An Opinion on Leadership the Lakaran Way

On a typical Monday in most organizations, you hear targets, deadlines, and deliverables.

At Lakaran Institute (also known as SEA Inc.), presided by Angelic Muzones, you hear this first:

“What color is your heart today?”

Before strategy, before budgets, before barangay politics—there is breath. There is pause. There is honesty.

Leadership That Begins with the Heart

Angelic opened the week not with a PowerPoint—but with heart breathing. Then she laid out colors:

• White – grateful and peaceful
• Orange – anxious and worried
• Red – happy and joyful
• Black – managing but need support
• Purple – starting to struggle
• Yellow – overwhelmed
• Green – nourished and recharged
• Blue – down, grieving

And suddenly, governance had a pulse.

Janna admitted she was orange, worried about the future.
Jean was red, because love arrived in the form of Valentine’s flowers.
Jackie and Os were black—managing, but needing rest and space.
Angela was blue and white, carrying stress while preparing for transitions.
Gem was yellow, overwhelmed by people—but found green after seeing her family.
Leslie chose white, grateful in all seasons.
Trixie was orange and red—anxious about her volunteer contract ending, yet joyful after visiting partner barangays.

And Angelic?
Red. Green. White.
Joyful. Energized. Grateful. Even without weekends.

That is not toxic positivity. That is conscious leadership.

In a development sector often obsessed with outputs, Angelic insists that governance must also process emotions. Because burned-out leaders do not build sustainable communities.