3 CEO Lessons Art Tan learned on the road

“When you’re on a bike, the decision-making process has to be instantaneous,” Art Tan explains. “You can’t sit back and take your time deciding, because it’s life threatening.”

Lesson 1: Know when to lead and when to follow.

Riding has greatly influenced Art Tan as a leader in the Ayala group. “It opened a whole new set of experiences and nurtured me as a leader and as a member of a group, helping me understand moments where I have to take a leadership position and moments where I have to be a good follower… I experienced multiple non-work-related scenarios that show how Ayala has been able to evolve and grow despite all challenges over the last 26 years that Jaime and Fernando ran the company. It’s the sense of leadership I’ve been very privileged to have been exposed to and seen,” Art shares.

Lesson 2: Treat people fairly.

Art’s upbringing pushes and guides him to constantly treat people fairly. “At the end of the day, I would like people to remember that I have been a fair person. I may not make everybody happy, but I can be fair, and that decisions made and actions taken are for the common good–for the group and the communities,” he shares.

Lesson 3: Be a servant leader.

“I hold Del Lazaro in high esteem for I would not have been able to understand the true culture of Ayala if it weren’t for his mentorship. I am blessed to have him as a mentor and as a fellow executive, but even more as a friend… I also took the helm of IMI from Francis Ferrer, but my success could not have been feasible without the foundation he has instilled. He taught me how to become a more compassionate and servant leader,” Art continues.

Looking at the road ahead, Art sees a lot of opportunities unfolding on a global basis. “The pandemic is a global phenomenon that resets the entire world. What it presents is not only the challenges, but also a whole slew of opportunities. Businesses that we would not consider before, we’re not taking a much stronger path in… To me, that’s really the exciting part: it’s how we can evolve, be part of it, and set the standards for how to do it.”

In all of Art’s adventures, there is growth. For him, taking that risk when he joined Ayala has taught him to navigate new terrains and unfamiliar roads, and ultimately, be open to new possibilities that await him at every turn.