s constant reminder— that one must link organizational outputs to societal outcomes. We resonate this because at the end of the day, our organizational outputs— whether it be in pharmaceuticals, banking, telecommunications, services and the like, have to be situated within the context of societal outcomes.
As you go forth, trust that you have what is necessary to contribute your Meaning in this world. You are a good seed. Germinate and grow and yield many fruits for many to share. Why societal outcomes are relevant to corporations Let me give you a current example. Pfizer has a business model of blockbuster, patent protected products. It made a lot of business sense in the developed markets of North America, Europe and Japan. When the model was introduced to emerging and developing markets, it proved to be not sustainable. While the emerging markets have a growing middle class; still the majority of the population remains low income. In these markets, Pfizer is expected to be relevant to all segments, otherwise they will be accused of cherry picking. If they are to be present in all segments, they have to move into the realm of public health and better health outcomes of society. This means that the product offerings must go beyond the lifestyle diseases for which Pfizer is known, and must also include those relevant to the disease burden of the majority of the population. When Pfizer starts looking at the lower market segments, they must listen to customers, dialogue with the major health actors and organizations, and establish partnerships. This means that as it now looks at the whole country, its organizational outputs must contribute to the societal outcome of better health. Hence, corporations today need to ask
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the question: Do our organizations contribute to better quality of life? (Or better still, how do our organizational outputs reduce human inequities?) The early challenge of Gaby Mendoza to the AIM in the late ‘60s to produce Asian leaders committed to the development of Asia and its peoples, particularly the disadvantaged, resonates with Bill Gates challenge to Harvard in 2007 to produce graduates dedicated to reduce human inequities. After graduation, the options you face Tomorrow, you return to the World. I have always told my MM classes that you owe it to yourself to develop your full human potential and to be with organizations that foster that development. Just as you will be true to your purpose, the institution you join must likewise be true to its mission and to the values it espouses. Hold yourself and your organization accountable for results. Be ready to engage people you work with, including your organizational leaders. The environment is more complex today. Leaders need to hear not just their voices but other different perspectives to better comprehend and assess situations more effectively. Summary In summary, let me return to my points. The first is about societal outcomes and inequities. You will operate in the region which has the world’s largest number of people who live below the poverty line. You have to keep them in mind. Second is that addressing societal outcomes require new knowledge and skills: systems thinking, listening and dialoguing, listening to stakeholders and having enduring partnerships to achieve societal outcomes. These are skills you have developed. Third, be ready to engage institutions to remain true to their mission and be more responsive to the stakeholders they serve. This you must do. And last but not least, be aware of the alignment of your own personal purpose and the mission of your organization. As you go forth, trust that you have what is necessary to contribute your Meaning in this world. You are a good seed. Germinate and grow and yield many fruits for many to share. This commencement speech was delivered before the AIM MM Graduating Class of 2010 on April 24, 2010. This is the original longer version of the speech; portions were omitted during the actual delivery. PROF. GARILAO wishes to acknowledge the kind assistance of Michael U. Juan and his wife Pilar in the preparation of this speech.