Back to School to be a Leader

On June 28th this year, the director of Human Capital in my workplace told me I have been nominated to join the Harvard Asia Leadership Trek 2015 at Sunway University. Excitement filled me instantly as I would be sent back to school with those top notches in my hospital.

I set foot on my second career barely two months ago, from an operation person in clinical dietetics to an administrative executive in business. Naturally, the only motive in my life now is to soak up all those needed skill sets to help me excel, let alone “Leadership” skills! The program from Harvard must help me to upgrade myself, I secretly demanded.

Leadership was the main subject matter. It’s an affair I hardly comprehended, to be honest. Being the youngest child and a daughter from a conservative Malaysian Chinese family, I hardly exercise leadership while stumbling through my childhood. Besides, I was a timid girl in school as obscure as the classroom furniture.

My eldest brother was the first to teach me the idea of leadership, unintentionally. Leadership was authority; leadership was freedom, and with leadership I would be recognized as being important. That was the way I understood it in the past, having observed my parents’ preferential treatment to my brother. I wanted to be a leader too for all the perks, some day.

However, I am not born a leader or knowing what it is. My limited people management experience, eye-witnessing of Malaysia political drama, and some readings on biographies of some influential people in the world spurred my thought and definition of leadership. Leadership is the ability to make followers complete any task. It impacts and influences the opposition, attracts like-minded individuals, and guides (or misguides) the non-thinkers.

Looking back, leadership is easier to be defined than to be acquired by myself. I could effortlessly comment that a company or country leader should do something to stay in power. But, when it was my turn to lead, I was often left puzzled and felt uncertain.

Am I a real leader waiting to be discovered or am I merely pretending to be one? Most of the time, I felt I could be groomed, but I know some real training is still missing.

As I stood at the front door to the Harvard Asia Leadership trek, I wondered could leadership be taught. I was skeptical and even sarcastic before the trek. Dwelling deep into my psyche, what I really wish for was that the program could pin point leadership and for me to ride on it like I have tamed a wild horse, and speed away.

The essential leadership skill

I am pragmatic corporate personnel who wanted the quick result; the ELS however demanded me to pause and think. I wanted a textbook that could tell me all skills; the fellows however gave me a few slides with mere number of words. I wanted a peaceful space to learn while being away from work; the course work however galvanized my thought to understand what kind of leader I would be.

It was the story telling that hit me first and the most during the full trek with the Executive Leadership School (ELS) at Sunway. How do I know it was really useful? It was through the very Harvard way, the hard way. I learned how useful Public Narrative is through doubting it, experimenting it and experiencing it at last.

Within the short period of five days, I heard “Professor Marshall Ganz” for a gazillions of times. Accordingly, professor Ganz is a senior lecturer in public policy at the Kennedy School of government at Harvard University. His public narrative framework of “story of me, story of us, story of now” has provided for many leaders to deliver powerful speeches that turns stories and values into actions.

Even the current president of the United States, Mr Obama employed him and used his idea in his 2008 presidential campaign. During ELS, in a few lectures and workshops, a few fellows from Harvard shared professor Ganz’s framework. I was a happy camper enjoying the excitement and fun of learning initially. By day three, when I heard his name and the same theory again, I grew impatient.

At one point, I found myself not learning in class any more as I couldn’t withstand the overlapping teaching materials. I couldn’t make sense of why I have to answer personal questions such as my passions and issues I wanted to change on day one, and questions about my values on day two. I demanded more ideas on how to deliver a good speech to connect with the audience, to move my stakeholders and to make myself look smart. A straightforward one would be nice.

Then, a patient fellow explained over lunch the most straight forward answer. Professor Ganz has generously allowed for his theory to be shared in classes during the trek. The other professors have not agreed to do so.

I went home with the question in my mind still. “Professor Marshall Ganz” and his “story of me”, “story of us”, and “story of now” were pondering nonstop in my head. The answer was not the one I was looking for.

I wanted to know why this theory was good. My sleep during the week has gotten shorter every day. This was one of the questions I slept over with.

Along the program, Mr John Lee and Mr Samuel Kim have both mentioned many times that Asian scholars are great future leaders, but many are in dire need to develop the essential public speaking skills. The leadership program was designed to strengthen this while the pitch competition allowed us to practice it. I completely agree. Somehow, the line to connect the activities and the desired outcome could not be seen.

What I did not understand was why these fellows from Harvard would share a framework that can’t be simpler. Too simple I have yet to feel the wonder for myself. Of course I know practicing is important, but do we have to talk about it for four days? Is there any other structure that is more powerful and worth learning? Was the Aristotle’s mean of persuasion the only other one worth mentioning in this trek, among all those scholastic theories conceived in the past two thousand years?

For some reasons, the three words “know, do, and be” managed to be engraved in me. I suspect it was related to the partial useful way I was being educated. Memorizing a textbook is not a challenge. I did not have to understand something to score an A in class, I did not have to understand a theory to be able to recite it. During the trek, we were constantly reminded to practice them continuously until we “be it”. John Lee’s sharing of a youtube Tedtalk reminded me to faithfully practice the knowledge acquired.

I have to keep doing it to perhaps understand the value and fully digest it one day. John wasn’t talking about professor Ganz but something else about acquiring a skill, in his class. It was the public speaking skill during the briefing for our pitch competition. The idea is applicable in all learning processes, I believe.

So, after the ELS 5 day program, I remained restless with the take home confusion. Deliberately, I tested the public speaking skill out on my friends, family members and during a public speaking occasion at a meeting with potential partners for a non-profit association I am involved in.

On the first weekend after the trek, my girlfriends and I went for a regular life progress update over breakfast meeting. I told them stories using the framework and I explained to them what I was doing. I wasn’t too sure about it still on that Sunday morning, as I was merely regurgitating the knowledge memorized.

On Monday, 3 days after the leadership trek, I told my boss I learned something good about public narrative at a hall way meeting. Still, I wasn’t 100% appreciative of the information learnt. It was until just a few minutes ago, one week after the training, I practiced public speaking using the framework in front of my 4 year old, and I met the reason.

“Yoong, when mama was a child, I did not finish my rice”. Yoong raised his eye brows. He stared at me. “I was like you. I thought the rice was tasteless and boring” The speech went on capturing my son’s attention,

mesmerizing him all the way until I finished the “story of now”. Yoong then took his big mouthful of rice to

show his support, having understood my pain, values and reasons via simple story telling.

Ahhh.haa… this is how it works. Both the theories of “story of me, story of us and story of now” as well as

“know, do, be” have amalgamated and form one of my tools. As I continue to practise as a pediatric

dietitian for social course, I could make use of public narrative to motivate my troubled problem eaters to

take in the nourishment, to pitch my project to potential sponsors so that they will fund for staff trainings

and program development, and lastly to persuade parents to continue sending their children with special

needs to our program.

I can literally apply professor’s idea at home, at work and in any pep talk with my buddies.

The public narrative is a powerful tool, if it is used tactfully when talking to audiences of any age, in

whichever scenario, via touching the audiences in their hearts, aligning the value with the listeners and

motivating them to act at the crucial moments.

The morning workshop on Public Narrative by Rachel Roberts taught me how to create an action through

telling a story from my heart.

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The Special Guests



As I followed through the program and allowed it to baptize me, I absorbed a lot more.

I particularly admired Professor Datuk Seri Victor Wee sharing on mindfulness, leadership and self-

awareness. This calm and charismatic professor Dr Wee is a senior economist with the Economist Planning

Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department. He is also the chairman of the Malaysia Tourism Promotion

Board.



His lecture was “deep”, as the delegate seated next to me put it. Professor led us through meditation in baby

steps. Accordingly, as we meditate and allow our mind to pause, our brain structure changes and its

function improves. The mind defragment and thoughts become clearer. We can better reflect, be mindful of

the external environment and be steered clear from react impulsively to the stressors. In short, we make

good decision despite being in a stressful situation.

While at the cross road of decision making, a leader decides either intuitively or via a reasoned process.

Professor Wee reiterated that meditation forms clear mind of a mindful individual. A mindful decision

maker is a compassionate soul, and a compassionate soul makes a good leader.

As the great philosopher Confucius implied, “By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection,

which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.”

Professor Wee gave us the first method to be wiser.

This is also a crucial piece of the puzzle for the trek and for any leader. When Professor Wee, a very highly

regarded character presented this very special skill, it challenges the local participants’ assumption about

leadership skills and allow them to gain new perspectives of good practices, future and the larger world. I

gained more confidence about the skill and see some light to the way to become a good leader.

In another after lunch session during the trek, again, I felt truthfully privileged to get my first chance to

meet a Malaysia royalty member and listen to his fencing off of challenging questions. Understanding the

Yang Amat Mulia (YAM)’s view on sensitive societal issues was an invaluable and reassuring experience.

YAM Tunku Zain Al-'Abidin ibni Tuanku Muhriz came to share his personal view on integrity a leader

should carry. He is a strong believer that to inculcate the value of integrity and honesty, it starts from our

school and at own backyard. As the distraction and temptation to derail is strong, we then need the authority

and royalty to check and balance those in the governing offices. That has been the driving force to send

YAM to school and to meet the youth regularly.

The very humble YAM is the founding president of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs

(IDEAS) in Malaysia. He is very passionate towards revivifying the Malaysia educational system and his

IDEAS is profoundly active in influencing students and multiple levels in the society to reform Malaysia.

YAM mentioned that the lack of a sustainable, unifying education plan at the Ministry of Education, as it’s

influenced by the power struggling of politician in office, contributed to the malformation of a reforming

education system. I am grateful for someone from the royalty family to think this way and has acted to

rectify the real problem affecting the daily life and future of all Malaysians.

He urged the audiences to do our level best to uphold integrity.

The presence of these two insightful and influential speakers and their sharing on issues related to the daily

life of any Malaysian leaders made this trek much more meaningful and practical in a wider scope.

Networking with local heroes and heroines

“An adult friend of Lincoln's: "Life was to him a school.” -- Doris Kearns Goodwin. I have been to

workshops, never in any of those workshops I gotten a chance to learn from so many enthusiastic teachers

in one class. I have been through the trek once, but I have learn so much so it’s equal to 40 lifetimes of

schooling.

While preparing for the pitch competition and engaging in public narrative, I met at least 40 inspirational

speakers from all walk of lives in real time via their spirited speeches and discussions.

In the past, I thought I am quite special and gifted among my peers. Coming from a humble background, I

have many stories to tell because of my determination to success. Many years I prudently managed each

dollar and cent to fund myself through undergraduate school in the icy cold Lincoln, Nebraska. I survived to

tell my stories. It gave me a lot of pride and confidence standing in front of friends and relatives after I have

returned home.

I held a few jobs within a same semester. I was a food server during the day between classes serving the

hunky corn huskers football players in the university, a housekeeping staff who cleaned up dirty messes of

college students after their Thursday happy hours and on weekends, and in a few days in a week, a

transformed knowledgeable research assistant for professors and graduate student.

Not willing to give up, the grit in me saw me to get instate scholarship and complete my graduate school in

Texas too. Over the total of 6 years, I grew from a timid crying baby into a tougher independent las, who is

no longer a burden to my parents.

I was quite proud of myself and might have been a bit too proud until I came to this trek.

During the trek, I saw shadows of younger version of me. All of the fellows and even those younger

delegates are heroes in their own lives and in the eyes of their loved ones. My story was simply a peck in a

great ocean, compared to the fellow John Lee’s dark and compressed experience (in the closet) to enter

Harvard, as well as Faton Limani’s life threatening experience, ducking from the flying bullets, fighting for

survivor in the war zone.

I had to stand quietly feeling applaud too, as young delegate like Shyane Ding illustrated how she brightly

and boldly scrambled through uncertainties as a fresh graduate, and while Tan Iherng told his purported

failing of his future-defining university entry exam and his family’s expectation.

Many of us who gathered at the Sunway University that week, had made tough choices selecting between a

comfortable living and a passion driven life. Remarkably, many of them chose to fail first in order to reign

again as a better inspiring person.

I am humbled and encouraged to learn more from everyone regardless of their language skill, age, outfit or

position in a company. Everyone can be a leader. Every leader has a story to move me. Through listening to

their stories, I extracted information from their challenges, emotional roller coaster, and problem solving on

their feet.

I left each sharing session feeling empowered and optimistic. Every fallen angel gets to climb back up

again.

Experimenting and Experiencing as We Learn

Another great learning experience was churned out from meeting the enthusiastic delegates who shared

their learning from various concurrent sessions. I had chosen classes that were helpful to my present career

direction. Coincidently, I missed out those lectures by Mr Samuel Kim and Mr Faton Limani throughout the

5 day program. It was a shame.

Fellow trekkers and conference delegates told me that the adaptive leadership was the most sought after

course in Harvard. The adaptive leadership coordinated by Faton was uniquely thought provoking. Another

person praised that the negotiation skills taught by Mr Samuel Kim was the best lecture she went, and so on.

All those comments left me doubting my own choices of lectures and instructors.

It was in truth just an illusion. The reality is, the entire program has given each delegate so much to take

home and to reflect on. Most of the delegates I spoke to shared the same sentiment, the classes blew our

minds. Each delegate thought he or she has been to the best class and couldn’t help to boast about it.

Through conversation, I gathered a common trait that made this leadership program unique. Delegates who

followed the flow practiced the framework to eventually come to ‘enlightenment’ at one stage. The

meaning of Leadership was rediscovered and personally understood during the classes or after class during

reflection.

With those comments, I recalled the talk show co-lectured by the two fellows, Jaye Buchbinder and Martin

Attiq from Stanford University. We learned through literally experiencing the theory, instead of through

case studying or text reading.

In one of the fine evenings, each delegate was asked to eye on a target delegate as a friend without telling

the person, and on another as an enemy of the chosen friend. When the timer started to count, everybody

moved to stand in between the 2 moving targets. A simple exercise like such gotten the whole class moved

our places and most importantly experienced the idea of adaptive leadership.

The practical session helped me to realize another essential value of a great leader, whom Professor Ronald

A. Heifetz, the originator of Adaptive leadership, has said “The improvisational ability to lead adaptively

relies on responding to the present situation rather than importing the past into the present and laying it on

the current situation like an imperfect template.”

Leaders adapt. As we see our target moves (usually away), or our potential pitfall moves (usually closer),

we adjust to the situation.

Commencement of a new journey

The end of the five day Harvard ELS marks the commencement of a new journey.

The training initially left me walking away knowing the urgency to restructure my ideal of leadership and

my own leadership direction and style. The most important questions about myself have been asked. Have I

taken the correct move to enter my second career? Am I moving closer to my passion or am I taking a

longer path to reach my destination?

The Harvard Asian Leadership Trek has been truly thought provoking and inspirational. Exciting

rediscovery of the usage of skill sets, the take home messages from the invited speakers and the thing about

myself are realized every day until I am penning them down today. As a proof, as I reflected and researched

more into the topics, meaningful quotes filled my journal quickly, faster than what I have collected in half a

year.

To answer my initial wander of whether leadership can be taught. The bad news is leadership cannot be

taught. But for any enthusiastic leader wannabe, the great news is, it can be learned, through experimenting

and experiencing, in different ways and at various scales.

To train to be a leader, the best way is to put someone in a very uncomfortable situation that forces one to

go through the awkwardness, reflect, and react accordingly. In time, we form our own leadership style that

is adaptive to the new challenges.

I have materialized the framework developed by Professor Ganz, tasted first hand for myself what is

adaptive leadership, and inspired to reflect and be a mindful compassionate leader. Up next, I shall follow

the advice from another great leader, “Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet

reflection will come even more effective action” -- Peter Drucker.

Think or Swim Along

At the “Deep Forest” of Aquaria, there was hundreds of Lampan swimming nonstop circling the huge cylindrical fish tank. They swam even faster when the keeper fed them with pellets.

I googled and learned that fish has brain, but it’s very little and don’t do much. Those fish were not using their brain to “think” for sure. I don’t know if any of them would intentionally leave the rest to come out of the cycle and perhaps into another tank, to find a better life. Most of them are content with the pellet given to them daily at 5:30pm. Aren’t we all like the school of Lampan, swimming non-stop circling our own “tank” of life towards the perceived happiness? We move even faster when a reward is in front of us, perhaps also because we are afraid the pellet will be snatched by our mates. We also swim along with our friends when it comes to pursuing the many wants in life. We want to eat and drink better. We want work life balance. We want to have opinion on issues and appear smart. We want not to be left out. Some bad people with crooked aims can see this behavior and make a show out of it, like the feeding show at the Aquaria. May we all grow smarter everyday and make use of our little brain a lot, instead of being called a no-brainer Lampan by the spectators outside of our tank.