The complex issues of succession and long-term viability of an enterprise or organization came to mind, after I received an e-mail from the Ateneo de Manila University’s Filipino-Chinese students organization called Celadon. On February 2, the Ateneo’s Council of Organizations awarded Celadon as the Most Outstanding Student Organization and its president Jules Siegfrid Ang as the Most Outstanding Student Leader. I was very excited, because I was the founder and first president of the Celadon. Today, it has 800 members, plus many awards in past years for many positive projects and for exemplary service to the Ateneo. Previous presidents like Jan Clarence Lim and Christine Ong were also awarded Most Outstanding Leader.

When I conceptualized Celadon, the future was always uppermost in my mind. I took the name from ancient porcelain plates displayed in the Rizal Library, ! invited the wise late Ateneo president Fr. Jose Cruz S.J. as our first adviser, clearly set down our cultural, civic and other goals. We were driven by our idealism and sense of purpose. I invited Mike Chua, Cathy Sue Villanueva, Johnson Uy and Chris Chua from different high schools to be officers. We prepared two talented leaders to win the two successive elections as second and third presidents of Celadon. For the organizational set-up, I used corporate-sounding posts like vice president for operations, VP-finance, VP-human resource, including assistant vice presidents (for training future leaders). Everything we did, we had intended them to help the future viability of the institution beyond us. Today, as president of the Anvil Business Club, I am seeking the help of our 16 talented officers to revitalize this group with exciting projects of enduring relevance. One of our projects is a talent search to invite members who can be strong future leaders.

Why is it that many revolutionary movements in history continued to burn with fervor despite the arrests and executions of their charismatic leaders? Why is it that an unschooled and poor carpenter’s son from Nazareth was publicly humiliated and executed on a bloody cross, his followers for years persecuted and even fed to the lions, but Christianity endured with passionate leaders and is today the world’s biggest faith?

Why is it many big or small companies don’t survive beyond the third-generation heirs of the founders, but a few select enterprises continue to thrive? How come most of us tinker with gadgets like Palms or use leather-bound diaries to plan everything from summer vacations, to budgets, to weekend activities or how we shall spend Valentine’s Day, but most of us dread, ignore or refuse to plan that ultimate question of our own inevitable exit from this life? Whether as leaders or members of families and organizations, we should plan for a futur! e when we are no longer here. How could we – whether entrepreneurs, professionals, students or housewives – ensure that our personal legacy will endure and be of lasting positive value to others?