portions of their personal wealth to charitable institutions and causes greater than themselves. On December 8, 2010, Buffett, Bill Gates, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, signed a promise they called the“ Gates-Buffett Giving Pledge,” in which they promised to donate to charity at least half of their wealth over time, and invited others among the wealthy to donate 50 % or more of their money to charity.
Buffett was ranked as the world’ s wealthiest person in 2008 and as the third wealthiest person in 2011. In 2012, American magazine, Time, named him one of the most influential people in the world. Buffett is a noted philanthropist, having pledged to give away 99 % of his fortune to philanthropic causes, primarily via the Gates Foundation.
Inspite of his immense wealth, Buffett leads a frugal life. He still lives in the same house in the central Dundee neighbourhood of Omaha, which he bought in 1958 for $ 31,500 and valued today at $ 700,000( although he also owns a $ 4 million house in Laguna Beach, California). In 1989, he broke from his long-held belief of using more public transportation, when he spent nearly $ 6.7 million of Berkshire’ s funds on a private jet. Buffett sheepishly named it“ The Indefensible.”
Buffett is opposed to the transfer of great fortunes from one generation to the next. Thus, his children will not inherit a huge portion of his wealth. He stated,“ I want to give my kids just enough, so that they would feel that they could do anything, but not so much that they would feel like doing nothing.”
Buffett and Gates are leading a remarkable mind shift from mere accumulation of wealth to massive sharing of wealth through their own example. This is transformation at its best!
In the political front, Nelson Mandela of South Africa and Aung San SuuKyi of Myanmar, have transformed themselves and their respective countries through their own lives.
Mandela has received more than 250 awards over four decades, including the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize. Following his release from prison on February 11, 1990, he led his party in the negotiations that led to the establishment of democracy in 1994. As president of South Africa, he frequently gave priority to reconciliation, while introducing policies aimed at combating poverty and inequality.
SuuKyi received the Rafto Prize and the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 1990 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. Aside from awards given by the governments of India and Venezuela, she was also named an honorary citizen by the government of Canada in 2007. She is one of only four people ever to receive the honor. On September 19, 2012, she was also presented the U. S. Congressional Gold Medal, which, along with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, is the highest honor that could be bestowed on a civilian in the United States.
In the local front, we are fortunate to have had two transformational leaders who have changed the course of Philippine history forever. One was the late President Corazon C. Aquino, who was responsible for inspiring the Filipino people to peacefully topple the Marcos dictatorship. She popularized the“ People Power” movement that caught the fancy and admiration of the world. The other one is her son, incumbent President Benigno“ Noynoy” Aquino, who has boldly initiated reforms against graft and corruption, and has instituted new structures in the administration of government agencies, to prevent“ negotiated deals.” He may not be able to eradicate every instance of graft and corruption during his term, but he has certainly delivered a massive and painful blow to the“ scratch my back and I’ ll scratch yours” syndrome which has been prevalent for generations in the Philippines’ corridors of power.
While outstanding business leadersand politicians worldwide create astonishing transformation with a combination of a change of mindset and behavior, humility, empowerment, and coaching, a vital element is often overlooked and ignored.
I hasten to add that if faith and spiritual guidance were to be included in the transformation process, people will have a change of heart, which will touch the core of their being and trigger selfmotivation. �
“ Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh.”- Ezek. 36:26
January I PEOPLE MANAGER 21