Leader, Portugal

On the spur of the moment, I borrowed some money, packed my bags and flew off to Porto, Portugal, where I started on a two weeks long trip across Portugal and Spain, right smack in the middle of the semester.

I arrived at twilight, and met with Carlos, who ran a chain of gaming hardware shops in Porto. I felt his kindness and considerate hospitality in no small way, and we talked freely, randomly I might add haha. Carlos had just started to host, and had not actually ventured to travel afar often. Yet I sensed his budding wanderlust and interest for travel, and expect him to come by SG in the future!

To me, the most astonishing thing about Carlos is that he is completely close pals and buddies with his employees. In my last night, I was introduced to them over dinner (which they had nicely treated me, a most memorable traditional northern Portuguese food Francesinha!) Miguel, Favio, Daniel, all colorful characters that I will have a hard time forgetting! It was so much fun talking to them, and picking up tidbits about Portugal along the way. We even played Texas Holdem poker at night, where I got eaten like a newborn lamb :p

Regardless, I wish to take away this simple principle of his: there is no more effective leadership than that which bonds your people with you. I remember vividly my experience in chairing Hall FOC, where I worked hard to forge my own leadership style. I later identified it to be servant leadership, when I saw how it resounded deeply with Pat Williams’ book The Paradox of Power. Yet I still have a long way to go, to bond so closely that there is no difference between the leader and the follower; only you and I.

I also meditated on the past times when I was led, both good and bad. The last time was traumatic, perhaps one of the worst experiences in my life; yet it enabled me to personally feel the effects of bad leadership, and to strengthen my resolve never to fall in these footsteps. I admittedly committed the same mistakes before, and I may have regretted it then but now I swear to myself: Never again. Never to alienate, to put down, to injure.

We all learn, and forge our own identities. I recognized myself to act at times like a driver type too, forceful yet tactless, or an analytical worker, methodical yet unassertive. Now I aim to abandon all rigidness, and to adapt my style to the situation, the cards in my hand. There are no bad cards, only bad players. And though everyone might know this principle and be able to spout it freely at the tip of their tongue, few ever internalize this truth of life in the way they think and act, or realize the full significance of its meaning.

When we played poker that night, I survived till the very end, then lost with my hand of cards and all my chips.

Well.

Not bad, for a start.