Will Soon Flourish
Obama's mistake with Duterte: He failed to "Praise in public, criticize in private"
September 13, 2016 By Wilson Lee Flores
Don't criticize what you don't understand, son. You never walked in that man's shoes. —Elvis Presley
Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man's growth without destroying his roots. —Frank A. Clark
I believe one important lesson we can all learn from the recent imbroglio between Philippine President Rody R. Duterte and U.S. President Barack Obama at the recent Asean Summit in Laos is this rule I had heard before and which I think Obama or his spokespersons had obviously breached: "Praise in public, criticize in private".
White House and State Department officials had already spoken in public before the mass media that President Obama would question (or even lecture?) President Duterte about human rights in his on-going war against illegal drugs in the Philippines, during a scheduled bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 2016 Asean summit in Laos. President Duterte reacted angrily on this topic when asked by media, then the bilateral meeting didn't push through. These series of unnecessary events could have been avoided if there were no public criticisms before the first ever bilateral meeting between these two leaders of traditional ally countries.
President Rody R. Duterte, independent-minded leader of the Philippines
Second lesson lesson to be learned is we shouldn't be quick in making judgement of others, without first talking to them, asking the full details and circumstances of their struggles or situation.
Does Obama or his officials understand the gravity and scale of the illegal drugs crisis of the Philippines which past leaders had failed to address, which has caused a horrific breakdown in peace and order nationwide affecting the human rights and safety of many tens of millions, spreading corruption in politics and the criminal justice system?
Has the U.S. officials verified facts about the deaths of illegal drugs suspects during police operations which are different from other unexplained killings, which they and others had lumped together as "extra judicial killings"?
U.S. President Barack Obama in 2016, photo source is REUTERS/Evan Vucci
Criticizing in private shows respect for others, fosters win-win scenario
Upholding this rule "Praise in public, criticize in private" shows respect for others and can foster a win-win situation for any business, organization and even for other relationships. It doesn't matter if the relationship is between sovereign equals or between a boss and his or her subordinate, this rule generally applies to achieve harmony and success.
Let me cite an American example, to illustrate why Obama or his subalterns were wrong in the way they had expressed opinions via press statements or media interviews criticizing President Duterte's difficult, draconian yet necessary war on the illegal drugs pandemic which has plagued Philippine society for years already.
The late American football coach Vince Lombardi of the Green Bay Packers in 1960 once stopped a practice and shouted curses while lecturing his young quarterback named Bart Starr for making a poor pass which led to an interception during that practice. Starr later went to the office of the coach, didn't deny his poor pass, but he said: "You expect me to be the leader of this team. I want to be the best leader I can be, but I can't do that if you're chewing me out in front of the team I am supposed to lead. … Now, I can take any chewing out you want to deliver, but all I ask is that you do it in the privacy of your office … I will be an even better leader for you if you do that." The coach Lombardi never again publicly criticized Starr.
Successful sports leader, American football coach Vince Lombardi (illustration by Roberto Parada)
What was the result of this "Praise in public, criticize in private" policy? Their team went on to win five National Football League (NFL) titles in eight seasons and was honored with the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The now 82-year-old Bart Starr is the only quarterback in NFL history to lead a team to five league championships (1961–62, 1965–67), as well as Super Bowls I and II. Starr also has the highest playoff passer rating (104.8) of any quarterback in NFL history and a playoff record of 9–1. His career completion percentage of 57.4 was an NFL best when he retired in 1972.
Promotional shot of American football athlete Bart Starr throwing a football taken in 1968.
I believe it doesn't matter whether we're in geopolitics, politics, diplomacy, business, organizations, sports or even personal relations, we as human beings should try to respect each other by upholding the principle of "Praise in public, criticize in private" to lesson misunderstandings, rancor, hostility and other negative consequences.
Filed Under: Will Soon Flourish Tagged With: America, American football, Asean, bart starr, diplomacy, drugs, Duterte, football, geopolitics, human rights, illegal drugs, lombardi, narcotics, Obama, Philippines, politics, sovereignty, sports, USA
Why Duterte can be the Philippines' Lee Kuan Yew
August 29, 2016 By Wilson Lee Flores
This essay of mine was first published in my May 19, 2016 "Will Soon Flourish" column in "The Philippine Star", or less than a week after the May 9 Philippine presidential election which former Davao City Mayor Rody R. Duterte won decisively. Let me share this column and my strong belief that the courageous, nationalistic, politically astute, selfless and iron-willed Duterte is similar in many ways to Singapore's late strongman and founding father Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
Of course, the Philippines and Singapore are not exactly alike in many ways, but both leaders have some striking and quite inspiring similarities. I have enumerated just some of these similarities in this essay.
Singapore's statesman and strong leader Lee Kuan Yew
I think I was one of the first to write in Philippine media two weeks ago that certain pundits in the West tend to oversimplify things by describing our President-elect Rodrigo "Digong" Roa Duterte as the "Donald Trump of the Philippines" and they are dead wrong! Duterte is not a racist like Trump, he is also not elitist in lifestyle or mindset like Trump. Duterte is more street smart, humble and has much better sense of humor than Donald Trump!
In fact, I see more similarities between Davao City Mayor Duterte and the late statesman Lee Kuan Yew who used an iron fist to modernize and cleanse Singapore into one of Asia's wealthiest and safest countries.
Photo of Singapore's late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew with clenched fist, he was an extraordinary leader with iron political will.
Photo shows Philippine President Rody Duterte with clenched fist, he has awed many people with his strong political will.
Here are some inspiring similarities between the two leaders:
1. No smoking and curfew for minors similar to no chewing gum and no smoking. I applaud the announcement of Duterte's spokesman Peter T. Laviña on May 11 that the new president plans to impose a nationwide curfew by 10 p.m. on minors unaccompanied by adults (this will hopefully stop irresponsible adults from exploiting kids to sell sampaguita flowers or begging in the streets at midnight!). This reminds me that Duterte's Davao has strict anti-smoking and anti-littering campaigns similar to those by the late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew whose anti-smoking, anti-littering and even anti-chewing gum rules uphold order and reinforce a sense of national discipline in Singapore.
No smoking in public places for Rody Duterte's Davao City & late Lee Kuan Yew's Singapore
2. Decisive anti-crime policies. I see striking similarities in Davao Mayor Duterte's policy on the certainty of decisive punishments versus crooks with the successful anti-crime policies of the late Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore, both also raised firestorms of human rights complaints from certain quarters in the West. Duterte's anti-crime policies transformed Davao from "murder capital of the Philippines" into the fifth safest city in the world.
People may have forgotten, but the late Lee Kuan Yew often uttered tough words like these: "If you are a troublemaker… it's our job to… destroy you. Everybody knows that in my bag I have a hatchet, and a very sharp one. You take me on, I take my hatchet, we meet in the cul-de-sac."
draconian anti-crime campaign in Davao and Singapore
3. Both are lawyers by education. Although the late Lee Kuan Yew was extraordinary for intellectual brilliance in an almost incomparable way, Duterte and Lee have similar backgrounds in legal education and as lawyers, both upheld the law as tough leaders.
Duterte & Lee Kuan Yew studied law and both became tough lawyers before entering politics.
4. Simple lifestyle. Unlike most of our politicians who are scions of landed or political oligarchies used to the "datu" lifestyle of luxury cars and mansions, Rody Duterte has a simple lifestyle and lives in a simple house. Duterte is more similar to Singapore's no-nonsense, simple-living Lee Kuan Yew and China's late reformist leader Deng Xiaoping. Even Duterte's children use only a pick–up and van.
Unlike leaders who are surrounded by sycophants and eunuchs who only whisper good news, Duterte as mayor of Davao usually drove a taxi to check on the lives and safety of his constituents.
Duterte's executive assistant Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go told journalists that under his administration, public officials will have to use modest cars instead of luxury vehicles. Go said that Duterte used a pickup as Davao mayor while his other local government officials use multipurpose vehicles like Toyota Avanza, Isuzu Crosswind, or Mitsubishi Adventure. Bong Go explained the mayor wants leadership by example, that public office does not mean indulging in luxury creature comforts.
Rody Duterte's simple house in Davao City
Lee Kuan Yew's simple house in Singapore
5. A socialist is not a communist! Among the dastardly insidious lies hurled against Duterte during the campaign period by desperate critics include the ludicrious charge that he's either a communist or a fascist dictator like Hitler — he is neither! In the same way, it would be unfair to accuse Singapore's late Lee Kuan Yew as a communist, just because he was socialist or tend to be left-leaning in ideology or social convictions. I personally am a capitalist as an entrepreneur, but I am also a socialist at heart!
In April at a rally in San Pedro City, Laguna, Duterte said: "Ako, sosyalista. Hindi ako komunista. Kaming mga sosyalista, para kami sa tao (I am a socialist, not a communist. We socialists are for the people)." In that same speech, Duterte said his economic plans include expanding the middle class by giving more credit to small businesses, he also pledged more focus on basic social services.
Lee Kuan Yew's Singapore was business-friendly like Hong Kong is, but unlike pure capitalistic laissez-faire Hong Kong, the socialist Lee Kuan Yew ensured all citizens get to own their homes, that they enjoyed the best pension and medical plans.
Red rose, symbol of socialism.
6. A leader who loves reading books is generally a good leader. Like Singapore's genius leader Lee Kuan Yew and many other good leaders in world history, Duterte loves reading books. Based on my research, Duterte enjoys reading espionage novels by bestselling writers Robert Ludlum and Sidney Sheldon. He also likes books on history (most especifically on Mindanao history), biographies of world leaders (like Napoleon Bonaparte and Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew), economics, food security, politics, etc.
Both Rody Duterte and Lee Kuan Yew love reading books.
7. Similar to Lee Kuan Yew's balanced and independent foreign policy, friend to all? Duterte is similar to Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew with strong electoral mandate, strategic vision and supreme self-confidence, so he can similarly uphold a balanced and independent foreign policy for the Philippines which shall not be subservient to any foreign power, neither pro-USA or pro-China but staunchly pro-Philippines; we should be friend and trading partner to all, foe of no country.
Singapore leaders from Lee Kuan Yew to now PM Lee Hsien Loong have been allies of all USA presidents, close friends of all China presidents, also Russia, the Middle East, etc. For Lee, the world is not a zero-sum game, but a win-win situation for the national interests of his country economically, strategically, diplomatically.
A balanced foreign policy seems to be the preference of strong-willed, wise and pragmatic leaders like Rody Duterte and Lee Kuan Yew.
8. Strong character but sentimental too. Despite the larger-than-life public image of both Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew and Davao's Rodrigo Duterte as strongmen rulers, both have on rare occasions shown their vulnerable, sensitive and emotional sides — Lee when talking about his beloved wife, and Duterte when visiting his late mom's tomb.
Journalist Paul Jansen wrote that in April 2003 at the height of Asia's SARS epidemic at a press conference where Lee Kuan Yew revealed his wife Madam Kwa Geok Choo almost became sick with it due to her hospital visit for her frozen shoulder and the radiographer who assisted her turned out to be a SARS victim, Lee suddenly stopped talking, his eyes teared and he looked down at his hands. Later on Lee Kuan Yew wiped his face and resumed talking. It was unforgettable for the media.
At 3 a.m. on May 10, hours after voting closed and when his victory was already unassailable, Duterte visited his parents' tomb and openly cried. He sought their help to govern the Philippines, he had just overcome this gruelling election campaign with many vicious and often unfair attacks against him.
I also believe Rody Duterte wept as his filial homage, offering his hard-fought victory as tribute to his parents, most especially to his strict and loving mother the late teacher, activist and philanthropist nicknamed Soledad "Nanay Soleng" Roa Duterte.
Lee Kuan Yew crying
Rody Duterte crying
Thanks for your feedback! Email willsoonflourish@gmail.com or follow WilsonLeeFlores on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook.
For those who wish to read my "Philippine Star" column, here is the link: http://www.philstar.com/sunday-life/2016/05/15/1583159/why-i-believe-rody-duterte-can-be-lee-kuan-yew-philippines
Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: Duterte, leader, leadership, Lee Kuan Yew, Philippines, politics, Rody Duterte, Singapore, statesman
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