Leadership in action, lifting the nation

(This edited column is from the Inaugural Speech of the author as the 78th and the 2026 President of the Management Association of the Philippines or MAP.)

I became part of MAP 20 years ago — and will shortly be officially a lifetime member in a few months. I joined at a time when internet space is expanding exponentially, and as a young leader that is more enamored with the nerd side of it than the management role, sitting in the company of experienced colleagues gave me perspective that no business school will ever provide.

Those two decades of observing and working with fellow MAP members taught me a valuable lesson in leadership — it is not about position but all about custodianship. It is about carrying forward a legacy built over decades by people who gave their time, wisdom, and dedication — not only for themselves, but more importantly, for the future of this nation. And so, two decades today, here we are.

I stand before you not with the assumption that this moment belongs to me alone — because it does not. This is a moment that belongs to every hand that built the foundation we now stand upon, every voice that shaped the vision we now carry forward, and every member who chose to believe that MAP can be more than a gathering of professionals — it is an association that can be an instrument of genuine national transformation.

We are “living in interesting times,” gathering today at an inflection point in our nation’s history. The new year 2026 that begs for a celebration must be tempered with honesty. We look back and see a Philippines that has weathered extraordinary storms. The pandemic exposed fault lines in our healthcare systems, our economic structures, and the fragility of our social safety nets.

Global supply chain disruptions reminded us how vulnerable we remain to forces beyond our borders. Inflation has squeezed the meager income of many Filipino families. Climate disasters have devastated communities that were still rebuilding from the last calamity. And trust — trust in institutions, in leadership, in the promise of a better tomorrow — has never been more tested repeatedly.

I will not gloss over these challenges to offer comfortable words about how progressive we have been or how steadily we are growing. That would be an insult to the families who still struggle to make ends meet, to the young graduates who cannot find dignified work, to the entrepreneurs whose dreams were deferred by circumstances beyond their control. We know that the Philippines needs to rebuild — not merely recover — and we must emerge from these trials not just intact, but stronger, more resilient, and more unified than before.

MAP has always stood for management excellence — but excellence, if it remains only an aspiration, is not enough. Excellence must be lived. Excellence must be acted upon. Excellence must be shared. The result of such excellence must be beneficial to all. I believe that this is precisely the work we are all being called upon to do.

THEME FOR 2026
We captured these ideals and expressed this in our theme for 2026 — Leadership in Action, Lifting the Nation, not as a slogan but as a commitment to embody excellence not in words but in deeds; that leadership is not a title — it is action.

Our country does not need more spectators analyzing its challenges from the sidelines. It needs leaders willing to get into the arena, to work with calloused hands and open hearts, and to build something that outlasts our individual tenures. It asks us to lead not only for profit, but for people; to lift not only our enterprises, but our nation. And while the challenges are real, they are not insurmountable. We identified three core directions that MAP will undertake to move our vision into action.

Strengthening Unity and Collaboration for Collective Impact. No single organization, no matter how talented its members or noble its intentions, can lift a nation alone. Our industries do not exist in isolation. Our strength will be in the harmony of many voices acting together. Leadership in action begins with every stakeholder working together towards common goals. The challenges we face are systemic, interconnected, and require coordinated action across sectors, across institutions, across ideological divides. When we act together, we multiply our strengths, therefore, our first direction is to strengthen unity and broaden cooperation within MAP and beyond its walls.

To do so we will organize committees around clusters that enable cross-sector convergence to address pressing national issues such as sustainability, healthcare, and inclusive growth. The expertise of each sector must become the resource across the organization.

We must likewise find a way to ensure that the innovations developed in Metro Manila will flow to Visayas and Mindanao.

Conversely, the grassroots wisdom of our regional members and partners must inform our national strategies.

This year, we will formalize the Partnerships for Nation Program — a platform to expand collaboration with government agencies, local government units, academic institutions, civil society organizations, and the private sector. These will not be ceremonial signings for photo opportunities but will be working partnerships — with clear deliverables, shared accountability, and measurable outcomes.

Collaboration will also extend beyond our borders. We will intensify our engagement with our ASEAN neighbors to join us, Singapore, and Thailand in management excellence exchanges. ASEAN is not merely a diplomatic construct — it is an economic community of over 660 million people. This year presents a unique opportunity for the Philippines to be at the center of shaping the ASEAN future, not at the periphery just watching others lead. As Filipino leaders, professionals, and entrepreneurs, we have something valuable to contribute to regional conversations on economic integration, digital transformation, sustainability, and governance.

FUTURE-PROOFING
Leadership in action must also be forward-looking. We must embrace the bold paths of innovation that will expand our development potential from mere followers to trailblazers. Thus, we will champion transformative directions in digital adoption, ensuring that technology serves not only business growth, but also social development and the deliberate cultivation of next-generation leadership in this arena.

The world is changing at a pace that would have been unimaginable a generation ago. Artificial intelligence is reshaping industries. Automation is transforming the nature of work. Digital platforms are redefining how commerce, communication, and community function. Those who fail to adapt will be left behind — not gradually, but swiftly and irreversibly. We must encourage and urge investments in platforms that enable us to collaborate, learn, and transact seamlessly.

We will advocate for policies that expand digital infrastructure and digital literacy across the archipelago, ensuring digital access for all to bridge the divide so that opportunity is not limited by geography or income. We will forge partnerships with technology companies, not as passive consumers of their products, but as active shapers of how technology serves Filipino interests.

Technology alone is not the answer, however. It is a tool — and tools are only as good as the hands that wield them. This is why the cultivation of leaders who can ignite the digital technology spark is critical. We must deliberately establish leadership pipelines because these do not build themselves. They require intention, investment, and, most importantly, the humility of current leaders to be the voices of wisdom while making room for emerging voices.

We will institutionalize structured mentorship programs that pair seasoned members with young professionals and create pathways for them to participate meaningfully in governance —not as token observers, but as decision-makers with real influence. The leaders of tomorrow are not some distant generations waiting in the wings. They are here now — in this room, in our industries, in the communities we serve. Our responsibility is not to prepare them for a future that may never come, but to empower them to lead today.

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, ASEAN LEADERSHIP
Our third direction is perhaps the most ambitious: to position MAP as a dynamic force in national development and ASEAN leadership. The Philippines assumed the ASEAN chairship for 2026. This is not only a diplomatic milestone; it is a leadership test for us in the private sector. It means shifting from programs that serve only our members to initiatives that serve the nation. It means measuring our success not by the number of seminars we conduct or the size of our membership rolls, but by the tangible difference we make in the lives of Filipinos who may never attend a single one of our gatherings.

We will provide inputs that will help define the business agenda for the ASEAN on trade, sustainability, and digital integration. By strengthening cross-border dialogues, business missions, and partnerships, we can expand our influence and position MAP as a key convenor in the region. This is not only good for our country — it can open new opportunities for our members and strengthen our collective relevance.

We will contribute to policy discussions with research, with data, with the practical wisdom of professionals who understand how policy translates into practice on the ground. We will also elevate our engagement with government — not as lobbyists seeking favors, but as partners offering solutions. And on the regional stage, we will ensure that the Filipino perspective is heard in every forum where ASEAN’s future is being shaped. Our participation in business delegations can help us build networks, and forge alliances that amplify our collective voice. The Philippines will not be a passive participant in regional integration, but co-architect of it.

LEADERSHIP WITH INTEGRITY, GROWTH WITH INCLUSION
Today, we stand at a pivotal moment. Never has the call for bold leadership been louder than in these times when trust is fragile, when divisions run deep and when the world around us is shifting unpredictably; but it is in this moment when our collective leadership will determine not only the trajectory of our industries, but the resilience of our nation.

Leadership in Action, Lifting the Nation is more than a theme — it is a mandate — a call to each of us to act with courage and to lift with purpose. Three values will be mission-critical:

First, integrity. Leadership without integrity is not leadership at all — it is merely the exercise of power. Every decision we make, every partnership we forge, every resource we utilize must be transparent, accountable, and aligned with our mission and directions. It is about upholding ethical standards, good governance, and avoiding shortcuts that compromise our principles, no matter how expedient they may seem.

Second, inclusion. Growth that leaves people behind is not growth worth pursuing. As we expand our programs and extend our reach, we must ensure that the benefits flow to where they matter — not just to the well-connected, the well-resourced, or the well-located. The small business owner in a provincial town deserves the same access to opportunities as the executive in Makati. The young professional just starting out deserves the same voice as the industry veteran.

Third, sustainability. We must initiate and support programs that will survive leadership transitions, and institutions that grow stronger with time. The true measure of our success will not be what we accomplish during our tenure, but what endures long after we have passed the torch to those who come next.

A CALL TO ACTION
Friends, I harbor no illusions that achieving the results we are aiming for will be easy. The directions we are intending to pursue may seem so lofty, perhaps even idealistic. I harbor no illusions that achieving them will be easy. The challenges are immense, the resources are limited, and the obstacles are many; but I have seen what our association and our members are capable of when we move with purpose and unity. The past 20 years of being a member have given me the chance to witness the dedication of members who give their time, talent, and treasure with no expectation of recognition or reward. As the first Next-Gen Committee Chair, I felt the idealism of young leaders who refuse to accept that the way things are is the way they must always be.

And so, I invite you today to join us in pursuing our directions because they matter. Success is not guaranteed, but just making the effort will be worthy. Let us collaborate and work as a team not because we will receive glory, but because those who come after us deserve a nation that is stronger, more just, and more hopeful than the one we inherited.

Leadership in Action, Lifting the Nation is more than a theme — it is a promise that we will not merely observe from the sidelines while others determine our nation’s fate. It is a promise that we will roll up our sleeves, enter the arena, and do the difficult, challenging but truly essential work of rebuilding. It is a promise that when history looks back on this moment, it will see not an association that held meetings and issued statements, but a community of leaders who made a difference.

Let us embrace shared ownership of our country’s next chapter, help rebuild what has weakened, reinforce what still works, and co-create the foundations of a more resilient, more competitive Philippines.

Donald L. Lim is the 2026 president of the Management Association of the Philippines. He is also president and COO of DITO CME Holdings Corp.

map@map.org.ph

donaldpatricklim@gmail.com