Leaders For Tomorrow
Given this world’s evolving global economy and boom in business, many college students are beginning to realize the importance of becoming self-starters, in hopes of taking on leadership rolls in their respective future careers. Leadership is an indispensable act; it is the ability for one to induce subordinates to perform with confidence and zeal. What are some of the redeeming qualities a leader should possess, and how would one utilize them to reach their goals in life?
In order to obtain answers for these questions, the Principal’s Awards (P.A.) recipients of Taylor’s College Sri Hartamas organized a talk entitled ‘Leaders for Tomorrow’ on the 20th of April, which aimed to provide a platform for students an opportunity to network with young corporate leaders, as well as learn a thing or two about leadership from their personal anecdotes.
The event started off with a welcoming speech by the P.A. Manager, Aisyah Pahmi, who gave a short run down on the objectives of the P.A. leadership programme and the importance of the day’s talk. This was then followed by an introductory video presentation of our first speaker, Mr Jason Lo ( or as he would say, J.Lo), the current CEO of Tune Talk Sdn. Bhd.
He gave off an initial impression of being stern (well, at least that’s what I thought). However, a minute or two into his presentation, and we were all seemingly charmed by his witty personality. Laughing at his ridiculously humorous impersonations as he shifted between accents to fit the characters in his life stories, and I suppose I speak for all of those present when I say: he can be quite the comedian. He definitely lightened the mood and captured our attention, inviting us to be attentive.
Mr Lo’s talk circulated around his journey towards becoming the successful entrepreneur he is today. He achieved a degree in Accounting and Finance and a Masters in Business Administration but soon started venturing into the music industry. Whilst studying in the United Kingdom, he often took weekly 3 hour trips to London in hopes of obtaining record deals, but rejection was something he often had to accept.
When he returned to Malaysia, his career revolved around music. He became a singer, song writer, producer, and even founded one of Malaysia’s premier music event agencies of today, Fat Boys. He enlightened us on how tough the real world was with the help of his stories, and among all of them, one that really stuck with me was the time of his company’s debt. Employees’ salaries could not be paid; electricity bills could not be settled. He took it upon himself to make ends meet, and he did so by selling his guitar, signed by famous guitarist, but only received a small waiver for it. Through this, it indicated that in life, failure is inevitable in the process towards achieving success, but as leaders, when we come face to face with difficulties, we ought to overcome them in the best possible manner by standing firm against them and we should not leave the people under our care in lurch.
After selling his prized possession, he decided to drown his sorrows in food together with his business partner at a buffet. And much to his amazement, ever since then, his career took a turn for the better. After building up Fat Boys, he joined Tune Talk Sdn Bhd as the CEO and he focuses on achieving operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. However, even after this career shift, Mr Lo remains persistent in pursuing his passion of music, as he believes one should do something creative each day. He is currently working on his fourth studio album.When asked about what kept him going in life after all the hardships he had to face, he answered by stating that everyone visualizes their goals in life, and it’s just a matter of whether they choose to materialize these thoughts and ideas into the real world.
The second speaker was Ms Jolene Sim, a former student of Taylor’s University and currently the director of Mainstream Online Buzz (MOB).After an introductory video about her, she proceeded with her talk and kept it short and simple. At the tender age of 18, she and her friends were keen to start a business and they did so by starting their entrepreneur journey through Maybank Moneytree Young Entrepreneurship Startup. Their initial idea was to start a fitness company, but that was to no avail. As a result, they settled with a more realistic idea of selling handbooks on how students can survive college, and they named it ‘No Sweat’. (Now…where can I get my hands on one?)
Fortunately for her, a number of sponsors were backing her up with this idea, and she was given the challenge of earning RM25,000 in a week. Being a student, that amount startled her and it seemed rather far-fetched, but surprisingly, she managed to earn 70-80% of the said quota on the very first day. Looking back, she said that earning the money was comparatively easier than executing the business and maintaining continuity. She went on by giving us a slight insight of her achievements since then and ended her talk by offering words of wisdom. She advised us to make the most of the opportunities that will come our way, although some may come at wrong times, we need to decide whether to take them or leave them, and if we choose the later, could we live with knowing that we’ve let that opportunity slide? It is important for leaders to have firm judgments and decisions, and we should keep that in mind when executing responsibilities in the future.
BY ISABEL CHAI
