For Lyra

When asked about Lyra de Leon, the automatic response has always been "I love Lyra. She's the first boss I've ever gotten along with." That by itself says a lot, given my strong opinions on the extremely delicate task of managing people, and whose shoulders the job falls upon.

Ask anyone who's worked in this business long enough and they'll tell you outright how the word "manager" really means "arrogant, incompetent, heartless, slave-driving asswipe". It's almost cliché how everyone hates these pretentious BlackBerry and Starbucks whores, with their god complexes and clipboards. They're just plain evil.

Every now and again though, stereotypes shatter, opinions are reversed, and true leadership is acknowledged.

Five hundred years ago, Niccolò Machiavelli posed the question of whether it was better for a leader to be feared, or loved. In Lyra's case, the question need not be asked—as she has, without fail, gained both from anyone who has been lucky enough to have worked with her.

It's difficult not to love Lyra, adorable as she is. From her classic Illonga smile and tone to her Makati-esque outfits and purposeful office stride; from her clever and witty annotations to her warm and consoling words; from her exploding-hand-syndrome to her Indian fire dance club routine—she's just a genuinely amazing person. I don't know of anyone who has ever said anything negative about her. A task that is just about impossible in the backstabbing, contemptible pit that is the call center industry.

Without question, she is by far the most intelligent and capable Training Manager I've dealt with, and it's understandable how one can easily be intimidated of her. Truth is, it's not Lyra that you feared; rather, the thought of disappointing her. As confident and stubborn as I am in the office setting, the one thing I was scared of the most was the day that she no longer trusted my capacity as a Trainer, and looked to someone else for results. She led by example, and brought out the best in the people she supervised. You wanted to be better for her.

If the task of a manager is to create a healthy atmosphere for the workforce, and to make sure that employees remain inspired, motivated, and efficient; if the role of a boss is to get things moving in the proper direction, produce positive results, and ensure that the department is well-represented; if the duty of a leader is to empower their people, and equip them with the necessary skills to succeed; then the "Site Training Manager of the Year" award with Lyra de Leon's name on it is more than justified.

And if all that wasn't enough, she's also cool as fuck.

Thanks for everything, Ly!