During my winter months in Chicago spent several years ago, my mood reflected what I usually see outside my window—gloomy, somber and kind of depressing. As we expect warmer summer months in the Philippines this May and June, tempers will likely flare up as our disposition will be somehow affected by the hot weather. Regardless of weather conditions or challenging situations at work and at home, I wish we can all keep a happy outlook or, what others would say, a sunny disposition.
A person with a sunny disposition is someone with a joyful attitude in life and exudes cheerfulness even if things around are causing him pain and irritation. Meliton “Sonny” Pascual is one such person. In his capacity as vice president of Airport Operations of Philippine Airlines (PAL), Sonny faces all kinds of stressful situations considering the current state of our airport infrastructure nationwide, particularly in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Whenever there are flight delays, cancellations, disruptions, Sonny and his team bear the brunt of frustration of passengers. Whenever customers encounter some
inconvenience at any touch points at the airport, such as those in the check-in counters, lounges, boarding gates and baggage claim areas, among others, Sonny and his team absorb the bulk of complaints. While these irregular operations are few and far between, Sonny manages to keep everyone at even keel, knowing that how he reacts will dictate how his team will respond to these stressful conditions. But despite all these problematic situations, Sonny remains gentle in his words and actions. Others might say that his diminutive tone of voice and overly courteous gestures are signs of weakness. I disagree.
Inspirational author Rick Warren says that gentleness is “strength under control.” He says that being gentle diffuses conflicts and serves as an antidote for anger. In the Bible, Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Normally, we all tend to mirror the emotions of the people we interact with. A person usually shouts back whenever he is being shouted at. But if the other person does not shout back, anger subsides on the part of the other. Conflict is diffused. And the problem, while not necessarily solved, is at least checked and hopefully diminished. Adding that gentleness is persuasive, Warren believes that gentle speak is far more effective than a hard sell, saying, “a gentle tongue can break a bone.”
Amid all the conflicts on a day-to-day basis, Sonny responds with much gentleness. His colleagues at the airport have yet to see Sonny raise his voice in anger at work. As he pursues projects with dedication and exceeding his working hours to meet deadlines in the process, Sonny is sensitive to other people’s needs. In the words of another colleague, Sonny pushes “people to work on a project by providing guidance and direction with his trademark smile.” Most of his coworkers in PAL, myself included, consider Sonny as a calm, cool and collected speaker, especially whenever the lingering issues of long queues at the airport come up. He even interjects some subtle humor and witty remarks in some serious discussions. Sonny simply stays faithful to one of the favorite maxims of American writer William Arthur Ward, which is, “A cloudy day is no match for a sunny disposition.”
Due to his cool demeanor, Sonny is one wealthy man. After all, Andrew Carnegie said, “A sunny disposition is worth more than a fortune.” Sonny is also one of the most powerful persons in PAL, not by rank, salary grade or by position, but by his display of one of the most important Biblical elements of leadership—gentleness, also known as strength under control. Finally, with his gracious and judicious speech, plus his platinum blonde hair with a matching well-kept mustache, resembling royalty, Sonny is perhaps one of the wisest executives in PAL. In the Bible, Colossians 4:5-6 tells us, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Sonny is, and will always be, sunny.
For questions and comments, please e-mail me at sbmison@gmail.com.