De La Salle University (DLSU) ‘s Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business (RVR COB) recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of its naming. It was also an occasion to remember RVR’s legacy as a nation builder. The activities include socials, games and lectures delivered via virtual platforms and social media.
My learning started right from the opening ceremonies and continued until the closing session. During the opening session, RVRCOB Dean Dr. Emilina Sarreal shared the 2006 joint resolution of the board of trustees of the De La Salle Professional Schools Inc. and the National Mission Council of De La Salle Philippines renaming the Graduate School of Business (GSB) to the Ramon V. del Rosario Sr. Graduate School of Business.
Ambassador Ramon V. del Rosario Sr. remarked, “You have honored me immeasurably by naming your prestigious school after me. You will honor me even more if our school distinguishes itself by producing graduates who stand out because they manifest the finest qualities of principled management, entrepreneurship, integrity, professionalism, and patriotism.”
In The RVR COB Journey in Educating Lasallian Business Leaders for Nation-building opening remarks, Dr. Benito Teehankee said the principles behind a Lasallian leader should consider the Covenant for Shared Prosperity, Ethics, and Sustainability. Both talks from Dr. Sarreal and Dr. Teehankee have set the stage for RVR COB’s vision and mission of building a Lasallian Leader. Moreover, they emphasized the power of the Lasallian community and how working together can amplify each Lasallian’s work towards nation-building.
Various themes and topics were available throughout the week-long celebration. Among which was Ad Create Society’s talk on Sustainability with guest speaker Tinni Garbes. Ms. Garbes is from the fashion industry, and one area she discussed is fast fashion, a profitable business model through mass-producing clothes at low cost. She shared some insights on how fast fashion can adversely affect the environment, especially if the practices are not sustainable. As an individual, a key realization I have on this topic is the importance of being a mindful consumer and inspecting the quality of the goods we purchase. Sustainability–in some cases–may have initial cost implications in business. However, as a Lasallian leader, my critical takeaway is with sustainability mindset, I should be thinking about the long-term effect of my actions beyond the bottom line.
Another topic in the week-long celebration is VUCA, which stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. Dave Ceñido shared that a way for us to move forward is to stop playing the victim or stop blaming others for negative things that happen to us. He said we should learn more about the situation, simplify the problem and keep composure to live on the now. I find this topic relevant in our current times, and acknowledging VUCA will help me as a leader focus on finding solutions more than anything else.
The next theme, which I find very interesting, is Business Leaders as Change Agents. The video content shared by speakers Atty. Allan Pamis, Dr. Robert Ramos and Mr. Jose Mari Yupangco reflect organizational challenges that I have experienced firsthand–specifically resistance. In my 19 years of working experience, change is always a messy situation to be in–both for management and employees. In the video series, the speakers have pointed out that resistance is the main challenge, but there are models to guide leaders when implementing change. Speakers like Dr. Cristine Atienza and Shiela Salamanca further shared the models and steps leaders can take. Another essential aspect they pointed out is how the right community/partners and culture aids in this change. Lastly, Dr. Teehankee explains how Action Research is used to evaluate and implement changes. As a Lasallian leader, this is a pivotal idea to ponder and a piece of instrumental knowledge to build better organizations.
Dr. Jaime Aristotle B. Alip, the final speaker, highlighted the qualities of a Lasallian leader, like consistency, honor, dignity and perseverance. He shared the importance of constant learning and intellectual humility. And lastly, what stuck to me was the message on sparking hope and continuing to work with the community towards nation-building.
These activities made me understand the “cause” of RVRCOB and MOD. I realized that I should be thinking about the common good, and my role is to manifest the qualities of a Lasallian business leader. At some level, I believe that being a good leader has now become less trivial to me. When I started with the MBA program, I tried to understand it from my lens–looking from inside out. I was attacking the concept of leadership on how it can benefit my family and me or benefit my business–and on the flip side, the adverse effect of the lack thereof.
However, when I shifted my view and looked at myself as part of everything else, it dramatically changed how I perceived things. The shift made me realize how interconnected and how interrelated our actions are. I can already imagine the effect of one person’s effort and how that effect multiplies the more people are involved.
Moving forward, as part of the RVRCOB Community, I will start by playing my role as an advocate of the Covenant for Shared Prosperity, Ethics and Sustainability to spark hope where possible. I will continue to practice leadership with integrity, professionalism and patriotism. And lastly, no matter how small, I will be consistent in taking steps forward to build our nation.
The author is an MBA student at the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business, DLSU. She can be reached at sarah_montalban@dlsu.edu.ph.
The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.