‘Fortune favors the brave’

MANILA, Philippines — 'When we set goals, MVP will always motivate you to stretch those goals, sometimes to near impossible levels. But in most cases, he is right.'

There are many lessons Menardo "Butch" Jimenez Jr. has learned from Manuel V. Pangilinan over the years.

One, however, has stayed with him more than any other: "Fortune favors the brave."

It was a quote Pangilinan borrowed from Alexander the Great, but to Jimenez, it became much more than a historical saying. It became a leadership philosophy.

"Be brave in all your endeavors," Pangilinan told him.

It was advice that would soon be put to the test.

Only months after Jimenez joined PLDT to head Corporate Communications, the company found itself in what was then described as the biggest corporate takeover battle in Southeast Asia.

Still new to the organization, he suddenly found himself inside Pangilinan's office alongside senior advisers from J.P. Morgan.

The assignment was straightforward.

The battle would not only be fought in boardrooms and financial markets; it would also be fought through public opinion.

Pangilinan expected Jimenez to lead the communications front.

"To entrust a young and new lieutenant with such a role was a defining moment in my career," he recalls.

Looking back, Jimenez believes that moment reflected one of Pangilinan's greatest strengths as a leader: seeing potential before others see it themselves.

Rather than allowing people to remain comfortable, Pangilinan constantly encouraged them to aim higher.

"When we set goals, we set realistic goals," Jimenez says. "MVP will always motivate you to stretch those goals, sometimes to near impossible levels."

More often than not, Pangilinan proved right.

"We do have what it takes to go for higher heights," he says.

"So today, MVP leaders go for the moon."

That philosophy shaped Jimenez's own leadership journey as he took on increasingly broader responsibilities across the PLDT Group before eventually becoming Chief Operating Officer.

He says Pangilinan's mentoring style is never confined to one approach.

"He will lead by example," Jimenez explains. "But he will also guide, advise, challenge and, equally important, empower."

Sometimes, the lesson came with Pangilinan's trademark wit.

"I'll give you enough rope to work with, or hang yourself with," Pangilinan once told him.

Behind the humor, Jimenez says, was a deeper message about accountability: leaders are given freedom.

They are also expected to own the consequences of their decisions.

Another lesson came not through conversation but through a framed quotation hanging inside Pangilinan's office.

"Ah, but a man's reach must exceed his grasp."

"MVP didn't have to say a word," Jimenez recalls. "I learned how important reaching for the stars is to him."

It is a mindset he has carried throughout his own career.

Jimenez also credits Pangilinan with fostering a culture that embraces innovation and transformation.

"MVP always wants to be ahead of the curve when it comes to technology and transformation," he says. "So for us leaders, we can't be left behind."

Asked what qualities Pangilinan consistently looks for in future leaders, Jimenez answers without hesitation.

"Integrity and hard work."

Beyond strategy and business, however, there is another quality that has left an even deeper impression.

"His love for the country."

As Manuel V. Pangilinan celebrates his 80th birthday, Jimenez's message to the mentor who shaped much of his professional life is both heartfelt and hopeful.

"Happy Birthday, Boss," he says.

"Excited to see you overcome possibly your biggest challenge to date: complete recovery from what is arguably one of the most difficult and painful surgeries one can have."

Then, in true MVP fashion, he ends with optimism: "See you on the dance floor at your next party."