February 4, 2026 l Business Mirror
At this stage in my life, I consider that true leadership is not about position or even power. You can be a leader even without a position. And leadership does not necessarily always refer to a position or title. It is the ability to influence even if your position is without authority. This is the current view which I found out many people share with me.
When we are happy with what we are doing and we have a sense of purpose why we are doing it, positions and titles does not matter. How do you attain this kind of being a leader with or without authority? I gathered certain factors that I would like to share here and which express my own thoughts.
First, you have to know yourself. What is the purpose why you love doing what you do right now? I remember when I first joined the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX), it was for the purpose of expanding my network and to increase my clientele pipeline. For other professional organizations that I am part of, it was more for professional development and collaboration to unite in important advocacies. But all of these organizations are essential; not only of my profession but of developing my character as a person.
After joining the FINEX, I realized that I love to write when I became one of its writers for the different business columns it maintained. Furthermore, I realized that the FINEX is a channel where I can help promote advocacies through the books that I co-wrote: the two volumes of the FINEX Ethics books and, later, our Sustainability Handbook. In the latter I serve as project chairman and editor-in-chief. These projects give me the greater satisfaction knowing we can help promote an advocacy to help save the earth. I can see that these are not all coincidences but by Divine Providence that I can do these tasks for a higher purpose.
Now my purpose was clear. It is not mainly to win more clients but to be able to do something other than what I usually do in my career or profession or even in my personal life. Our good friend FINEX Director Maria Mignon “Migs” W. Ramos also provided another insight and said it well when she said “it’s about the mindset of each person.
“It’s not just that we want to be of service. It’s because membership and leadership give us opportunities for experiences that are not easily part of our professional lives. So leadership in the association adds value to us, which we should enjoy!,” she said. I thank Migs for that.
It is also important for us to develop rapport and trust and seek the right connections (source: chieflearningofficer.com dated September 12, 2022). Improving our network and developing more friendships with people whom we can have mutual trusts is helping us to be more influential without even authority over them.
There are other ways but for me the above are the two main areas we can start with.
Donald McGannon expressed it well: “leadership is action, not position.”
***The views expressed herein are her own and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of her office as well as FINEX. For comments, email wimiranda@inventormiranda.com. Photo is from Pinterest.