Can govt destabilize itself? (Francisco S. Tatad’s column title in The Manila
Times)
“It may be time for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to
recognize that his government could well destabilize itself, even if outside
forces fail to do so. This bears careful watching.”
Retired generals to BBM: Probe plunderers, stop
corruption (Jarius Bondoc’s
column title in Philstar)
“The petition addresses President Ferdinand R. Marcos
Jr. It asks him to investigate ‘the 20 senators and 100 congressmen listed in
the affidavit of Janet Lim Napoles in connection with the pork barrel scam.”
Trillanes: Destabilization plot vs Marcos admin ‘out
in the open’ (ANC 24/7 on YouTube)
“I stand on my track record, Ms. Karen,” Trillanes
said. “I have still an extensive network in the Armed Forces. My classmates,
for, example, are still active in the armed services. These things are out in
the open.”
The titles above convey a wealth of information about the
alleged destabilization plot against the administration of President Bongbong
Marcos (PBBM). No less than his sister Senator Imee Marcos believes the alleged
destabilization plot, and said it is “coming from the inside.”
Can the PBBM government destabilize itself? We may be able to take the wraps off the answer to such a thought-provoking question by using the Golden Circle.
What is the Golden Circle? It is a concept that
explains how a leader can inspire others and achieve success. Simon Sinek, a
motivational speaker, and author, developed such a concept after he had
discovered a pattern among the great and inspiring leaders in the world.
It consists of three concentric circles: Why, How, and What.
WHY: This is the innermost circle that represents the vision
of the leader.
HOW: This is the middle circle that represents his style of leadership
WHAT: This is the outermost circle that represents his accomplishment.
Sinek illustrates the Golden Circle by playing on
Apple. If Apple were like everyone else, its message may sound like this:
WHAT: “We make great computers.”
HOW: “They’re beautifully designed and
user-friendly.”
WHY: (Usually silent)
“Wanna buy one?”
In contrast, here’s Apple’s Golden
Circle way which, instead of What, starts with Why.
WHY: “We believe in challenging the
status quo and in thinking differently.”
HOW: “We designed our computers
beautifully and user-friendly.”
WHAT: “We make great computers.”
“Wanna buy one?”
People don’t buy WHAT you do; they buy WHY you do it.
The traditional messaging sequence: WHAT, HOW, &
WHY (Usually silent)
The Golden Circle messaging sequence: WHY, HOW, &
WHAT
Interestingly, the Golden Circle concept hinges on
Biology. Looking from the top down at the cross-section of our brain, we get an
eyeful of three major components that fit well with the Golden Circle. Our brain’s
neocortex, the outer section matching the What circle, acts on our rational and
analytical thought and language. Our limbic middle two sections, matching the
How and Why circles, affect our behavior, particularly our decision-making skills.
Sinek stressed that when we communicate from the
outside with our What, such as facts and figures, people may catch on to
the vast amounts of such information they take in. But our What doesn’t
drive their behavior to decide.
On the other hand, when we communicate from the inside
with our Why, we’re talking directly to the part of the brain – where
gut decisions spring -- that guides their behavior, enabling them to figure out
the essence of our Why and say Yes to it.
Looking back, at one time or another, do you still
remember you said to yourself, “I know what all the facts and details say, but
it just doesn’t feel right.” Why did you say that? Because the parts of your
brain, the limbic sections, the Golden Circle’s Why and How, that controls your
decision-making, doesn’t control your language.
So, in times like that, you just take a deep breath and say, “I don’t know. It just doesn’t feel right.”
Now, let’s go back to the thought-provoking question:
Can the PBBM government destabilize itself? Putting to work the Golden Circle,
it begs this core question: Does PBBM have a WHY -- a vision -- for his
presidency?
What PBBM said in a rare interview at the World
Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, let the cat out of the bag on his Why –
his kind of vision for his presidency.
“I was
determined not to go into politics. Why will I go into politics my father had
done everything. And the life is difficult. And I could see the sacrifices they
had to make. But after we came back from the United States, after exile, when
we’re allowed to come back, the political issue was Marcos. And for us, we, for
us to defend ourselves politically, somebody had to enter politics and be in
the political arena. So that at least, not only the legacy of my father but
even our own, our own survival required that somebody would go into politics.” (ANC
Digital News, “Matter of Survival”: Bongbong Marcos Explains Entry To Politics)
I
wrote the following excerpts in my past ATABAY article Hazards of
Blurry Vision: Comparative Analysis of Leadership:
><><
That
somebody [in the above interview] is no less than PBBM today. One may wear a
particular color during our political circus, yet, from whatever angle he or
she takes a look and weighs up PBBM’s revelation above, it implies only one
thing -- a blurry vision [or nothing at all for some] for his presidency.
After
I had read his jaw-dropping disclosure in circulation, I expected to come
across a mainstream insightful column with either of these banners or themes:
“Family First or Country First? The Dilemma of Leadership Vision,” or
“Leadership and Family Ties: The Consequences of Blurred Vision,” or “How
Family Interests Can Impair a Nation’s Progress.” Zero. Nil. Nada. Not a
profound commentary have I read about such disclosure.
The
Manila Times’ Rigoberto Tiglao wrote, telling it like it is, in his column Marcos’
Advantage: An Acquiescent Press: “Quite surprisingly, given the 36 years
his family had been demonized by the media, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s
big advantage over most of his predecessors has been an acquiescent press.”
Spot-on.
The
following thought-provoking quotes befit the mood of this article:
“A
leader without a vision… is no good… will just stay put… won’t progress.” (Lee
Kuan Yew)
“If
you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don’t
have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.” (Steve Jobs)
“Action
without vision is a nightmare.” (Japanese proverb)
><><
One
last time: Can the PBBM government
destabilize itself? Interestingly, the answer to this question is another
question: If critical-thinking Pinoys (who believe in and respond to the Why
of the Golden Circle) don’t know why PBBM does what he does as president (since
he appears to them to have a blurry vision or none at all), then how will they
get to be loyal and want to be a part of what PBBM does as president?
A parting shot: Have you not noticed that the Golden
Circle WITHOUT its innermost circle Why looks like a donut? I don’t mean
to offend donut lovers. I love donuts too.
“Whatever you may do,
Whatever your goal,
Focus neither on the donut,
Nor upon the hole,
But rather on the pair of them,
And so, upon the Whole.”
(A Taoist Creed)
Head collage photos courtesy of istock and Dreamstime
Video clips courtesy of YouTube
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