Shaping the next generation of leaders for our country’s progress

Clamor for young leaders with integrity has resonated in our country over the past decades and again during these very challenging times, as emphasized in the article ”We need more young servant leaders in our country” (01/26/2026). Aside from servant leaders or those who prioritize the growth, well-being, and empowerment of others, instead of having power and for personal gain, other valuable values and behaviors of young and/or great leaders should be passed on from one generation to another for our country to consistently progress.

The former head of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) and former undersecretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) in a lecture on Progressive Industrial Policy in June 2025, agreed that we need a visionary leader or someone who has a future outlook, makes it a reality by motivating others, driving innovation, and cultivating common interest toward progress. Aside from those mentioned by our former officials, the visionary leader should possess important values and behaviors, such as a sense of urgency, dynamism, vibrancy, proactiveness, competitiveness, and other positive personal values and behaviors.

The next generation of young and/or great leaders should have excellent role models. They should be able to positively shape or mold themselves (epistemological constructivism), learning how to think (cognitive), and how to behave and act (affective), so they can affect Filipinos and the next generation of leaders after them. Two government offices produced exemplary video campaigns to affect Filipinos and shape and mold the next generation of leaders. One promotes a strong and important national identity titled “We Give the World Our Best–The Philippines,” and the other teaches us the correct mindset and behavior titled “Hindi Sa’yo Yan.”

The cognitive and affective leadership capabilities of the leaders of Singapore, South Korea, and Germany contributed to the rapid and remarkable development of their countries despite their limited natural resources and postwar devastation.

The most critical cognitive and affective capability for the next generations of leaders to develop is from the theory of the American psychologist and educator Lawrence Kohlberg‘s stages of moral development, wherein one decides whether a behavior is right or wrong. Emphasis should be given to level three, or the postconventional or principled level, which reminds us that when faced with unusual situations or environments, we must think, behave, and act by considering the consequences and the perspectives of all individuals (presence of mind). The next generations of leaders should have the ability to remain calm, analyze the situation and/or environment based on available data, and make sensible decisions and solve problems, such as in a pandemic, natural disaster, and other crises, prioritizing the safety and welfare of Filipinos.

The key is to develop progressive leadership capabilities based on the natural growth stages or age-appropriate capabilities identified by Swiss developmental psychologist Jean Piaget and psychoanalyst and Harvard professor Erik Erikson. This can be made possible as someone grows and develops self-assurance and self-directedness. Self-assurance is the personal belief that we are capable of taking care of almost all the responsibilities in life. Self-directedness is applying positive effort to attain our objectives in life without anyone telling us what to do. The combination of these capabilities strengthens our motivation and initiative to do what we perceive as difficult.

We should always remind ourselves that each one of us can be an excellent role model by choosing what is good and right. As a result, we can affect other Filipinos and shape generational leaders.