Servant-Leader in PINK: TOTGA?

Servant-leader (or servant-leadership) is a term credited to Robert K. Greenleaf, who introduced the concept in his 1970 essay, The Servant as Leader. 

Much earlier, however, the world already recognized several inspiring leaders who exemplified this concept: Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and Nelson Mandela.

As a Christian, I believe that servant-leadership has its origins in Jesus, the embodiment of Hope and Grace, over 2,000 years ago. 

In “The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard” (Matthew 1:1-16 NLT), verse 16  reads, “The last will be first, and the first will be last.”

In Mark 10:42-45, Jesus told his disciples:  

“. . . whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 

Tough (or impossible) act to follow?  

The good news is, this benchmark has been simplified since 1970 into various permutations for mortals in workplaces. Here’s one that, I feel, covers all aspects:  

Based on documents, Atty. Leni’s work ethic (in Angat Buhay, Office of the Vice President, for six years; her years as developmental lawyer prior to and during her stint in government) was guided by this template. 

Those who pored over the candidates’ platforms would know that VP Leni's eight-pronged program was the strategic statement and execution of the above. 

Integrity is for government officials to model, so the country's resources can be accounted for.  

A leader needs to listen to divergent groups to come up with projects and solutions to issues.     

People in government who do their job well must be recognized by the leader, not only to improve morale, but to reward competence. 

A leader must share his/her vision with her team so that the electorate will buy into the direction the government is taking. 

To fight injustices, a leader guides change.  

These qualities were reinforced during the launching on July 1 of the SEC-registered Angat Buhay Inc, devoted to helping  improve lives. Citizen Leni outlined four doable programs: 1) Health and Nutrition; 2) Education; 3) Disaster relief and rehabilitation; and 4) Community engagement. 

It's almost like a parallel "universe" except that: 

The government has all the resources for all projects, but are in danger of being siphoned off by corrupt beauracrats. 

In contrast, Angat Buhay depends on volunteers for logistics and money, every cent of which will be accounted for.  

This servant-leader in PINK is TOTGA (the one that got away), people say. That was also my belief when she lost the presidential election. Thirty-one million voters (per Comelec count) ignored the qualities of a servant-leader.    

With Angat Buhay, however, this lawyer and mother in PINK did not really get away. She is right here with us, working just as hard in a parallel, but better (although poorer in resources) "universe." 

For kakampinks, PINK symbolizes HOPE. I remain hopeful therefore that one day (maybe not in my lifetime), unenlightened voters will finally see the light—recognize and elect a candidate who lives by the values of a servant-leader.  

P.S.

And speaking of transparency, Leni's work for six years as VP is documented.