Be patient, and embrace change
defined is because it moves so fast. The moment you have defined it, the technology has already evolved.
The real question is not are we in for a technology revolution. In my view we already are and have been for several years.
The real question is: what are its limitations? To answer this you only have to look at the advancements of quantum computing and realise that we don’t know.
How has mentorship made a difference in your professional life? In my very early 20s, my young ego almost prevented me from truly understanding how important mentorship is. I incorrectly thought in my early career that receiving help or advice was seen as some fault or weakness in my ability. I was lucky I had a few key mentors in my early career who recognised that I had some potential.
When you realise that not knowing all the answers is a gift, you enable yourself to grow.
When you start out, you are full of raw energy and enthusiasm and it’s not until you engage with a mentor do you realise how to hone and craft your skills both professionally and personally.
Mentors aren’t going to go out of their way to drag someone along if they don’t show initiative. Mentorship is something that requires strong commitment from both parties, and takes a lot of effort. The end results are more than worth it.
To this day I actively engage in local CEO groups and I use the “Vistage” network to get the mentorship to enable me to continually grow.
What do you want to accomplish in the next five years? I would like to see the company grow and flourish. I believe that Asia has amazing potential that is unique to the region. On a personal note, I would like to learn the piano and improve my squash game.
Best piece of advice you ever received on your career. Focus on listening – all the answers you need for your business will be provided by your team and customers if you actively listen to them.
Most-admired business leader? Why? Richard Branson. I like his attitude to opportunity, people and challenges. I personally like the following quote from Branson the most: “If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later!”
How do you stay abreast of issues affecting your industry? Read a lot of news, attend industry events, cultivate good relationships with suppliers and competitors, and most important of all, spend time with my team and customers.
If you could have an hour with any thought leader in the world, whom would it be and why? Oddly, I would like to spend time with the board of Nokia 10 years ago. At one time they realised they had lost the dominant position in the mobile phone race.
What lessons could they share on missing out and how did they discover that as a firm that dominated the entire market on mobile handsets, what did they do wrong and what could they have done differently with the benefit of hindsight?
What has been the biggest challenge you faced? And what did you learn from it? I have had many positions where I have a repeating challenge – namely, there is a legacy technology, it is providing great income, highly profitable and stable. The challenge is that technology needs to evolve, for example, paper to digital, desktop to cloud, etc. The challenge is communicating to your board, customers and team on the transition of technology and knowledge.
My lesson is that there is no perfect way of enabling change in a business, the most important thing to do is communicate the change and react quickly if it’s going off course.
What was the most outlandish business proposal you have ever heard of? 1MDB, need I say more.
What man-made innovation confounds you? Why? The fidget spinner, my kids love it. I just don’t understand why it’s so popular.
A must-read for every business owner/ manager is ... The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People by Stephen Covey and The Chimp Paradox by Steve Peters
What are the top three factors you would attribute your success to? People – we build people, people build companies. Train people, hire great talent and build a team that challenges itself and you.
Failure – embrace it, learn from it and evolve.
Family/friends – your family and friends will always help ground you. Surround yourself with people who tell you the truth and love you for your faults as well as your good points.