There is no box

"The world is one great big giant box," Ernie commented in the middle of the networking event at Intercontinental. "You have to think outside the box," Francis retorted. "Leave the box. Step outside the box. That's how you can have creative problem solving."

My leadership approach focuses on empowering and enabling others to perform on their own and to the best o their ability. In a sense, the only real bosses for employees are themselves.

However, it must be said that not all people function well under such a system.

I believe that all people have it within themselves to be creative. I encourage everyone to get involved and experiment with new ideas. I am proud to report that some of our outstanding results came from ideas of team members who came up with a different idea and had the encouragement and freedom to follow through

VOC

"Frankly, your rates of THB3000 is a bit too high," David pointed out to Yim. "It's between you and the hotel near the Bangkok Convention Centre."

"Tell me what I have to do," Yim replied.

That's the measure of a leader who listens to the VOC (voice of the customer)

"We don't need customers telling us how to run our business" - that's the single worst aspect of excessive loyalty to a company mission. It prevents leaders from hearing what their customers are trying to tell them.

Once leaders get into this frame of mind, they tend to assume that whatever customers want is whatever the company has to offer.

In my MBA studies, I'd realised a lot of big names when down that road.

Motorola kept asserting that analog phones werethe best product

Starbucks argued that their high-quality dark-roasted coffee did not taste as good when customers asked for skim milk in their coffee.

Johnson & Johnson lost its 90% market share in its stent business.

I'm never arrogant. I respect and listen to customer's ideas and complains. I am conscious that I do not develop a "I-am-an-expert" mindset.

From left: Rosanna, Cherrie, Ernie

Accept yourself

I watched "The Twilight Samurai" on SQ972 this morning. Set in the late 19th century, Seibei Iguchi is a low-ranking samurai whose wife has died of tuberculosis. With two daughters, Kayano and Ito, and an elderly senile mother to support, he and his family must survive in austerity. The moment that his daily work as a clerk, in one of the clans' warehouses is over, he hurries home, refusing to drink or eat with fellow colleagues. Behind his back, his fellow samurai tease him and nicknamed him "Twilight Seibei". Just as Seibei begins to dream and think that despite his impoverishment he might win the hand of his childhood friend Tomoe, he is caught in the shifting turmoil of the times and is assigned, against his wishes, by his superiors to confront and kill a renowned warrior on the wrong side of a clan power struggle.

Liking ourselves is essential to a healthy love of self which is the basis for loving others. How can we love others when we can't love ourselves?

The turning point in my life has been when I'd accepted what has been given to me. It may not be as much as I'd might like to see, but my growth started when I accepted what I have and where I was starting from.

Getting everyone on the same page

I have organised a 9+3 Review Meeting for mid-Oct. Why should I bother doing this? Because there is a need for purpose and direction, so that people feel focused.

In these dynamic and competitive times, it is easy for leaders to feel overwhelmed and perhaps even begin to despair. Modern leaders are being paid to get results and their approach to leading people is critical in any effort to improve performance.

Michael Jordan described it well: "get everyone on the same page"

Focus is critical. The reason is everyone should be able to see the big picture and understand what actions are most important for success. Without focused leadership, getting results becomes difficult if not impossible. In the words of one of my shi-fu (master), "If you are in charge of any group and you want to get things done, then you'd better get everybody singing the same song, or the music you make will be a funeral march."

Tenacity and creativity

ACE and I watched the movie "Cloudy with a Chance of meatballs" tonight. It's a 3D movie about a scientist who tries to solve world hunger only to see things go awry as food falls from the sky in abundance

When a strategy fails, I am not afraid to acknowledge it and find another one. I never dismiss any idea, no matter how farfetched, without thoroughly considering it. My unshakeable belief that there is always another move gives me the energy to search for solutions, and creativity gives me the ability to find them.

People who feel better act better

"This guy the the right one for us," Mark enthussed on the phone while I was in Shanghai."He is hungry, enthusiastic and street-smart."

This is a known fact: When a person greets everyone with a smile and a compliment, people smile back and like that person. When a person doesn't greet anyone, looks at the floor as he walks around, never smiles, doesn't make eye contact with other people, people do not smile back and do not like that person.

Another fact: people who feel better act better

I self-stimulate positive feelings within myself because I am a firm believer that enthusiasm can help counteract tough times. When my customers and colleagues see my joy and vigour, they will want to be around me and do business with me.

Let your children grow - don't be overprotective

Today is Children's Day. ACE tip-toed into the study this morning and gave me a welcome home hug before I left for work. At that time, I was penning him a Happy Children's Day note.

I read this somewhere: The need to be loved, to feel important can very often, even when we are not aware of it, have a profound influence on our dealings with others. For example, if we wish to feel important, we may seek to lord it over others, to dominate them.

Very often when mothers and fathers are overprotective of their children, on the grounds that they wish no harm to come to them, they may well be subconsciously transferring their own need to have their children dependent upon them. They do not want their children to grow up.