In commemoration of PETRONAS 50 years, our Facilities Development department reached out to several past leaders to share their leadership wisdoms to share with the team.
Alhamdulillah we were honored to have the opportunity and privilege to interview 3 legendary leaders: Johari Dasri (ex MD-CEO, Carigali), Azhar Noordin (ex SGM of Development Division, Carigali) and Kamarshah Harun (ex project manager, GM Petroleum).
Here is a sneak peak of insights and takeaways I got:
The key to effective negotiation: the human touch of Listening & Understanding.
After experience in Negotiation with all sorts of stakeholders, locally and internationally, one leader shared that the key to success is the human touch. If both parties stubbornly impose their demands, when an unstoppable force moves and immovable object, nothing moves. Sometimes, simply listening and understanding is enough to resolve misunderstanding and remove the bottleneck!
Diversifying your skillsets - all 3 of them repeated this same message: don't just stay in silo and stubbornly stick to your individual skill groups. Be proactive and passionate about learning of others work, what they do and how that ties in and from your scope. This makes you a better all-rounded decision maker and gives you courage to make tough decisions and take calculated risks to blaze a trail into unchartered territory.
An unexpected lesson: how family plays an important role to productivity - a leader shared that during an emergency crisis in one of the international operations, the company instructed all staff to evacuate their family members (spouse and children) back to their home country, in the interest of safety. Naturally, they weren't happy about it but eventually complied. The unexpected result?
Staff performance had a significant drop in performance. Leadership wisdom: we only see our colleagues during the 8 hours they are with us. What happens in those remaining hours? It's there that they find the inspiration and motivation to deliver their best. And Without their families, they lose a big part of what makes them whole. Leaders need to understand this.
As leaders, you will constantly face situations where you need the Courage to Act - All 3 of them had to blaze the trail in areas which had no precedent. Many things can go wrong. You will feel intimidated, and suffer impostor syndrome, and sometimes go against odds of people who doubt you and don't believe in you or look down on you. But at the same time, remember: you are in the driver's seat in this chapter of history! Always learn, improve yourself, instill confidence in your own and your team's abilities, and seize the day!
Make mistakes? Own up to it, be honest and transparent, apologize if you caused some damage, move on.
Takeaway for leaders: Provide the space for your team members to make mistakes!
As Muslims, we always have to remember about the concept of "rezeki" /rizq. Allah has already determined, so Don't envy others or compromise your integrity by taking what doesn't belong to you. Big problems happen when you have envy & PHD (perasaan hasad dengki)!
Be intentional and mindful. Always ask yourself, "why am I here?" what is your purpose? Your goals? What legacy would you want to leave behind after you're gone?
No matter how far you go, always remember your SHARED VALUES; this is Who you are!
