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Addressing Societal Divides Stories of Bridging Leadership Volume I Addressing Societal Divides: Stories of Bridging Leadership Table of Contents Table of Contents Chapter I 4 The Bridging Leadership Fellowship Program 10 Fellows Stories Jainab Abdulmajid 19 Governor Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo 26 General Benjamin Dolorfino 36 Lt. Col. Gavin Edjawan 54 Major General Raymundo Ferrer 66 Malcolm S. Garma 76 Florante Gerdan 86 Camilo Gudmalin 94 Brigadier General Rustico Guerrero 100 Hadja Pombaen Karon-Kader 107 Aurora Sonia R. Lorenzo 114 Dr. Alinader Minalang 125 Conclusion 137 Production Committee 141 2 3 Addressing Societal Divides: Stories of Bridging Leadership Chapter One The Cycle of Inequities. Source: World Development Report 2006 The pressing need for an effective lead- ership approach to approach social inequity provided the impetus to con- duct research on Bridging Leadership. Chapter The Synergos Institute commissioned a global research project in 2002 to ex- I plore the emerging phenomena that was EACH TIME TESSIE FERNANDEZ would check on the operations of the non-government or- called Bridging Leadership. The project brought together practitioners from dif- ganization that she headed, she could not help but notice the bruises on the arms and faces of the ferent parts of the world to write cases female workers. Whenever she would ask about these, the women would often give excuses, but and articulate this leadership approach. their voices and eyes often betrayed their words. It culminated in the development of 20 In his book, “Solving Tough Prob- have been undertaken by individu- cases on Bridging Leadership and a pa- lems”, Adam Kahane posits that the als and organizations. While these per by Steve Pierce entitled, “Bridging During their less guarded moments, up to the time his mother checked out THE CYCLE OF INEQUITIES reason why people are unable to solve may have succeeded in making peo- Differences and Building Collaboration: some of the women admitted that the of the city hospital three days later. many difficult problems is because ple aware of the magnitude of soci- The Critical Role of Leadership”. This bruises were inflicted by their part- Inequities occur because one group of people do not understand the “com- etal problems, none of these have ad- research successfully established the ex- ners. Others were more open about On the day of their birth, Esmail’s and Mi- people enjoys more advantages than plexity” of the problem. The problems dressed pervasive social inequity or istence of the Bridging Leadership ap- the beatings they endured, speaking of chael’s fates have been predetermined by other groups—not because of the of poverty, poor access to health, and had concrete development outcomes. proach; its appropriateness in addressing these the way they spoke about their their very circumstances—their race, their works they have done but because of other inequities are simply too com- inequities; and its place within the exist- daily chores, as if being slapped and parents’ income and education, their loca- the circumstances of their birth. Of- plex to be resolved using conventional In addressing social inequity, technical ing universe of leadership approaches. kicked was the most natural part of tion, and their gender. Statistics indicated ten, this comes about from mindsets problem solving methods. solutions are the easiest to formulate running a household. To Tessie’s dis- that Michael had a far greater chance of or behaviors that are embedded in and and implement. The bigger challenge Although the global research project may, none of the women she talked to surviving his first year of life than Esmail propagated by societal structures and To adequately deal with inequity, it is getting people within communities did not go beyond these papers , Prof. felt they could do something to end did. From the outset, the odds seemed to institutions over the years. is important to understand why and and societies to recognize the need Ernesto Garilao of the Asian Institute their suffering. It was their fate, they favor Michael much more than Esmail: how it came about. for change and agree to go through a of Management decided to continue said, and there was nothing that could Michael could expect to complete 11 years Consider an agricultural laborer work- possibly painful and difficult change the application of the Bridging Lead- change that. When she asked village of formal education, versus Esmail’s less ing for a powerful landlord. Illiteracy and Having understood the anatomy of in- process. This is no different from what ership framework and do further re- authorities, she found out that there than one year; he could hope to live up to malnourishment may prevent him from equity, the next step is to identify the Heifetz calls adaptive work. To take search on it. His vision was to bring it were no legal or any other mechanism 70 years, compared to Esmail’s 54. Esmail, breaking free from the bondage of pov- challenges that a leader who wants to people through this process, one needs to more people, in the hopes that they available to help the women. on the other hand, was less likely to have erty. Moreover, he is likely to be heavily take on social inequity would have to a leader who will take on the challenge. would become the leaders that would access to clean water, sanitation, good indebted to his employer, which puts him deal with. If inequities operate at the address the roots of social inequity. Tessie knew she had to do something schools, and good income opportunities, under the landlord’s control. Even if laws level of deep societal structures, con- Leadership approaches are usually to put an end to violence against wom- compared with Michael. were in place to enable him to challenge ventional change management mod- defined by the context in which they THE CONTINUING RESEARCH en, but she knew that piecemeal fixes his landlord’s dictates, his illiteracy would els will not suffice. are taken. Different situations require would not work. Instead, she decided Esmail and other infants who share the make it difficult for him to access the po- different leadership approaches. Since OF AIM to do things differently. same demographic profile would most litical and judicial institutions that might Having identified the challenges, the social inequity results from the su- likely not enjoy the opportunities that help him assert his rights. In many parts next step would be to find or create perimposition of complex situations In October 2002, AIM ran the first ***** Michael would, and would most likely of the world, this distance between land- the leader who would be able to ral- and has a deep-rooted yet continually Bridging Leadership training work- remain poor and uneducated through- lords and laborers is compounded by ly people toward reducing or ending evolving context, several questions shop for heads and senior officials of Esmail and Michael were born on the out their lives—unless someone does entrenched social structures: landlords these inequities. This leader should be beg to be asked: Is there a leadership civil society organizations, using the same day to totally different circum- something differently for them. typically belong to a dominant group de- able to account for the level of com- approach that provides a way to ad- Synergos cases that related the experi- stances. Esmail, whose parents have fined by race or caste, while tenants and plexity of the situation and propose a dress inequities or similarly complex ences of Tessie Fernandez, Parawagan had little formal schooling, was deliv- **** laborers belong to a subordinate group. way for people to address it. social problems? Is there a leadership and Howard Dee. Professors Gavino ered by the village medicine woman Because social norms do not allow approach that proposes a way forward and Garilao handled the sessions, at- inside their nipa-thatched hut in the The stories above illustrate the impact of members of these groups to intermarry, tended by the most prominent figures THE SEARCH FOR A that accounts for the inherent dynam- fringes of the Autonomous Region in complex socio-economic issues on the group-based inequalities are perpetuated ic, generative, and social complexity in civil society. Muslim Mindanao. Michael, whose lives of people. They show the inequities across generations. Over time, this cycle LEADERSHIP APPROACH TO of societal issues? Is there a leader- parents were both college graduates, that people live with and influence the is entrenched in the institutions that gov- ADDRESS INEQUITY ship approach that allows us to bring The sessions were very well received. was delivered by a team of health pro- lives of succeeding generations, often ern the behavior of a state or society. together people within a system to The participants accepted the rele- fessionals who checked the baby’s vital without the promise of change. Through the years, many leadership change their systems and institutions? (continued on page 6) signs from the moment he was born How, then, does one deal with inequities? and social development programs 4 5 Addressing Societal Divides: Stories of Bridging Leadership Chapter One Intra-country statistics show how social inequity plays out in numbers The table below illustrates how certain indica- The inequities are most pronounced in the case of the Autono- tors change depending on where a person lives in the Philippines. mous Region in Muslim Mindanao. In short, people who live in Quality of Life Indicators for Basulta and ARMM (Table 1) Muslim Mindanao will likely live shorter lives, be less educat- ed, have less access to infrastructure, have less economic op- portunities, have limited access to health and generally have a Indicators Basilan Sulu Tawi-tawi ARMM RP Int’l Comparison poorer quality of life.

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