Leadership Ways and Means

A competent leader with a clean conscience is not an oxymoron. It is what the Center aims to contribute to nation-building. Most, if not all, of the activities of the Center aim to achieve this goal. Some of the activities that focus directly on this are the following:

HUMAN VIRTUES TALKS
Whatever course a student is in—whether in the sciences, mass communications, engineering, the social sciences or the arts—he remains to be human. The Human Virtues Talks (HVT) make the students aware that they can perfect their human nature the more they live out and practice the virtues—stable habits that predispose them to do the good. The HVT focuses on the four cardinal virtues, namely prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance.


LEADING LEADERS
The Leading Leaders seminar aims to extend the leadership ideals espoused by Universitas to students and youth leaders around the country. The program provides talks on virtues, leadership, and planning using the VOICES analysis, a tool designed to aid in planning projects. The seminar has been given at the Philippine Science High School in Bicol and Davao, Holy Angel University in Pampanga, and the University of the Philippines in Diliman, among others. It has also reached young leaders in Cebu, Davao, Baguio, Surigao, and Calbayog City. The reference material used for LL is the book “Back to the Basics: Fundamental Principles and Values for Nation-Building”, edited by the Kapuluan Director, Mr. Oliver Tuazon. The module was co-authored by Angelo Porciuncula, a doctoral student at the University of the Navarre in Spain.


ESSENTIALS OF LEADERSHIP
The ability to lead others effectively has a prerequisite. One has to be well formed. As such, the first part of this series of talks deals with character and competence, the nature of what man really is (Philosophical Anthropology), and the four Cardinal Virtues. When one has learned to master and lead oneself, the next step is how to lead others. Hence the next three parts of the program deal with the nature of freedom and love. The last three parts deal with the supernatural dimension of leadership and friendship, the interplay between nature and grace. The Essentials of Leadership are usually given only to a few, but well-selected students who want to understand the meaning of leadership at its very roots.