The Why That Changed Me: Lessons I Learned from My EMBA Journey

Asian Institute of Management's EMBA2025 LT5

The Why

The moment I decided to go back to school was when I joined my first SEELL program, the Chief Marketing Officer Leadership Development Program. That experience opened my eyes. I saw how much the world had changed while I was still holding on to the old ways.

During that course we had design thinking sessions. The process was new to me, but it made me curious. It showed me how ideas can grow from empathy and experimentation, not just from structure and routine.

After that, I joined the Chief Sales Officer Leadership Development Program. Once again I was exposed to things I had never seen before, such as Kuhn’s Cycle and the Transformation Change Framework. Then I took Systems Thinking under Professor Albert Tan, which brought everything together. That class helped me see how every part of our hotel business connects to another, and how one small change can shift the whole system.

Those programs woke me up. They reminded me that if I stop learning, I stop leading. I also saw how fast the business world was evolving while I was focused on the daily grind.

When I learned about the Executive MBA, it felt right. The format worked for me. Classes were on Fridays and Saturdays, which allowed me to keep up with work. Mondays were for our Learning Team sessions, which were always filled with laughter, long discussions, and endless coffee.

I took the EMBA because I wanted to understand how business is done today. I wanted to learn the language of change and find new ways to apply it to the work we do in hotels.

I did not go back to school to earn another title. I went back to test myself. To see if I could still grow, still learn, and still unlearn.

Looking back, it all started from a simple question that kept repeating in my head: What else can I become if I stop thinking I already know?

The Journey

Taking the EMBA was both tiring and exciting. There were weeks I felt completely drained. I’d finish a long workday, catch a late flight, then open my laptop to read cases. Some nights I fell asleep with my notes beside me. But every class reminded me why I wanted this. It was tough, yes, but it gave me energy too.

The hardest part was finance and accounting. Numbers were never my strength. Courses like New Language of Business and Corporate Finance were foreign territory. At first I could not make sense of the formulas or what the ratios meant. But slowly I saw the beauty behind them. Numbers tell the truth about how a business really works. When I started to get it, that feeling of fear turned into pride.

My Learning Team made the whole experience special. Kay Layco, Jonathan Lo, Annabelle Trinidad, Zoilo Valdez, and Paolo Usi came from very different industries. I was used to being the one who decided at work. In class that did not matter. Everyone had a view, and every opinion counted. Sometimes we argued, sometimes we laughed until late. Those talks changed how I see teamwork. I started listening more and trusting that others often see things I don’t.

One professor made a huge impact on me — Professor Albert Tan from Singapore. We had many long talks about operations, strategy, and even life. He never handed out easy answers. He wanted us to think and figure things out. When I started my capstone, he pushed me harder. He said, “Prove that your idea works.” My topic was about building a hotel revenue management system. To prove it, I had to build one.

At that point I had zero knowledge of coding. I almost quit. I even told Jerome I’d just finish the project next year. But Professor Tan would not let me quit. So I taught myself. I read, tested, failed, and tried again. The first time the system produced a forecast, I just sat there smiling. It worked. That moment reminded me what I’m capable of.

That project changed everything for me. It made me see that learning never really ends. Age or position has nothing to do with it. The moment you stop being curious, you stop growing.

I realized that good leadership starts with listening and being open to learning from the people around you.

The EMBA was more than lectures and readings. It made me slow down and really see the people I work with. It pushed me to keep going even when things got tough. What I took home from this journey is clear to me now. We grow when we stay curious and when we never stop trying to be better.

The Transformation

When people ask me what I gained from the EMBA, I don’t talk about the frameworks. I talk about perspective.

Before the program, I defined transformation in terms of business — turning around performance, launching new systems, driving innovation. I didn’t realize that transformation also means personal evolution. It’s when you stop reacting from habit and start responding with awareness.

The EMBA taught me that real change doesn’t always start from strategy. It starts from reflection. I began to see how every decision I make is shaped by my own assumptions. Once you see that, you begin to lead differently.

In the past, I prided myself on decisiveness. The faster I could solve a problem, the better. But the EMBA made me realize that sometimes, speed hides the deeper issue. I learned to think slower but decide faster — to take time to see the whole picture before acting. That shift made me more deliberate.

I also learned that humility is not just a virtue. It’s a leadership skill. The most effective leaders are not the ones who know the most. They are the ones who make others feel seen, heard, and trusted. I saw this play out in group work. Whenever someone took over the room, discussions narrowed. But when someone asked good questions, the room opened up. That’s the power of humble leadership.

I brought that lesson back to work. I started asking my team more than I instructed them. I asked, “What do you think?” “What’s missing?” “What are we not seeing?” The answers I got surprised me. People became more engaged because they felt ownership. They started solving problems before I even asked.

That was when I saw leadership differently. It is not about control. It is about creating an environment where people can do their best work. The EMBA taught me that uncertainty will always be there, and good leaders do not try to erase it. They guide their teams through it and give direction without taking away ownership.

The program also changed how I see success. For years I looked at results, rankings, and numbers. Now I see success as a journey. It means staying curious even when things are going well, and being ready to question what worked before so we can build something better next.

That’s what transformation really means. Doing things differently, leading with purpose instead of pressure.

When I look back, I see how much I’ve changed without even noticing it. I now lead with more patience. I listen more. I am more intentional in the words I use and the questions I ask. I’m now comfortable saying, “I don’t know yet.” It used to feel like weakness, but now it feels like strength.

The EMBA didn’t give me all the answers. It taught me how to ask better questions. It didn’t make me less ambitious. It made me more aware of what ambition is for. It reminded me that leadership is not about climbing higher. It’s about lifting others as you grow.

That brought me back to my why.  I joined the EMBA to rediscover curiosity. I left with something deeper — a clearer sense of who I am, what matters most, and how I want to lead from here.

I didn’t just finish a degree. I walked away with a new way of seeing — my team, my company, and myself.