During Sunday service at our church in Victory Green Hills, there was something that caught my attention and left me in awe. At the back of my seat was a very cute 1 year + old baby name Gabby Lo.  She was really a charmer, always smiling and cheeks that you want to pinch – such a beautiful baby. During praise and worship, I saw this beautiful child raising both of her arms in a worshipping gesture and I am certain that she is so into worship.

There’s something that reminded me about Gabby’s antics; that a child really learns by examples and by mimicry. Any parent will agree that we can’t just teach our children by telling them, we need to show them. In the arena of personal finance, many of our habits are derived from the way we were raised, both good and bad. Yes, external environment also dictates our behavior but the way we were raised leaves a lasting imprint in us, especially our money habits. Young children mimic their parents and their elders all the time. I often see my young boys trying to mimic my antics which is why I must always be careful with my behavior when I am with them.

I have 4 children of varying ages and I have seen how their behaviors change over the years. I have also seen how they behave when it comes to money. I have learned that as parents, we must always remind them about proper money management and they must always see that we are responsible in handling our finances all the time. We always remind our children that we need to prioritize our money and allocate accordingly – this helps us make our children realize that they are not being deprived of the things they yearn for because we try to make them understand priorities. As parents, it is easy to go overboard and I am just as guilty as many other parents… I find pleasure in buying things my children like and if I don’t keep that in check, I will teach them the wrong values.

… to be continued.

“Execution is the reward, not the money – money is just the by-product of perfect execution.” –Jeffrey Gitomer

“It’s good to have money and the things money can buy, but it’s good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven’t lost the things money can’t buy.” –George Horace Lormier

Work like you don’t need the money. Love like you’ve never been hurt. Dance like nobody is watching. –Mark Twain

“Creditors have better memories than debtors.” –Denis Waitley

I am currently at the Go Negosyo Negosem Program at Cagayan de Oro. Earlier, I was delighted to see an old friend in the airport, had breakfast and coffee with him and had a nice chat. In today’s virtual world, it’s always nice to catch up with friends face to face. My old friend Paulo Tibig of V Cargo is also a featured speaker of Go Negosyo.

A few minutes ago, I just heard Paulo deliver a powerful lecture on spotting opportunities for budding entrepreneurs here in Mindanao. He was entertaining, witty and more importantly full of business wisdom. I’ve listened to a lot of business speakers and Paulo is one of the best I have heard in a long time.

During our trip from the airport, we talked about a common friend, Joseph Doce. Joseph used to be a top insurance executive and now an accomplished entrepreneur. Paulo mentioned that there is a possibility that his company and Joseph will come into some business arrangement of some sort.

Yesterday, I had a meeting with another good friend, Jenny Ignacio-Magalong. Jen and I work together on many projects and she was briefing me about the updates of those projects. We discussed our projects and I was amazed at how good this lady is and I was learning so much from her. Jenny was also asking me for my insight on a new business she and her husband Luis are getting into. Jenny is not only a great program director (for our projects), she is evolving into an entrepreneur as well.

As I am writing this blog, I got a buzz from a good friend, Thaib Mella. We chatted a bit and he asked for some referrals for his new job, as a Sales Director for a leading Real Estate conglomerate. He is now leading a hi-powered sales team and we were pitching some ideas left and right.

What does Paulo Tibig, Joseph Doce, Jen Ignacio-Magalong and Thaib Mella got to do with each other? You see, at some point in our lives, we were working together. At some point in the past, I was their ‘tormentor’ at the place of work and they were reporting to me. I remember them well and I remember them fondly. I have seen their potentials way back and I have seen them grow in many ways, particularly in the professional sense. With all humility, I am proud to say that these guys are so much better than I am today and even much more successful.

Clearly, these friends of mine did not become great because of me. It is foolish to claim that it is my guiding and mentoring that made them achieve success — far from it. My working relationship with them were brief and they didn’t probably learn much from me. However, there was something I did that was critical in their success today. I stepped out of their way so they can pursue growth.

True leadership is not always about empowerment, teaching, mentoring, shepherding and all that. Sometimes, you just need to step out of the way and bless them as they grow. It’s hardly always about us.