theceomagazine.com | 71workplace, where the atmosphere is friendly
and caring.” The company also embraces
bringing young people into the organisation,
believing they bring energy, fresh ideas and a
growth mentality that often proves infectious.
Manuel says a mistake other industry
players have made is to lose focus on the
basics. “Nowadays, business leaders are
enamoured by technology and how it can
disrupt their existing businesses,” he says.
“My take on this is that technology is an
enabler that can facilitate change in doing
things, but what we truly need to understand
is still people’s behaviour. Business is about
people. Behaviour can disrupt a business.
Taking into account sociocultural and
economic conditions can make or break
a business.”
Manuel has long had an interest in, and
an aptitude for, leadership. From an early age,
he took on senior roles in school study
groups and team sports. “I knew there was a
leader in me that I needed to free up and
hone further,” he recalls. He sits on the board
of several subsidiaries of CBCI, and
says the collective wisdom and differing
approaches to management he sees in these
roles have given him a range of ideas that are
applicable to his main position.
While he has a wealth of management
experience and took on leadership positions
at a young age, Manuel is determined to
avoid complacency but continue building
up his expertise. “Even at this point in my
career, I consider myself a work-in-progress.
I continue to learn from others and build up
my leadership abilities. I believe the moment
I stop learning is the moment I stop leading.”
Leaders he looks up to include Manuel
Lopez and Manuel V Pangilinan, the past and
the current chairman of Manila Electric
Company, CBCI’s parent company. “They
are both well-respected in the business
community and are considered corporate
titans in the country as they lead their
respective groups of companies.”
These two leaders have achieved a lofty
public reputation and Manuel says they have
earned every bit of this acclaim. “To my
mind, they are professional leaders who
embody the stereotype of having ‘substance
and form’; possessing intelligence, business
acumen and a deep understanding of
the business. They are both gifted with an
entrepreneurial mindset, while showing
sincerity in caring for others.” The most
successful business leaders, Manuel believes,
actively impact on the lives of those they
lead, both at work and further afield.
“For me, what has proven to be the most
effective approach is to be an inspirational
leader – a role model for the rest of the
organisation. As one well-known management
guru has said, ‘Leadership is not about titles,
positions or flowcharts.’ It is about one life
influencing another.”
Both his
namesakes are role
models for Manuel in
his resolve to keep
learning, evolving and
growing as a leader as
he directs the
company. The group
has experienced
a stunning 10-fold
growth over the past
decade and is
determined to keep
any new rivals at bay.
“We continuously
reinvent ourselves,” he
explains. “We strive to
come up with fresh ideas and to push the
boundaries, creating relevant new products
and service offerings. In the process, we make
ourselves a moving target for competitors,
and a force to be reckoned with for
emerging disrupters.”“ Technology is an
enabler that can
facilitate change ...
but what we truly
need to understand
is still people’s
behaviour.”
Interview | INNOVATE