MVP’s lessons from a lifetime in leadership

After close to 40 years as a professional navigating a complex corporate and communications world — much of it spent in a utility company that serves millions of Filipinos — I have come to understand that the most important lessons do not just come from achievement of business goals. They also come, quietly and unannounced, from moments of humility, unexpected setbacks that we overcome and from simple but overlooked truths about life and work.

When business leader Manuel V. Pangilinan or MVP, stood before us at the Meralco Theater to mark First Pacific’s 45th year, he did not deliver a corporate speech. He spoke with the wisdom of a leader who has carried both the weight of history and humanity — and still managed to couple it with humor.

Personally, his speech was deeply reflective on the meaning of life, resilience and success. He later posted his speech on social media — a good read for young adults starting out in their careers or to anyone in the corporate world.

As someone who has long been part of the MVP Group, I am reminded that every achievement starts with the courage to take that first step as I heard his recollection on corporate beginnings.

MVP’s words carried the humility of someone who has seen both the energy of youth and the lessons that only come with years, even decades, of experience.

“There is something sacred about small beginnings that you cannot feel until they are behind you,” MVP said as he recalled starting out with a rented office in Hong Kong, four staff, borrowed furniture and a strong determination to succeed.

Speaking candidly about his recent knee surgery, MVP offered a rare intimate look into how he now views success:

“Suddenly, standing up feels like winning a badminton championship. Walking across the room deserves applause.” It was a humbling metaphor — comparing success to the simple act of standing.

In a world that often measures success by the zeroes in one’s bank account, positions and the luxuries one owns, MVP reminded us that sometimes the truest and most fulfilling victories are the smallest and personal ones.

“I used to think that walking as simply natural. Today, every step for me has meaning. Every small improvement feels like a victory. And the simple things — standing up comfortably, getting into a vehicle, moving around independently — become blessings I no longer take for granted,” he said.

To young leaders, MVP offered a lesson on doubt and the role it plays in their professional journey. Quoting the film Conclave, he reflected: “We shouldn’t dislike the mystery brought by the unknown in our lives. I know it makes life more complicated for us, but it’s also what makes living so dynamic, so alive, so interesting.”

“I hope and pray that we are able to develop leaders who doubt. That I doubt freely — and even proudly — has made me a better person, and a better leader,” he said.

For those in the corporate world, who have weathered crises, market upheavals, industry changes, MVP’s words resonate deeply. Doubt is not our enemy; it is part of the journey to success. In the same breadth, failure is not the opposite of success but rather part of its foundation.

MVP also reminded us of the lesson that we have learned over years of service: the true measure of legacy lies in the lives we touched with our work, how well we treated the people we worked with and how we contributed to our community and country.

Institutions endure because the people endure. In the same way, institutions succeed when their people succeed.

For someone like me who has spent around 40 years in the professional world, MVP’s words were both validation and challenge. Validation that our years of service matter — that loyalty is valued. Challenge to embrace doubt, to find meaning in small victories, to appreciate the people we work with and to remember that resilience is as much about healing as it is about striving.

At the end of the day, what matters is how we change lives for the better, for the people we work with and how best we contribute to the betterment of the country. That much I have learned and hopefully continue to put in practice in my remaining professional years.