Leader's Digest #04 - 15 Mar 2018

LEADERS ISSUE 04

DIGEST

15 MAR 2018

RADIOACTIVE LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM MARIE CURIE

ARE WOMEN HOLDING EACH OTHER BACK?

WOM E N I N LEADERSH I P

Safe To Say Women Are Better Leaders pg. 10 The Digital Journey for Governments pg. 15

pg. 13 Things Motherhood Taught Me About Leadership pg. 16 Re-thinking Public Innovation

This fortnightly publication is dedicated to advancing civil service leadership and putting it into practice contemporary leadership principles.

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PUBLICATION TEAM EDITORIAL

Editor-in-Chief Segaren Senior Editor Siti Rahanah Amat Dollah Assistant Editor Samson Tan Graphic Designer Awang Ismail bin Awang Hambali Abdul Rani Haji Adenan

Content Partners:

CONTENTS

ISSUE 4 I 15 MARCH 2018

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Radioactive Leadership: Lessons from Marie Curie

Women in Leadership

Are Women Holding Each Other Back?

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Women's Day Quote

Safe To Say Women Are Better Leaders

8 Things Motherhood Taught Me About Leadership

Leadership Institute to Help Civil Service be Digitally Ready

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The Digital Journey for Governments

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Re-thinking Public Innovation

Inspirational Quotes

THE LEADER’S DIGEST IS A FORTNIGHTLY PUBLICATION BY LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE OF SARAWAK CIVIL SERVICE FEATURING ALL THE LATEST SURROUNDING THE TOPIC OF LEADERSHIP. THE PUBLICATION ALSO FEATURES SPECIALLY SELECTED WRITE-UPS RELATED TO EACH THEME OF THE ISSUE, THROUGH ITS CONTENT PARTNERS.

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As a woman, I never dreamed that one day a significant number of Sarawak women will be brought into the mainstream of public service administration.

I am glad to report that these senior executives are making a difference in the civil service, including our administration at the Divisional and District levels.

The present system of promotion will no doubt enable more women to come on board to serve in similar senior positions.

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YBhg. Datu Dr. Sabariah Putit

Executive Director, Leadership Institute of Sarawak Civil Service

Leadership Institute Appreciation Nite

12 March 2018 | Grand Magherita Hotel, Kuching

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ACTIVE LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM MARIE CURIE

BY ROSHAN THIRAN

Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and “above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something,

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and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.

- Marie Curie

It’s often said that the great minds from history have given their lives to their work for the betterment of humanity.

While she worked as a governess, Curie prepared for her university education by studying maths and physics in her free time.

Case in point: Marie Sklodowska Curie (1867-1934), a Polish-born, French physicist and chemist, whose work revolutionised the fields of science and medicine, and led her to becoming the first woman to win a Nobel Prize – twice!

She finally moved to Paris and completed the equivalent of two Master’s degrees in three years.

Due to her conservative and reserved demeanour, there’s not much fanfare about her life, despite the many great challenges she overcame and the incredible achievements she attained. Curie came from a poor background, the daughter of two teachers, who earned extra income by taking in students as boarders.

She was also the first woman to be awarded a scientific doctorate in France, the first to lecture at the prestigious Sorbonne, and the first Nobel Laureate whose child would also win a Nobel Prize.

Thanks to her scientific endeavours, Curie brought about major advancements in the fields of biology, engineering and medicine, as well as paving the way to debunk the old belief that the atom couldn’t be split.

She was just 10 years old when she lost her mother to tuberculosis.

But that did not stop her from pursuing her dream of becoming a scientist.

A lesson for all of us to learn from her life is to never give up on our dreams. Curie was clear about her dream of making a difference through science and she never let a single obstacle distract her from her goal.

Up to the age of 24, Curie worked as a governess to save money to fund her sister’s education and to purchase herself a train ticket to Paris, to study at the prestigious Sorbonne in the University of Paris.

As leaders, we likewise need to be clear about our vision (for ourselves and our organisation) and not let little matters deter us from achieving it.

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The Hands-on Leader

Curie is perhaps most famous for the work she conducted alongside her husband Pierre, which resulted in the discovery of two new elements in 1898: polonium (which she named after her country of birth) and radium.

One practical benefit resulting from Curie’s work was the development of X-rays in surgery. During the First World War, she helped to equip ambulances with X-ray machinery – and personally drove them to the frontlines (sometimes with her daughter Irene) to help save the lives of many soldiers.

Many leaders have great vision and insight and make great discoveries, but to follow-up by getting your hands dirty and making sure these insights translate to reality is something only the best leaders do.

Curie was personally involved in making sure these discoveries yielded benefits, even if it took driving herself to the battlefields to ensure they worked.

The Work Must Go On

The Nobel Prize committee initially intended to award only her husband and Antoine Henri Becquerel the most prestigious prize in science in 1903.

However, one committee member, who was an advocate for female scientists, insisted that Curie be added to the nomination due to the work she had put in. They won.

She and her husband did not work in a state-of-the-art laboratory, but in an outhouse in such a poor state that a respected German chemist once described it as “a cross between a stable and a potato shed.”

Yet, she and her husband never stopped the work even though conditions were intolerable. After they won the Nobel Prize, the University of Paris agreed to build them a proper lab. Sadly, Pierre would be killed in a tragic accident before he could ever set foot inside the new facility.

Yet, despite losing the most important person in her life, Curie could not be stopped in finishing the work they began.

Great leaders constantly face challenges but remain steadfast in the work to which they have committed.

Curie took over from her husband, becoming the first female professor of the Sorbonne.

She was the epitome of dedication and perseverance. Regardless of the challenges and struggles faced, she was fully committed to her work for the sake of the important advances it might lead to. Are we committed to our work? Regardless of obstacles, do we relentlessly pursue the vision before us or do we lose sight and hope as the journey becomes arduous?

Dying For the Cause

Sadly, due to continual heavy exposure to radioactive materials, Curie died at the age of 66 from a form of leukaemia.

At the time of her discoveries, very little was known about the dangers of radioactive material.

She and her husband would carry samples of radium in their pockets, and Pierre once strapped some to his arm, curious about the way it painlessly burned his skin.

Curie also kept samples next to her bed and used it as a nightlight.

Being around radium – which has a half-life of 1,600 years – was so toxic for the Curies that, today, their notebooks are kept in lead-lined boxes.

Visitors to the Pierre and Marie Curie collection at the National Library of France must wear protective clothing, and sign a legal waiver in case of any health consequences.

Curie sacrificed her life to bring help and science to all of us. Great leaders always tend to put the need of others above their own.

The cause is much bigger to them than the price they must pay.

Fame Corrupts

Albert Einstein once said: “Marie Curie is, of all celebrated beings, the only one whom fame has not corrupted.”

Many leaders lose their way as fame and fortune are obtained. Curie never once deviated from her mission regardless of the fame and adulation showered on her.

To be a great leader, you must likewise never let anything make you lose sight of your purpose.

Be clear about your purpose and mission and be positively focused on it day and night. Curie herself is quoted as saying: “I was taught that the way of progress was neither swift nor easy.”

In other words, nothing worthwhile is easy to do. It takes significant effort and focus.

To succeed in life, we can all take a leaf of from Curie’s book and learn to focus and execute relentlessly.

Curie was also a giver who gave away every penny she had earned to charitable causes and further scientific research.

Journalist Shelley Emling added: “She cared nothing about fame and fortune which is why she never patented her work. She shared everything she knew. She shied away from the press and the spotlight.”

Final Thoughts

Curie herself once said: “One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done.”

Great leaders celebrate success quickly but remain focused on what needs to be done. We can all learn so much from Curie and her life.

Roshan Thiran is the founder & CEO of the Leaderonomics Group and is constantly amazed by the numerous leadership lessons he derives from historical figures. Growing up, Roshan constantly read biographies of great achievers like Marie Curie and others. He learnt so much and hopes his writing will inspire others that follow. Follow Roshan’s daily adventures and leadership tips on his LinkedIn, Twitter and also on Facebook pages at www.facebook.com/roshanthiran.leaderonomics

A true pioneer, the life of Marie Curie is a reminder to all leaders of the importance of being clearly focused on our mission.

More importantly, she was an inspiration to the women of her time, proving that women could be successful and make a difference without having to lose their femininity nor sacrifice their roles as wives and mothers.

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BY PROFESSOR BEENA GIRIDHARAN DEPUTY PRO VICE CHANCELLOR, CURTIN UNIVERSITY, MALAYSIA

“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em”, so goes a popular quote attributed to Shakespeare (The Royal Shakespeare Company, 2010). Leadership is viewed as an inherent quality; yet it is clearly possible to be a capable leader through consciously learning how to be one. Knowing your strengths and being aware of areas one needs to work on, understanding how your coworkers view you, and knowing what your group or organisation need, are some of the qualities that sets you apart as a good leader.

What makes an effective leader “Because the world has been without the full benefit of the talent, creativity and ideas of half its population for far too long.”

- Michael Crow, President, Arizona State University

It is well acknowledged that diversity and inclusion offer strategic advantages at a leadership level. In general, people are cognisant of diversity and inclusion in terms of ethnicity and nationality, and the significant gains they bring. Nonetheless, gender diversity impacts are less exemplified. Every individual who sets on a career path, surely, starts their journey with great aspirations and expectations about themselves, and what they hope to achieve.

Invariably, he or she is bound to have the desire to lead, to inspire, to contribute, to share success and make their mark on the world.

Somewhere along their career trajectory, people, in particular women, start losing confidence in themselves. So as employees and employers, we need to think about what we need to put in place to keep that vision brightly illuminated within young minds, and recognise the structures and systems that motivate individuals to give their best.

While we have many role models of women leaders, they are far and few between, when compared with male counterparts. Globally,

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women have led corporations, governments, academic and financial institutions, demonstrating successes achieved and expertise they bring to the governing boards. Yet, for the most part, the leadership journey is fraught with anxieties and self-doubts about themselves, for most women. They are held back largely by themselves as they are hesitant about taking on larger roles and responsibilities due to insecurities.

“Because real equality in the workplace and the home will make all of us better off. When we use the full talents of the population, our countries and companies are more productive. "

- Sheryl Sandberg, COO, Facebook, Founder & Board Chair, Lean In

Socialisation of leadership is believed to start early when children are in schools and are impressionable. Literature is replete with the imbalance of support girls receive to pursue studies in physical sciences as compared to boys, even in the developed world. Schools are the first places where leadership can be instilled. Teachers must be resolute to encourage and support female students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects where they are largely unrepresented. Findings from the 2015 UNESCO Bangkok, publication indicate that the low female participation in STEM is attributed to a number of societal, cultural, educational and labour influences (A Complex Formula: Girls and Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in Asia, 2015).

Receiving encouragement and praise from role models can have a tremendous effect on young women. Having more women in the boardroom have been seen to benefit companies financially. Fortune 500 companies with higher number of women in leadership roles have been reported to have performed better on average in return on sales, equity and investments (Zarya, 2016).

In summary, a diverse and inclusive workforce with brightest minds and talents will likely be most successful as they will pioneer innovative solutions and ideas to compete globally.

References: A Complex Formula: Girls and Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in Asia, 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2018 at http://www.ungei.org/resources/index_5967.html?ct=t(UNGEI_Updates_November_201411_19_2014) • The Royal Shakespeare Company (2010). Twelfth Night, Macmillan Publishers Ltd, England.

• Valentina Zarya, 2016, New Proof That More Female Bosses Equals Higher Profits, Retrieved 18 March 2018, at http://fortune.com/2016/02/08/women-leadership-profits/ • What Makes an Effective Leader, Retrieved 17 March 2018 at, https://www.notredameonline.com/resources/leadership-and-management/what-makes-an-effective-leader/#.WrRuRIhuaUk

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Are Women Holding Each Other Back?

BY LOUISA DEVADASON

“There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women. ”

– Madeleine Albright

Women have had a bad reputation among their own gender since the dawn of time.

Many regularly assume other women have a hidden agenda, cannot be trusted or often say they prefer the friendship of men because it contains “less drama”.

"They often view up-and-coming women as competitors and orchestrate ways to prevent their advancement in the company – choosing to mentor males over female employees."

In fact, a 2013 Gallup poll found that women are more likely than men to express a preference to not be supervised on the job by a woman.

In most realms, women seem to implicitly view other women as competition.

And, taking an honest look at my own life experiences, the uncomfortable truth is that the majority of individuals who picked on me, put me down or were just plain nasty – were other women.

This extends to petty insults and orchestrated drama in high school, and a catty, unsupportiveness in organisational spaces around things like taking leave, promotions, working part time – or even something as simple as starting a new project and needing help.

While, truth be told, I have also been blessed with some fantastic female friends – and also, truth be told – I’ve met my fair share of unlikeable men; I’m hounded by this knowledge and it prompts me to wonder: How often are women holding other women back, putting them down and marginalising them? Because I know I’m not the only one that has been a victim of this.

These actions tend to be justified using tropes that emphasise the supposed emotionality of women or the ease of working with male colleagues.

Queen Bees and Female Misogyny

In her book, Too Few Women at the Top, Professor Kumiko Nemoto said, “Young female workers in “women-friendly” firms explicitly express their aversion to managerial women while willingly supporting their male superiors; they view male managers as more reliable than women… Female managers, or “queen bees,” in turn express their detachment from young women, whom they see as lacking in competency”.

However, queen bee syndrome seems to be born during adolescence.

These dynamics have been explored in several movies notably the aforementioned Mean Girls and The Devil Wears Prada.

Sociologists have observed what they label queen bee syndrome and female misogyny which describes women’s aversion to other women of different ages and seated in various positions of power.

In secondary school, cliques based on popularity and/or attractiveness start to form – spearheaded by one individual.

These groups tend to promote Mean Girls-esque behaviour and others in the class or school endeavour to be associated with these groups to be treated more like a member.

In business environments, a “queen bee” usually refers to women in upper management who ascended the hierarchy without the help of any type of affirmative action programmes.

It’s important to also note that countries like Malaysia have imposed well-intentioned quotas (30%) for newly-appointed female directors of listed companies.

However, this tends to delegitimise the accomplishments of women as well as their potential for greatness in the eyes of others and reinforces the queen bee effect if a woman rises above it all.

So, why are we doing this too each other and what is the end game?

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Cultural Norms, Society and Ideologies

I’d like to start on ground zero. Everyday conversations and statements that go unchecked. Conversations about how women look – especially in relation to each other. ‘Which sister is prettier?’, ‘Did you see what she wore?’, ‘Why does she look so frumpy?’ or ‘Why is she trying to be so sexy?’

Conversations about women’s race to the altar or home-making: ‘you better think about having a family before you lose the ability to’ or ‘so-and so got married. When will you?’ or ‘Men are in limited supply so you got to get one before they run out!’

And often, conversations about whether women can have it all and how much they belong at home versus their place of work. What kind of mother are you? How devoted or respectful are you to your husbands? How ‘nice’ are you at work?

"The cavalier remarks we make about women’s choices create a narrative that resources are scarce and we’re all on a timeline – scurrying to tick certain boxes at certain points in time."

Failure to do so leads to a sense of shame and isolation.

This culminates in what Silvia M. Dutchevici, licensed clinical social worker and president of the Critical Therapy Centre calls “internalised” misogyny.

Which is the “subconscious internalisation of all the sexist and negative views and hatred of women that exist within our culture and ideology.”

These subconscious beliefs, she continues, “are passed down through cultural norms, messages and socialisation… and requires a strict adherence to gender norms.” It’s also nothing new.

We see ageism in Hollywood – how long can one actress or model stay the “It” girl before she’s dethroned by someone a little younger than herself. Hollywood consistently casts women significantly younger than the male actor to play their counterpart. The clock is always ticking for women everywhere – the elite are not exempt.

"Even female public figures whose careers are not tethered to their looks often face scrutiny about how they present themselves – often overshadowing their expertise and their message."

The media as a whole has played a devastating part in women’s insecurities, self-worth and female rivalry through representation in films, depictions in music videos and lyrics, narratives in advertising and sexist articles.

Patriarchal Role Models

Men had a head start in the workforce and therefore have assumed more leadership roles than women. Currently, only 6-10% of Fortune 500 companies are led by women, and 20%-40% of NGOs globally have female CEOs. This means women, particularly in male dominant fields, are only exposed to male leadership role models.

Often, to be taken seriously, women are pushed to embody socalled “masculine” leadership traits so they can be welcomed as an honorary member of the boys’ clubs.

Gender relations and development politics professor, Deniz Kandiyoti, of the London School of Economics coined the term “patriarchal bargain” described as

"the idea that women, or any subjugated group within any system will adopt and uphold the system in order to gain power for themselves."

Mass Media

‘Who wore it better?’ columns, ‘tips for the perfect body’, ‘how to have it all’, ‘how to get a man to notice you’. The list of headlines targeted at women achieving unattainable perfection in every aspect of their life is endless.

"Again, the bombardment of articles and online comments sizing women up and down create an air of competitiveness among women."

No one making such a bargain is villainous in anyway; however, it’s a trade-off one has to make to gain some power and autonomy in the current system as it maintains its status quo.

It’s really important to recognise that, while sexism mostly benefits men, it can also benefit certain women. A sexist woman may not enjoy all the privileges men do but it still gives them a bump up the hierarchy.

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Breaking the Cycle: Becoming an Ally to Women

The first step I believe – granted – it’s a hard and long stride is evaluating the conversations we are having day to day with each other. Where do our lazy statements come from?

Part of this is learning and understanding how detrimental gender stereotypes are so we can move forward together to eradicate them.

"Changing the system and changing how we relate to each other benefits all. A system that labels, categorises and obstructs is repressive not just to women but even to men who don’t or won’t fit tightly woven constructs of masculinity and their roles in society."

Simply put, we should take steps to emancipate each other from playing a part on this stage – and instead – open the floor to each other to make personal decisions freely, and independent of imposition from another.

As for women, the hardest thing to do is to drown out the noise of the media and society, and rise above our insecurities to champion each other. When we share our wisdom, support and expertise – everyone gains. There’s room in this world for everyone.

Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer (COO) of Facebook, author and activist says there are plenty of ways women can support each other, which include: • Celebrating their accomplishments – acknowledge their successful outcomes and communicate their good work to themselves and others.

• Making sure their ideas are heard – sometimes women get less airtime in group discussions so looking for ways to shape the conversation and inviting their participation is something to be mindful of.

• Becoming a Mentor – mentorship and sponsorship are key drivers of success, but women typically get less access to both. This can be remedied by inviting more women to commit time and energy to mentoring other women. Pay-it-forward by investing in a young up-andcomer.

Michelle Obama once shared, “I am an example of what is possible when girls from the very beginning of their lives are loved and nurtured by people around them. I was surrounded by extraordinary women in my life who taught me about quiet strength and dignity”.

Besides being a popular and beloved First Lady of the United States, Michelle is also a Harvard Law graduate, educator and activist who came from humble beginnings.

"WHEN

WOMEN SUPPORT EACH OTHER, INCREDIBLE THINGS HAPPEN.

"

- anonymous

So, let’s come together and leave petty rivalry behind us. Let’s start championing women as world leaders, educators, home makers, executives, heads of departments, activists, pioneers, students, workers and simply as human beings. Let’s empower each other to be leaders and followers of other women.

How are you treating the women around you?

Louisa is currently pursuing Masters in Development Practice overseas — majoring in community development. She is an editorial associate and freelance writer with Leaderonomics. An extrovert who loves to bug her team and the outdoors; she thinks change is exciting and should be embraced.

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SAFE TO SAY WOMEN ARE BETTER LEADERS

BY SANDY CLARKE

Studies show women excel across all management levels It is a question that’s likely to be debated for some time to come: Do women make better leaders than men?

To take a brief look at the evolution of “a woman’s place” from the traditional point of view, we head back to 1930s UK – a time when gender roles were clearly defined and conservative patriarchal views were firmly in place.

Women were expected to stay at home while the men went out to work. Although it was acceptable for women to work outside the home, they were paid less than men (some practices have sadly remained intact). If a woman was to be married or have children, she would be expected to leave her job.

As World War II broke out, all of that changed. For the first time, as fathers were conscripted to the armed forces or summoned for other work, women found themselves left with having to manage the household as well as go out to work.

Young, single women often found themselves away from the family home for the first time, working jobs miles away from their loved ones.

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Flexible working hours and other necessary arrangements became the norm to accommodate these new working mothers.

And if you think they were stuck in comfortable office jobs, think again – women pretty much held the country together across all sectors.

They serviced the railways, worked on canals and buses, built infrastructure and tanks, maintained vehicles, and worked in metal and chemical industries – I could go on, but I don’t have the space.

A paradigm shift “Before the war,” one of my former lecturers told me, “women were seen as emotional, dainty little souls who got on with looking after the children and having afternoon teas. When the war came about, it changed everything. Suddenly, it was discovered that women could do a man’s job to the same standard, if not better – and all the while, they carried on with their everyday duties outside their new roles.”

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"World War II proved to be a catalyst for social change: when its end finally arrived in 1945, it was impossible to undo this new known: that women were just as capable as men – and often even more so – at getting the job done, whatever the job may be."

In 2014, a study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology analysed the findings of 99 different studies from 1962–2011 in order to discover nuances within leadership in relation to the gender divide.

Interestingly, despite the figures that placed men in the majority of leadership roles, women scored higher than men across all management levels that described overall effectiveness of leadership, as illustrated in Figure 1.

In addition, when measured across 16 leadership competencies, women came out on top in most areas, with men scoring considerably higher in just one area – the ability to develop a strategic perspective. The full outline of the scores are included in Figure 2.

Predictably, the results suggested that environment played a key role in determining each gender’s general effectiveness in leadership. In male-dominated areas such as military or government, male leaders were viewed to make better leaders than women. Conversely, women were seen as most effective in areas such as social services and education – they also came out on top in the sweeping term “business”.

It’s important to consider the validity of results, particularly when we consider the variables. In relation to the findings, the meta-analysis researchers noticed that the answers given depended on who was being asked.

When leaders were asked to evaluate their contributions, men tended to rate themselves more highly than women rated themselves. However, when others (bosses, employees, and customers) did the rating, women came out on top, particularly in the studies that took place from the 1980s onward.

Missing opportunities In 2011, research by Zenger & Folkman surveyed over 7,000 leaders from successful companies around the world. The survey found that 64% of the leaders were men – the higher the level of management, the more men there were.

The stereotype that women were better than men at “nurturing” competencies prevailed (e.g. building relationships), alongside women scoring higher in terms of exhibiting integrity and engaging in self-development.

Figure 2

The late Christopher Hitchens once said of Third World countries that, if they really wanted to alleviate poverty, the best course of action would be to empower women. “The whole floor lifts up,” he insisted, adding that when women have control over their lives and can enjoy the same rights as men, the whole of society benefits as a result.

In a New York Times article, Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant wrote that, “Start-ups led by women are more likely to succeed; innovative firms with more women in top management are more profitable; and companies with more gender diversity have more revenue, customers, market share and profits.”

From the same article, Sandberg and Grant reveal that, when male executives speak up, their competency scores rise by 10%.

When women executives speak up, their ratings among peers plummet by 14%.

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"When it comes to the question, “Do women make better leaders than men?”, the research would suggest that, at the very least, they perform equally well as leaders."

Given women’s superior emotional intelligence and nurturing competencies, both of which aid the building of relationships and navigating the nuances of leadership challenges, it’s surely safe to stick one’s neck out and say that they might just make better leaders after all.

Of course, it’s important to note that leadership is a complex practice in itself and, regardless of gender, effective leadership boils down to whether or not any particular individual possesses the necessary skills, competencies, and character to lead others.

But with an existing gap waiting to be filled, we can only hope – for the sake of all concerned – that we see a rapid increase over the coming years of more women in leadership roles. To date, the world’s troubles have transpired under the watch of male leaders. At the very least, female leaders would find it difficult to do a worse job.

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M British suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst E founded the Women’s Social and Political Union, a group known for extreme forms of protest such as chaining themselves to railings and going on hunger strikes.

“We are here, not because we are lawbreakers; we are here in our efforts to become law-makers,” she said during a court trail in 1908. Sadly, Pankhurst never lived to see her dream become reality, dying three weeks before a law was passed giving women equal voting rights with men.

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As World War II illustrated, the notion that a woman’s place should be exclusively confined to the household wasn’t just ridiculous – it likely prevented substantial economic and social progress that could have otherwise manifested had women been able to contribute fully to society prior to the outbreak of war.

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Scientist who helped with the understanding of DNA British chemist and X-ray crystallographer Rosalind Franklin’s research was key in revealing the structure of DNA.

However Franklin missed out on a Nobel Prize, dying from ovarian cancer in 1958 at 37.

Founder of the Green Belt Movement “When we plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and hope,” said 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winning environmentalist Wangari Maathai.

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The Kenyan political activist founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977 in an effort to empower rural women who had started reporting their streams were drying up, their food supply was less secure, and they had to walk further than ever before for firewood.

The movement has since spread across the world, campaigning on climate change and teaming up with the United Nations Environment Programme.

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M E LI N E PA N K

Her X-ray photographs of the double helix were used by scientists Francis Crick, James Watson, and Maurice Wilkins, who in 1962 were jointly awarded a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work on the DNA model.

Sandy is a freelance writer based in Malaysia, and previously enjoyed 10 years as a journalist and broadcaster in the UK. He has been fortunate to gain valuable insights into what makes us tick, which has deepened his interests in leadership, emotions, mindfulness, and human behaviour.

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Author and anti-slavery campaigner The American author’s bestselling 1852 novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” helped popularise the anti-slavery movement. Legend has it that Abraham Lincoln greeted Beecher Stowe at the White House by saying: “So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that started this Great War,” in reference to the civil war. Her novel followed the life of black slave Uncle Tom, and was the second best-selling book of the 19th century after the Bible.

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Even in areas such as the military – those that are maledominated – there’s no proof to suggest that women can’t make just as good leaders and commanders as men. The reason why men have traditionally been predominantly capable in such areas is precisely because the rules were set by a patriarchal system in the first place.

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While positive progress should always be celebrated, however slowly it arrives, it nonetheless betrays a deep-seated problem that men are still seen as the superior sex when it comes to leadership, despite growing evidence pointing to the contrary.

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Led women’s right to vote movement

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Perhaps what some are reluctant to say, but which nevertheless appears to be the reality of gender inequality, is that the hierarchical traditions where men rule are still the accepted norm, so much so that, in 2016, we consider it a celebration of progress that America has seen its first female nominee for the presidency.

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Despite the incredible progress that has been made since World War II, there’s still a lot of work to be done to fully address the gap in gender equality for women in leadership roles – to say nothing of the substantial pay gap.

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Wanted: a level playing field

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Philosopher and writer of “The Second Sex” French existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir’s 1949 book “The Second Sex” became a landmark feminist work.

It analysed the treatment and perception of women throughout history, and was deemed so controversial that the Vatican put it on the Index of Prohibited books.

“All oppression creates a state of war; this is no exception,” said De Beauvoir who, along with partner Jean Paul Sartre, was one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century.

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Things Motherhood Taught Me About

LEADERSHIP

BY RUPA SIVANOLI

Women can also give birth to effective management practices Becoming a mother 17 years ago, completely changed my world. I was neither prepared nor felt capable for what was in store for me.

Having my daughter, Shriya turned out to be the best thing in my life as I was forced to acquire and apply life lessons and competencies that I may have otherwise missed out on.

Upon closer reflection, a significant number of these learnings hold the same value for me as I lead others in the workplace as well.

Being a working mother in a demanding field of people development and management consulting, I am always on the lookout for ideas and insights to make my life easier.

Here are some of the things I have discovered along the way that may be useful to others.

1. How to eat a humble pie

2. It’s not about me

Every mother knows you can never say never, because as soon as you do, whatever it is you said you would never do, invariably happens. Whether it’s inadvertently using swear words while driving my young daughter to school, or being caught out in a white lie, I learned pretty early on to tolerate regular servings of humble pie.

Of course, I need to take care of myself and look into my needs but being a mother is really about putting my child first. There’s this sentiment floating around that warns women they will lose themselves to motherhood. They’re right! But the woman I “found” as a result of “losing” myself to motherhood is someone I like much better.

And as a result of being “there” time and time again, I’ve developed a lot of empathy for those around me struggling to live up to values they hold dear.

In managing others we are all striving to demonstrate the right values, but there are times we falter and need to cut each other some slack.

Making sacrifices of self for another human being is not a bad thing. As managers, most times it’s about the team standing out and receiving the credit rather than the individual.

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3. It’s not a competition, it’s a commitment to improvement Motherhood is not about who makes the best chocolate cake for canteen day or, who can help with costume design and choreography for concert day or, who has the contact details for the best Bahasa Malaysia tuition teacher or, who can lobby the guru besar for better exposure for her child.

Sometimes the environment your child is in can trigger such behaviours.

Especially, if you see other mothers “get ahead” in the game by doing some of these things.

Personally, I gave up the battle for “Mother of the Universe” a long time ago.

Save your mental and physical energy for things that really matter and that is within your control, like a good long talk with your teenager or an evening at the playground with your toddler.

Sometimes at work, others play the political game and carry favours to gain mileage but at the end of the day if you remain focused on your team’s needs, you can’t really go wrong.

4. I can’t control others Yes, I brought her into this world, but I didn’t really create her. She is her own person on her path to discovering herself. It’s become increasingly clear to me that I am not supposed to control or manipulate my daughter to do what I want her to do.

My role is to facilitate her growth process to become who she is meant to be by her own definition of what fulfills her, even if that’s totally different from what I had originally imagined!

As leaders, each of our team members bring unique strengths and abilities to the table and our role is to observe and harness it and align it to their own ambitions. The more we attempt to lay out the path, the less they grow as individuals.

5. It’s better to laugh than cry (or scream)

Motherhood has got to be the world’s most aggravating and frustrating job at times. The relentless nature of the work can drive a person to tears.

Laugh instead. What other job can make you wonder about that odd smell and result in you finding another person’s vomit stains on your nice office clothes?

In today’s world where work is unrelenting and ever changing, sometimes the best way to cope is having some perspective and seeing the humour in things that don’t always turn out as expected.

6. This too shall pass There are so many stages of motherhood, and they all have their challenges and blessings. When I’m in the middle of a particularly tough one, I try to remember that it is just that (a stage) and that today is not forever.

On the flip side, it’s more important to stop and savour the beautiful moments for the exact same reason: because today is not forever.

At work, when things get particularly challenging and I’m kept awake at night due to my inability to see a solution, I just tell myself that in time it will be ok and this too, shall pass and inevitably it does. I sleep a lot better now.

7. The best things in life really are free Forget about exotic vacations, roadshow like birthday parties and designer wear for your child. Smiles, cuddles, companionship, conversation, a sense of belonging, a reason to get up, the satisfaction of watching another person grow under your care. These are the best things of motherhood, and they are all free. Free!

The same goes for nurturing team relationships. It’s the lunch time conversations, banter, humour, teasing and learnings that we make from one another that fill us as human beings. Well okay, the big bonuses help too but at the end of the day, we all like to come to work where we are interacting with each other as friends.

8. Happy people are free to be themselves Of course I appreciate structure and order in my home as much as the next person, but I’ve learned that when our family is really doing what families do best, our house can be quite noisy and messy and that’s okay.

These are just temporary circumstances that allow us to be natural and open with each other. Similarly, at work sometimes things can get off script and plans don’t always pan out as intended. The idea is to remain true to the purpose and adapting as we go along. It’s about finding the balance between moving forward and being happy.

Motherhood has also given me the ability to focus and be fearless in going after what I want. Seven years ago, I wrote an e-mail after reading an article in The Star written by Leaderonomics CEO Roshan Thiran about leaving a legacy.

I am where I am today because of it. The old me would not have had the guts to be so bold but I felt the need to build a better Malaysia for my daughter.

With motherhood and leading others, for me the joy is in the journey. You’ll never do anything so hard and yet so gratifying.

The greatest work any of us will ever do will be within the walls of our homes and our workspace. The idea is to make it worthwhile so that we can be proud of the impact we have made.

Rupa Sivanoli is a faculty member of Leaderonomics who believes in transforming the nation to create a better future for the next generation. If you’d like to share your thoughts on this article with Rupa, e-mail us at editor@leaderonomics.com

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THE DIGITAL JOURNEY FOR GOVERNMENTS

By Tom Bryant

We agreed in our workshops that there are 1,000 of ways to define ‘digital’ but that we needed a common, de-mystified definition we could all understand and articulate easily. The key to really understanding digital is to define it simply as ‘connection’. Digital is basically new ways of connection that is disrupting the norm, the status quo. With the advent of social media, social networking, collaboration platforms and apps, digital represents new ways of connection between people. Just notice how something as simple as WhatsApp groups have transformed connection between many of your teams in just the last year and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

For governments, ‘digital’ is new ways of connection between government and its citizens, between government departments and the business community, between the Sarawak Government and the world, between all of us internally in the workplace. As others start to engage on these new digital channels, we as a government need to do the same or we will lose touch with the very people we are trying to serve. For our Digital Economy, digital will represent powerful ways of connection between businesses and their customers.

Tom Bryant addresses Sarawak State Government Heads of Department

I know this is unchartered territory for many. The journey to a digital government is complex and it’s something that will never be complete. We will always be evolving and changing as a government, especially as the world around us and our citizens continue to evolve due to new technologies.

I was asked an interesting question in one of the Q&As I led for government recently. The question was, ‘With a Sarawak Government of over 15,000 civil servants, how long will it take before our digital transformation is complete? 1, 2 or 3 years?’ I get this question often in public and private sector and am always excited when I get it. It allows me to make an important point. The mindset behind the question is that digital transformation is just another project or programme that has a finish date, that one day we wake up a digital government, tick – project done and now, we can move on to something else. But, what is different about this 4th Industrial Revolution, this Industry 4.0, as it is sometimes called, is the speed, constant change and ever-increasing evolution that it brings. Emerging technologies, changing digital behaviour of our citizens and even newer ways of ‘connection’ will continue to force

us to disrupt ourselves as we become a World-Class Civil Service and as we grow our Sarawak Digital Economy. There is no tick-in-the-box finish date. As we realised in the British Government, we will never be finished transforming government, we just need to get better at it.

How does our government digital journey ahead look? It goes without saying we have technical infrastructure needs of the community to prioritise. We have the Sarawak Digital Economy Strategy 20182022 to realise. We will need new digital tools in our government departments such as collaboration platforms and data analytics. But what many overlook is the behaviour and culture change required to make digital transformation a success. The IDC (International Data Corporation) says one of the fundamental challenges of digital transformation is the need to change legacy culture and processes, which is embedded in the organisational structure.

We will rise to the challenge, basically because we have no choice.

We will need digital awareness training across all our 15,000 SCS staff. Digital brings new ways of working and collaborating for our Department Heads. There are even new leadership qualities to develop such as curiosity, innovation mind-set and rapid adaptability.

The good news is that we as a government are not alone. EVERY government in the world is taking the very same journey and we can take comfort in avoiding some mistakes that have been made and in collaborating with other governments and outside experts.

Learning programmes are being designed, digital tools explored and I even hope to arrange some field trips over to the UK for Sarawak Government leaders to visit some of the more digitally advanced departments in the British Government. Our digital journey may seem daunting but it’s also exciting and hopeful. Let’s not be afraid of what could go wrong but start being excited about what could go right.

In part two of this digital series, I will explore more about lessons I’ve seen in other governments I’ve worked with around the world and we will ponder the new leadership attributes we all need to develop to be the digital leaders required to enable a successful digital future.

“ The world will not wait. Our citizens will not wait. Our journey towards a Digital Economy starts now!

“

It was a true pleasure spending three weeks in Sarawak recently. I led a number of workshops on digital transformation for civil servants in Kuching, delivered a two-day conference for the business community at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching and even travelled to Mukah to give a talk to the community there. I had an opportunity to meet many civil servants, citizens, families and business leaders.

The warmth of the welcome was touching, the excitement about the opportunities of digital very encouraging. But what really is ‘digital’ anyway?

Tom Bryant advises governments, corporates and start-ups on successful digital transformation, creates international learning programmes, is an active speaker and avid lover of emerging technologies. He has a Master’s in HR and is Founder of TFB Consulting based in London, UK, a company focused on skill, culture and talent transformation through digital, which is also partnered with Sarawak’s GEM Consultancy. He was formerly Senior Advisor in the Cabinet Office, British Government for digital skill transformation and continues advising other governments around the world such as India and States of Jersey.

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Re-thinking Public Innovation This article was adapted from a full chapter of the second book of the New Synthesis Initiative, published in September 2017 under the title The New Synthesis of Public Administration Fieldbook (Dansk Psykologisk Forlag, 2017).

The situation faced by public servants and public sector leaders today may not be more challenging in absolute terms than in previous generations, but it is certainly different. The problems societies face today stem from a world characterised by increasing complexity, hyper connectivity and a high level of uncertainty. In this context, the public sector’s role in developing innovative solutions is critical.

Despite the need for public innovation, public servants (when asked to discuss the challenges they face in New Synthesis1 labs and workshops) tend to present a narrow perspective, rarely going beyond the boundary of their respective units. While recent public sector reforms have encouraged a drive for efficiency and productivity, they have also generated a narrow and sometimes distorted view of the scale of the role of government in society.

Ideas and principles matter. The way one thinks has a direct impact on the solutions that will be found and the results that will be achieved.

Innovation in government has received much attention over the years. For the most part, the focus has been introspective, giving special attention to the modernisation of public sector systems and practices as well as the service delivery functions of government. The focus of attention in these conversations is on innovation in government and as a result may have missed the most important contributions of government to public innovation.

INNOVATION IN GOVERNMENT A typical narrative is that innovation in a public sector setting is inherently more difficult than in a private sector one because it is operating under a heavier burden of constraints and controls.2 The political environment is described as generally hostile to public innovation due to short political cycles and the need to respond to political pressures.3 As a result, the culture of the public service is inherently risk averse.4 The literature tends to focus on finding ways to remove barriers to the introduction of innovative practices.5 In every narrative, there are elements of truth. Here, the story misses the point: it is public innovation that matters. A focus on innovation in government is unlikely to help government keep pace with the increasing complexity of society or yield solutions to issues ranging from climate change, increasing income and employment inequalities or the impact of an aging population.6 A conversation framed around innovation in government suffers from too narrow a focus to reveal the significance of public innovation. It underestimates the importance of the role of government in building an innovative society and in inventing solutions to emerging issues with unknown consequences.

PUBLIC INNOVATION Governments innovate: this is the starting point for a broader conversation on public innovation. To reframe the conversation about innovation from a public sector perspective is to position it in the broader context of the role of the State and the contribution of government to society. Public innovation is a core mission of government — that is, to invent solutions to the challenges faced by society that cannot be solved without some form of government intervention. The capacity of governments to guide society through an ongoing process of change depends on this critical role.

The public sector is responsible for many of the innovations that have given shape to our modern societies. Public organisations have funded and built infrastructure necessary for a modern society to function.7 Government investments underlie the radical technological innovations that have fuelled the “New Economy” and are currently being used in unprecedented ways to stimulate the world economy. Government interventions constantly mediate and redraw the boundaries between the private and public spheres of life in society.8 16

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BY HONOURABLE JOCELYNE BOURGON

I define public innovation as “innovative solutions serving a public purpose that require the use of public means”.9 What distinguishes public innovation from social innovation is the intimate link to government actions and the use of instruments of the State.10 From this perspective, far from being risk averse, the State is the ultimate risk taker in society. Government takes risks on a scale that no other sector or agent in society could take on and intervenes in areas where the forces of the market or the capacity of civil society would be unable to go. This broader perspective reveals some of the distinctive characteristics of public innovation.

DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF PUBLIC INNOVATION Public innovation has distinctive characteristics that make it irreplaceable.

These characteristics are linked to the authority of the State and the legitimacy of government to intervene in the public sphere to change the course of events in a manner judged preferable for society. They distinguish public innovation from innovations in any other sector.

A Macro-scale of Interventions: Unlike in the private, academic or civic spheres, public innovations often take place at the largest scale. They apply to the whole territory under the jurisdiction of the governing entity and to everyone under the authority of the State. New laws apply to all.

New programs and services define the entitlements of eligible citizens and create new rights enjoyed by all citizens in similar circumstances. The law is a necessary enabler to act in this manner and on this scale. No other actor in society can intervene in such a way and on such a scale.

Macro-scale interventions create particular difficulties for government.

Companies will generally test innovative ideas on a small scale before scaling them up. This reduces risks and improves the likelihood of a successful launch of a new product or service. Governments face the opposite challenge; they must find ways to scale down an initiative in order to learn more before launching it on a national scale. This is more difficult than it seems at first glance. For instance, scaling down an initiative to a geographical area or a smaller group of people may give rise to ethical dilemmas or to legal challenges if an initiative benefits some citizens and not others. The equal treatment of all citizens is an important consideration for government. In some countries, legal constraints may even limit the use of pilot projects. In other cases, testing ideas on a smaller scale could lead to speculative behaviours and unfair competition. As a result, governments have a tendency to deploy new initiatives on a national scale and thus with the highest level of risk. Governments are inherently risk takers when it comes to initiating new policies, programs and services.

Every intervention entails the promise of generating better outcomes as well as the risk of producing unknown, unintended or unwanted consequences.

The challenge is to discover how to improve the likelihood of successful government intervention while reducing the risks of generating unintended effects.

Imperfect knowledge and unknown impact: Government intervenes with imperfect knowledge. There may be efforts to encourage evidence-based decision making, using data analytics to extract meaning and detect patterns and other techniques to improve decisions — but ultimately governments must make decisions with the knowledge available to them at the time.

Policy decisions, new programs and services are not definitive answers, but the beginning of long chains of interrelated actions intended to influence behaviours in a given direction. From that perspective, success may not depend so much on what was known at the time the decision was made, but on the ability of public organisations to capture new insights of what is happening in practice in order to adjust the initial design to achieve the desired impact over time.

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Governments intervene to create a better future from a place of incomplete and imperfect knowledge. In most cases, the full impact of a government intervention is unknown at its inception and will only become known over many years. Public organisations with a strong inventive capacity must be able to monitor results over long periods of time to recalibrate the initial intervention as circumstances change and new knowledge becomes available. Government interventions are experiments in progress.

Enabled by law and politics: Public innovation does not happen in spite of politics and the law but is enabled by them. Government interventions derive their legitimacy from a mix of democratic principles, political leadership and the rule of law. Government possesses the legitimacy to intervene on behalf of society.

Public innovation takes place at the intersection: of a reliance on the law, which encourages predictability, and of experimentation, which can reveal new and better ways of achieving results of value to society. A particular difficulty for government is balancing the need for continuity and stability with the need for change to meet the challenges ahead. Important interventions can also be potentially disruptive. Public innovation is a process of constructive deconstruction that must be calibrated with care to engender the necessary public support.

In summary, reframing the conversation about public innovation opens up a broader perspective: It highlights the importance of government interventions in addressing problems that cannot be solved and in producing results that would not exist without making use of the levers of the State.

PUBLIC INNOVATION THROUGH PUBLIC INTERVENTION Every action and decision taken by government is deliberately designed to transform some aspects of society. Government interventions are intended to modify behaviours or to transform the interactions between the public, private and civic spheres. At times, these actions are a response to pressing challenges, in other cases, they are proactive measures aimed at securing a better future. In either case, the impact of government interventions can be felt across vast systems and at times well beyond the country of origin.

spending power of the State. Public means can be used to guide collective actions, encourage collaboration or prevent behaviours detrimental to society through coercive measures. Public innovation is both the goal and the process of generating public solutions that frequently exceed what government can do on its own, but could not be achieved without the use of the levers of the State.

Some initiatives will achieve their desired outcomes; some will work reasonably well for a time but require periodic adjustments; others will fail.

In some cases, the reasons for failure may rest with government. This is the case when the lack of progress is due to a poor understanding of the issue, an inadequate selection of instruments or a poorly designed intervention. In other cases, the lack of progress is due to a lack of synergy between public, private and civic actions. Innovation benefits from an ecosystem where the State plays a key role in building dynamic linkages among multiple organisations and across sectors.

Reframing the conversation on innovation means focusing on societal results and exploring how the authority of the State can be put to optimal use to lever a collective effort that encourages the sharing of responsibilities and rewards for contributing to a common desirable outcome. It raises the questions about the potential to for the State to create a symbiotic system in which both society and the private sector benefit. It also raises further questions about the potential for government to intervene and bear risks beyond the market’s tolerance in order to promote the public good or for government to explore how to leverage social agents to build an innovative economy and society.12 The perspective on innovation found in the New Synthesis Initiative repositions public innovation in the broader context of the role of the State.

The task of re-thinking the role of government in public innovation is in no way limited to the questions mentioned above. Thinking through the role of government in public innovation is an opportunity to re-articulate its public purpose in a changing context and to examine the system of relationships between public, private and civic spheres that produce societal results.

At their core, public innovation and government intervention are related concepts. Government intervenes in the current state of affairs to invent a new reality distinct in some ways from the one that existed previously. This is a process of change and innovation. Jesper Christiansen, in The Irrealities of Public Administration, reminds us that it is through government intervention that innovations “come in” the public sphere and “come between” various actors in society.11 Public organisations are mandated to shape the environment and to steer society through a change process to achieve desirable public outcomes.

Such interventions may require regulatory support or make use of the Notes 1. The New Synthesis Initiative is an international collaboration aimed at giving public service practitioners a conceptual framework of public administration that can guide their actions and decisions, and invent solutions fit for the times. It results from years to research and practical application, and has been used by more than 1000 practitioners from countries including Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Malaysia, Singapore and some EU member states. More information can be found at http://www.pgionline.com 2. For examples, see Eva Sørensen and Jacob Torfing, “Enhancing Collaborative Innovation in the Public Sector,” Administration & Society 43 (2011): 842–68; P. Pierson, “Increasing Returns, Path Dependence, and the Study of Politics,” American Political Science Review 94 (2000): 251–67.

3. Christopher Pollitt, Time, Policy, Management: Governing with the Past (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008).

4. Steven Kelman, “The ‘Kennedy School’ of Research on Innovation in Government,” in Innovations in Government: Research, Recognition, and Replication, ed. Sandford Borins (Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institute Press, 2008), 29 & 37; OECD, Innovating the Public Sector: From Ideas to Impact (Paris: OECD, 2014),19; Pierson, “Increasing Returns”, 251–67; Luc Bernier and Taïeb Hafsi, “The Changing Nature of Public Entrepreneurship,” Public Administration Review 67(2007): 488–503.

5. Jocelyne Bourgon, Public Innovation and Public Purpose (Ottawa: Public Governance International, 2015), 4.

6. Council for Science and Technology, Improving Innovation in the Water Industry: 21st Century Challenges and Opportunities (London: Council for Science and Technology, 2009); Christian Bason, “Design-Led Innovation in Government,” Stanford Social Innovation Review 10th Anniversary Essays, Spring (2013): 15–7.

7. Bourgon, Public Innovation and Public Purpose, 5–6.

8. Timothy Mitchell, “The Limits of the State: Beyond Statist Approach and their Critics,” The American Political Science Review 85 (1991): 77–96.

9. Bourgon, Public Innovation and Public Purpose, 6.

10. For work on social innovation, see Geoff Mulgan, Innovation in the Public sector: How Can Public Organizations Better Create, Improve and Adapt (UK: Nesta, 2014), and Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, European Commission, Guide to Social Innovation (Brussels: European Commission, 2013).

11. Jesper Christiansen, The Irrealities of Public Administration (Denmark: Mindlab, 2013), 19, 34 & 58–71.

12. For further discussion, see William Lazonick and Mariana Mazzucato, “The Risk-Reward Nexus in the Innovation-Inequality Relationship,” Industrial and Corporate Change 22 (2013): 1096–7; and Mariana Mazzucato, The Entrepreneurial State: Debunking Public vs. Private Sector Myths (London: Anthem Press, 2014).

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LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE APPRECIATION NITE 12 March 2018 | Grand Magherita Hotel, Kuching

Leadership Institute to Help Civil Service be Digitally Ready The Leadership Institute will come forward to give the necessary support for the civil service to be digitally ready and build the capacity to support the digital economy framework. Leadership Institute Executive Director (ED) Datu Dr Sabariah Putit, who stated this, said that they are sincere, committed and passionate in executing their public duty for the common good of everybody.

“The training carried out by the Leadership Institute was planned and implemented to be in tandem with the aspirations of the Sarawak Civil Service (SCS) to be a world-class public sector, a vision enshrined in SCS 10-20 Action Plans and Initiatives.”

Sabariah, who is also Deputy State Secretary, said that one of the Eight Action Plans revolves around Talent Management, and leadership evolves from it.

“This strategic plan believes strongly in the role of the information and communication technology (ICT) in speeding the pace of transformation in the civil service, a role that serves as a precursor to the implementation of digital economy in Sarawak.”

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Since 2011, the Leadership Institute has benchmarked and worked with reputable and renowned institutes in Singapore, United Kingdom and Australia. It also developed strategic partnerships with local and international institutions. In the same event, the Institute exchanged memorandum of understandings (MoU) with two new partners – Leaderonomics and British Council Malaysia. Present at the exchange ceremony were Leaderonomics CEO Roshan Thiran and British Council Malaysia Director Sarah Deverall, witnessed by The Honourable Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi (Dr) Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari bin Tun Abang Haji Openg.

Others present included State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Haji Mohamad Morshidi bin Abdul Ghani and the Institute’s Chief Operating Officer Segaren Arumugam.

The Honourable Chief Minister also launched the Leader’s Digest – a fortnightly in-house publication featuring a collection of leadership and professional development articles.

The Leadership Institute, formerly known as Centre of Modern Management (CMM), also honoured 26 employees with the Long Service Awards, and 12 others with the ‘Best Performance Awards in 2017’.

In 2017, the Institute conducted 577 training programmes involving 16,797 civil servants, and recorded an average score of 86 per cent participant satisfaction across all its training programmes.

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- Inspirational Quotes -

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BUILDING LEADERS OF EXCELLENCE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE OF SARAWAK CIVIL SERVICE KM20, JALAN KUCHING SERIAN,SEMENGGOK, 93250 KUCHING, SARAWAK. 082-625166 082-625766

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