Global Leadership Forum

1



A Presentation on Leadership Challenges for
the 21st Century - A Singapore-Nepal
Collaboration -
by
Low Siew Thiam Chairman Global
Leadership Forum Singapore
Global Leadership Forum
2
Guardian of Singapores Prosperity



Global Leadership Forum
3
Learning from Nepal



Singaporeans Quest to climb Mt. Everest
David Lim, newspaper executive from sea-level
Singapore, leads team to climb Mt. Everest
other mountains
Global Leadership Forum
4
The Grit to Overcome Adversity!



From 1994, David Lim planned and led a series of
mountaineering expeditions in preparation for the
eventual Mt Everest climb in 1998 which succeeded
after a nail-biting series of setbacks and
mishaps. One week after the teams triumphant
return, he was stricken with the rare and
mysterious nerve disorder, Guillain-Barre
Syndrome. Within days, he was near death as the
disorder paralysed virtually all his limbs and
shut down his respiratory system. Speechless,
unable to swallow or move and racked with
virulent forms of pneumonia, he endured a
"hellish" six weeks in an intensive care unit
before stabilising.He spent six months
recovering in hospital, including a
rehabilitation process in which the re-learning
of simple tasks such as writing, dressing and
walking were enormous challenges compared to the
Everest climb.Now, David Lim has developed into
a motivational trainer who inspires his
audience with tales of his mountaineering
conquests. He acknowledges that he could never
have made his conquests without the guidance of
his Nepalese sherpa guides.
Global Leadership Forum
5
Are you ready for two types of change?



The Parable of the Frog
Tsunami Effect
Global Leadership Forum
6
20th 21st Century Organisations



Assumptions 20th Century 21st Century
PEOPLE Theory X - A COST to be Theory
Y An asset to be monitored controlled
valued developed WORK Segmented,
industrially- Collaborative,
knowledge- based, individual tasks
based projects TECHNOLOGY Designed to
control work Integrate with social
systems minimise human error
for knowledge-based work LEADERSHIP Role of
senior managers Multi-level up-down
and technical experts
across GOALS Focus on returns to
Multidimensional focus on shareholders
value to multiple
stakeholders
Global Leadership Forum
7
How many pathways lead to the summit?



Even if the paths are well-trodden, how
should each new team prepare?
How many ways Strategies, Tactics can a team
choose from for an assault on the summit?
Global Leadership Forum
8
Four known pathways to business success

• Sell more at the price that already yields a
  profit
• Increase Gross Profit Margin by buying at lower
  
• or selling at higher price
• Reduce costs of Overheads and other expenses
• Any combination of the above

Global Leadership Forum
9
Its the HOW that makes a team/organisation
unique

• Organisational Achievement depends on
• The Character and Personality of the Leader
• The Uniqueness of the People that makes up the
  Team
• Environmental Factors such as
• History and Culture/Values
• Education
• Natural Resources
• Geographic Location

Global Leadership Forum
10



Basketball Game DVD
Global Leadership Forum
11
Old New Ways to Learn about Success

• From Ancient Philosophy,
• to win, the Leader needs to
• Know Thyself
• Know Thy Enemy (Others)
• Know the Environment

From Modern Neuroscience, we learn how the brain
forms new patterns as it experiences new
sensations all through life. There is no limit to
continuous learning
Global Leadership Forum
12

• How the Brain Works
• 1. The Brain is a Connection Machine
• It learns through linking information from all
  its parts
• It hardwires everything and files them in
  patterns
• This enables easy recognition for quick response
  e.g. fight or flight
• This hardwiring drives automatic perception
• This makes life easier because it enables us to
  carry out daily
• routines without having to think e.g. riding a
  bicycle, driving a car
• Its impossible to deconstruct the wiring
• Old habits die hard!
• Its easier to create new wiring
• The neoplasticity of the brain enables it to
  learn new things
• and suppress old constructs. Yes, you can teach
  old dogs new tricks!

Global Leadership Forum
13
Driving Forces of economic Performance.
.become.
negative when driven to extremes



Nature
Selfishness
Self-interest
Me
Shareholder value
Corporate interest
Company
National interest
Nation
Xenophobia
Global Leadership Forum
14
The Roots of East-West Differences lie
beneath Values and Beliefs to the Paradigms or
Mindsets of the two people



Values
Values
Individualism Communitarianism
Power Distance
Beliefs
Beliefs
People born equal People are different Personal
freedom Wu Lun governs all Employee as
resource Employee as family Contractual
rights Fairness
Paradigms
Mercy Justice
Confucius preached HARMONY
Truth Harmony
Guilt Shame
Reductionsim - Holistic Thinking
Uncertainty Avoidance
Femininity- Masculinity
From Observable Values to Unseeen Paradigms
Short-term Long-term
Socrates stood for TRUTH
Global Leadership Forum
15
Western and Asian Business Paradigms What
Western and Asian businessmen expect from a
relationship one seeks Balance based on
Equality, while the other is looking for Harmony


In Asian (Chinese) thinking, Harmony is balancing
Duty with Responsibility. Emperor and Subject
enjoy a relationship of harmony no way are they
equal!
Western scale of Justice depends on Equality of
Rights
Global Leadership Forum
16
Different Civilisational Perspectives China
USA



Haute couture Self-deprecating humour
Authoritarianism Obsessed with history
and culture Corruption
Hegemonism Hyperpower hubris
Chinese
USA H O R I Z O N
H O R I Z O N
Justice,
Consumerism, New is Best Pride in
Revolutionary Heritage, Aspiration for World
Leadership Focus on Learning
Profit Motive
Epicurean culture Famine poverty
Mysticism Discipline
Fast food Culture Libertarianism
Loose morality Me First
Global Leadership Forum
17
Preferred Asian Direction



Preferred Western Direction
Shallow
Deep
GUANXI A relationship based on the Wu Lun which
balances Rights with Duty. Emphasises Harmony
over Equality
STARTING POINT Impersonal market-pricing
relationship between buyer and seller based on
cost-benefit analysis
Dependent
TRUST A partnership based on recognising that the
value of the relationship trumps short-term
cost-benefit calculations
SOCIAL CAPITAL Equality matching based on
matching what each party can get out of the
relationship
Interdependent
Typology of Business Relationships
Global Leadership Forum
18
How Communication is built up in
traditional Chinese



Global Leadership Forum
19
The Singapore Story Do you sincerely want to be
rich?

• From Third World to First, Singapore rose
• from a GDP of US600 per annum in 1959
• to US27,000 per annum in 2006
• The Singapore Formula for Success
• Assemble the best talent for your team
• Open your mind
• Learn from the world
• Be guided by pragmatism
• (i) Retain what works
• (ii) Abandon what doesnt

Global Leadership Forum
20
IMFs View of Singapores Success

• Budgetary discipline
• Delayed gratification (savings)
• Market mechanism for
• efficient resource allocation
• 4. Social inclusion through
• providing economic opportunities
• 5. Capable and honest government
• 6. A long-term vision
• 7. Policy of win-win relationships with MNCs
• Henry Ghesquiere, ex-Director of IMF-Singapore
  Regional Training Institute

Global Leadership Forum
21
Learn from the World A Philosophy of Pragmatism



Knowledge is universal Culture and
civilisation are embedded in the memory of
people Leaders learn how to blend the
universal with the cultural
Deng Xiao Ping, Chinas moderniser It doesnt
matter whether a cat is black or white, So long
as it catches mice
English poet, Rudyard Kipling But there is
neither East nor West Border nor Breed nor
Birth When two strong men stand face to
face Though they come from the ends of the earth
Global Leadership Forum
22
Global Business Leaders from South Asia



Mohd. Yunus, Founder of Grameen Bank, Bangladesh
Indra Nooyi, 1st Asian Chairperson Of Pepsi
C.K. Prahalad, Academic Author
Ram Charan, Consultant to Fortune 500 companies
Author
Global Leadership Forum
23



Global Leadership Forum
24



Global Leadership Forum
25



Global Leadership Forum