From Magic to Magis: How Five Leadership Principles Turned a 40th Anniversary into a Legacy

As we close the Rotary Club of New Manila East's 40th Year Anniversary, I ask myself: What separates a good leader from a transformational one?

I found the answer watching our Immediate Past President Karlo Benjamin Nisce lead the Rotary Club of New Manila East through a record-breaking year. But this isn't just a story about awards or accolades, though there were plenty. This is about how a leader's vision, paired with a team's commitment, created a ripple effect that reached far beyond Metro Manila.

When IPP Karlo Nisce became president of the Rotary Club of New Manila East, he faced a question every leader confronts: How do we make our time count? For IPP Karlo, the stakes were even higher. This was our club's 40th anniversary year, a milestone that demanded something special. But how do we honor four decades of service while keeping the club fresh, relevant, and moving forward?

The answer came through five straightforward leadership principles. Nothing fancy. Nothing complicated. Just timeless lessons that turned a good year into a memorable one.

Lesson 1: Start With Why

Before diving into plans and projects, IPP Karlo asked his team to think about our deeper purpose. Why do we serve? Why does Rotary matter? With the help of Past President Tim Warden of the Rotary Club of San Fernando City, La Union and Police Col. Lambert Suerte (2022 Outstanding Filipino and former Provincial Director of La Union), IPP Kalro introduced a simple concept: pursuing "magis" (more), not for awards or recognition, but to uplift others and serve a greater good. This became their guiding light.

The takeaway: Before you plan your programs, define your "why." Don't just tell your team what you want to accomplish; tell them why it matters. When your team knows why they're working, the how becomes easier. Purpose fuels perseverance.

Lesson 2: Plan Together, Win Together

Here's what set IPP Karlo apart: He didn't wait until July to start planning. Four months before his presidency officially began, he gathered his Board of Directors for a planning session. He also gathered past presidents to help them refine the club's strategic plan two months before the term started.

Together, not IPP Karlo alone, we mapped out ambitious projects like bringing clean energy and healthcare to Tawi-Tawi, the Philippines' southernmost frontier, protecting sea turtles in La Union, and donating medical equipment to a Quezon City Hospital. By involving everyone early, these became our projects, not just his initiatives.

The takeaway: Great leaders don't command; they collaborate. Early planning with your team creates ownership and commitment. When people help create the plan, they'll fight to make it succeed.

Lesson 3: Keep Moving When Things Fall Apart

Just weeks into his presidency, IPP Karlo faced every leader's nightmare: the sudden death of his trusted operations manager from his own business venture.

He could have paused. He could have scaled back. Instead, he chose resilience. "We move forward," he told his team. That simple decision, to keep going despite grief and setback, set the tone for everything that followed.

His board, already invested from our planning session, stepped up without hesitation.

The takeaway: Your team watches how you respond to crisis. Stay steady, and they'll stay with you.

Lesson 4: Walk the Talk

IPP Karlo never asked his team to do anything he wouldn't do himself. He showed up, worked hard, and held himself to the highest standard.

The results spoke for themselves: By year's end, the club had earned 39 awards from Rotary District, Rotary Philippines, and various government institutions, including Outstanding Club and Outstanding President, both with Platinum Distinction. But IPP Karlo never framed these as personal victories. They were team achievements. Proof that when everyone commits to excellence, extraordinary things happen.

The takeaway: You can't inspire from the sidelines. Lead from the front, and your team will follow your example.

Lesson 5: Take Care of Your People

Here's what IPP Karlo understood that many leaders miss: Projects matter, but people matter more.

He ensured that meetings were both convenient and enjoyable, fostering camaraderie through single malt nights, golf outings, and Oktoberfest fellowships, all culminating in our memorable Ruby Anniversary Gala. He made certain every member felt valued and heard. When conflicts arose as they inevitably do, he sought common ground rather than taking sides, building bridges instead of walls.

Why? Because a close-knit, happy team accomplishes far more than a fractured one, no matter how talented individuals may be.

The takeaway: Fellowship isn't soft leadership; it's smart leadership. Take care of your members, and they'll take care of the mission.

What It All Means

Did IPP Karlo Nisce have a successful year? The 39 awards suggest yes. But the real measure of his leadership isn't displayed on plaques. It's in a team that discovered what they were capable of achieving together. It's in a 40-year-old club that feels energized for the next 40 years. It's in communities in Tawi-Tawi, Quezon City, and La Union whose lives are better because Rotarians showed up.

Most importantly, it's in the blueprint he left behind for every Rotary leader who follows: Start with purpose, not personal ambition. Plan with your team, not for them. Keep moving when times get tough. Set the example you want others to follow. And never forget that people, not programs, are your greatest asset.

These aren't revolutionary ideas. They're foundational truths that work every time they're applied with sincerity and commitment.

IPP Karlo Benjamin Nisce's leadership reminds us that leadership isn't about being the smartest person in the room or collecting the most accolades. It's about bringing out the best in others, honoring what came before while building what comes next, and serving something bigger than yourself.

That's not just good leadership. That's Rotary leadership at its finest.

Written by: Dir. Jullian Myles Anisco, Rotary Club of New Manila East

Dir. Jullian Myles Anisco is currently a director of the Rotary Club of New Manila East (RCNME), and served as the Public Image Chairman during the club’s momentous Ruby Year - RY 2024-2025. For more information visit https://www.youtube.com/@TheRotaryClubofNewManilaEast