LM (LANDMARK): In your opinion, are leaders born, or can they be trained?
Mr Yap: Leadership is more an art than a science, and you need a high EQ (Emotional Quotient) for it. You cannot get a degree in leadership and become a leader at the end of a course. It’s true some people are more willing to be in charge than others. In a young person, this attribute suggests a natural inclination towards leadership. Some have a better ability to learn and are willing to be mentored — they can be nurtured to become future leaders. We’ve seen how heirs are groomed in monarchies. But it’s a person’s motivation that determines whether he truly becomes a leader or not; if he has altruistic motives then he can become a good leader. A dictator can assume control but very few can stay there because others do not necessarily agree with his vision. A true leader is able to explain his goals and visions and why they should be supported.
Done without force, it makes for a lasting leadership.
LM: What are the qualities of a true leader? By definition and by virtue of his position, a leader is a person who has to lead. Leadership is a privilege that comes with great responsibilities —
responsibilities that are sometimes not fully understood. An effective leader — whether he’s the head of a department, a business organisation, or a recreation committee — must understand what the responsibilities are. For instance, if someone is in charge of organising a dinner and dance, he has to know what the participants expect; what the objectives are; where to find resources and the right people; and so on. Work can be shared, but ultimately the responsibility rests with the leader. It may sound obvious when we say leaders must lead, but it is the truth. The more senior we are, the more thought we need to give to the task.
LM: The best performer in an organisation may not be the best leader — would
you agree? The simple answer is yes. To use a hospital setting as an example, an extraordinary cardiac surgeon may be a leader in his particular field but it is the chief executive who runs the place. The chief executive has to think of the different disciplines and the specialists who can run each of these disciplines; he has to take into account the nurses, the orderlies and various other things. While the chief executive may not be the best surgeon around, he possesses the necessary leadership attributes to see the bigger picture and is thus the best candidate to run the show. Similarly, a technician in a factory may be so effective that he becomes the supervisor of his unit and in the process raises the skills level of his unit. But although technical skills in some positions is a given — the boss has to know how things work — it’s not enough. One needs to possess certain intellectual capabilities, the ability to organise and the motivation in order to be a successful leader.
LM: What’s your own leadership style? I say what I believe. This is a negative when I am insensitive to the impact or consequences of what I say. So speak the truth in a civilised manner. I try very hard to do this as I have to respect the dignity and self-esteem of the people I work with.
I’ve told my people that at this point in time I may be leading them but it’s a role I play, just as they play their roles. In future these roles may be reversed or changed. I always feel like I’m talking to a colleague, it doesn’t matter what our positions are. I have to make certain decisions and cannot shirk my responsibilities. In fact, the responsibilities stay with me even if the work is done by others.
LM: Some schools of thought believe a
manager should manage less. What’s your take
on this? A leader can delegate his work, but he cannot abdicate his responsibilities. Part of a leader’s excellence lies in his ability to select the right people. If his team is not well-equipped, it’s his job to equip them with the right resources in terms of knowledge, finance,
people and so on.Otherwise he has to deal with the consequences.
One shouldn’t be so
hands-on that it’s a hindrance; in order for his team to be effective, a leader has to brief the people and make them understand the task.
LM: How would you describe the leadership style in Far East Organization? We have strong leadership at the top. Our founder Mr Ng Teng Fong is very clear about what he does which results in successful business imperatives. Our CEO, Mr Philip Ng has the vision to make Far East Organization successful and lasting not just during his tenure but also on a more enduring level. We are on track to what we want to be — our mission is to become The Developer of Choice. The leader is like the conductor of an orchestra; everyone has to be playing their part in order to make nice music. If somebody’s out of tune, you have to practise more or be replaced.
LM: How have things changed in the Organization in the last
few years? The business has changed in the last 10-15 years, but the fundamentals of management and leadership do not change. Our business imperatives remain the same. Our GHR department has been recruiting the right people, people who are able, loyal and committed. Managers are encouraged to understand and learn the business principles so as to get a better idea of why we do what we do.
An organisation
should be cohesive, and communication should continue, like within a family. When there are challenges, you deal with them and move on.Maximise your opportunities and limit your costs. In the early days, the decisions made within Far East Organization were centralised because there were less people. In the last 15 years, we have evolved into an organisation with very competent people heading different
functions. All of them are professionals recruited and groomed for their functions.
LM: How do you ensure
that a new generation of
leaders is being groomed and to whom the mantle can be passed? We organise management workshops, talks, retreats and communications sessions to nurture a collegial sharing and learning culture right through the different strata of the organisation so that we can be more effective in doing business.
One of the anchors of our leadership development programmes is the Leadership Speakers Series where we invite people who are acknowledged leaders of their field to share their experience and leadership journey. It’s a great motivation for our
young managers and
the resultant levels of commitment are astounding.
About 60 per cent of our Top Executives rose from the ranks. Of the 30 senior managers in our organisation, about half have come up from the lower rungs. We are beginning to see the benefits of our people-development programmes.
We have an annual competition, the Business Process Improvement (BPI) Awards where various departments vie for top spots with projects that demonstrate the most impactful improvements to our work processes. This year we upped the stakes by raising both the
quantum and number
of awards.
But beyond the monetary incentives, the BPI Awards generate a lot of interest and enthusiasm — people
want to get involved
and see their ideas
being implemented.
Leadership is one of the most important things in
our organisation and developing leaders is an ongoing process. |
