Aboitiz leaders embrace, ‘instill’ innovation to achieve goals in the new normal

Aboitiz executives must take a long-term view and further champion innovative strategies to succeed amid and beyond the ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the company chief said.

Speaking virtually to 516 team leaders at the 2021 Aboitiz Leaders Conference (LeadCon) last February 4 and 5, Aboitiz Group President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sabin M. Aboitiz underscored that innovation (one of the Aboitiz Group’s core values alongside integrity, teamwork, and responsibility) must be “instilled,” and not merely “lived.”

“An instilled value of innovation will help carry us through these disruptive times. The way we lead our organization will determine the future of everyone who depends on us,” Sabin said.

The Aboitiz LeadCon this year carried the theme “The Aboitiz Way: Driving Resiliency and Innovation.” Sabin elaborated that “instilling” innovation will lead to deep-rooted value and the resilience needed for the future.

“Instilling the value of innovation is establishing that belief within ourselves for the long term and influencing others to do the same, every single day. When people are talking about innovation and doing it moment by moment without being told, that is the true measure of success in instilling this value,” Sabin explained.

During the Aboitiz LeadCon, CEOs of the Group’s various businesses (AboitizPower, UnionBank, Pilmico, Aboitiz InfraCapital, Republic Cement, AboitizLand, and Aboitiz Construction) also delivered their respective performance updates and directions, specifically their companies’ collective efforts in applying and incorporating innovation in their operations to provide better service, achieve optimum results, and further improve efficiency.

“We will only achieve our strategic growth objectives in the post-COVID world by truly believing that an instilled value of innovation is what we leaders want to leave behind for the future generation,” Sabin said.

‘Radical Candor’ and ‘Remix’

During the conference, two concepts were also given due emphasis: “radical candor” and “remix.”

Radical candor was discussed by the Aboitiz LeadCon keynote speaker, Kim Scott (best known as the author of “Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity”), who was introduced by Enrique M. Aboitiz, Chairman of the Board, Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc.

In a nutshell, Scott described radical candor as  “challenging directly, at the same time that you care personally, so that you’re helping people grow in their career and you’re helping your team achieve better results.” Scott explained.

Meanwhile, in Sabin’s closing remarks, he highlighted the need to create a synergy between traditional and progressive perspectives in the workforce – creating the so-called “remix.”

“Our workforce is diverse in their thinking and backgrounds. It becomes increasingly challenging when we have to lead and manage five generations in one organization. But if we take the best of the old and the new, and harness their uniqueness, we can design a ‘remix’ workplace for our teams that is much more engaging, productive, and connected,” Sabin said.

He further adds that Aboitiz leaders must take on the responsibility to catalyze this “remix.”

“Our job as leaders in the workplace is the same as our role as leaders in our families. We must prepare people for the “remix,” to balance all that’s good from our past, with the style that works for the future. This is how we turn our multi-gen mix into an asset,” Sabin added.