Hire those who are driven and results-oriented, even though they may not stay for long.

When others are in the Coronavirus panic mode, what can we do as Leaders?

We can share our positive vibes, spread love (not virus), and keep FOMO in check. Together, we can make a difference in our small little ways! .

“I don’t trust you” (On the capacity to trust as a leader)

Leading a World of Good

Either Task-oriented or Empathy?

Persistence is key

Creating a World of Good, a World of Happiness starting with Self-Love

Making Dreams Come True. The plane is always safest when it is on the ground but it doesn’t fulfil its purpose.

I am grateful...

This-ability Learning a big life lesson on Resilience by walking in the shoes of an ordinary man leading an extraordinary life.

Never Give Up

Learning to learn Some tips to take the stress out of learning:
Accept that it is ok that we don’t know, accept our ‘vulnerability’, and accept that we can change if we allow ourselves to do so.
Be aware of our self-talk.
Be curious and ask ‘noob’ questions leading to new discoveries.
Acknowledge the benefits that comes along with your learnings, and see beyond the initial ‘pain’ and ‘discomfort’ of learning.
Have fun learning!

who am I?

Lessons learnt from complete strangers at wedding lunch
Who to make the first move?
Micromanage or not to?

Lessons from the Cow and the Pig

Leaders Need Mentors
This video is made for leaders who care about their personal development and the results they deliver. 3 important qualities I look for in my mentors
They are like wide-angle lens seeing things in wider perspectives thereby enabling me to solve issues at systemic level.
They help me identify my blind spots and enable me to see things in different perspectives.
They are people I trust - They have my back and no matter what kind of process they put me through, I know (and I have faith) that they have my best interests at heart.
My question to you is, who do you have as mentors in your leadership and self-development journey?

Leadership lesson at the clinic.
Am grateful to the kind-hearted lady who offered me her seat at the clinic and gave me a chance to learn through her.
“Yet” - a small and insignificant word in our everyday speech, yet it makes a whole world of difference if used correctly.
I am not rich YET
I have no friends YET
I cannot lead a team YET
I do not have the leadership skills YET

Pantry magic

Who is the most (...) person to lead?
Difficult? Important? Or... You decide Leadership journey is a self-discovery journey and the work is never done. The leader you see in me is a “work-in-progress”. What is certain is that leadership is NOT a on/off switch when I can switch on and suddenly find myself to be a leader.
Leadership is already in me (and you) and all we need to do is to activate it. The question is, how?
Some questions to ponder on:
How clearly do you see yourself?
Where do you need to grow?
How well do you take advice?
Who can help you in this journey, assuming you are coachable?

Let It Go.
Not your dreams and your goals, but your fear, anxiety, insecurities, negative thoughts and emotions.
Many first-time managers I know face the same challenge: they excel as individual contributors doing what they do best. But when they are promoted to lead a team, they suddenly have more responsibilities thrust upon them and worse, they feel they lose “control” because they are dependent on others (ie get results through others). As coping strategies, some choose to micro-manage, others choose to put in extra hours to do others’ job and ended up burnt out. How do I know? Well, I have gone through this myself
Here are some pointers to help first-time managers;
Know thyself - what are your strengths and weaknesses and how do you act value to the team you lead.
Acknowledge your fear, anxiety, insecurities, negative thoughts and emotions you may have. Acknowledge that you are feeling this way because you are expanding outside your comfort zone and this is part of the learning process.
Manage your thoughts and emotions. Break down each negative thought and emotion you may have and address them one at a time. The key is to lead yourself first before you lead others. Do not let your negative thoughts and emotions affect the people you lead.
Communicate, communicate, communicate - your vision, your expectations, and even how you and the people you lead wish to be engaged.
Know the people you lead - recruit the right person for the job, not the ones with the most paper qualifications. Know their strengths and weaknesses and give them space to test out new ideas and to develop themselves.
Lead - give directions and not just assignment. Inspire, not Intimidate. Empower, not Enslave. Create leaders at all levels because you need to. Trust me.

The future belongs to those who dare to dream (and turn dreams into reality).
I will be conducting a 1-day free workshop in Oct on how to create a Vision Board and how to turn your dreams into reality. It’s my way of paying it forward.

Why lead?
SECRETS EXPOSED: Growing up, I never wanted to be a leader and I was happy being a follower. I was careful to stay under the radar, obey rules and just be a good student. Until I discovered that
1. It is not that I don’t want to lead, it is just that there is no strong, compelling reason for me to do so. In other words, I don’t have a strong “Why”.
2. I have an unrealistic expectation of what a leader should be like and such expectations weighed heavily on me.
3. Resources are already within me and all I need to do is to activate them.
I would love to hear from you ❤
Why do you want to lead?
What story do you tell yourself in the past and how is it different today?

I am Courage...
... and so are you with courage that is already within you, waiting to be activated. Here are 10 tips on how to overcome fear and activate courage (feel free to add to the list!):
Start Now from Where you are Now - How you do anything is how you do everything.
Be Authentic - just be yourself. As simple as this .
Turn down the ‘volume’ of your inner critic, visualize success in overcoming you ‘fear’ and celebrate each success, no matter how small. In other words, be your own cheerleader ‍♀‍♀.
Practice positive affirmations (recommended: in front of mirror) with conviction - I am Courage (x3).
Surround yourself with people who lift you up and say goodbye to naysayers and energy vampires.
Develop the habit of standing firm on what you truly believe in, instead of giving in to societal expectations for fear of being judged. If you don’t stand up for your own beliefs and values, no one else will!
Own it and take responsibility for all outcomes both good and bad. Be a Victor, not a Victim.
Be aware that you are not your fears, not your emotions and not your flaws. You are you, and you are already enough. There is no need for you to be someone else.
Learn to face your “failures” again and again till you succeed.
Step up to new challenges each day and grow the muscle with each passing day.

Developing the Muscle of Assertiveness
In this video, I share my experience on how playing nice doesn’t help (in fact, do more harm than good!), and two simple tips on how we can develop the muscle of assertiveness simply by
doing what we think is right instead of gaining acceptance from others
having clarity on our intent and then communicate clearly towards the desired outcome. The ultimate goal isn’t to make the other party feel inferior but to empower all to scale greater heights.

Step up, move forward with the end goal in mind and enjoy the process...
.... the reward is outside our comfort zone.

Interested or Committed?
When you are committed, you will be relentless in your pursuit of the goal. Obstacles don’t take you out of the game. They simply become a learning opportunity so that you get better at your game.

When you are merely interested, you change direction as your mood shifts. You are not committed to the outcome so you allow your emotions to drive your actions, which then mean what feels comfortable and safe.

First to be human, Second to be leader
This video is specially created for team leaders who find it difficult (and stressful) to
handle performance issues at work (“Why can’t they just put in the extra effort to do what they are paid to deliver?”, “They are not doing their best and just finding easy way out”).
Motivate staff in a sustainable manner (“Why do I have to keep nagging at them so work gets done?”, “No money/promotion, no motivation?”, “I give up! It might be easier for me to do the work myself than to rely on someone else to do it”).
Discuss issues without getting worked up (works both ways for you as the team lead and the staff reporting to you). [2 min 58 sec]

Within all of us, there is an inner desire to grow and develop, to be a meaningful contributor and to connect with people who truly care. And it is in this space where development coaching becomes important in harnessing the human potential, and ultimately in achieving organizational goals.

What is the worst leadership advice that you have ever received?

With the awareness of leadership pitfalls, you would be able to adjust your leadership style and be a more effective leader. And remember, leadership is a journey of self-discovery and continuous learning, not a destination.

Core values are our internal GPS that help us navigate through turbulent times and keep us grounded.

Reflections on Succession Planning

I believe that we all bring our own unique “flavour” and interpretation to our roles in the organization we choose to work in, and that up to a certain point, we need to let go and pass the baton to someone else who can bring the team to greater heights and to achieve even more. Question then is, how can we groom the next generation of leaders not just to ensure “business as usual” but also “business better than before”?

My reflections on this topic which is very close to my heart are:
• Succession Planning starts from Day 1: to decide what we want to achieve within certain timeframe and to create supporting processes.
• Leadership at all levels, not just at the top. Good ideas often come from those close to the ground, not just from those at the top!
• Core values are our internal GPS that help us navigate through turbulent times and keep us grounded.

On Rewards and Recognition

1) It isn’t just about rewards and recognition, but also about the meanings behind them.
2) Say ‘no’ to cookie cutter approach and ‘yes’ to personalization (you need to know how each individual feels valued).
3) Be sincere and speak from the heart in recognizing efforts. If it comes from the heart, it sticks in the mind.
4) Specificity is a must; general praise leads to a general malaise.
5) It is human nature to need reassurance from people that we look up to and respect.
People thrive when they feel appreciated, no matter how simple the praise or recognition is.

The meaning of communication is the response you get

In this video, Chris and I share our reflections on how we coached and helped to resolve conflicts between parents and their teenage child using #NLP techniques, #questioning, #5lovelanguages, #personalityprofiling, #negotiation, #communication, #rapport, #trust, #empathy and #flexibility.

(p.s. to all parent-leaders out there, jiayou!)

The Power of Humility

The Heavy Log

Once upon a time a rider came across a few soldiers who were trying to move a heavy log of wood without success.

The corporal was standing by just watching as the men struggled.

The rider couldn’t believe it. He finally asked the corporal why he wasn’t helping. The corporal replied: “I am the corporal. I give orders.“

The rider said nothing in response. Instead he dismounted his horse. He went up and stood by the soldiers and as they tried to lift the wood and he helped them.

With his help, the task was finally able to be carried out.

Who was this kind rider?

The rider was George Washington, the Commander-in-chief.

He quietly mounted his horse and went to the corporal and said, “The next time your men need help, send for the commander-in-chief.”