IN the change framework prescribed by Dr. John Kotter, I earlier wrote in Part One that the Officer Candidate School (OCS) has successfully established the sense of urgency (step 1) and built a guiding coalition (step 2). In reforming the OCC training, Commandant Harold Cabunoc (Harold) recognized the scarcity of competent faculty since the basic training heavily relied on a handful of competent Tactical Officers, Drill Masters and Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) instructors in 2022. To address this scarcity, Harold called for ‘fire support’ from Headquarters Philippine Army (HPA) to assign to OCS ‘carefully selected personnel with unblemished records and strong field performance.’
With an ad interim Instructor’s Company assigning more trainers to the OCS, Harold also conducted a two-week capacity-building program for both officer and enlisted personnel instructors. I believe this was how he built that Guiding Coalition termed by Kotter in step 2. He sought the support of others knowing that he cannot change a long standing tradition in the Army by himself.
Following the subsequent steps in Kotter’s formula, this small group, handpicked and trained by Cabunoc, eventually formed a strategic vision, which can be summed up as ‘Dumbguard No More!’ (step 3). He communicated such vision relatively well (step 4) to the point that when Harold personally explained to me such Dumbguard No More vision, I was extremely impressed and awed by his change initiative.
We should have more leaders like Harold. As I observed the OCS classes of 63-2025 and 64-2025, plus the fact that the OCS has successfully produced an entire class without this Dumbguard mentality program, I think Cabunoc is on the verge of empowering a broad-based action (step 5).
But before reaching step 8, which is the Culture Change, Kotter posited that generating short-term wins (steps 6) and consolidating gains (step 7) are necessary. In enduring these final few steps, resistance to change will surely impede the progress towards the vision, as per Kotter.
Harold observed that a few cases of maltreatment and sexual misconduct were often perpetrated by trainers and senior Officer Candidates due to a distorted interpretation of the Honor Code. In his observation, those who reported these kinds of abuses were often labeled as ‘squealers’ and ostracized as weaklings or ‘traitors.’ To counter this internal roadblock, Harold’s Guiding Coalition strengthened the feedback system by implementing a ‘Magic Box’ and a ‘QR code Survey,’ both non-attributable feedback mechanisms.
Resistance from OCS alumni also served as a challenge to ‘Dumbguard No More’ vision since several OCS graduates expressed opposition to what they perceived as the ‘softening’ of OCS graduates. To address this external pressure, Harold and his team actively engaged the OCS Alumni Association Inc. (OCSAAI) and its alumni sub-groups to articulate the necessity of these reforms. In Harold’s own words, ‘we explained the rationale behind the new training approach, emphasizing its relevance to contemporary settings, particularly considering the Gen Z audience and the evolving character of warfare where mission command is more appropriate than traditional command and control.’
In the Army, warrior-leaders are desired, but servant leaders can be just as effective. Most organizations will have this ‘command and control’ concept as warrior-leaders are inherently leading first before obeying.
As Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla makes sweeping reforms in his new office, I hope and pray that he can lead the agency and have a legacy approach wherein he will serve God, country, and people (in that order) instead of protecting the personal interests of certain political families as his predecessor did. Making the Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) of public officials as accessible is one major step that Ombudsman Remulla wants to initiate, a change towards greater transparency that can lead to accountability of public servants.
Reforming or transforming can be one of the most challenging chapters in a person’s leadership journey. After all, leaders are not created overnight. As they mature in position and responsibility, leaders like Cabunoc and Remulla ought to develop that legacy approach wherein they embrace how Jesus Christ modeled servant leadership-‘It is not about me, but it is all up to me.’
The biblical story of Joshua shows that leadership is never about position and titles, but about surrender and trust in God’s process, which is captured in four challenging steps-obedience, faith, courage, and consecration. In one of his sermons, Pastor Peter Tan-Chi of CCF shared that before Joshua led, he first learned to follow (Exodus 17:9-13; Numbers 11:28).
Soon after birth, all of us can all become good leaders by following first-‘Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.’ (Ephesians 6:1). Leadership begins at home whenever we, as children, submit to authority and choose to obey our parents trusting that every act of obedience serves as a preparatory step for greater responsibility. When it comes to faith, Joshua believed (Numbers 13-14), while others doubted in God’s plan of taking the people to the land filled with milk and honey.
Similarly, Harold believed in pursuing the reforms in OCS, despite the abundance of doubters in the Army. As provided in the Bible, ‘For we live by faith, not by sight.’ (2 Corinthians 5:7). I know that leaders who are in the same stage as Harold trust God enough to understand that provision and protection comes from above, in every step of any reform initiative. Courage entails moving forward despite fear.
One of my favorite leadership verses is found in Joshua 1:9 when it said-‘Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.’
All leaders will have fear of failure whenever they start to initiate changes. Yet, whenever they choose to act in faith and do what is right, they will have the courage knowing that God’s power is with them. Consecration is the hardest part in these four step process. According to Pastor Peter, ‘to be consecrated is to be set apart for God’ in keeping to what the Bible tells us in Joshua 3:5 -‘Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.’
Positive results can emerge despite the odds against success whenever leaders commit their plans to the Lord. Such commitment is both found in the Law of the Lord (‘Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. The Lord works out everything to its proper end-even the wicked for a day of disaster.’-Proverbs 16:3-4) and in Law of the Land (‘We, the Filipino people, imploring the aid of Almighty God.’-Preamble of the 1987 Constitution).
May our leaders, Harold Cabunoc in the OCS, Jesus Remulla in the Ombudsman, and even President Bongbong Marcos, discover that leadership is not about them, but it is all up to them.