Mobile Legends (ML) and Management and Leadership (ML): Akin, yet Different
Michael Kenneth I. Abad
Head Teacher I/Pedro Orata ES and Dianao ES

Managing and Leading (ML) a School is somehow like playing the online famous game Mobile Legends (ML). Aside from teamwork and cooperation, you must also know how to skillfully use your “heroes” in order to succeed and win the game.
Online multiplayer games, specifically Mobile Legends (ML) nowadays is undeniably booming among young and even older generations. ML gamers play the game for various but somehow similar reasons. For many, this serves as one’s past time and diversion while for few folks, some sort of income as one can earn money by livestreaming their games. Some even strive to become a famous ML player as this online game is already included in the event sports competition at the Southeast Asian Games and even in world stage of online games.
But for me, ML is more than just a game. I am one of those millions of people who also enjoy playing ML. I play it during my leisure time, before I sleep, or when I am tired and stressed out. But on top of that, I play ML because I see it as one unique way to establish friendship, teamwork, and cooperation among co-players even though I have never seen them yet.
ML is not just about killing your enemies nor attacking and destroying your enemies’ turrets. It is about working with your teammates and unfolding your strategies and skills to defend your own base and to meet your end goal, and that is to win the game.
In playing ML, I get relished, I get excited and most importantly, I learn. I learn some techniques that I essentially apply to my work as a School Head. In playing ML, you must cooperate and communicate closely with your four other teammates just as you need to do the same with the teachers in your respective stations to achieve a common goal. Each of you in your team must select and control your own hero/character which is grouped according to six different roles, Marksman, Assassin, Mage, Support, Fighter, and Tank. Everyone in your team must know how to strategically use his/her hero’s skills and power. The “Tank” is the initiator or the front liner. The “Assassin” and the “Marksman” kill the enemies and damage their base. On the other hand the “Fighter” can also kill and fight closely with the enemies. The “Support” heals and serves as a crowd control. And lastly, the “Mage”, which is the skiller has several skills and power that the team may use to defeat the enemies and win the battle. Every “bang-bang”, “the enemy has been slain”, “double kill” and “your turret is under attack” phrase of the voice in ML makes the game more exciting and gets you excited to bring your team to the finish line.
Furthermore, akin to the players in ML who have their own “heroes” to control, improve and use to win the battle, we, school heads, have also our unique and precious “heroes” in our respective schools that can help us realize our ultimate goal- to improve our schools for the benefit of our learners. These “heroes” are hardworking and passionate teachers. Managing and leading a school is also like playing the online game ML. The school heads are the players, the teachers are the “heroes”. The teachers have their own identity, character, skill and expertise. So as a school head, you must know your “heroes” very well for you to be able to make a sound and just decision in assigning them at what they do best and help them unfold their skills and talents by giving them chance to prove themselves.
In ML, there are enemies to battle with. In school, we have problems and challenges to overcome especially in this time of COVID-19 pandemic where education shifted from the one we used to, to something that is new and definitely not easy. But again, we have the teachers who can be like the heroes in ML. School heads just have to utilize the teachers who can be like Marksman, Assassin, Mage, Support, Fighter, and Tank, to be our best weapon in achieving certain goals.
Indeed, managing and leading (ML) a School is somehow like playing the online famous game Mobile Legends (ML). Aside from teamwork and cooperation that we need to develop with our teachers, we must also know how to skillfully use our “heroes” to win the game and meet our common goal for the betterment of our school.