October 14, 2019

SATURDAY 29 DECEMBER 2018

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E-mail: editor@leaderonomics.com

Website: www.leaderonomics.com

WE’RE FULLY DIGITAL IN 2019!

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HR PREDICTIONS FOR NEXT YEAR AND BEYOND

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BITE-SIZED LEADERSHIP ARTICLES: OUR PICKS

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Women in general have advanced beyond our wildest measures. But do we feel capable of negotiating a better and more secure future for ourselves? Do we believe we can control our destiny? To learn more, click here: bit.ly/ futuristwomen

n Minda Zetlin is a business technology writer and speaker, co-author of The Geek Gap, and former president of the American Society of Journalists and Authors. Email editor@leaderonomics. com to get in touch with her.

By MINDA ZETLIN editor@leaderonomics.com

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RE you a woman in a leadership position? If this is a new role for you, what should a woman in a newly powerful position do when she first gets there? “Exactly the same as a man would do” seems like an easy answer, but it’s not good enough.

“Although good leadership is good leadership, women have unique challenges because they’re women and men have different unique challenges,” says Wendy Capland, an executive coach who focuses on women in leadership, and bestselling author of Your Next Bold Move.

Capland is my coach, and for the past couple of years, she’s been coaching me and I’ve been writing about it.

Here’s her advice for women taking on new leadership roles:

THE NEXT BOLD MOVE 3 STRATEGIES FOR WOMEN TAKING ON NEW TOP JOBS

1 FIND A SPONSOR

The very first job for nearly anyone in a new leadership role is to get to know everyone you’ll be working with – your peers and counterparts in other areas as well as the people reporting to you and the people above you in the hierarchy.

“At the same time you’re developing your internal and external network, you should also be looking for a sponsor,” Capland says. “A sponsor is different from a mentor,” she explains, adding that smart leaders are sure to have both.

“A mentor or coach can be from either inside or outside your organisation, but a sponsor will be someone on the inside.

This is someone you can tell your career and salary aspirations to, and their role is to help you get there. Of course, what you desire has to be something they believe in and support.”

“Your sponsor,” she says, “is the person who will speak up on your behalf when you’re not in the room. He or she will put your name forward for opportunities that you have no way of knowing about. Your sponsor will share contacts with you to help you succeed.”

Research over the years has shown that women are significantly less likely than men to have sponsors in their organisations, although they may have multiple mentors.

And, Capland says, when women do seek out sponsors, they are reputed to look for women to sponsor them, whereas men are likely to seek sponsors from either gender.

Women seeking out female sponsors has a nice sisters-in-it-together feel to it, but Capland says that women who only seek other women as sponsors risk holding themselves back.

“It can be a career derailer for a woman leader because sometimes men hold most of the leadership positions and you’re limiting your support,” she says.

“You may not have access to the executive suite if there are mostly men there.”

SURE YOUR 2 MAKE VOICE IS HEARD

Sadly, it’s an often-observed phenomenon that in meetings and other settings especially in groups that are mostly men people seem to have trouble hearing female voices.

“What we typically hear is that when a woman makes a suggestion at a mostly male table, it doesn’t get picked up right away and soon thereafter, a man says the same thing and everyone says, ‘What a great idea!’” Capland reports.

When that happens, the woman who originally made the suggestion faces an unpleasant choice: Either say nothing and let someone else get the credit for

her idea, or speak up at the risk of seeming churlish, self-serving, and not a team player.

In that situation, it’s much better to have someone else remind the group who said what first. So much so that, in the Obama White House, a group of government women informally agreed to repeat and emphasise each other’s ideas in meetings – a practice called ‘amplification’.

If you’re a woman in a leadership or executive role, Capland suggests looking for some amplification for yourself, not necessarily from other women, but from your sponsor or someone else who seems interested in giving you support.

“An amplifier is someone you talk to ahead of time and whom you ask to amplify your voice if it’s not heard at the table,” she says.

“So, what would happen is the person you’ve selected would say, ‘You know, Sally just said that a few minutes ago. I want to make sure we track where we first heard this.’”

Your amplifier should be someone you already have a good relationship with, she adds. “It should be someone who knows you’re trying to have more executive presence and make more of an impact and has shown an interest in helping you do that. You don’t walk into the room right before the meeting, find some guy and say, ‘I need some support.’”

Even if you have no amplifier, it’s important to make sure you’re heard on the issues you feel strongly about, Capland says. Especially if you’re new to the executive world, she recommends putting some time and effort into developing your executive presence so that you are more likely to command attention when you speak.

“It can be overwhelming for some women to be the only woman or one of a small number at a powerful table with other powerful people, mostly men,” she says. She once heard a woman describe being the only woman at the executive table during discussions of a possible business deal.

She said, “I feel pretty strongly we should not do this deal,” and all the men said, “I think you’re wrong,” Capland recalls. “She said, ‘I want to be heard loud and clear that this is a mistake and here’s my thinking as to why.”

As she explained her reasoning, it became clear that a big part of the issue was timing – she would be much more in favour of the deal if they waited six months to do it.

The company did end up waiting six months as she recommended, and when it happened, the deal was a huge success.

“She believes pretty strongly that if they had done the deal when first discussed, it would have caused a big drop in revenue,” Capland says.

YOURSELF 3 SURROUND WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE

Experts such as Capland have long flagged lack of confidence as one of the ways women unknowingly can deal themselves out of career opportunities – for example by considering themselves unqualified for a role that they could in fact take on.

“I have a client who says she’s going to get an advanced degree because she feels like she doesn’t stack up with the men in her department,” Capland says. “She doesn’t think she’s done enough, and it’s not true.”

It’s easy to see why women tend to think this way – we live in a society that tells us from childhood on that we have to work harder than our male counterparts to achieve the same results.

The likelihood is high that you’ve let this kind of thing affect your thinking, whether you want it to or not.

You can fight back by taking the time and effort to build your own confidence. One of the best things you can do is make sure to spend time talking with people who believe in you and will frequently tell you how awesome you are.

“Have regular conversations with your mentor, sponsor and coach,” Capland says.

CEO BAGS AWARD Leaderonomics founder and chief executive officer Roshan Thiran recently won The BrandLaureate CEO BrandLeadership Excellence Award 2018, which was created specially to appreciate and pay tribute to exceptional leadership.

Co-founder Ang Hui Ming (left) accepted the award on Roshan’s behalf at the awards night, which was held at the Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur on Dec 20, 2018. Read about it here: bit.ly/BLceoawards

www.leaderonomics.com | Saturday 29 December 2018

By ROSHAN THIRAN roshan.thiran@leaderonomics.com

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S we come to the close of another year, and as many business leaders reflect on triumphs and challenges and start planning to build for successes in the new year, I decided to start on a journey of ‘conversations’, where I ‘interviewed’ numerous outstanding leaders on what the key trends and predictions for 2019 would be.

According to American market research firm, Forrester, the focus for business trends in 2019 will centre on one word: pragmatism. In many of the interviews I conducted over the past month, that word morphed itself in different ways.

Maybank group chief human capital officer Nora Abd Manaf explains that “we don’t know what we don’t know, so we always need to be in a crisis mode”. She goes on to share practical ways for human resources (HR) folks to relook at engagement and always be aware and alert.

Yet another HR director explains that in previous years, there had been a strong emphasis on broad-based (and often vague) cultural transformations.

The idea was that if companies got their culture right, productivity, innovation and engagement would soar as a result. He explains that in 2019, the focus on culture is set to be replaced by a more direct and ‘pragmatic’ approach – getting the employee experience right.

DRB-Hicom head of group human capital Izham Ab Wahab believes 2019 will see ‘flat-ish growth’ and with competition heating up, businesses will be hard-pressed to maintain their current revenue streams, driving leaders to seek pragmatic solutions to drive up employee engagement and keep hold of their top performers, especially in sales (more on this later!).

As impactful as away-days and teambuilding weekends are, looking at the bigger picture, organisations and employees will demand even more investment in training – especially in areas that offer real opportunities to understand and be able to execute the company’s ‘secret sauce’ and business strategy.

While it might be tempting to do things ‘the way they’ve always been done’, organisations that are slow to move forward or step out of their comfort zones will soon find themselves behind the curve and possibly facing their own ‘Kodak’ moment.

According to Microsoft human resources director Rowena Capil Florece, this means that the HR function needs to step out into the front-line. HR cannot remain a backroom function but must be proactive, even venturing into the sales and customer space. This may result in significant structural changes in HR, but it is a step that the HR function must take to evolve or risk becoming irrelevant.

Whether it’s employee engagement, embracing digital, stepping into the unknown, or simply improving the customer experience, the next 12 months will mark the beginning of pragmatism in business.

Leaders and organisations alike will need to take an honest look at where they are and where they want to go.

Wherever the destination lies, it will require a significant degree of courage and innovation to get there. Facebook founder and chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg adds, “The only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.”

With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few key trends in the HR space for 2019 (and beyond) that I uncovered in my conversations with key Asian leaders.

DISRUPT YOUR 1 FUNCTION, OR BECOME OBSOLETE Almost every single leader I spoke to emphasised that the HR space is poised

HR PREDICTIONS FOR 2019

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Nora (left) sharing her thoughts on the future of HR with Roshan in a quick ‘interview’ session for disruption, but not a revolutionary one – rather, it’s a pragmatic, evolutionary one. Many companies have policies to ensure employees work hard to disrupt themselves just to stay ahead of the curve, and this will be the new norm.

What does this mean? For HR, it means enabling people to work faster, smarter and in more collaborative ways.

The Queen of Hearts advised Alice in Wonderland, “My dear, here we must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place.

And if you wish to go anywhere you must run twice as fast as that.”

HR needs to champion building a collaborative workspace where efficiency and effectiveness thrive.

INTO 2 INVESTMENTS EMPLOYEE WELLNESS

To do no. 1 (HR to create structures for a faster-paced and collaborative organisation), PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) executive director of human capital Salika Suksuwan believes that “HR must focus hard on employee well-being”. Taking care of employee’s well-being – physically, mentally and even spiritually – in this new fast-paced world should be key in 2019, according to her.

What does this mean? She suggests some pragmatic ways, which include enabling employees to recharge and rejuvenate throughout the year, having policies that allow sabbaticals or short career breaks, and providing avenues for employees to de-stress.

ON THE FRONT3 FOCUS END OF THE BUSINESS

With HR being a back-end function, HR professionals generally meet a lot of back-end and support employees. To many in HR, front-end employees (i.e. sales and business development (BD) folks) tend to be problematic and consistently fickle.

According to Izham, 2019 will see a lot of focus on building great sales and BD teams to help protect existing revenue streams and also find new ones.

With the lack of talented sales and BD professionals in the country, there is going to be huge emphasis on growing and developing the BD function through enhanced recruitment and a more structured approach to invest in the development of current sales and BD professionals in the organisation.

This will require the HR function to become more ‘front-focused’ and closely

aligned with the front of the organisation, as Florece argues.

WORK WILL CHANGE – 4 AND HR MUST DRIVE THIS CHANGE Last year, I wrote about the changing nature of work. Not many understood what I meant then, but today more HR leaders are beginning to take note.

Work today is measured by time. We work 8am to 5pm, five days a week, and get paid a salary for time put in, regardless of output. Some produce more, while others don’t deliver, yet are paid a salary.

HR has begun differentiating salaries, but I believe that work will cease to be time-based and move into an outputbased measurement. What does this mean? It means that we will start paying people based on output. The more you produce, the more you are paid.

The gig economy is already driving this new wave, but it requires HR teams to start measuring each role based on output, which is hard work. Slowly, as we digitise roles, more and more measurements will evolve to an output methodology, paving the way for a complete overhaul of how we work and are paid for work. Watch this space closely!

HR DRIVES DIGITAL 5 CONTENT CREATION AND CURATION Did you know that there are over 2.5 billion social media users, with approximately one million being added every day? In Feb 2016, there were 4.4 million videos uploaded to Facebook, accruing nearly 200 billion views (Source: ReelSEO).

Visual content receives 40 times more engagement than other types of content online, and now LinkedIn is seeing a rise in the popularity of video as 55 per cent of business users posted videos in 2017, compared to 38 per cent in 2016.

This number is set to grow as organisations at the forefront of digital realise that there’s a wealth of opportunity to be tapped into when social media and digital marketing are fully embraced.

What does this mean for HR? HR needs to help the business create digital content, drive digital engagement efforts and push efforts to ensure all employees learn about their product, services, culture and business secrets (a.k.a. the secret sauce of the business) through engaging content.

How can HR do this? By creating struc-

tures that ensure employees and leaders have avenues to create, construct and distribute internal content to each other.

And by changing the way people learn, as Salika adds: “by making learning and development byte-sized, or more snackable” and easily consumed by employees.

6 PERSONALISATION

In Malaysia, much of business and the HR function has been fixated on ‘One-Policy-&-Rule-Fits-All’. But with the gig economy, and different individuals’ capability, motivation and starting points, we have to move to a more sophisticated, personalised approach.

This was not possible a few years ago, but with the collection of data, Industry Revolution 4.0 and better systems, we can design a customised approach at low costs and quite seamlessly.

Take, for example, learning and development. Our digital team at Leaderonomics has designed a learning management system that is able to provide ‘contextual learning to an individual at their time of need’.

This means that you get information, content or specific insights just a few minutes before you encounter a specific situation. Not a month too early or a few weeks too late, but at the point of need.

If learning can become ‘just-in-time’ and personalised to an individual, so can other areas in HR. At Leaderonomics, from office design to work time flexibility, each has been personalised for the employee. Employee engagement will be about personalisation and customisation and it will not increase costs, but rather increase engagement and have a significant positive effect on the financials.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish each of you a great 2019. As this will be our final print pull-out in The Star, do make sure you sign up for our Leader’s Digest newsletter to get your weekly dose of great leadership articles from Leaderonomics.com and to keep learning and growing in 2019.

Best wishes, Roshan Thiran Founder, Leaderonomics P.S. All these conversations I had can be accessed on my LinkedIn page at linkedin.com/in/roshanthiran/ if you want to get the full-blown insights from these leaders.

In do or die situations, sometimes taking a leap of faith might just save your life.

Similarly, in the face of Industry 4.0, businesses face the risk of dying out if they do not adapt to the changes around them.

Check out this article on how HR can lead the way in strategic digitalisation of the workforce: bit.ly/hr_jump

While a lot of people struggle to keep their day jobs, these successful leaders own and run multiple companies at any given time and look as fresh as ever. Check out how these 16 successful world business leaders do it! Go to: bit.ly/2hrchxb

n Roshan Thiran is the founder and CEO of Leaderonomics – a social enterprise working to transform lives through leadership development.

Connect with Roshan on Facebook or Twitter (@lepaker) for more insights into business, personal development and leadership.

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By CHRISTIE CHUA christie.chua@leaderonomics.com

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O you remember the times when you would wait impatiently at home, looking forward to receive a letter from a loved one but not knowing when it would arrive?

Many people still rely on the postal service to deliver their letters, documents and parcels, and chances are, most of us are just as impatient to receive our mail as we were back then.

It is natural for us to expect accurate and speedy deliveries as customers, and Pos Malaysia Bhd’s recently-appointed group chief executive officer Syed Md Najib Syed Md Noor says that earning the trust of the customer is crucial in this industry.

“People trust us with sending goods, and value is relative. A parcel may seem small to some, but when we say that we will deliver it within a certain number of days and in good condition, we need to deliver on this. This is where the brand promise comes in. It’s what building trust is all about.”

Pos Malaysia has a huge advantage when it comes to this, as it has the widest reach and the biggest parcel processing centre in the country. The organisation has 3,800 touch points, the capacity to sort 300,000 to 500,000 parcels a day, and a workforce of around 16,000 employees who are directly related to the mail and parcel business.

CHANGES IN POST LEADING A 200-YEAR-OLD ORGANISATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY numerous initiatives that could lead to the organisation losing focus.

He says: “We first need to evaluate what we have. Most times, the strategy does not need to be changed, only tweaked. Focusing on a few areas will help you gain your employees’ confidence and trust. Set the mission, match and get the right skills, and articulate it well down the line to execute it.

“When you try to do multiple things and rely on the same resources that are running traditional operations which are not perfect, it will overburden employees.”

For Syed Najib, his duty is to first go down to the operations level and identify where the potential upsides are, such as optimising parcel processing and transportation to release more capacity and improve deliveries, looking at potential automation at touch points to enable self-service by customers,

ZOOMING IN ON SUCCESS

n Pos Malaysia Bhd’s history dates back to the early 1800s, when postal services were first introduced to the Straits Settlements of Penang, Melaka and Singapore. For more information on Pos Malaysia and its current services, visit pos.com.my.

Syed Najib believes in having a selective focus in order for the organisation to meet its goals. “You cannot and should not be doing 25 things. You should be prioritising and doing the three to five things that’s going to give you the real impact, and that’s all.”

He says that traditional postal organisations like Pos Malaysia have to be realistic in terms of what they can achieve effectively because there are obligations to the rakyat and country.

Consumer needs have evolved to become more sophisticated in the realm of high-speed connectivity, and the need for the organisation to be reliable and visible is especially important to ensure that the customer experience will be smooth and effortless.

Syed Najib adds that they also have to be careful about following trends, as it’s always easy to jump on the bandwagon and attempt

UNFORGETTABLE. TRANSFORMATIONAL.

MOVE INTO THE WORLD OF IMMERSIVE LEARNING with

and the standardisation of processes.

“Simple things like that can make a huge difference,” he says.

Another one of his first tasks in Pos Malaysia is to groom new talents so that the organisation will have a pool of talent for the senior management level in the years to come.

“Change is constant. Nobody can promise that they will be here for the next five years – you have to live like there’s no tomorrow, otherwise there will always be another day and nothing will get done.

“We need to put the structure and processes in place so that we are able to cope better with the changing and demanding environment.”

With this in mind, Syed Najib has already begun building the core team, expanding the talent pool and formulating a succession plan, although he is only about three months into the role.

FITTING THE PUZZLE PIECES One of the key characteristics that he looks for in a potential employee is passion, and he likes to spend time understanding them. “As leaders, our job is to try to understand what makes our Syed Najib with a vintage Pos Malaysia bicycle.

These bicycles were used by postmen on their postal delivery routes back in the day, until they made the switch to motorcycles in the 1960s.

employees tick,” he says.

“This is especially important when deciding if the person will work well in our team. We typically will have several sessions to get to know their leadership style and whether they jive with my senior management, before we decide on a key position.”

Syed Najib says that it is not enough for a senior management employee to be a ‘superhero’ if he or she can’t work well with the team and the group dynamics are not healthy. As everyone has their own strengths, recognising this early helps to speed up the tasks at hand and get everyone in the organisation to buy into the vision and mission.

So how does Syed Najib navigate the delicate balance of taking control and letting go during periods of transformation in an organisation?

“Once the direction has been set and the team created, you must have a timeline of what you want to achieve and properly track all the projects so that you don’t lose traction,” he says.

“Articulate well and you will get very engaged employees. That’s why I don’t think it’s practical to do too many things, because we need to engage and communicate effectively with the employees, and be practical in terms of what can be delivered. Otherwise, the employees will lose focus and patience, and eventually lose trust.

“My job is to see the customer’s point of view. Pos must become customercentric, and there’s a huge opportunity to serve them better by focusing our efforts.

The Pos employees, in turn, need to be equipped to deliver our promises to the customers, and at the core of operations, we need to innovate quickly to deliver and future-proof ourselves with techniques.

“Pos is a sleeping dragon; all the elements are already there, but it will take at least two to three years to see a very different, and agile organisation emerge,” says Syed Najib.

MOST LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT COURSES TEACH YOU SOMETHING. GEORGE KOHLRIESER AND OUR TEAM WANTED TO DESIGN A PROGRAM THAT AWAKENS SOMETHING IN YOU. Edouard Getaz, InsideRisk Founder

InsideRisk is a unique way to enhance your ability to think critically and thrive within constant change.

Watch the trailer at bit.ly/InsideRiskLDR

For more information, email info@leaderonomics.com

www.leaderonomics.com | Saturday 29 December 2018

TOP 10 LEADERSHIP NUGGETS Compiled by ROUBEENI MOHAN roubeeni.mohan@leaderonomics.com

HOW TO OVERCOME

3 COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWNS

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PART from the articles we publish in our pull-outs and on our website, Leaderonomics.com, we have a series of short stories called Leadership Nuggets, which were compiled into a book and published in 2016.

4 DO YOU CARE ENOUGH TO BE HONEST WITH ME? We all want people to tell us the truth despite it being hurtful sometimes. But as leaders, why do we refrain from being honest? Read: bit.ly/Care-honesty

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10 SHADES OF SEVERUS SNAPE Prof Severus Snape from the Harry Potter series has always been a character of dubious stance and till today, continues to be a hot topic for debate among readers. But there are many lessons buried behind this stony-faced potions master.

Read: bit.ly/10LayersofSnape

Many organisations invest time to structure a framework for talent programmes. However, they sometimes forget the key to successful implementation is to train and prepare the people managing the talent.

Read more: bit.ly/ManagingTalent

Communication is vital in order to ensure the smooth flow of instructions in an organisation. When an organisation has multiple layers, there’s a chance for communication to break down. How can we overcome this? Read: bit.ly/comm-breakdown

HERE ARE OUR TOP PICKS FROM THIS BOOK:

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MANAGING THE

6 DIFFICULT TALENTS

HOW TO INFLUENCE WITHOUT AUTHORITY

LUCK IS NOT LUCK:

7 YOU CAN INFLUENCE

YOUR RETURN ON LUCK

Leading without relying on authority is a higher evolutionary skill. It supports developing adult relationships based on mutual objectives and creates work environments grounded in respect for human dignity. Read more: bit.ly/JLSInfluenceAuthority

LESSONS 5 4A LIFE FEISTY IGUANA TAUGHT ME

Personal development lessons can be obtained almost from everything – if only we looked close enough. Here are some things that you can learn from an iguana: bit.ly/Lessons-Iguana

Most believe that luck happens by chance. We believe luck is something that we cannot plan for or obtain by design. Luck is fated, written in the stars. Or is it? Read more: bit.ly/LuckNotLuck

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THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS: A KEY TO HIGH PERFORMANCE LEADERSHIP We rarely speak about forgiveness in an organisational or professional context.

How do you deal with unwarranted criticism and backstabbing attempts on the job? Read: bit.ly/Power-Forgiveness

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5

READ US ONLINE! Leadership insights on the go at leaderonomics.com

LIVING BEYOND OUR COMFORT ZONE To discover new worlds, you have to first leave the safety of familiar shores, and doing so is seldom an easy decision.

Living beyond one’s comfort zone is never easy, but it’s a decision worth making as life is ultimately made up of different experiences and new meanings. Read more: bit.ly/ZRComfortZone

LEADERSHIP’S

10 A STRETCH: 5

LESSONS ON AND OFF THE MAT Yoga is a group of physical, mental and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India.

Did you know that there’s more you can take back from the yoga mat other than a healthy body? Read more to find out how it can guide one’s personal and leadership journey: bit.ly/Yoga-Leadership The PDF version of the book is free and available for download at: bit.ly/LeadershipNuggets

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THE BEST OF LEADERONOMICS.COM L

EADERONOMICS.COM is your pit stop for leadership insights, business trends and real-life stories which will enhance your learning journey and contribute to your personal development.

As we prepare to move into 2019, here are

1. KNOWING YOUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES “There are a lot of wonderful things you can achieve if you knew your true potential and the things you are capable of doing.”

Acknowledging your weaknesses does not mean diminishing your strengths.

Should you then focus on strengths or work on improving weaknesses?

Do you take ownership of self-assessment and personal development?

Assess your personal growth further at: bit.ly/personalgrowthHP This article first appeared on Leaderonomics.com on Mar 24, 2014.

2. SIGNS YOU LACK SELFAWARENESS How do we make sure there is a check and balance as we perform our daily routine?

“Self-awareness is a learnable skill, not navel-gazing as many assume.”

This is the skill that helps you know yourself even better. Here are some warning signs that display one’s lack of selfawareness.

Find out where you stand by heading to: bit.ly/selfawareJL This article first appeared on Leaderonomics.com on Jun 17, 2016.

3. LESSONS FROM JACK MA “If you want to grow, find a good opportunity. Today, if you want to be a great company, think about what social problem you could solve.” – Jack Yun Ma Key takeaways from Jack Yun Ma, founder and executive chairman of

LOOKING BACK AT OUR BEST ARTICLES AND VIDEOS IN THE PAST DECADE

some of the stories that have captured your attention over the last 10 years.

Let us walk you through the articles that have made a difference in the way you think and changed the way you do things, be it in your personal life or at the workplace.

TOP 10 ARTICLES OF ALL TIME Compiled by THIVIYA SASIDHARAN thiviya.sasidharan@leaderonomics.com

There’s just something about proving everyone wrong that never fails to inspire change. In 1950, a Japanese filmmaker by the name of Akira Kurosawa did exactly that, with the film Rashomon.

Find out what made his work go on to influence the likes of Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese at: bit.ly/visualstory tellingLG

www.leaderonomics.com | Saturday 29 December 2018

TOP 10 FAVOURITE VIDEOS

Stories that inspired you the most over the years

Alibaba Group who is not only known for driving economic success but an exemplary figure that embodies the persona of a great leader.

Learn more from the man himself at: bit.ly/businessgrowthYL This article was reposted on Leaderonomics.com on Feb 16, 2018.

4. THE LEADERSHIP QUALITIES OF ELON MUSK “Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.” – Elon Musk Leadership lessons from Elon Musk, the 45-year-old who is best known for being the founder of X.com, which later became PayPal, and is associated with many other big names such as SpaceX, Tesla Motors and SolarCity.

“Because sometimes, more than winning, leaders should inspire.”

More on being passionate and persevering: bit.ly/leadershipVR This article first appeared on Leaderonomics.com on Sep 9, 2016.

5. FAMOUS SERVANT LEADERS AND HOW TO LEAD LIKE THEM Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa.

What do they have in common?

“Servant leaders are individuals who have a strong desire to serve first, before being chosen to lead others.”

Here are some of the famous servant leaders we have had and how their qualities and ideologies have influenced the world!

Leading with love, one step at a time: bit.ly/leadwithloveJC This article first appeared on Leaderonomics.com on Mar 25, 2016.

6. KODAK VS FUJIFILM: THEIR SUCCESS AND FAILURE Remember the days when photographs and photo albums were a must?

“Who can forget the ever so popular yellow Kodak film canisters or the ‘Kodak moment’ ads which told us to capture the moments in our lives?”

Find out how the photo printing industry embraced the wave of digital disruption!

Some brands emerged victoriously while others failed to withstand the test of time.

Also, here’s a glimpse of the Golden Circle Theory: bit.ly/stayingrelevantPE This article first appeared on Leaderonomics.com on Jul 1, 2016.

7. SIGNS YOU HAVE BAD INTERPERSONAL SKILLS “At work, are you one whom everyone finds a joy to interact with, or are you known as the ‘office grump’?”

Most managers rate interpersonal skills as the second most important skill after teamwork, as the ability to communicate effectively with others is crucial.

Identify if you have any of these traits – if you do, it is high time to eliminate them!

Find out more: bit.ly/socialskillsSH This article first appeared on Leaderonomics.com on Dec 6, 2016.

8. SELF-REFLECTION: 4 LIFE LESSONS FROM MULAN Over the years (secretly or not) we have all idolised Disney heroes and heroines that resonate best with us. Filial piety and gender equality are some of the important themes advocated by this character. Intriguing?

Reminisce your Disney memories at: bit.ly/keepswimmingST This article first appeared on Leaderonomics.com on Dec 13, 2014.

Tahukah anda portal kepimpinan Leaderonomics juga terdapat dalam Bahasa Malaysia? Portal ini mula beroperasi sejak Mac 2017.

Matlamat kami adalah untuk menzahirkan sifat dan semangat kepimpinan dalam kalangan mereka yang lebih fasih dalam Bahasa Malaysia.

Berikut adalah dua artikel yang popular dalam kalangan pembaca.

9. MASALAH BIASA YANG DIHADAPI ORGANISASI Isu-isu yang dihadapi sesebuah organisasi biasanya berpunca daripada masalah-masalah yang berkisar pada penglibatan dan pelaksanaan.

Kerap kali masalah tersebut timbul akibat kurangnya kesedaran diri, sama ada dalam kalangan pasukan kepimpinan atau kakitangan. Tetapi, jangan bimbang sangat. Hal ini adalah sesuatu yang lazim berlaku di setiap organisasi.

Dalam artikel berikut, Roshan Thiran membincangkan lima masalah ‘biasa’, puncanya dan cara mengatasinya.

Baca selanjutnya: bit.ly/ LDRMasalah

10. MEMINTA MAAF DENGAN IKHLAS Meminta maaf adalah tindakan yang mulia. Pemimpin yang terbaik akan cepat meminta maaf untuk meredakan ketegangan dan membina hubungan.

Gerak isyarat sedemikian adalah pembina hubungan yang hebat, pemadam api kemarahan dan perlakuan yang perlu ada pada setiap pemimpin untuk menerajui organisasi dengan berkesan.

Bagaimana pula anda? Dalam artikel berikut, Roshan Thiran menyarankan lapan cara terbaik untuk meminta maaf dengan berkesan.

Baca selanjutnya: bit.ly/LDRMaaf

7

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Compiled by SHASIDHARAN KESAVAN shasidharan.kesavan@leaderonomics. com

L

EADERONOMICS TV officially started out on Dec 13, 2009; however, its inauguration dates back to 2008, when Leaderonomics founder and chief executive officer Roshan Thiran and his team started off by recording conversations he had with various leaders around the world, using a phone.

The idea was to transform leadership content to a more visually stimulating form of learning. 10 years on, Leaderonomics TV has branched out its content into various sub-categories to cover a range of leadership aspects, from testimonies to helpful tips and tools.

Here are our top 10 picks.

1. WORLD’S MOST DISRUPTIVE CIO From being brought up by a single mother in a poor family, to being dubbed ‘The World’s Most Disruptive CIO’ by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, Neal Cross is certainly leaving his mark.

Now the chief innovation officer of DBS Bank, Neal’s two tips for young people entering the corporate world may surprise you.

He recently sat down with us to share his diverse leadership journey, which even involved teaching tai chi and kung fu around the world.

Watch at: bit.ly/disruptiveNC

2. MALAYSIA’S 1ST ASTROPHYSICIST Despite being groomed to study medicine, Academy of Science Malaysia project director Datuk Dr Mazlan Othman could not say no to the stars.

Having discovered astrophysics in university, she completed her PhD in astronomy and astrophysics in the face of isolation over in New Zealand, before becoming the woman whose work has led to Malaysia having its very own astronaut.

Find out what leadership trait she believes is a must for leaders today when we caught up with her in 2016.

Watch at: bit.ly/astrophysicistMO

3. BROADWAY’S LOSS, IS TECH’S GAIN The name Zuckerberg and Facebook go hand in hand, however did you know there is in fact, more?

Yes, Mark’s older sister, Randi Zuckerberg, is the founder and CEO of Zuckerberg Media, an organisation completely separate from Facebook, yet equally successful.

She spoke to Roshan Thiran last year, telling the story of how she gave up her dream of singing in Broadway to empower women and parents through tech today. Would she get another chance though?

Watch at: bit.ly/foundingfamilyRZ

4. THE JAZZ QUEEN OF MALAYSIA “Once the make-up is off, the adulation and the costumes are off, you go home and then what?”

Ever wondered what it is like to be a

Datuk Nicole David. Source: Wikimedia Commons Malaysian celebrity? To have all that fame in public and then come back home to family?

Back in 2014, we met Malaysia’s jazz queen and singing sensation Datuk Sheila Majid for a candid chat about fame, entertainment and family. Plus, learn what crazy thing she would do if no one would ever find out.

Watch at: bit.ly/jazzqueenSM

5. DROPOUT SUCCESS School is tough but it is way tougher when you fail to complete it. That is what Adnan Lee faced when he failed to pass his SPM examination.

Now the managing director of MBG Fruits, Adnan initially struggled to sell rambutans, but has since successfully carried on and grown a proud family business. It is an amazing testament to the making of a man who continues to strive for excellence.

Without taking anything away from the great Martin Luther King Jr, Adnan Lee has a dream too. Find out how he managed to turn things around by simply listening to his mother.

Watch at: bit.ly/fruitsellerAL

6. WORLD CHAMPION Ever heard the phrase, ‘everyone’s your friend when you’re winning?’ World no.

1 for over nine years, national athlete Datuk Nicol David is arguably Malaysia’s greatest of all time; but the real question is, what is it like to lose with an entire nation’s hopes on your shoulders?

An eight-time world champion squash player, Nicol shared with us back in 2014 the secret behind her success and how she keeps her head in the game.

Watch at: bit.ly/worldchampND

7. ASPECTS TO LEAD A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS It’s never easy running your own business, not to mention having to lead the rest of your team as well. It almost seems like a set up for disaster, right?

SME Corporation Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Hafsah Hashim gives us some timely pointers to prepare ourselves at every stage. Get equipped now!

Watch at: bit.ly/equippingHH

8. HOW IS IT AT WORK? Struggling at work? Or are your colleagues just getting on your nerves with excuses and an uninspired attitude?

Check out our quirky and fun Be A Leader series and find out what you can do to make a difference.

Share with us your experience at work as you enjoy the acting of our in-house production cast!

Watch at: bit.ly/beaLeaderSeries

9. COLLECT ALL YOUR NUGGETS ‘A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle’ – Khalil Gibran.

If you are the type of person who eats their desert first, this series is made for you. Short and precise, get exclusive leadership ‘nuggets’ from leaders all around the world. So what are you waiting for?

Collect them all now!

Watch at: bit.ly/leadershipnuggets

10. BONUS! A motivational speaker and author, Lizzie Velásquez’s life changed when she was cruelly called out for being ‘The World’s Ugliest Woman’ in 2006.

Learn from Lizzie and see how she

Randi Zuckerberg. Source: Wikimedia Commons turned around the worst thing that happened to her, into the best thing that could have happened to her. Oh how far has she come since.

Watch at: bit.ly/selfconsciousLV Don’t miss: 1. A Day In The Life Meet people from non-mainstream professions as they share with us what it’s like to be in their shoes on a daily basis.

From a pet groomer to a jewellery designer, don’t miss out on getting to know their unique work experience.

Watch at: bit.ly/aDayInTheLIfe

2. Dare To Fail ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.’ A phrase you’ve definitely come across, it’s certainly easier said than done.

Find out how different leaders today made it in their respective fields by overcoming their fears and failures, as they impart wisdom and insights from their own experiences.

Watch at: bit.ly/daretofailseries

Are you a leader who wants to utilise your team’s full potential? One tip for you to remember is that your employees are not robots. They are humans with feelings and needs.

Learn how to refrain from being too demanding and be grateful for the people around you, and be a leader who inspires people to bring more of themselves to the table. How would you show your gratitude towards your people today?

Check this out: bit.ly/ BALrobotvideo

What is dialogue?

According to Prof George Kohlrieser, it’s about thinking together. In this episode, the professor of Leadership Behaviour and Organisational Behaviour at IMD Switzerland and veteran FBI hostage negotiator shares his thoughts on how you can dialogue better in the workplace.

Check out this short video on Leaderonomics Media’s YouTube channel: bit.ly/ LNYTdialogue

8

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HELPING MALAYSIAN SMEs GAIN A GLOBAL FOOTHOLD

By K H O R H U I M I N khor.huimin@leaderonomics.com

I

N many countries, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the engines of growth of local economies in ASEAN. According to ASEAN SMEs – Are You Transforming for the Future?, SMEs currently constitute more than 50% of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and produce up to 30% of its exports. They are also the main source of employment in all economic sectors.

The Department of Statistics Malaysia reports that real GDP growth of SMEs in Malaysia has been consistently higher than the overall economy – in the 20112017 period, the average growth rate of SMEs was 6.6%, whereas the national GDP was 5.2%. The overall GDP contribution of SMEs was 37.1% in 2017.

NATIONAL POLICIES AND KEY INITIATIVES THAT SUPPORT SMES During the past decade, the government has introduced progressive policies and enabling initiatives for SME and entrepreneurial development. Structural and regulatory reforms were introduced to help micro, small and medium enterprises flourish.

According to the SME Annual Report 2017/18, the National SME Development Council (NSDC) was established in 2004 to be the highest policy-making body for the development of SMEs in the country.

Its aim is to formulate a comprehensive and coordinated approach to attain its objectives. Its achievements after 14 years include: l Adoption of a standard definition for SMEs l Creation of an SME database l Monitoring and analysis of SME performance (to facilitate policy formulation) l Improving dissemination of information on SMEs l Development of SME financial infrastructure l Formulation of the SME Masterplan (2012-2020) Introduced in 2012, the masterplan was formulated to help increase SMEs’ contribution to GDP to 41.0% by 2020.

The report also described the recent introduction of the SME Central Incentives System (SCenIc) in 2017. Developed by SME Corp, SCenic is a centralised database of the beneficiaries of government aid, and it is intended as a referral hub to avoid duplication.

As well as optimising the utilisation of resources, the system will also improve transparency in the reporting and coordination of SME programmes.

In 2017, more policies for SMEs were unveiled. Firstly, the Insolvency Act 1967 was introduced, which enables a second chance for bankrupt entrepreneurs by giving them an automatic discharge to recover and return to their business pursuits.

Secondly, the Employment Insurance Scheme was introduced to aid in the improvement of the social security of workers.

Thirdly, the National eCommerce Strategic Roadmap (NeSR), launched in 2016, was conceptualised to help propel Malaysia further into the digital economy, which is the next frontier for economic growth. In 2017, the Digital Free Trade

to embark on the same journey.

In the 2015-2017 period, the average total revenue earned by local MSC companies increased by 16%, while the total revenue of companies in the GAIN programme grew 170% (refer to Figure 1). GAIN companies grew 10 times faster than their counterparts, which is an encouraging statistic.

In terms of export revenue in the same period, the average local tech companies grew 27%, whereas the GAIN companies grew 47% (refer to Figure 1).

The export revenue of GAIN companies grew 1.7 times faster than their counterparts. This percentage is set to increase significantly in 2019, as MDEC is focusing on increasing market access into more countries.

INTERNATIONAL GROWTH AND EXPANSION

GAIN Connex Indonesia

CEO2CEO business model transformation workshop

Global Acceleration and Innovation Network (GAIN) programme in 2015.

GAIN’s mission is to catalyse the expansion of local technology SMEs, and to help them realise their potential as global players. GAIN seeks to help SMEs achieve this this by facilitating market access, leadership and capability development, brand visibility and access to scaleup capital.

Customised assistance is provided to each company based on their needs and goals, which include: l Gaining market access l Increasing brand visibility l Upskilling the workforce l Improving access to funding l Facilitating match-making for mergers and/or acquisitions The GAIN programme also helps to accelerate the following: l Growth in size and export revenues l Expansion of global market presence l Creation of more global Malaysian tech champions

GAIN CEO series – founder to CEO meetings Zone (DFTZ) pilot project was also introduced as part of the growth roadmap.

MDEC: HELPING MALAYSIAN SMES GAIN A GLOBAL FOOTHOLD The government incorporated an agency, MDEC (then named Multimedia Development Corporation) in 1996 to spearhead the development of a key national digital economy development initiative – MSC (originally known as Multimedia Super Corridor) Malaysia, which is a special economic zone and high-technology business park that provided local tech companies with the platform to grow.

At the same time, the MSC attracts foreign direct investments (FDIs) and domestic direct investments (DDIs) in order to finance the

development of state-of-the-art digital and creative solutions in Malaysia.

In conjunction with MDEC’s 20th anniversary, it was renamed Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation Sdn Bhd, as it is entrusted with the mission of pioneering and championing the transformation of the nation’s digital economy.

Its role includes strategically advising the government on digital economy legislation, policies and standards, and multimedia operations.

A key aspect of MDEC’s task is to guide the country’s SMEs that are engaged in developing digitaldriven solutions to expand to the next level.

To help SMEs address their challenges in expansion, MDEC introduced the

The selection guidelines are as follows: l Malaysian headquartered tech companies l Forward-looking leadership and management team l Global aspirations l Scalable/innovative technology products and solutions l Strong financials The GAIN programme operates through four pillars, namely market, visibility, mentor and money. It is supported by around 50 channel partners, six business chambers, 30 investors, eight government agencies, as well as around 50 corporations and business associates.

BREAKING BARRIERS TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS Since its establishment, GAIN has assisted over 150 companies in their quest to grow their reach and expand their capabilities. By participating in the GAIN programme, the companies have successfully increased their overall revenue and export revenue.

Some of these companies have been featured in the media and appeared in leading speaking roles in key events in the region, which has also acted as an inspiration to other companies intending

To help increase market access, GAIN offers a market immersion programme in four ASEAN countries. Known as GAIN Connex, it is a business matching and networking platform. The four countries involved are the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand.

Besides that, six business support ecosystems were activated in 2018, in Jakarta, Manila, Bangkok, Dubai, Ho Chi Minh and Phnom Penh.

GAIN also enables visibility and media engagement as part of its programme via its media partners. For example, initiatives have been done through print articles, key event speaking roles and TV interviews.

Mentorship is also a significant part of GAIN’s efforts to cultivate better entrepreneurs. In 2018, GAIN organised its 9th CEO Series, involving

industry leaders, media partners, listing firms, credible mentors, VCs and other agencies.

The mentorship here is on a probono basis and the entrepreneurs have adopted a ‘pay-forward’ approach, especially to the younger companies/ entrepreneurs.

Last but not least, having funds is necessary for tech companies to grow and develop their products. In 2018, GAIN has been working with corporates, VCs, PEs and investors around the region, and have shortlisted a sizeable number of companies that are now in discussion at various stages of fundraising.

There is still much to do and many more SMEs need to get on board to grow their capabilities, upskill their employees and enter into new markets.

As such, MDEC will have its hands full in its role as a catalyst for the growth of local IT companies, enabling them to make their mark in the global market and make Malaysia proud.

GAIN COMPANIES’ EXPONENTIAL GROWTH VS LOCAL TECH INDUSTRY TOTAL REVENUE

EXPORTS REVENUE

GAIN COMPANIES VS LOCAL MSC COMPANIES

GAIN COMPANIES VS LOCAL MSC COMPANIES

GAIN companies grew 10 times faster compared to local MSC companies

GAIN companies exports grew 1.7 times faster compared to local MSC companies

23.13 16% 19.85

170%

Legend n GAIN companies n Local MSC companies

27%

8.78 1.01

47%

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4.47 3.50

1.49

3.24

2015

2017

2015

2017

Source: MSC Malaysia AQR Reporting

Figure 1

GAIN Connex Vietnam

Leadership and Learning are indispensable to each other - John F. Kennedy

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9

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Jan '19

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Disruptive Technology, Women Leaders

Employee Innovation & Engagement, Customer Experience, Sales Motivation

To book these speakers, contact Sammy Sam at info@leaderonomics.com

10

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COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

By JEFF HADEN editor@leaderonomics.com

6 THINGS THAT ARE BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE

F

OR most people, the holiday season means giving thanks: For family, for friends... and for the many blessings we often forget to count.

That last point can be especially true for entrepreneurs. The uncertainty, stress and challenges entrepreneurs face on a nearly constant basis, especially in the early days of a start-up, can make it hard to find reasons to give thanks.

Yet, those challenges are also the perfect reason to give thanks, since facing and overcoming those challenges are what will make you a better entrepreneur, better leader and better person.

This year-end, take a moment to give thanks for a few of the things that you might not realise are actually blessings in disguise.

THE CHALLENGE OF 6 FORGING YOUR OWN PATH

CONSTANT 1 THE UNCERTAINTY

Appreciation is an important part of work life, and a key characteristic of every good leader is the ability to appreciate his or her colleagues. In their book The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, Gary Chapman and Paul White talk about the five basic ways to express appreciation: through words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, and physical touch.

Are you showing enough appreciation to your work mates?

Check out: bit.ly/ STappreciation

You might have so many options and potential choices, both business and personal, that you feel stressed and even overwhelmed.

Flip it around: Imagine how it would feel to have few, if any, options. Imagine how it would feel to have few, if any, viable choices.

Be thankful you have choices you need to make – the more choices the better.

RELENTLESS 2 THE STRUGGLE

Not unintentional struggle, but intentional struggle. For example, choosing to work incredibly hard or push through a mental or physical barrier, or make sacrifices for the good of the people who rely on you.

When you struggle, fight and endure, you not only stretch the limits of what you believe you are capable of, but you also sometimes enter a state of grace that you find only when you strip away what is truly non-essential (which turns out to be most of what you worry about).

Struggling helps you learn who you really are and who you really want to be.

NEVER-ENDING 3 THE PRESSURE

As newly-crowned NASCAR champion Joey Logano told me, “It’s really cool to

have the opportunity to have pressure. A lot of people don’t get the opportunity to have pressure. It’s a privilege to have pressure. There’s no better feeling than winning when your back was against the wall.”

Feeling pressure means you have the chance to do something meaningful, something that matters to you, something you care about.

Embrace opportunities to feel pressure. You should only be concerned if you never feel pressure... because that means you’re missing out on opportunities to improve yourself and to truly live.

4

THE OCCASIONAL REGRETS

Think about something you wish you had done better. Or handled differently.

Or think about something you wish you

had done but for whatever reason, you didn’t.

Painful? Sure. It’s also motivating.

Use that motivation today. Call a friend you’ve lost touch with. Mend fences with a family member. Be the bigger person and say you’re sorry. Do something you wish you had done – you’ll be thankful you did.

5 THE NEED TO BE PATIENT

Staying patient, especially when you dream big dreams, is rarely fun.

But being forced to wait can be a good thing.

For example, research shows that where vacations are concerned, the biggest boost in happiness comes from planning to get away. And this vacation anticipation boosts happiness for an average of eight weeks.

After the vacation, though, happi-

REVOLUTIONISING LEARNING YOUR ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY TO BE AN OWNER OF LEADERONOMICS DIGITAL! Yes, you can now own a part of Leaderonomics.

Leaderonomics Digital, the digital arm of Leaderonomics, is crowd-funding to help expand and grow the business.

From partnerships with the tech giants of the world – including the fastest growing EdCast – to building world-class learning infrastructure for organisations, Leaderonomics Digital is leading the way organisations learn in the 21st century.

If you want to be part of the growth story and invest in the journey, you can go to pitchIN and begin the process to be part owner of Leaderonomics and grow with us. Investments begin at a minimum of RM1000 only. For more details and to invest, go to: bit.ly/ LDRdigital Limited slots are available, so do pre-register your interest if you are keen to journey with Leaderonomics.

ness levels quickly drop to baseline levels – usually within days. Soon, the people who went on a vacation are no happier than the people who did not.

Be thankful you need to wait, especially for something you really want. The anticipation alone is worth it.

Besides, waiting for what you want (not what you need) is a luxury only those who are already blessed can afford.

Steve Jobs believed in the power of taking an unconventional path of doing things that other people usually don’t consider doing.

As he once said, “When you grow up, you tend to get told that the world is the way it is. Your life is to live your life inside the world, to try not to bash into the walls too much: Try to have a nice family life, have fun, save a little money ... but that’s a very limited life.

“Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact: Everything around you that you call ‘life’ was made up by people who were no smarter than you and you can change it. You can influence it. “... the minute you understand that you can change it, that you can mould it, that’s maybe the most important thing. To shake off this erroneous notion that life is there and you’re just going to live in it versus embrace it, change it, improve it ... and make your mark upon it.”

IN CONCLUSION It’s much easier to follow a path established by others. It’s much easier to follow than lead.

Living life on your own terms is hard. Betting on yourself is scary.

Building something you believe in, especially when others do not, is lonely – but that’s what makes you an entrepreneur.

Be glad that you’re one! n Jeff Haden is a speaker, ghostwriter, and author of The Motivation Myth: How Highly Successful People Really Set Themselves Up to Win. To engage with him, send us an email at editor@ leaderonomics.com.

Leaderonomics recently hosted a breakfast session with senior human resources leaders to share with them the launch of a partnership with Edcast, the fastest growing learning tech company in the world. Its founder and CEO Karl Mehta (front row, third from right) flew in from the United States to share his insights with this prominent group on how technology can revolutionise learning in business organisations.

Amongst the leaders present were Berjaya Corporation senior GM, GHR and admin Grace Chan; Alliance Bank head of group HR Chew Siew Suan; Maybank group chief human capital officer Nora Abd Manaf; Teledirect Telecommerce chief HR officer Lim Chee Gay; Hanesbrands human resources director – Asia supply chain, Nagalingam Subramaniam; FGV Holdings interim head of HR Iskandar Noor; DRB-Hicom head group human capital Izham Ab Wahab; and Northport CEO Datuk Azman Shah Mohd Yusof.

www.leaderonomics.com | Saturday 29 December 2018

11

EDITOR’S NOTE

USHERING IN A NEW DIGITAL ERA

M

ORE than 10 years ago, a group of brave women and men decided to leave their lives as they knew it and join me in this journey called Leaderonomics, to see if we could democratise leadership and make it accessible to everyone – especially the poor and underprivileged in developing countries in Asia and across the world.

As part of our dream to make leadership development accessible to everyone, we knew early on that reach was critical. We knew that the fastest way to reach the remote parts of the world was through the media.

And so, in 2012 we began purchasing pages from The Star newspaper to provide free leadership content via this pull-out.

As the cost of print began to escalate for us and broadband penetration in Malaysia and many developing countries started to grow, and to ensure even more people have access to our content, we were left with the decision to stop our weekly print publication and focus on delivering even more via the digital frontier.

To really democratise leadership, we had to reinvent our digital footprint to be able to bring our leadership content to the masses.

So, this will be our final print issue in The Star. We will be going fully digital (and we have been preparing for this transition for more than nine months now, with the digital exclusives that we offered each week to everyone for free).

Many of you have signed up for our weekly digital magazines and are already enjoying our daily dose of great leadership content on Leaderonomics.com.

In fact, we not only have the content in English, we also started our Bahasa Malaysia work last year and will be adding more languages – Thai, Mandarin, Indonesian and many others in the future.

Throughout these six years, we have had some excellent editors who have each taken us up a notch during their respective tenures.

From Lily Cheah to Sandy Clarke, and now with Lydia at the helm, all of them have been backed by an outstanding team of inquisitive, curious and talented people who not only create fantastic content, but also curate some of the best leadership content worldwide from great leaders such as Jack Welch, John Maxwell, Simon Sinek, and many other remarkable leaders and authors.

Each of them will continue to play

a part as they continue to contribute great content to Leaderonomics.com.

Leaderonomics is driven by our ‘science of building leaders’ philosophy and research, where we believe that leadership begins early in life.

Our science dictates that differing experiences and situations mould a person into a leader.

Each phase, from character formation in childhood (both moral and performance character), to value formation in adolescence, to the development of a personal vision in young adulthood, to the development of a leadership point of view after experiencing various crucibles in adulthood, is a milestone that critically shapes our abilities and leadership capabilities.

At Leaderonomics.com, it is our mission to curate and create amazing content that helps each person go through our science of becoming a great leader. We partner with children, youths, adults and leaders to help them improve daily, little by little.

We are indeed going to miss having our print publication, but we know that with our focus on ensuring a fully digital experience for eve-

ryone in the world, we will be able to offer much more to many more people – more than we could ever offer in print.

Our content continues to reach millions of people worldwide – with a growing base in the United States, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and India – through our various digital channels which include our weekly e-newsletter and YouTube channel.

In the coming years, we aim to focus on and grow thought leadership content from prominent leaders from in and around the region.

To this end, our newest channel – Leaderonomics.com/bm, which launched early last year – has grown its audience steadily to reach up to thousands in this region with timeless videos and articles in Bahasa Malaysia.

We hope you join us (and bookmark us today!) for your dose of daily leadership content going forward.

Coming soon is a brand new podcast channel in which you will gain insights from prominent leaders across all industries and functions, including areas such as talent development, mindfulness, technology,

corporate governance, branding and marketing, and leadership.

So, look out for these daily podcasts which will be coming out to you in a few weeks on Leaderonomics.com.

Our extensive back catalogue of the weekly e-mag (available at bit.ly/ldrEmag) will remain free to read, true to our mission to provide access to inspiring thought leadership content from around the world.

Thank you for being great supporters of this pull-out. The Leaderonomics.com team wishes to thank all of you for reading us in print throughout all these years, and we’ll see you on Leaderonomics. com soon. Goodbye print, see you on digital!

Wishing each of you a blessed new year, Roshan Thiran and Lydia Gomez Editor and Managing Editor Visit bit.ly/ldrEmag to download your copy of the e-mag and remember to subscribe to our weekly e-newsletter at bit.ly/subscribeLD.

HONOURING YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS The Malaysian Entrepreneur Cooperative (MIEC), which was established in 2010, recognises the efforts and successes of Indian entrepreneurs by awarding them with the MIEC Young Indian Entrepreneur Award (MIEC YIEA).

This year, eight entrepreneurs were presented with the Special Achievement Award at the MIEC YIEA 2018, which was held at the Sunway Putra Hotel on Dec 9.

From left: Roshan Thiran, MR Chandran, Datuk Rajamani Mailvaganam, Datuk Manikanda Murthy Velayudham, Olympic Council deputy president Tan Sri Dr Mani Jegathesan, MIEC chairman Mathuraiveran Marimuthu, representative for Noraini Abdul Razak, Kuhan Pathy, Ravindran Subramaniam and Elan Permal.

FOR other great leadership insights, including those by John Maxwell, visit www.leaderonomics.com. If you missed any of our past issues, go to www.leaderonomics.com/publications and download for FREE!

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