leadership & dev.low kim

G LF Global Leadership Forum

A Presentation on

Leadership Challenges for the 21st Century - A Singapore-Nepal Collaboration -

by

Low Siew Thiam Chairman

Global Leadership Forum Singapore


Guardian of Singapore’s Prosperity


Learning from NepalSingaporean’s Quest to climb Mt. Everest

David Lim, newspaper executive fromsea-level Singapore, leads team to climb Mt. Everest & other mountains


From 1994, David Lim planned and led a series of mountaineering expeditions in preparation for the eventual Mt Everest climb in 1998 which succeeded after a nail-biting series of setbacks and mishaps.

One week after the team`s triumphant return, he was stricken with the rare and mysterious nerve disorder, Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Within days, he was near death as the disorder paralysed virtually all his limbs and shut down his respiratory system. Speechless, unable to swallow or move and racked with virulent forms of pneumonia, he endured a "hellish" six weeks in an intensive care unit before stabilising.

He spent six months recovering in hospital, including a rehabilitation process in which the re-learning of simple tasks such as writing, dressing and walking were enormous challenges compared to the Everest climb.

Now, David Lim has developed into a motivational trainer who inspires his audiencewith tales of his mountaineering conquests. He acknowledges that he could never have made his conquests without the guidance of his Nepalese sherpa guides.

The Grit to Overcome Adversity!


Are you ready for two types of change?The Parableof the Frog

Tsunami Effect


20th & 21st Century OrganisationsAssumptions 20th Century 21st Century

PEOPLE Theory X - A COST to be Theory Y –An asset to be monitored & controlled valued & developed

WORK Segmented, industrially- Collaborative, knowledge- based, individual tasks based projects

TECHNOLOGY Designed to control work Integrate with social systems & minimise human error for knowledge-based work

LEADERSHIP Role of senior managers Multi-level – up-down and & technical experts across

GOALS Focus on returns to Multidimensional – focus on shareholders value to multiple stakeholders


How many pathways lead to the summit?

Even if the paths are well-trodden,how shouldeach new teamprepare?

How many ways –Strategies,Tactics –can a team choose fromfor an assaulton the summit?


Four known pathways to business success

1. Sell more – at the price that already yields a profit

2. Increase Gross Profit Margin – by buying at lower or selling at higher price

3. Reduce costs – of Overheads and other expenses

4. Any combination of the above


It’s the HOW that makes a team/organisation unique

Organisational Achievement depends on:

1. The Character and Personality of the Leader2. The Uniqueness of the People that makes up the Team3. Environmental Factors such as

i. History and Culture/Valuesii. Educationiii. Natural Resourcesiv. Geographic Location


Basketball Game DVD


Old & New Ways to Learn about Success

From Ancient Philosophy,to win, the Leader needs to:(i) Know Thyself(ii) Know Thy Enemy (Others)(iii) Know the Environment

From Modern Neuroscience,we learn how the brain formsnew patterns as it experiencesnew sensations all through life.There is no limit to continuouslearning


How the Brain Works1. The Brain is a Connection Machine

It learns through linking information from all its parts

2. It hardwires everything and files them in patternsThis enables easy recognition for quick response e.g. fight or flight

3. This hardwiring drives automatic perceptionThis makes life easier because it enables us to carry out dailyroutines without having to think e.g. riding a bicycle, driving a car

4. It’s impossible to deconstruct the wiringOld habits die hard!

5. It’s easier to create new wiringThe neoplasticity of the brain enables it to learn new thingsand suppress old constructs. Yes, you can teach old dogs new tricks!


Me

Company

Nation

Nature

Driving Forcesof economicPerformance….

Self-interest

Corporateinterest

National interest

Selfishness

Shareholdervalue

Xenophobia

….become…. …negativewhen drivento extremes


ValuesBeliefs

People born equalPeople are differentPersonal freedomWu Lun governs all

Employee as resourceEmployee as familyContractual rights

Fairness

Paradigms

The Roots of East-WestDifferences lie beneathValues and Beliefsto the Paradigms or Mindsets of thetwo people

From ObservableValues toUnseeen Paradigms

Values

Beliefs

Power Distance

IndividualismCommunitarianism

Femininity- Masculinity

UncertaintyAvoidance

Short-term – Long-term

Truth –Harmony

Mercy – Justice

Reductionsim - Holistic Thinking

Guilt –Shame

Socrates stood for TRUTH

Confucius preachedHARMONY

Western and Asian Business Paradigms What Western and Asian businessmen expect from a relationship – one seeks Balance based on Equality, while the other is looking for Harmony


Western scale of Justice depends on Equality of Rights

In Asian (Chinese) thinking, Harmony is balancing Duty with Responsibility.Emperor and Subject enjoy a relationship of harmony – no way are they equal!


Manana

Haute coutureSelf-deprecating humour

Epicurean culture Famine & poverty Mysticism Discipline

ChineseHOR IZON

USA H O R I Z O N

Different Civilisational Perspectives – China & USA

Justice, Consumerism, New is Best Pride in Revolutionary Heritage, Aspiration for World Leadership Focus on Learning Profit Motive

Fast food Culture Libertarianism Loose morality Me First

Hegemonism Hyperpower hubris

Authoritarianism Obsessed with history and culture Corruption


Typology of Business Relationships

Shallow Deep

Dependent

Interdependent

PreferredWesternDirection

Preferred Asian Direction

GUANXIA relationship based on theWu Lun which balancesRights with Duty.EmphasisesHarmony over Equality

TRUSTA partnership based onrecognising that the valueof the relationship trumpsshort-term cost-benefitcalculations

SOCIAL CAPITALEquality matching – based on matching what each party

can get out of the relationship

STARTING POINT Impersonal market-pricing relationshipbetween buyer and sellerbased on cost-benefitanalysis


How Communication is built up in traditional Chinese


The Singapore Story:Do you sincerely want to be rich?

From Third World to First, Singapore rose from a GDP of US600 per annum in 1959 to US$27,000 per annum in 2006

The Singapore Formula for Success:1. Assemble the best talent for your team2. Open your mind3. Learn from the world4. Be guided by pragmatism –

(i) Retain what works(ii) Abandon what doesn’t


IMF’s View of Singapore’s Success

1.Budgetary discipline2.Delayed gratification (savings)3.Market mechanism for

efficient resource allocation4.Social inclusion through

providing economic opportunities5.Capable and honest government6.A long-term vision7.Policy of win-win relationships with MNCs

- Henry Ghesquiere, ex-Director of IMF-Singapore Regional Training Institute


Learn from the World A Philosophy of Pragmatism

Knowledge is universalCulture and civilisation are embedded in the memory of people Leaders learn how to blend the universal with the cultural

Deng Xiao Ping, China’s moderniser:“It doesn’t matter whether a cat is black or white,So long as it catches mice”

English poet, Rudyard Kipling:“But there is neither East nor WestBorder nor Breed nor BirthWhen two strong men stand face to faceThough they come from the ends of the earth”


Global Business Leaders from South Asia

C.K. Prahalad,Academic& Author

Indra Nooyi, 1st

Asian ChairpersonOf Pepsi

Mohd. Yunus,Founder of Grameen Bank,Bangladesh

Ram Charan, Consultantto Fortune 500 companies & Author

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leadership & dev.low kim

Business

leadership challenges

mountains glf

extremes glf

continuous learning

new team

multiple stakeholders

new wiring

frog tsunami effect