The 3rd CES Public Leaders’ Summit (PLS) held at the Philippine International Convention Center from 26-27 July 2022 ended on a high note, as Civil Service Commission Chairperson Karlo Alexei B. Nograles called on the career executive service (CES) community to use the present political transition to emerge “not just to a new, but to a better normal.” This is done, according to Nograles, by harnessing the innovative spirit of the civil service.
Chair Nograles’ inspirational speech was fitting punctuation to a day that began rather inauspiciously, as the Luzon-wide earthquake happened while the second and final day of the summit was already well underway.
“Without enabling environments, innovators would not dare risk their ideas.”
Nograles urged those in attendance to shepherd their teams to become innovative leaders and to create enabling environments for civil servants. “Without enabling environments,” he said, “innovators would not dare risk their ideas.”
Day 2 also saw a continuation of Coach Pia Nazareno-Acevedo’s session on Leading Change: Strengths-based Human Capital Investment in the morning. The strengths-based philosophy offers a paradigm that centers on discovering one’s natural talents and aligning these with relationship and organizational goals.
Coach Pia’s session was peppered with lively activities for both the in-person and Zoom participants. By the end of the session, participants learned how to maximize, capitalize, and allow other people to benefit from their strengths.
Innovations Galore: VIPs share their Bodies of Work
The afternoon session was likewise jam-packed with activities, beginning with the panel discussion on “Leadership, Creativity, and Innovation in Public Service” with the winners of the 2020 CES Very Innovative Person (VIP) Awards as guest-panelists.
Department of Education Schools Division Superintendents Alejandro Ibanez, CESO VI, Romelito Flores, CESO V, and Jose Doncillo, CESO V, regaled the audience with their experiences in managing change within their respective school divisions and with their reflections on innovating and leading their organizations during the pandemic.
The learning sessions were aptly concluded with a “short but sweet” presentation of CES Board Member Milalin S. Javellana on “Leading a Culture of Innovation” where she shared the Kouzes and Posner’s Model in Transformational Leadership as a leadership framework.
The second and final day of the summit was moderated by Atty. Ruth B. Castelo, Undersecretary of the Department of Trade and Industry.
