Five powerful leadership lessons every entrepreneur can learn from Dr.

Jose
Rizal:

1| Taking risks and assuming responsibility to lead

The fear of losing may be the very thing that keeps you from succeeding. Successful leaders know
how to overcome fear and take calculated risks to face bigger challenges.

The more risks and responsibilities you take, the greater the reward you will reap.

In 1887, Jose Rizal wrote to a friend who dared him to write a more serious article about the
Philippines. Rizal replied and explained the nature and character of his novel, Noli Me Tangere:

“You said to me that it was necessary to do something serious and not to write any more articles
that live and die with the page of a newspaper. Very well, to your wishes, I reply with my novel. I
have attempted to do what nobody had wished to do.

“I have replied to the defamations that for so many centuries have been heaped on us and our
country. I have unmasked hypocrisy that under the cloak of religion has impoverished and brutalized
us...I hope you will be satisfied and you will not blame me anymore of my silence.”

2| Knowing your core values to grow and develop

Every leader in any organization makes hundreds of decisions every day. The way you run your
organization will reflect your personal values and beliefs.

To succeed as a leader, you should know why you do what you do. Your values must align to the goal
that you want to achieve.

In 1888, Jose Rizal wrote to Mariano Ponce explaining to him the importance of personal values in
leadership:

“That you have had little success in journalism does not mean that you are not fit to write. Not all of
us are born journalists nor are literary men all journalists. The principal thing is to think and feel
rightly, work with a purpose, and the pen will take care of transmitting it.

“The principal thing that should be demanded from a Filipino of our generation is not to be a literary
man but to be a good man, a good citizen, who would help his country to progress with his head, his
heart, and if need be, with his arms.”

3| Inspiring and motivating people to outperform

Effective leaders know how to inspire people to take risks, pursue big challenges and innovate.
When team members are inspired, they are self-driven and more committed to deliver than those
who are simply engaged to work and comply.

In 1889, Rizal wrote to Marcelo H. Del Pilar to explain why he wrote Noli Me Tangere:

“It is my ardent desire that six or seven Filipinos get to eclipse me completely and make everybody
forget me. As I shall not stop working for our country, if these Filipinos get to eclipse me completely,
it will be because they worked more than I did and had rendered more services than I, which for the
present is my immediate desire.
“I wrote Noli Me Tangere to stir the patriotism of my countrymen. I would be happy if among those I
have stirred, I shall find more notable champions. I am not counting you anymore because you were
already among the awakened beforehand.”

4| Encouraging and mentoring people to excel at work

One of the most important skills a leader must have is the ability to develop people to become
better decision makers and future leaders.

By coaching and mentoring, leaders enable team members to personally connect to their job and
provide opportunities to develop skills.

In 1889, Jose Rizal wrote to Graciano Lopez Jaena, who was just appointed to manage the
newspaper of La Solidaridad:

“Conduct yourself as you have conducted yourself thus far, liberal and generous towards all, and I
assure you that you will be supported by all.

See that the newspaper does not stumble and take care that title of ‘Manager’ does not make your
head swell and make you treat your friends with contempt, and thus discords arise.

“Be economical, because who knows, if the newspaper continues to live, it may become your
fortune. Treat it then as if it were your first-born and only hope.”

5| Leading by setting a deliberate example

Leadership is about influence. What makes you a great leader is not what you say, but what you do.

The influence that you create on your team leader is the example that you set in your actions. It is
your responsibility as a leader to be the first to do the things that you want your team to follow.

In 1889, Jose Rizal wrote to Del Pilar to encourage him to drop the use of pseudonyms in the
newspaper of La Solidaridad as an example to all:

“It is necessary that we start another policy, the policy of courage and genuine solidarity. The
periodical is becoming more important. Imagine if there should appear in it such signatures as
Blumentritt, M. Del Pilar, Jaena, Luna, etc.

Our compatriots seeing our courage not in courage of one alone but of many, seeing that Rizal is no
exception but the general rule, will also become courageous and lose their fear. There is nothing like
example.”

***Based on our research, we’ve found that great leaders consistently possess
these 10 essential leadership skills:

 Integrity
 Ability to delegate
 Communication
 Self-awareness
 Gratitude
 Learning agility
 Influence
 Empathy
 Courage
  Respect

Integrity
The importance of integrity should be obvious. Though it may not necessarily be a metric in
employee evaluations, integrity is essential for the individual and the organization. It’s especially
important for top-level executives who are charting the organization’s course and making countless
other significant decisions. Our research shows that integrity may actually be a potential blind spot
for organizations. Make sure your organization reinforces the importance of integrity to leaders at
various levels.
Ability to Delegate
Delegating is one of the core responsibilities of a leader, but it can be tricky to delegate effectively.
The goal isn’t just to free yourself up — it’s also to enable your direct reports, facilitate teamwork,
provide autonomy, lead to better decision-making, and help your direct reports grow. In order to
delegate well, you also need to build trust with your team.
Communication
Effective leadership and effective communication are intertwined. You need to be able to
communicate in a variety of ways, from transmitting information to coaching your people. And you
must be able to listen to, and communicate with, a wide range of people across roles, social
identities, and more. The quality and effectiveness of communication across your organization
directly affect the success of your business strategy, too. Learn how better conversations can
actually improve your organizational culture.
Self-Awareness
While this is a more inwardly focused skill, self-awareness is paramount for leadership. The better
you understand yourself, the more effective you can be. Do you know how other people view you or
how you show up at work? Take the time to learn about the 4 aspects of self-awareness and how
you can strengthen each component.
Gratitude
Being thankful can make you a better leader. Gratitude can lead to higher self-esteem, reduced
depression and anxiety, and even better sleep. Few people regularly say “thank you” at work, even
though most people say they’d be willing to work harder for an appreciative boss. Learn how to give
thanks and practice more gratitude in the workplace.
Learning Agility
Learning agility is the ability to know what to do when you don’t know what to do. If you’re a “quick
study” or are able to excel in unfamiliar circumstances, you might already be learning agile. But
anybody can foster learning agility through practice, experience, and effort. Explore how great
leaders are great learners, with strong learning agility to get started.
Influence
For some people, “influence” feels like a dirty word. But being able to convince people through
logical, emotional, or cooperative appeals is a component of being an inspiring, effective leader.
Influence is quite different from manipulation, and it needs to be done authentically and
transparently. It requires emotional intelligence and trust. Learn more about how effective
influencing can be a game-changer.
Empathy
Empathy is correlated with job performance and is a critical part of emotional intelligence and
leadership effectiveness. If you show more inclusive leadership and empathetic behaviors towards
your direct reports, our research shows you’re more likely to be viewed as a better performer by
your boss. Plus, empathy and inclusion are imperatives for improving workplace conditions for
those around you.
Courage
It can be hard to speak up at work, whether you want to voice a new idea, provide feedback to a
direct report, or flag a concern for someone above you. That’s part of the reason courage is a key
skill for good leaders. Rather than avoiding problems or allowing conflicts to fester, courage enables
leaders to step up and move things in the right direction. A workplace with high levels of
psychological safety and a strong coaching culture will further support truth and courage.
Respect
Treating people with respect on a daily basis is one of the most important things a leader can do. It
will ease tensions and conflict, create trust, and improve effectiveness. Respect is more than the
absence of disrespect, and it can be shown in many different ways. Explore how you can cultivate
a climate of respect at work or learn more about becoming an ally to others.

*** Rizal was admired for being a good leader. He gained the respect of his
colleagues in the Propaganda Movement like Marcelo H. del Pilar who was once his
tough rival for the leadership of the organization. As a leader, Rizal was
transformational, charismatic, visionary, and most importantly, incorruptible. He
displayed a kind of leadership that was not motivated by personal interest but the
willingness to sacrifice oneself for the good of the majority which he described in his
novels as the national sentiment.

A close study of Rizal’s novels reveals how he stressed the importance of

national sentiment as essential in guarding society against all kinds of injustices, and
bringing about social change.

Rizal clearly realized the idea of national sentiment and its value that when
developed and imbibed by the people, might bring about common good. The
essence of national sentiment is the subordination of personal interests and comfort
to the social good.

Rizal showed he was made of strong moral fibre for he was not tempted by these
bribes, giving up his personal happiness for the welfare of his countrymen.

With the idea of good leadership that Rizal has bequeathed to us, we can
change the negative image of the bureaucracy, transforming it into a more efficient
instrument in bringing about social, economic and political reforms in the country, a
paragon of administration as well as an agent for social change.