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Saturday 14 June 2014

Pg 04

ASIA HRD AwARDS 2014Recognising the contributionof leading companies andindividuals

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SElf-AwAREnESSAlERtPractical tips to knowyourself well

PowER ofStoRytEllIngIt’s not just for puttingthe kids to bed

Pg 08Man inthe mirrorTake the lead bybeing the change youwish to see

Pg 03

SeLF-aWareneSS

WHat tHe LeaderSHaVe tO Say

PaGeS 6-7

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EDITORIALAdviserRoshanThiRanEditorKaREnnEoh

ContributingeditorsPREmaJaYaBaLanhYmaPiLLaYLimLaYhsUan

Sub-editorLEEKaRYEan

Layout,Art&DesignTUngEnghwaZULhaimiBahaRUddinahmadfadZULYUsofadZnamsaBRi

hafisidZLashanKaRmohdKhaiRULmUhdhafEEZRaZZiah

Writers&ContributorsZaRaJaYnEEvELYnTEhRainaRadZaif

KhooEaRnsoo&TEamYasiRosmanamandachUa

By ZARA JAYNEzara.jayne@leaderonomics.com

IN search of your identity during yourgrowing up years, the above were a few“normal”questions you often askedyourself. Now that you’re a grown-up, doyou still find yourself grappling with suchquestions?Many, at this stage of their lives, are on

the journey of discovery.With that, theyare still unaware of their own strengthsand weaknesses.First things first. By knowing ourselves,

we are able to maintain a balanced lifepersonally and professionally because wewill then knowwhat motivates us, andwhat does not.Also, when we recognise our strengths

and weaknesses, we tend to make bet-ter decisions in our daily choices as weare more focused on what we want toachieve.So, here are a few simple tips on how

you can develop self-awareness by identi-fying your strengths and weaknesses.

n Take some Time TowriTe Them down

Set aside at least 10 to 15minutes to listdown all your strengths and weaknesses.Strengths are your talents or innate

abilities. On the other hand, weaknessesare something you need to work on toimprove yourself.

It is vital to note them down so thatyou are aware. By sharing the list withpeople you trust, they can also help youmanage your weaknesses, especially inprofessional skills that youmay be lack-ing.

n Take baby sTeps Towork onweaknesses

After writing them down, ponder and seewhat steps you can take to improve your-self. Avoid taking unrealistic big leaps tochange yourself as youmay not stick tothem.Instead, take small steps. For

instance, set reminders on deadlines toimprove your timemanagement skill.Set daily mini-goals for yourself andyou’ll find that you are capable of somuchmore!

n idenTify yourreacTions TosiTuaTions

Make it a habit to identify and reflecton your response to certain situationsthat you have experienced in life.These spontaneous responses will

reveal a lot about yourself in normaland intense situations.

n keep a journalA journal helps you reflect on your life.With a journal, you are able to look backand learn from your mistakes, and takeproper steps for a better future.Constantly reflect and journal the

good, the bad and the ugly. In due time,you will realise you are already becom-ing more self-aware!

kNowiNg yoUrsElF bEttEr

“When you’re different, sometimes you don’tsee the millions of people who accept you forwhat you are. All you notice is the person whodoesn’t.” – Jodi Picoult

“I think self-awareness is probably the mostimportant thing towards being a champion.”– Billie Jean King

“Some artists shrink from self-awareness,fearing that it will destroy their unique giftsand even their desire to create. The truth of thematter is quite opposite.” – James Broughton

“The mind’s first step to self-awareness mustbe through the body.” – George A. Sheehan

MANYmoons ago, my sister and I visited the Anne Frank Housein Amsterdam.Wewere young students geared up to learn all wecould, and equip ourselves to change the world in our ownways. Thevisit to this building where Frank and family went into hiding in tinyconcealed rooms for two years duringWorldWar two before beingbetrayed and captured, left its indelible mark onme.

“Although I’m only 14, I know quite well what I want, I knowwhois right and who is wrong. I have my opinions, my own ideas andprinciples, and although it may sound pretty mad from an adolescent,I feel more of a person than a child, I feel quite independent ofanyone.” - Anne Frank, The Diary of Anne Frank

It simultaneously shook my belief (albeit temporarily) that therewas good in everyone, and affirmedmy faith that anyone, even ateenage girl could continue to touch and transform lives long aftershe left us. It was a good trip with my sister, with a healthy dose ofintrospection (and a touch of bewilderment) to say the least!Upon reading more of the writings of Frank, I realise that she

seemed to be very aware of who she was, and quite resolute in herthoughts and ideals.

In this issue, we focus on the topic of self-awareness, thatcritical step for improvement on the road to transformation.We assess:> the benefits of, and barriers to self-awareness> what healthy self-awareness is> what the value of self-aware leadership to individuals and

organisations is

As you navigate some excellent pieces on techniques todevelop self-awareness, I urge you to consider what self-awareness is not:> self-awareness is not the endpoint – it needs to translate into

informed and tangible action> conversely, self-awareness is not an excuse for inaction by shifting

responsibility to others> self-awareness is also not self-absorption

Only years after the visit to Frank’s house have I developed adeeper appreciation for the inspiring words of this self-awareteenager. A quick glance at my calendar, and I realise that I amwriting my first hello to our readers on her birthday and that shewould have been 85 today had she lived.While I am several timesthe age of young Frank (oh yes!), I found these words to mirror whereI often find myself:

“It’s really a wonder that I haven’t dropped all my ideals, becausethey seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them,because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really goodat heart.” – Anne Frank

Have a fantastic weekend!

KAREN NEOHEditorleaderonomics.com

i aM. aM i?

“Who am I?”“How do others viewme?”“Do I really knowmyself?”

mystarjob.com, saturday 14 June 2014 �

By ROSHAN THIRANroshan.thiran@leaderonomics.com

ON June 25, 2009, the demise of theKing of Pop took centre stage daysbefore he was to make his comebackact.When the news broke out, theentire world focused on the life

and songs of Michael Jackson (MJ). I remembergetting sucked in between feelings of excite-ment and sadness, to celebrate the life of suchan interesting personality and to mourn hisuntimely passing.I looked back and started reminiscing my

favourite MJ songs, way back when little MJ sangthe song Ben. In fact, I played Ben for my ownlittle boy numerous times. However, one songalways stood out for me –Man in the Mirror.Man in the Mirrorwas released in the “Bad”

album in 1988 and has a timeless message. Themessage is simply that if you want to change theworld, you have to start with yourself.The song urges us not to just look from afar

and complain and lament, but to change who weare. All change begins with us. All change beginsinside of us.As I reflected on the song, I realised that there-

in lies the secret to leadership – introspectionand self-awareness.

What do these mean? I found these ratherinteresting definitions from Jane Purdue:l introspection: casting a caring yet clinicallyobjective eye on your interests, skills, qualitiesand values.l self-awareness: a non-judgmental under-standing on how you respond, react, engage andinteract.

If you want a simpler definition, RenéDescartes described self-awareness as “I think,therefore I am” (Cogito ergo sum).Essentially, self-awareness is being conscious

of what you are good at while acknowledgingwhat you still have yet to learn. This includesadmitting when you do not have the answer andowning up to mistakes.In our highly competitive world, this can seem

counter-intuitive. In fact, many operate on thebelief that wemust appear to know everythingall the time.We worry that people will questionour capabilities, and this will lead to weakeningour values as leaders.The truth is completely an opposite. As MJ’s

song aptly puts it, the man in the mirror we seeonce (or many times!) a day is seen all the timeby others. So, everyone sees our strengths andweaknesses played out daily. Unless we taketime to look in the mirror, wemay not truly seeourselves as others do daily.

The benefiTs of self-awarenessTruly understanding what makes us who we

are requires great introspection and time.Wesometimes see the mirror reflecting “truths”about ourselves but we prefer to ignore them. Itis so much easier to blame problems on others.Socrates, Benjamin Franklin andmost great

leaders believed that self-awareness leads to aproductive and fulfilling life. Even Buddha addsin his two cents worth on self-awareness stating,“All that we are is the result of what we havethought.”In spite of all these self-awareness advocates,

we need to truly believe the need to spend timegetting to know ourselves.Why is this impor-tant?A 2010 study by Green Peak Partners and

Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relationscited that “self-awareness should be a top criteri-

on. Interestingly, a high self-awareness score wasthe strongest predictor of overall success.“This is not altogether surprising as executives

who are aware of their weaknesses are often bet-ter able to hire subordinates who performwell incategories in which the leader lacks acumen.“These leaders are also more able to entertain

the idea that someone on their teammay havean idea that is even better than their own.”As a leader of an organisation, pretending to

know everything could create situations that canbe challenging for you and your employees – lossof trust and issues of hiring the wrong talentarise.On the other hand, when you take responsibil-

ity for what you do not know, your organisationbenefits through increased credibility and trustand your effectiveness as a leader multiplies. Asthe study points out, you are more likely to lookfor answers or help from others in the organisa-tion, enabling you to leverage the strengths ofthe entire company.Self-awareness is also the foundation of

emotional intelligence. Lack of self-awarenesshandicaps your ability to self-manage (how canyoumanage what you are not aware of?) and besocially aware.The higher your level of self-awareness, the

smaller your blind spots are. Self-awarenesshelps you sell better and when you are self-aware, you are more likely to nail down that biginterview, for example.

levels of self-awarenessPhilippe Rochat from Emory Universitybelieves there are five levels of self-awareness:Level 0: Confusion. At this level they have zeroself-awareness, andmay not even realise there isa mirror.Level 1: Differentiation. They realise the mir-ror is able to reflect things, yet they do not seethemselves in the mirror.Level 2: Situation. They can link the image inthe mirror to themselves, yet the image is still ata superficial level.Level �: Identification. They can now see thatwhat is in the mirror is actually themselves. Yetthey may struggle to go deeper and com-pare what they see in the mirror to theirprevious selves or others.Level 4: Permanence. At thislevel, they are clearly self-aware and see themselvesfrom first-person per-spectives.Level 5: Self-con-sciousness or “meta”self-awareness. At thislevel not only are the“selves” seen from first-person view but they arealso able to see them-selves from a third per-son’s viewpoint. Theybegin to understandthey can be in the mindof others and see whatothers see of them.

Which phase areyou at in your self-awareness journey?Many of us may notrealise that we arepotentially stuck in Level1 or 2 and continue tosuperficially believe mythswe have created about our-selves.

whaT should i beself-aware on?The next question you will ask me is what you

should be self-aware on. I suggest starting withthe following areas:

1 Know your strengthsIn 1982, researchers videotaped two bowling

teams playing several games. Members of eachteam then watched the recordings to improve.However, the videos received were edited dif-

ferently with a team receiving a recording of onlytheir mistakes while the other team’s video onlyhighlighted their good performances.After studying the videos, both teams

improved their game, but the team that studiedits successes improved its score twice as much asthe one that studied their mistakes.This research concludes that focusing on your-

self, regardless if you focus on your mistakes orstrengths, yields improvement. But zooming inon your strengths was significantly more ben-eficial.I just took the entire Leaderonomics team on

a “strengths retreat”a fewweeks ago whereall of us explored our strengths together. Therewere numerous “aha”moments for us duringthe retreat.If your organisation is not a strength-based

organisation, work with your human resourcesleaders to become one.

2 Know how you learnLearning is the cornerstone of growth.

Learning is also a very painful process andmanyof us avoid “real” learning as it hurts.Do you know how best you learn? Are you a

visual, auditory or kinetic learner? Once you areself-aware about your personal learning habitsand style, you become amore effective learnerand leader.

� Practise “feedback analysis”Peter Drucker wrote about a self-reflection

process he termed as “feedback analysis”. Hedescribed it as follows: “Whenever

youmake a decision or takea key decision, write downwhat you expect will hap-pen. Nine or 12 monthslater, compare the resultswith what you expected.”Leaders who practise this

approach gain significantinsights about themselvesand become self-aware on

their decision-making power.Warren Buffett never fails to

write down the reasons why heis making an investment andchecks back years later to see ifit went right or wrong. Throughthis process, he learnedmore

about himself.

4 Ask yourself toughquestions often

Many people struggle toanswer questions about them-selves. Ask yourself thesequestions that follow. If youdo not have a clear answerfor them, keep asking your-self until you figure outwhat the answers wouldbe:l What are yourvalues?l What do you standfor?

l What legacy do you want to leave and beknown for when you are gone?

l What do you fear?l What is getting in the way of you feeling your

best?l How do you think your best friends would

describe you?l What would your colleagues and bosses

describe you?

self-awareness in businessNew research by Korn Ferry analysts David Zes

and Dana Landis confirms the direct relationshipbetween leadership self-awareness and organi-sational financial performance.Zes and Landis wrote in their whitepaper, A

Better Return on Self-Awareness, that “publiccompanies with a higher rate of return (ROR)also employ professionals who exhibit higherlevels of self-awareness.”

Their research provides the following keyarguments:

l Employees at poor-performing companieshad 20%more blind spots than those working atfinancially strong companies.

l Employees at poor-performing companieswere 79%more likely to have low overall self-awareness than those at firms with robust ROR.Stock performance was tracked over 30

months, from July 2010 through January 2013.During that period the companies with thegreater percentage of self-aware employeesconsistently outperformed those with a lowerpercentage (Zes and Landis, 2013).Knowing this, wemust realise that self-aware-

ness is NOT a soft skill that is nice to have inorganisations. It is a critical leadership compe-tency that every leader in every organisationmust strive to posess.

final ThoughTsMJ’s last album Invinciblewas rather profound.

To me, it was his self-awareness album. The1997 album seems to beMJ’s way of apologis-ing to the world for all his mistakes. He clearlyseems to indicate that every action he took notonly affected him but everyone around him. MJseemed to have finally found himself.Shakespeare once wrote, “To thine own self be

true, and it must follow as night the day: thoucanst not then be false to any other man.”Shakespeare alludes that if we do not know

ourselves, we cannot be true to ourselves. Andif we cannot be true to ourselves, we will notinspire ourselves, nor others, to change.

Do you know yourself? If you do not “knowthyself” (nosce teipsum), you will never changethe world. So, before trying to change the world,start by changing yourself.

I’m gonna make a changeFor once in my lifeIt’s gonna feel real goodGonna make a differenceGonna make it right…~ Man in the Mirror, Michael Jackson

n Roshan Thiran is CEO of Leaderonomics, and ismadly passionate about “changing the world”.However, he is making sure he is taking frequentbreaks to “nosce teipsum”and changing himselffirst before he attempts to change the world. Formore information on change programmes foryour organisation, log on to www.leaderonom-ics.org or email training@leaderonomics.com.You can follow Roshan on LinkedIn and Facebook(www.facebook.com/roshanthiran.leaderonomics)as he shares various leadership nuggets daily.

start with theMan in the MirrorMaking the world a better place begins with you

I’m starting with the man inthe mirror

I’m asking him to changehis ways

And no message could havebeen any clearer

If you wanna make theworld a better place

Take a look at yourself, andthen make a change

~ Man in the Mirror,Michael Jackson

mystarjob.com, saturday 14 June 2014�

AsiA HRD AwARDs 2014By PREMA JAYABALANprema.jayabalan@leaderonomics.com

THE Asia HRD Awards2014 was hosted inKuala Lumpur on June 10whereby 15 distinguishedpersonalities and organisa-

tions from over eight countries werehonoured for their contributions topeople development.Deputy PrimeMinister Tan Sri

Muhyiddin Yassin graced the awardsceremony.Among the foreign dignitaries

who were present at the Asia HRDAwards were Dr Haris Silajdzic,former chairman of the presidencyand PrimeMinister of Bosnia andHerzegovina, and Fahmi Ali AlJowder, formerWorks Minister ofBahrain.Once again, the Asia HRD Awards

celebrated the best and the bright-est, i.e. individuals who have ele-vated human capital developmentand positively impacted society, thecorporate world and the humanresource community.Recognised for their efforts and

influence in improving organisationsor communities they work within,they are often the reason great suc-cess and inspiring stories exist.

ContRibution to HR CommunityName Designation Organisation Country

Said Saif Mohammed Manager of training centre ORPIC OmanAl-Hashmi

Shankar Nagalingam Human resources director DELL Inc. Malaysia

Dr Vidhya Vinod CEO and executive director Eikon International UAEHolding

Abdulghani Al-Rumaih Chairman TAFE Arabia Saudi Arabia

Hew Moi Lan Chief executive officer SEG International MalaysiaBhd

Name Country

PPM Institute of Management Indonesia

Canara Bank India

Dr Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group Saudi Arabia

Dutch Lady Milk Industries Bhd Malaysia

Cegos Asia Pacific Singapore

LeapEd Services Sdn. Bhd. Malaysia

ContRibution to oRgAnisAtion

ReCipients List 2014 by CAtegoRy

Name Designation Country

Dr Haris Silajdzic Former chairman of the Bosniapresidency and prime minister and Herzegovina

Lifetime ACHievement

Name Designation Organisation Country

Tan Sri Sidek Hassan Ali Chairman Petronas Malaysia

Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Group managing Mah Sing MalaysiaLeong Hoy Kum director/group Group Bhd

chief executive

Datuk Wira Ameer Ali Managing director Mydin Mohamed MalaysiaHoldings Bhd

Datuk Ibrahim Ahmad Director General Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) Malaysia

ContRibution to soCiety

Recipients of theContribution to HRCommunity Awardcategory

Representatives ofthe Contributionto OrganisationAward category

Recipients of theContribution toSociety Awardcategory

Dr Haris Silajdzicreceiving theLifetimeAchievementAward from TanSri MuhyiddinYassin at the AsiaHRD Awards 2014

The Awards nightwas a celebrationof excellence inthe following fourcategories:

THERE is certainly no otherpeople development awardsceremony like this.The line-up of previousrecipients include Fidel V.Ramos, the 12th Presidentof the Philippines (recipientof the Asia HRD LifetimeAchievement Award), and TanSri Tony Fernandes, founderand group CEO of AirAsiaBhd (recipient of the AsiaHRD Contribution to SocietyAward).Other recipients include

Sheikha Lubna Khalid AlQasimi, the UAE Ministerof Development andInternational Cooperation(recipient of the LifetimeAchievement Award) andShri Shiv Nadar, founder andchairman of the Shiv NadarFoundation in India (recipientof the Contribution to SocietyAward).What started in 2003 to

honour these outstandingindividuals is now firmlyestablished as one of the

most prestigious awards hon-ouring contributors to peopledevelopment.The Asia HRD Awards has

since recognised 145 menand women from 16 differ-ent countries for their tirelessefforts.

The independent awardscommittee consists ofillustrious and decoratedindividuals. They include:

l Tan Sri Haji MohamadMorshidi Abdul Ghani, SarawakState Secretary, Chief Minister’sDepartment of Sarawak,Malaysia

l Dr Ebrahim K. Al Dossary,former chairman of theInternational Federation forTraining and DevelopmentOrganisation (IFTDO) andPrimeMinister’s Court, Bahrain

l Hamidah Naziadin, headof group corporate resourcesdivision, CIMB, Malaysia

l Robert Yeo, executivedirector and CEO of SingaporeTraining and Development(STADA)

l Rajeev Dubey, president(group human resources,corporate services and after-market) and group executiveboard member of Mahindra &Mahindra Ltd, India

l Ahmed Al Banna, chiefexecutive of Origin Group,Bahrain

Leading this stellar cast isnone other than Ramos, thecurrent Asia HRD AwardsCommittee chairman.Held in Kuala Lumpur, this

was not just a red carpetevent celebrating glamour andglitz of the corporate world.Instead, it was a night

where initiatives were recog-nised and honour was accord-ed to those who tirelesslycontributed towards peopledevelopment and growth.

l Lifetime Achievement Award forindividuals who have made a lifetimecontribution to people development

l Contribution to Society Award forendeavours in advancing education andother learning initiatives

l Contribution to Organisation Awardfor effective roles played in employeedevelopment

l Contribution to HR Community Awardfor initiatives that have been provenimpactful in the human resources sphere

n Brought to you by SMR Group.

mystarjob.com, saturday 14 June 2014 �

Leong continuesBy PREMA JAYABALANprema.jayabalan@leaderonomics.com

THE Asia HRD Awards 2014 winnerfor the contribution to society cate-gory Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Leong Hoy Kumis an eminent figure in the society.The groupmanaging director and

CEO of Mah Sing Group Bhd founded the plas-tics manufacturing division in 1979 and listedMah Sing Group Bhd on the Kuala LumpurStock Exchange in 1992.Mah Sing is one of Malaysia’s leading prop-

erty developers, specialising in building homesand prime commercial projects in strategiclocations.Currently, the group has 47 projects scat-

tered aroundMalaysia, namely Kuala Lumpurand the Klang Valley, Johor Baru (IskandarMalaysia), Penang (North Corridor EconomicRegion) and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.Besides being the man at the helm at Mah

Sing, Tan Sri Leong is also on the central com-mittee of the 900-member Malaysian PlasticsManufacturers Association.He has been the honourary president of

the YoungMalaysianMovement Association(YMM) since 1999 and president of TheDramatic Art Society, Malaysia since 1996.Besides that, he is also vice-president of theTable Tennis Association of Malaysia.Tan Sri Leong sits on the board of directors

of various other private companies.In recognition of his achievements, he

was conferred the Darjah PadukaMahkotaSelangor (D.P.M.S.) which carries the title ofDato’ and the Jaksa Pengaman awards by theSultan of Selangor in 1996 and 2001 respec-tively.In 2007, Tan Sri Leong was conferred

the‘Darjah Kebesaran Sultan Ahmad ShahPahang Yang Amat DiMulia − PeringkatPertama Sri Sultan Ahmad Shah Pahangwhich carries the title Dato’ Seri, followed bythe Darjah Panglima Setia Mahkota which car-ries the title Tan Sri in 2009.

Commitment to soCietyWhen asked what his immediate reaction

was upon receiving the news of winning theAsia HRD award for contribution to society,this is what he said:“I am honoured to have won the award. As

a caring corporate citizen, Mah Sing’s corpo-rate social responsibility is deeply embeddedin our corporate philosophy.“Beyondmaking donations to worthy

causes, we further set up a charitable trust,Mah Sing Foundation, to receive and adminis-ter funds solely for medical, educational andcharitable purposes, as well as to seek to raisemore funds via annual fundraising activitiesand events. It is indeed gratifying to find thatour efforts have been appreciated.”

According to Tan Sri Leong, winning anaward is a responsibility and he ensures thatMah Sing will try its utmost best to live up toit.He is firm on his stand that Mah Sing will

continue to contribute towards making thecommunities, within which it operates, better.“We believe that an award such as this

spurs improved performance of the awardwinner. As a market-driven developer we notonly build homes, offices and industrial lots,we also strive to build communities.“This achievement is a mark of distinction

on our social contribution activities, not just atthe corporate and investment levels but alsoin the eyes of the public.”

investing in peopleOn people development, Tan Sri Leong says,

“Mah Sing believes that it is our responsibil-ity as a corporate entity to invest and nourishtalents. Human capital is an integral part ofevery business’ success as it is the staff thatsupports and executes strategies.”“We place high emphasis on teamwork as

we believe the key to overcome challengingsituations is to work together as a team,”Leong adds.The Group’s culture focuses on its employ-

ees. By being employee-centric, its employeesalign themselves to the common goals of thecompany.They are encouraged to be innovative, crea-

tive, competent and, above all, loyal to thegroup.Since Mah Sing is a fast-paced company

that focuses on excellent customer service,it fosters the culture of continuous learningamong its employees.At Mah Sing, employees are provided with

recreational activities after office hours inorder to give them an avenue to unwind.Team-building activities and get-togethers

are organised to promote a healthier environ-ment and work-life balance.The Group does not define career advance-

ment only in terms of promotions, but givesemphasis to developmental opportunitiesthrough exposure to other fields of work.With an open culture cultivated at Mah

Sing, employees feel comfortable in voicingout whenever they are interested in trying outother jobs or functions within the companyfor the purpose of learning and development.

to buiLd communities“this achievement is a mark of distinction onour sociaL contribution activities, not justat the corporate and investment LeveLs butaLso in the eyes of the pubLic”

n Brought to you by SMR Group.

congratuLationsThe Asia HRD Awards for Contribution to Societyacknowledges and applauds endeavours to fostereducation and other learning initiatives in thecommunity.

Heartiest congratulations to Tan Sri Dato’ SriLeong Hoy Kum of Mah Sing Group Bhd for beingone of the winners of the Asia HRD Awards forContribution to Society in 2014 for his contributiontowards Corporate Social Responsibility.

mystarjob.com, saturday 14 June 2014� mystarjob.com, saturday 14 June 2014 �

By EVELYN TEHevelyn.teh@leaderonomics.com

BENJAMIN Franklin once said, “Thereare three things extremely hard:steel, a diamond, and to know one’sself.”If the founding father of the

United States and world-renowned poly-math says that, it sheds some light on whyself-awareness remains a challenge to mostleaders, even if it is probably one of the mostoverstated concept of leadership.The consequential question to what seems

to be a challenging journey is this: Are weeven capable of developing self-awareness?Firstly, self-awareness at its most basic is

our capability for consciousness in recognisingourselves as distinct from our surroundings.Scientific research shows that this processhappens in the wrinkly part of our brainknown as the cerebral cortex. Interestingly,even with a damaged cerebral cortex, we arestill able to recognise ourselves.The argument then is the evidence that

human beings are naturally wired to be con-scious. For the sceptics who question whethereveryone can develop self-awareness, theevidence points to a strong “yes”. We have thebiological endowment, but are we putting inthe developmental efforts?

Three componenTs ofhealThy self-awareness

Preceding the effort to decide on whatneeds to be done in a developmental journeyof self-awareness is the understanding ofwhat defines self-awareness beyond con-sciousness.There are varied definitions but most agree

that consciousness reflects an ability to thinkwhile self-awareness is the next level in whichan individual is capable of thinking abouttheir thoughts (metacognition).For example, babies develop consciousness

the moment they are born (i.e. they respondto stimulus) but it is only in the first fewyears of life that they start developing asense of self which allows them to distin-guish their perspectives from adults’ per-spectives. This sense of self may include ourthoughts, emotions, strengths, weaknesses,values, needs, etc.

In terms of leadership, the first trinityconsists of three key components that arepresent for healthy self-awareness – hon-esty, action and self-other intention.

In Daniel Goleman’s study on emo-tional intelligence, he found that lead-ers that rise and stay at the top of theorganisation are characterised by astrong sense of self-awareness. Thisdefinition of self-awareness does notdeviate much from what we definedearlier, but it does stress a strongvalue of honesty in our self-evalu-ation.

The argument is that a view thatis neither overly critical nor unreal-istically hopeful is key to a leader’sperformance given that theybecome experts between theinterplay of their own strengthsand weaknesses.

Self-awareness is also com-monly viewed to be a passiveact of thinking whereby thefocus is just a mere contem-plation of one’s thoughtswhile leadership has a strongbasis in proactive action. Ahigh level of self-awarenessalways comes with actionbecause these individualsunderstand that thoughtsare stagnant until it pro-duces a tangible action.

Self-aware leadership isabout making intentionaland informed decisionsin the best time throughthe basic act of monitor-ing and controlling theirthoughts (i.e. managingsubliminal biasness).

Finally, there needs to be a differentiationbetween self-awareness and other conceptswith negative connotations such as self-absorption.While both concepts focus on the self, self-

awareness is an inward focus that is driven byone’s connection to the environment. It is theact of taking in the feedback from the envi-ronment and triangulating these thoughtswith our own perspective before producingan action plan that is aligned with situationalconsiderations.With self-absorption, there is an unbal-

anced emphasis on the self in the interplay ofself-other intention despite an initial inwardfocus because the succeeding action is onethat is myopic and ignores environmentalcues.By far, this article has sought to define

self-awareness and to reiterate three key com-ponents of healthy self-awareness. But whatwould it mean to leaders? Lauren Zalaznickwho sits on the board of directors for Shazamsums it up in two sentences, “Throughoutyour career you hear lots of feedback, if youhear feedback and don’t agree with it, itdoesn’t matter what you think. Truth is youare being perceived that way.”Harsh. Yet sensible. Leaders who under-

stand this reality and seek to increase theirself-awareness are able to position them-selves better to manage different percep-tions.Consequently, their leadership capabili-

ties are reinforced in three areas – leadingin a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex andambiguous) environment, leading recoveryand leading in authenticity.

Three ouTcomes ofself-aware leadership

VUCA is a term currently used to describethe global environment characterised by vola-tility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity.Leading in such environment requires that theleader has strong inner resources (i.e. experi-ence, knowledge and values) that can be lev-eraged to increase their situational awarenessin a disrupted external world.Top leaders with a strong level of self-

awareness realise that certain strengths canbe weaknesses depending on the context.Take, for example, Senator John McCain’s pres-idential campaign in the 2008 US elections.McCain was famous for his independent mindand quick action which led him to decide toput his campaign on hold in order to addressthe financial crisis.However, in addressing the crisis, he made

strong yet erratic statements (i.e. declaringthe economy to be fundamentally sound andthen attacking Wall Street) which reducedthe public’s confidence in his ability to makejudgments.In this case, while the situation provided a

good opportunity to the Senator to showcasehis leadership, misplaying his quick-minded-ness became an example of how a leader canfail to effectively adapt one’s leadership tothe needs of a situation. Had he taken thetime to step back and consider an intentionalresponse, he likely would have acted pru-dently.In 2004, David Pottruck was fired from his

position as the CEO of flailing financial serv-ices company Charles Schwab. What shockedhim was that his dismissal had been so quick.He knew that the bad organisational perform-ance reflected risk in his position but given hehad been co-CEO Charles Schwab’s protégéand partner – shouldn’t he have been given asecond chance?

The unforgiving reality reflected his lackof awareness about his position, yet he tookhis first step in self-awareness in leading hisrecovery by accepting the dismissal as a tem-porary setback rather than an ultimate failure.As he moved through his transitional period

of ex-CEO to entrepreneur, he relied heavily onhis ability to reflect and evaluate his situationin keeping him grounded. What resulted fromthis new-found self-awareness was a realisa-tion that while the past was good, it had itsshare of horrible times; times he would notchoose to live again.In addition, it gave him a clearer hindsight

as he was able to put under the microscopeall the bad decisions he had made in CharlesSchwab that had led him to his situation. Ittook a year of transition but ultimately, asa leader, Pottruck chose to look inward andwork on himself as opposed to blaming othersin leading his recovery journey.Leading recovery can also be extrapolated

to an organisational level such as RichardBranson’s story of his company’s venture intoVirgin Cola, which was a big failure in theorganisation. Branson is a keen advocate formistakes as a leverage for self-awareness.He believes that we can learn from mis-

takes to be better at self-awareness, just ashow he looked inward with regards to VirginCola’s failure and realised that the failure wasa result of overconfidence in repeating previ-ous successful models – not realising thatthere were problems with the idea (i.e. notaligned with Virgin’s core positioning).Finally, self-awareness is a key in leading

authentically. We show a preference for lead-ers who are self-assured enough to lead, butalso humble enough to know when they donot have all the reins.Research shows that authentic leaders tend

to be able to create meaningful connectionswith their followers which then translates tostrong performance. Authentic leadership inthis aspect refers to the knowledge of one’sown strengths and weaknesses, garneringthe leader’s organisational and personal cred-ibility.John Mackey, founder and co-CEO of

Whole Foods is a strong believer that aleader’s personal growth translates toan organisation’s growth. As an advocatefor conscious capitalism and leadership,Mackey often attributes his ability to lookinward as the reason why he has a purposewhich aligns with his business growth and,ultimately, the growth of conscious businessleaders globally.

Three barriers Todeveloping self-awareness

Each leader’s story mentioned above andresearch put forth would rationally givestrong support in the case of a leader’s needfor self-awareness. Regardless, in ensuring the

success of such development, there are pos-sible barriers.This article looks at three main hindrances

to obtaining stronger self-awareness – thehuman’s ego, naivety and fear. To begin with,humans have an in-built ego system usuallypowered by the brain’s emotional structure(i.e. the amygdala). It functions as an alarmsystem in the case of an identity threat.For leaders, this ego system can go into

overdrive especially where the influence ofpower is concerned. A study conducted byneuroscientist Sukhvinder Obhi fromWilfridLaurier University in Ontario showed that thepresence of power clouds our ability to empa-thise.When there is a change in perception of

power especially when we feel more powerfulthan others, results of the study show thatthis shift reduces our ability to empathise.When our ability to empathise is reduced, weare less accurate in reading others, which thendiminishes the plausibility of our self “maps”.As self-awareness is derived in relation

to others, less accurate maps decrease ourcapability to respond to our environment opti-mally. A related barrier is fear, which is alsoattributed when our amygdala is in overdrive.For example, the fear of being alone can causesignificant discomfort.Seeing that being self-aware is often

assisted by temporary physical aloneness (i.e.reflection time) and can result in realisationsthat we prefer not to know otherwise, it isunderstandable why developing self-aware-ness can be a significant challenge amonghumans wired for relationships.Finally, being naive and inexperienced can

prove to be a hindrance in developing strongerself-awareness as leaders have a myopic viewof the superhero leader, believing they aretruly the only ones who can save the world.Again, discounting external perspectives evenwith the best intention is likely to lead toimmature decisions and weak leadership.

Three key TechniquesTo developing self-awareness

Nevertheless, as with all barriers, there will beweapons to break it down. This article looks atthree key techniques that could possibly breakbarriers and build our capacity in developingself-awareness, which in turn will lead to betterleadership.Building mindfulness is the first key solution

as simple acts such as meditation has shownto activate our parasympathetic systemwhichincreases the capability of self-awareness andopenness to new ideas – at least based onresearch by Professor Richard Boyatzis, a well-known thought leader in organisational behav-iour. This mindfulness also helps overcome theprimal emotional systemwe have and stop egoand fear from taking over the next time we tryto access our self-awareness.Next, self-awareness may be derived from

the self but it does not occur in just that vacu-um. Continually collecting experiences not onlyadds to our internal information base but theconstant exposure to new experiences allowsus to experiment our alignment with differentsituations and create convergence between ourtrue north and the external world.Finally, since self-awareness works in a

loop with our external environment, seek toengineer your environment so it is the mostfertile for you to develop your self-awareness.Research by the Centre of CreativeLeadership showed thatconstantly acquiringhonest and truthfulfeedback can helpbuild self-aware-ness especiallywhen it comesfrom someonecredible like acurrent boss.

Moreover, Jim Roth suggests that we arethe sum of the five people we are closest withwhich reminds us that we need to prune ournetwork to ensure that we are surrounded bythose who are best suited to provide us withexternal perspectives and data to triangulatewith. Conceptually, self-awareness seems to bean exercise on our own. Actually, it is best as anexercise with others.To conclude, leaders are also human beings

and there is strong bearing on a healthy levelof self-awareness to build a strong true northwithin the leader to withstand external pres-sures. It won’t be the easiest of journeys, butlike diamonds in the rough, our self-awarenessbecomes a gem through significant refiningand polishing.There will be a plethora of information and

courses that promise how-to’s of leadership butevery perspective is a new light shed on self-awareness – just like this article’s omne triumperfectum (Latin phrase for everything thatcomes in three is perfect) view of self-aware-ness.It remains paradoxical that self-awareness

slows us down to speed ourselves up as bet-ter leaders. Yet, isn’t that what leadership hasalways been, i.e. managing paradoxes?componenTs of healThy

self-awareness

barriers To developingself-awareness

ouTcomes of self-aware leadership

key Techniques Todeveloping self-awareness

Self-AwAreneSS: An ‘OmneTrium PerfecTum’ View ThingS ThAT cOme in

ThreeS Are PerfecT

n Evelyn Teh is part of Leaderonomics’Talent Acceleration team.For more information, email people@leaderonomics.com

Components of strongself-awareness

Barriers

Key techniques

Leadership outcomes

Honesty, action, self-other intention

Human ego; fear;naivety

Build mindfulness; collectexperiences; engineerenvironment

Leading in a VUCA environment;Leading recovery; leading inauthentcity

‘Omne Trium Perfectum’ view of self-awareness: A framework to assist leadersin understanding simple concepts of self-awareness, and more importantly threeoutcomes to remind us why self-awareness matters to leadership.

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mystarjob.com, saturday 14 June 2014�

KNOWLEDGETHROUGH STORYTELLINGBy RAINA RADZAIFmystarjob@leaderonomics.com

OVER lunch, a managertells a funny anecdote tohis team about how hehandled a difficult cus-tomer. Over the phone,

Laura explains to her colleague howshe saw their disagreement in thatday’s discussion. In a product launch,a chief executive officer shares avision of what the organisation willlook like in the future.Each of these examples reveals

the commonness of storytelling inour lives.We continuously create andshare stories of what happened, why,and what might happen next, repletewith a cast of characters, multipleplots and drama. Stories help usmake sense of our past and under-stand the present.Sharing experiences via storytell-

ing is emerging as an effective way toexchange and consolidate knowledgeat the workplace. Storytelling hasbeen an ancient means of passingon wisdom. It builds trust, cultivatesnorms, transfers tacit knowledge,and facilitates unlearning and emo-tional connections.

The power of sToriesIn the 1980s, while looking for

ways to boost the productivity ofthe Xerox field service staff, Xeroxlaunched a study of their work beforedeciding how to proceed. An anthro-pologist travelled with a group oftech representatives (reps) to observehow they actually did their jobs.The anthropologist saw that tech

reps often made it a point to spendtime not with customers but witheach other, swapping stories fromthe field.Where a “re-engineer”would see this behaviour as unpro-ductive, the anthropologist saw theexact opposite.The tech reps were not slacking

off; they were doing some of theirmost valuable work. The tech repswere not just repairing machines;they were also co-producing insightsabout how to repair machines better.This discovery triggered a revolu-

tionary change in how Xerox organ-ised andmanaged the tech reps – nolonger as independent workers butas a social learning unit.

Interestingly, through its tellingand retelling to other companies,this story has prompted some-

thing of a revolution in man-agement principles moresuitable for theknowledge era.

Stories can be a very effective wayto represent and convey complexideas.Well-designed and well-toldstories can convey both informationand emotion, both the explicit andthe tacit, and both the core and thecontext.

In organisations, storytelling hasbeen identified as a means to:

l Share values: Stories conveyvalues effectively across generationswithin the organisation. Leadersshould offer a compelling and robustvision through stories thatemphasise the more empoweringaspects of an organisation’s past andplace them in context for the future,thus facilitating the identification offuture opportunities.

l Develop trust andcommitment: At work, stories ofcommendation or complaint aboutother people communicate theirsense of reliability andtrustworthiness to others. Similarly,stories about the organisation andmanagement can convey informationabout the organisation’strustworthiness vis-à-vis itsemployees, which can reinforce orundermine employee commitment.

l Share tacit knowledge: A storyis “a tiny fuse that detonates tacitunderstanding in the mind of thelistener.”The canonical wisdom andknowledge of the organisation,which are built into formal processes,are insufficient to meet the needs ofproblems that arise in the real world.Stories about the work convey suchtacit knowledge in a moremanageable and absorbable fashion.

l Facilitate unlearning:We needto unlearn practices andmentalframes, which we do not even realisewe rely on, that shape our wholeperspective. Rational arguments areinsufficient to accomplish change;stories can be effective to convince usof our tacit understanding.

l Cultivate emotionalconnection: Stories have theinherent capacity to engage ouremotions because they are about theirregularities in our lives, aboutthings and situations that catch ourattention by being different fromwhat is expected.

Stories of the unexpected promptemotional responses because theysuggest the potential threat ofnot being in control of our lives,but simultaneously offer a way ofunderstanding and responding to ourfuture.

The Traps ofknowledge-sharingsToriesDespite their power, stories can fall

short in achieving their intended pur-pose (e.g. to improve performance orchange behaviour) due to its:

l Seductiveness: Stories can be socompelling, seductive and vivid thatlisteners absorb the whole ‘truth’ ofthe stories and are sidetracked fromtheir real purpose.

l Single point of view:When toldfrom a single perspective of anindividual, it may be less directlyrelevant to the activities andconcerns of many other individuals.Thus, the story loses its power toconnect with them.

l Static-ness: The impact of astory is likely to vary depending on itsdelivery, who is the storyteller andwhether it is shared in verbal orwritten form.

how sTories add upThere are also various other strat-

egies or modes to achieve similaroutcomes:

l Storytelling: Sharing ofknowledge and experiences throughnarrative and anecdotes in order tocommunicate lessons, complex ideas,concepts and connections.

l Modelling: Sharing ofknowledge and experience throughexposure to the behaviour of others,e.g. through mentoring,apprenticeship, symbolic conduct,and specific demonstrations andopportunities for observation.

l Simulations: Sharing ofknowledge and experience throughexperiential situations that recreatethe complexities of action, e.g. casestudies, role-playing and simulations.

l Codified resources: Sharing ofknowledge through reference toformal, systematic and structuredsources, e.g. manuals, standardoperating procedures, instructions,memos or databases.

l Symbolic objects: Sharing ofknowledge through access andexposure to images, diagrams orobjects, which represent orillustrate the underlyingknowledge or idea.

DuPont, an industrial chemicalsmanufacturing organisation wellknown for its safety record, deploysall the modes mentioned when con-veying the organisation’s norms andvalues regarding safe practices tonew and existing employees.Employees are provided with

instructions for safe operatingprocedures (codified resources).They are also guided to appropriatebehaviour by prominent signs suchas “Hard hat area”or “Safety glassesrequired” (symbolic objects), or byobserving their supervisors wearingthe appropriate safety gear (model-ling). In regular “safety meetings”,the local workgroups review differentaspects of their work and intention-ally explore better and safer ways tooperate (simulation).Accidents are analysed, docu-

mented and circulated to the wholecompany in a narrative, describingthe accident, the painful outcome,the violated safe practice and therecommended response for similarsituations (storytelling).

idenTifying The righTopporTuniTySome situations lend themselves

more naturally to stories and cantherefore leverage their knowledge-sharing potential better, e.g. when:

l Kick-starting a new idea:Whenstarting a new project, such asproduct launching, crafting a newvision for a group, or creating a newbusiness unit, stories are conciseways to get things going.

l Socialising with new members:When newmembers enter a groupor culture, stories are effective waysof communicating values andprinciples. Leaders might tell a storyof the founder to new hires to set atone of innovation.

l Mending relationships:Situations that call for the reparationof loyalty, trust or commitment arehighly suited for stories. A research in“narrative therapy”demonstrateshow the telling and listening to ourindividual stories, as well as thestories of others, can repair trust andcommitments (White, 1995).

Tips wiTh sToriesWhen designing and telling sto-

ries, be clear on why you’re sharingthem. Stories from colleagues givedeep clues about tacit fears and“undiscussable”assumptions.Listening “between the lines”of

complaints, challenges, successesand general anecdotes of others canreveal guiding principles and vitalclues to leadership about employeeattitudes and feelings.Sharpening one’s story-listen-

ing skills can translate into a moreaccurate map of the collective under-standing and commitment of othersat the workplace.

n Raina Radzaif is a learning anddevelopment practitioner with a lead-ing Malaysia-based multinationalcorporation.

STORIES HELpUS maKESENSE Of OURpaST aNDUNDERSTaNDTHE pRESENT

a STORY IS LIKE“a TINY fUSETHaT DETONaTESTacITUNDERSTaNDINGIN THE mIND OfTHE LISTENER”

mystarjob.com, saturday 14 June 2014 �

A fAther’sBy KOH EARN SOO & TEAMmystarjob@leaderonomics.com

GROWING up in a smallrural town of Demopolis,Alabama, all Jim Rogerswanted to do was to haveenoughmoney in order to

retire early.So, with that as his objective and

goal, he worked hard to learn all thathe could and as a result, Rogers retiredat an early age of 37.With retirement,he obtained the freedom to do whathe wanted in life, coupled with hispassion for adventures and for learn-ing all about how the world reallyworks.Rogers started his first job at the

age of five. He collected empty sodabottles at a local baseball field andcontinued with a few other jobs allthroughout his childhood.As he progressed, Rogers finally

worked his way toWall Street. There,he was given the opportunity topursue his passion for travelling andunderstanding the world. The bestthing was, he was paid to do it!A Gift to My Children is a book

dedicated specially to the author’stwo daughters, Happy and Baby Bee.Having experienced the wisdom ofhis own father’s simple yet impactfuladvice to him as a child, Rogers wrotethis book in an attempt to put downon paper examples of his life experi-ences, which can be applied as a guideto life, adventure and investing.It was written for both his daugh-

ters and for those seeking success inlife. In it, he shares 10 valuable lifelessons for us to chew on, digest andapply in our lives.

Life Lesson no. 1: swimyour own raceIn life, we will be confronted with

many moments where we will needto make very important decisions. Intimes like this, we will discover thatthere will be many people who will bemore than ready and willing to giveus advice even when we do not askfor it.What is most important during

suchmoments is for us to rememberthat it is up to us to lead our own livesand not hand it over to others to leadand decide for us.So, how do we assess all the other

advice we are receiving? Rogers teach-es us that we first need to learn every-thing that we can about the challengewe are facing. The purpose is to makeinformed decisions.Wemust learn to rely on our own

intelligence and not always depend onothers, or be influenced by the peoplearound us. Rogers learned this lessonhard in his early years of his invest-ment, where he worked based onthe assumption that his more seniorcolleagues were more knowledgeable

than he.Hence, he took their opinions as

they were without doing his ownresearch in the subject matter.As a result, each of these

investments failed and finally, atalmost 30 years old, he eventu-ally stopped allowing himselfto be influenced by others andstarted doing his own home-work to make intelligent andinformed decisions.In a magazine interview

with American swimmerDonna de Varona, it was report-ed that she was a good swimmer inthe early stages of her career. She wasgood but not great. But now, the 17-year-old has just secured first place intwo 400m events.What did de Varona do differently?

In the interview, she replied thereporter, “I always used to watch theother swimmers, but then I learnedto ignore them and swim my ownraces.”Rogers also tells his daughters to

take it as a positive sign when peoplelaugh at their ideas and make funof them. It could well be a potentialsuccess.At 32, Rogers was laughed at

when he recommended investingin Lockheed, an aerospace companywhich was once extremely prosper-ous but had declined greatly in the1970s.Little did those who laughed at him

know that Lockheed’s stock wouldrise numerous times in value whenthe company decided to concentrateon the exciting new area of electronicwarfare systems and shed a largemoney-losing division.So, learn to swim your own races:

do not let others do your thinking foryou. But always remember to be ethi-cal in your conduct.

Life Lesson no. 2: focusonwhat you LikeRogers started his first business at

the age of six. Most people would con-sider this too young an age for anyoneto be in business but Rogers is a firmbeliever that age is irrelevant whenyou are passionate about something.As an undergraduate at Oxford

University, he discovered that heenjoyed investing more than being anentrepreneur. He used his scholarshipfunds to purchase some IBM stocksand soon discovered his passion. Life’slesson – don’t allow your age to be adeterrent when you discover your pas-sion and interest. Be courageous andpursue it all the way.Doing what we like, giving it our all

and our best is actually the quickestway to be successful. But how andwhere do we begin in this journey topursue success?Rogers suggests that we should just

try as many things as we can, thenseek to pursue the one thing (or two,or three) that we are most passionateabout.Do not end up as someone who

is always unhappy because you arestuck in a job you do not enjoy. Youend up working just because youcannot afford to give up the monthlypaycheck.Instead, seek to pursue a life where

you do not “go to work”daily. Pursuesomething whereby you get up eachday with a bounce to your step, know-ing that you are living each day doingwhat you simply enjoy and love doing.You will be rich in satisfaction even

if you are not rich in wealth.What ismore important is that you will be ahappy person!

Life Lesson no. 3: Goodhabits for Life andinvestmentHaving initiative makes a differ-

ence. Rogers advises his daughters tobe self-starters. He learned this lessonin life at an early age of 14 when hewas working for his uncle on Saturdaymornings at a convenience store.His Uncle Chink used to tell him,

“There is always something you canbe doing.When there’s nothing else todo, dust the shelves.” Rogers followedthis advice and it has made all thedifference in how he has succeeded inhis life.Being attentive is another attribute

that separates success from failure.Give attention to details no matterhow trivial it may seem to be becauseif you truly love what you do, you will

naturally want to give it your bestshot. Do not leave any stone unturnedin your research. Learn to be thorough.As an investor, Rogers advises, “Do

not invest unless you can say withabsolute certainty that you are moreknowledgeable about this particularfirm than 98% ofWall Street analysts.”Rogers believes that when invest-

ing heavily in a nation, one needs tostart by checking the strength of thatnation’s basic institutions.Questions one should ask are like

“Does it have respect for the rule oflaw?”, “Does it crack down on corrup-tion?”, “Does the legal system facili-tate ethical corporate behaviour?”These, Rogers says, cannot be dis-

covered by merely reading the news-papers or magazines. He suggests thatone should visit the country personallyto see with their own eyes and dis-cover things first-hand.What else is required to have a ful-

filling vocation? Have a dream! Rogersdiscovered his dreamwhen he beganinvesting around the world and whenhe was exposed to a wide range ofcultures and people.He realised his dreamwas to seek

adventure and to keep learning aboutthe world by seeing the world for him-self as much as he could.As he continued to pursue with

passion and worked hard at what heloved to do, he eventually lived hisdream and at 37, he started travellingaround the globe on amotorcycle!

n Koh Earn Soo and his team take thebest books and summarise them intoshorter, readable content in the hope ofinspiring people to read more and learnmore. To read the rest of this summaryand summaries of other bestsellers,subscribe to www.thebestbooksum-mary.com

words of wisdom

Pursue some-thing wherebyyou get uPeAch dAy with Abounce to yoursteP, knowingthAt you Areliving eAch dAydoing whAt yousimPly enjoy Andlove doing

mystarjob.com, saturday 14 June 201410

SeekfeedbackIt IS crucIal for development

By AMANDA CHUAamanda.chua@leaderonomics.com

WE swim in an oceanof feedback – notjust from bosses, col-leagues and custom-ers, but also unwanted

comments from family, life partner,friends and in-laws. Essentially, feed-back is crucial for personal and profes-sional development.At work, it improves performance,

develops talent, aligns expectations,solves problems, guides promotionand pay, and boosts the bottom-line.However, we dread feedback and oftendismiss it.Negative and neutral comments can

spark emotional reactions in the recipi-ent and inject tension into the relation-ship between the giver and the receiver.We might think that the person

delivering the feedback has no credibil-ity; or we might feel wronged and frus-trated by the feedback. Also, we oftenhear “feedback” as apportioning blamerather than as a platform to grow andimprove.The good news is the skills needed

to receive feedback well are learnable.They include being able to identify andmanage the emotions triggered by thefeedback and extract value from criti-cism even when it is poorly delivered.

Six StepS to becomea better receiver offeedbackReceiving feedback well is a process ofsorting and filtering.You need to understand the other

person’s point of view, try on ideas andexperiment with different ways of doingthings. In addition, youmay also needto discard feedback that is genuinelymisdirected.The six steps that follow help you dis-

cern whether to discard or accept feed-back that comes your way (adapted fromThanks for the Feedback: The Science and

Art of Receiving FeedbackWell by SheilaHeen and Douglas Stone).

1 know your tendencieSYou have been getting feedback all

your life, so you would know best howyou respond to it.Do youdefend yourselfwith facts, argue

about themethodof delivery, or strikeback?Do you smile on the outside but har-bour anger on the inside?Do youget tearyor filledwith righteous indignation?Do you tend to reject feedback in the

moment and then step back and con-sider it over time? Do you accept it allimmediately but later decide it is invalid?Do you agree with it intellectually buthave trouble changing your behaviour?By knowing your tendencies and what

you are inclined to in your thinking, youwould have a more objective evaluationof the feedback rather than skewing it tobe bigger than what it is.

2 Separate the ‘what’from the ‘who’

If the feedback is on target, it should notmatter who delivers it. However, oftentimes it does.When we receive feedback, our feel-

ings about the giver surface naturally,resulting in us sometimes detractingfrom learning. To keep that from hap-pening, you have to learn to separate themessage from themessenger.

3 Lean toward coachingEveryone needs feedback that is

evaluative and coaching. Evaluations tellyou where you stand, what to expect,and what is expected of you. Coachingallows you to improve and helps you per-form better.It is not always easy to distinguish one

from the other.When someonemakes asuggestion, we sometimes doubt if it wasintended as helpful suggestion or veiledcriticism. People tend to assume theworstand they end up placingwell-intentionedcoaching into the evaluation bin.My advice is, whenever possible, lean

toward coaching.Work to hear feedbackas potentially valuable advice froma fresh perspective rather than as anindictment of how you have done thingsin the past.When taking that approach, the

suggestion becomes less emotionallyloaded and you would be able to see itobjectively as a simple suggestion forimprovement.

4 unwrap the feedbackOften it is not immediately clear

whether feedback is valid and useful. Sobefore you decide to accept or reject it,conduct some analysis to understand itbetter.Firstly, try to understand what the

giver of the feedback really means. Evena simple advice to “be more assertive”can come from a complex set of observa-tions and judgments. In this instance,you need to dig into the general sug-gestion and find out what in particularprompted the advice.The second step is to understand

where the feedback is going, i.e. exactlywhat the giver of the feedback wantsyou to do differently and why.When youset aside snap judgments and take timeto explore where feedback is comingfrom and where it is going, you can enterinto a rich, informative conversationabout perceived best practices.

5 aSk for juSt one thingFind opportunities to get bite-size

pieces of coaching from a variety of peo-ple throughout the year. Avoid vague,unfocused questions like “Do you haveany feedback for me?”Instead, make the process more man-

ageable by asking a colleague, a boss, ora direct report, “What’s one thing yousee me doing (or failing to do) that holdsme back?”As such, that person mayname the first behaviour that comes tomind or the most important one on hisor her list regarding you.Research has shown that those who

proactively seek critical feedback tend

to get higher performance ratings. It isso because someone who is asking forcoaching is more likely to take what issaid to heart and genuinely improve.Moreover, soliciting constructive criti-

cism communicates humility, respect,passion for excellence, and confidence,all in one go.

6 engage in SmaLLexperimentS

After you have worked to solicit andunderstand feedback, it may still be chal-lenging to discern which bits of advicewill help you and which ones would not.Designing small experiments to find

out may help.When someone gives youadvice, put it to test. By taking someone’sadvice for change, youmay actually findbetter andmore effective ways of doingthings. If it does not work, you can opt totry again, tweak your approach, or decideto end the experiment.

Feedback is sometimes not easy totake. Even when you know it is vital foryour development and you trust that theperson delivering it wants you to suc-ceed, it can activate certain psychologicaltriggers. Youmight feel misjudged, mis-understood and sometimes threatenedto your very core.On the other hand, your growth

depends on your ability to extract valuefrom such feedback despite your natu-ral responses. It also depends on yourwillingness to seek out more advice andcoaching from bosses, peers, and subor-dinates.They may be good or bad at providing

it, but you are the most important decid-ing factor in your own personal and pro-fessional development. If you are deter-mined to learn fromwhatever feedbackyou receive, no one can stop you.

n Amanda loves to work with the like-minded to create shared values and bringabout social change. To get in touchwith her, email her at amanda.chua@leaderonomics.com

mystarjob.com, saturday 14 June 2014 11

By YASIR OSMANyasir.osman@leaderonomics.com

WHO am I? It is probablythe most importantquestion a person canask.Whether we admit

it or not, the world and the peoplearound us often dictate how we shoulddress, speak and behave. Parents, teach-ers, friends, co-workers, celebrities,advertisements and even politicians arestrong influences that shape our think-ing and being.How can we really be who we are

when we are bombarded from everyside on how we should conduct our-selves? To be different is to stand outin the crowd; to be the same is to con-form.Can we even tell when we are mould-

ed by society to act and behave in acertain way?The answer is actually quite simple,

but it can be a challenge to put intopractice. It is the art of self-awareness.It all starts with acknowledging thatpeople are different and everyone hashis or her own story, personality andcharacter.I work as a camp coordinator for a

programme called DIODE Camp. At thiscamp, there is an important sessioncalled “Discovering I”which is createdto help campers aged 14–17 years todiscover and explore who they reallyare.Our main objective for this camp is to

help and guide young people to fulfilltheir fullest leadership potential.One of the most important elements

of being a leader is to know oneself.Self-awareness is an important journeyevery individual must take in order togrow himself or herself to become thebest person he or she can possibly be.Isn’t that what makes our lives morepurposeful? That we grow and learn tobe a better person each day.In simpler terms, self-awareness is a

concept of how people see themselves.As it is, everyone in this world is uniqueand has different perspectives.Let us take an example of the water-

in-the-cup experimental view. Somepeople choose to see the cup as halffull, while somemay see it as halfempty. Still, another group of peoplemay see it as a potential power sourcethrough fusion. Some will just take thecup and drink the water.Everyone is born with different tem-

peraments, much like an easy-to-pleasebaby or a demanding baby who cries

most of the time. Aswe expose ourselvesto different people andexperiences, our charac-ter and personality canbe moulded by thesefactors.Not one person in this

world will encounter thesame experiences in life. Thus, theseexperiences will dictate and influencethe perception and worldview onewill have about the “water in the cup”expression.Discovering every part of you requires

a series of events such as gaining lifeexperiences, taking personality assess-ments, self-reflecting and gatheringother people’s feedback.

EmbracE lifEExpEriEncEs

To find out about one’s true potential,all the person has to do is to step outthe door. Take for example the movieThe Hobbit. An Unexpected Journey.The movie follows a hobbit named

Bilbo Baggins who loved his easy-goinglife until Gandalf, the wise wizard,asked him to go for an adventure. Bystepping out his front door and joiningother hobbits and Gandalf, Bilbo beganto understand what he was capable ofdoing.He learned he could outwit trolls.

He discovered he was brave enough tofight orcs, and strong enough to perse-vere through hardships.Life can be the best teacher if the

person is open to its lessons. It is truethat reading a book can provide muchinformation but how can knowledge beimparted if it is not utilised.How can a person learn how to swim

without touching the water? Hence,all you have to do is to step out of yourcomfort zone and embrace the world.

TakE pErsonaliTyassEssmEnTs

There has been much research done tounderstand human ability, tempera-ment, personality, psychological stateand other factors which can unlock thesecrets to human development. Thus,self-awareness can also come about bytaking an assessment of one’s personal-ity.Personality tests are used to find out

if a person is an introvert or extrovert,or if a person is people- or task-oriented.Through such tests, we can gauge howwe interact with people at work and atplay.One of the well-known personality

tests is MBTI(Myers-Briggs Type Indicator), cre-

ated by Katherine Cook Briggs and herdaughter Isabel Briggs Myers. By usingpsychometric questionnaires, they areable to measure people’s preferences onhow they perceive the world as well ashow they make decisions.DOPE personality test divides people

into four bird groups, i.e. the “neutraldove”, “analytical owl”, “relational pea-cock” and “decisive eagle”. These birdgroups represent different personali-ties. The latest research also includesanother bird group called the “opennessswan”.All the birds have their different basic

desires, emotional needs, controllingfactors and characteristics. These twoassessments are just among the manypersonality tests available online andoffline.

sElf-rEflEcTA self-reflection can be done

through various avenues like jour-naling, meditating, strolling on thebeach, or simply pausing to just thinkabout your life. It is a good way to seewhich stage a person is in their lives.Sometimes, in this modern age,

people go through life at a pace thatis so fast they are unable to see wherethey are heading. They come to apoint whereby they are not even sureif they are taking the right path.By simply taking a moment to

reflect on their experiences, they cansee a little clearer on where they aregoing.Journaling is a great method to

chart their current paths. Through theprocess of writing down their feelings,thoughts and life experiences, theycan see their progress on self-develop-ment and what they want to accom-plish in life.The latest avenue of journaling

is via social media websites such asFacebook, Twitter and Instagram. Aperson can chart their whole historyjust by going through these channels.

GaThEr fEEdbackfrom oThErs

Finally, another way to know yourselfand be self-aware is by getting feedbackfrom other people. There is a psychologi-

cal study on the effectsof self-disclosure and how it affectsone’s ability to increase self-awareness.One of the self-disclosure tools is

called the JohariWindowwherebyit indicates four types of informa-tion based on the degree of a personsharing a part of themselves. One ofthe windows is called the blind spot.Having a blind spot is the inability ofa person to recognise his or her ownstrengths and weaknesses.Some people love to watch the real-

ity show American Idol, especially dur-ing the audition. Inevitably, there willalways be contestants who think theycan sing very well, but fail to impressthe judges with their singing prowess.However, by giving it a go and receiv-ing feedback from the panel of experi-enced judges, they are made aware oftheir own blind spots.To succeed in life, one must first

know one’s true capabilities, strengthsand passion. Step outside and trulyexplore the world, for youmight findyour greatest potential of being whoyou really are. Reflect and learn fromyour past experiences to continueto challenge your perception of theworld.Besides that, make use of avail-

able personality tests and tools suchas MBTI to increase self-awareness.Getting feedback from other peoplecan also help manage your own blindspots.In conclusion, these methods are

only effective when you are honestlytrue to yourself and when you acceptwho you truly are. Everyone of us has apurpose in life – knowing yourself canbe just the first step to discover whatyour purpose is.

n Yasir Osman is part of the youthdivision of Leaderonomics that is pas-sionate about inspiring youths towardsleadership excellence. He is in YouthMedia that creates video and Internetcontent for leadership development.Yasir is also involved in developingyoung leaders through a series ofcamps known as DIODE Camps. If youare interested in developing yourselfas a young leader, you can email himat yasir.osman@leaderonomics.comor visit www.leaderonomics.com/dio-decamps/

Do YoU knowYoUrselfwell?Practical stePs towarDsself-awareness

mystarjob.com, saturday 14 June 201412

If you have any suggestions or feedback on our content, get in touch with the Leaderonomics team at mystarjob@leaderonomics.com.For advertising and advertorials, contact ian.lee@leaderonomics.com - 016 974 7087

A chat with leadingladyNicolDavid

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Which shape are YOU?a simple self-assessment exercisetO Understand YOUrself better

YOU are an analytical person.Your greatest strength is yourknack to think things through,analyse in detail and avoidfatal mistakes.However, this can also be a

weakness because you can beheld back when you analysetoo much. You tend to holdback any decision-making uptill you have all the facts. It isalso unnatural for you to takerisks without the facts.Mistakes are not an option

in your books, and as a result,you are prone to limit oppor-tunities that come your way.You are a task-driven individu-al. You should learn to sit back,relax a little and let thingswork themselves out once ina while.

By HYMA PILLAYhyma.pillay@leaderonomics.com

HERE is a simple exercise which couldhelp you identify your strengths andsee what works best for you.

Step 1 – Think of these four shapes,i.e. a cube, a pyramid, a wavy line anda ball.

Step 2 – Choose the shape whichresonates with you the strongest. Listdown the shapes in the order startingfromwhich appeals to youmost,right to the one which appeals to youleast.

Once you are done with Step 2,read the following for an explanationof each shape and the personalityassociated with it.

YOU are driven by success. Achieving results are very important toyou. You set goals, andmake it a priority to make sure you reachthem.You tend to move in fast paces and sometimes jump to deci-

sions too fast before considering all the facts affecting it. It wouldhelp for you to look at the analytical side of things before youjump into action.You also like to be in control of the things you are involved in.

Youmay need to loosen up a little and take things slow.

YOU are the person who is always full of energy, excitementand enthusiasm for life. You are often referred to as the lightof the room, the one who always brightens up the atmos-phere.You often find yourself coming up with a lot of ideas.

However, you do not always follow through those ideasbecause you do not focus long enough to make themwork.In fact, you find yourself bouncing from one idea to anothervery quickly.If you slow down and pay attention to details, and learn to

be more focused and persevere on the task at hand, you canactually achieve a lot of things, especially with your brilliantideas.

BASICALLY, in everything thatyou do, you just want to makepeople happy. You are usuallythe first to volunteer wheneversomeone needs help.However, while getting

caught up taking care of others,you tend to overlook yourself.You very often take onmorethan you can handle.You are stubborn and carry

a great deal of pride, whichprohibits you from sharing yourfeelings in a meaningful way.You would do well by learninghow to bemore assertive and,most importantly, saying “no”andmeaning it, especially whenasked to take on tasks you can-not handle.

THERE are many personality tests available for you to take.Some of the well-known ones are:

l Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)l The Big Five Personality Traits testl The NEO Personality Inventory Revised (NEO PI-R) testl The Rorschach test

This article is adapted from JacquelineWales’Do You KnowWhat Shape You Are?

n Hyma Pillay is operations leader for themyStarjob.com career guide team and theLeaderonomics content team. You can email herat hyma.pillay@leaderonomics.com

the cUbethe systems person

the pYramidthe results person

the WavY linethe idea person

the ballthe people pleaser