AS a sports executive, Al Panlilio wears many hats: President of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, team governor of the Meralco Bolts, and president of the MVP Sports Foundation. Outside the game, he is also the CEO of PLDT-Smart.
It is as if being a leader can no longer be taken out of his persona... wherever he goes, whatever he does, even when he’s just casually playing NBA2K.
Al Panlilio imparts lessons beyond the game
When he was young, he loved classic arcade games. But even now, he occasionally dips his toes into the popular basketball sim, especially when competing against his kids.
The way he assembles a squad for 2K mirrors the way he builds teams in the corporate world.
“Merit is important, but I think diversity is also important. I think it's hard if you have a team that just thinks the same way and everybody just says yes to the boss,” he shared in one episode of the ‘Squad Leader’ podcast.
Panlilio continued: “You need diversity, you need other thoughts, other insights. Because at the end of the day, I think you're able to give a proper direction and a better direction where you are more informed.”
The PBA governor bared that inclusion of different personalities is a must in every field he opts to work on, and it’s a more functionable team if there are alphas too, who can challenge the big boss.
“It's really how you manage all these egos and it's also true for basketball. It took Phil Jackson to blend characters and egos to make it work. You had Dennis Rodman, you had Scottie Pippen, you had Michael Jordan whose ego is really way out there,” he said.
This approach to the game actually mirrors his style on building his actual teams in the corporate world.
Under his leadership, the Gilas Pilipinas program has also enjoyed key milestones; while the Meralco Bolts recently logged their best-ever finish with a swing at the semis in the ongoing PBA Philippine Cup.
“Talagang you need your individual characters but somebody should be able to bring them together,” he said. ““I let people speak up. [When people disagree], I don't label them as going against me, but really more of ‘maybe this person just really wants to contribute.’ Everybody's input is invaluable so that we know how to approach a particular issue.”
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph