Leo Maranan is modest and self-effacing. Hindsight, one sees him as just the ordinary run-of-the-mill Pinoy leader that self-destructs, crumbles, and dissipates under a drizzle.
So, why was he chosen to lead a team of opinionated and headstrong men and women who are working for the Kalayaan 2011 Grand Ball, which is the biggest Filipino-American event in the Southland commemorating the 113th Philippine Independence Day celebrations?
Until now, even the people closest to him, have not been able to size him up if he is a weak or strong leader. They are not able to figure out his true worth because he does not talk a lot, and he is a newbie in the community. But because I am a journalist, our man does not have any choice but to deal with me. I met, talked, and interviewed the “man on the mirror” and I saw his reflections in a very different light.
The guy is steely tough. His bashful manner belies the steadfast strength of his character. He stands on solid ground and he is not concerned about shifting shadows. He is focused on the task that he is supposed to do. Like a lot of great achieving leaders, Maranan is somewhat uncomfortable in the spotlight; he lets his efficient moves do the talking.
Little wonder, he is not bothered by unsettling situations that threaten to upset the order of things in the planning of the Big Event; not some self-serving mavericks, not a knotty coverage issue, not the usual vicious community critics. He has his own compelling way of dealing with every problem; he solves them, and very quickly.
At the second community meeting held Friday night at the Rizal Hall of the Philippine Consulate, this writer asked him if it is true that there is a chasm that is developing in his organization, that some disgruntled members of the executive committee are not in sync with what he wants to accomplish.
His response: “I haven’t heard of anything like that… If there is a problem, I will talk to them.”
I thought I heard an angelic host proclaim, “Hallelujah!”
People haven’t noticed it; Maranan is a very effective and insightful leader. He knows how to handle and to lead even in a very unfavorable and hostile setting like the highly divisive Filipino community. He is a man of few words; but the things that he does speak volumes.
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