OF TREES AND FOREST

As the election campaign nears, a lot of people have been asking me who I am voting for in the May national elections. I do not have an answer for that question right now but there is a question that I think is equally important—what kind of voters do we have? In other words, rather than focusing on the candidates let us focus on the persons casting the ballot. In my mind, they should be the center of attention of the elections and not just the candidates.

In my experience, I have observed that there are several types of voters in the Philippines. There are the advocacy voters who have a particular issue that they are passionate about and votes for the candidate who they think can carry that particular issue. Environmentalists come to mind immediately as examples. Somebody who feels strongly against divorce would be less likely to vote for someone who supports divorce.

Then there are the emotional voters who decide on the basis of their personal emotional response to a particular candidate. This may range from the looks and personality of the candidate or some perceived personality trait that arouse passion. Some call it charisma. That is the reason why many politicians spend a fortune portraying the “right image” that will induce the right emotional response from the voters.

There are many other types of voters, but I will leave that to political scientists and behavioral psychologists to elaborate on. What I want to suggest is that, based on our political experience as a country, voters need to make decisions like an entrepreneur. When you cast your ballot, think of yourself as a micro or small business owner. If you own a carinderia and have been struggling because of the pandemic, how will you vote? If you have an online business that thrived during the pandemic, who will you vote for? If you were an office employee who now sells baked goods or clothes using social media, how will you evaluate the candidates?

I think understanding what entrepreneurs are and how they think is a good way to approach the decision of choosing who to vote for. There are other ways of doing this of course, but being an entrepreneur myself, I think this is one of the better ways to make certain critical decisions.

First, entrepreneurs are innovative by nature. They come up with new products or services in order to address the needs of consumers and the general public. Entrepreneurs always find some way to set themselves apart by trying out new ways of doing things. And this is an important quality for leaders of our country. We need someone who can look at our old problems in a new and unique way. As Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” In evaluating the platforms of candidates, look for fresh, novel, even unorthodox views on how they plan to solve problems. Do not get hooked on the usual “de-kahon” responses to problems.

Second, entrepreneurs are not afraid to take chances. I have said many times before that opening a business, no matter how small, is a risk simply because many initial efforts end up failing. Entrepreneurs are not immobilized by the prospects of failure. They take risks in opening up an enterprise, expanding the business, hiring new employees, or, even re-branding an existing initiative. This is an important quality that voters should look for in political candidates. Politics and business are separate fields. I know because I have had the fortune of experiencing both. But leaders should be able to take chances and should not be petrified into inaction because of fear of failure or fear of becoming unpopular.

Third, entrepreneurs know how to manage people and organizations. The next President of the Philippines will manage the biggest and most important organization in the country—the bureaucracy. Voters should look at the backgrounds of candidates to look for experience in managing people. If someone has successfully managed a government agency in the past or a business enterprise or a non-profit organization then that should be a reflection on their ability of run the country.

There are other entrepreneurial traits that I believe will help voters make the right choice in May. But I will discuss them in future columns. The important point I want to make is that voting is a complex, difficult and important decision-making process for people. It requires patience and circumspection. That is why elections are not just about what kind of candidates are out there but also what kind of voters we have. This will determine the kind of future we will have.