How has your life experience made you the leader you are today?
I have always been passionate about my work and growing my skillsets throughout my career. Through experiencing different cultures and management styles across multiple organisations has helped me form my own leadership style.
To me, being a leader means that I have a better understanding of my (and my team’s) strengths and weaknesses. This allows me to set targets based on a realistic view of our capabilities, stay firm on our goals no matter the challenges, and learn through successes and setbacks.
As the consumer segment lead for Lenovo Malaysia, I hope to create an open environment for my team where they can share their views, think strategically, and foster a career-long curiosity to learn. I also hope to guide them in achieving their personal and team goals, while overcoming challenges as a team.
What traits do you look for in your talent or how do you decide who is right for a job?
When selecting the right talent for my team, I look for someone who has a positive attitude and is a team player with a strong sense of integrity and the inquisitiveness to think innovatively.
This is based on a few things that I have learnt over the years:
The first is, during challenging times (like the one we are facing amidst the pandemic), one negative voice can plummet the team’s productivity, whereas a supportive voice can drastically motivate everyone.
Secondly, in today’s dynamic market, my team’s agility and innovation will set us apart from our competitors and enhance our product and services for our customers.
Lastly, at Lenovo, it is important that teams have a strong sense of integrity. We see this in our consistent ethical practices and values when working with our business partners and customers.
How do you think the industry you are in will evolve in the future?
With the pandemic, there are so many moving parts in our technological evolution, particularly in the consumer product segment. Some of the more interesting trends I have seen are:
> Moving to hybrid working – what started as a trend to help sustain businesses has become a global demand – more organisations and employers are building the hybrid working model into their operations to further transition towards digitalisation. With this, we will continue to see the advancements of artificial intelligence (AI) technology progressing alongside users for a smooth transition process.
For example, at Lenovo, we have shifted our focus to include more AI technology in our devices, including consumer products. We emphasise on how Lenovo provides smarter technology for users from all walks of life. These AI features are made to provide an improved user experience that increases productivity throughout the day.
> Increase in female workforce in tech – in terms of management, we are already seeing an increase of female workforce in the tech industry. However, to date, women only account for 28% of the tech sector globally and are less likely to receive a challenging leadership role than men in Asia Pacific. Nevertheless, we are already seeing big industry players evolve. Many organisations have started practising diversity and inclusion (D&I) policies within their organisations – including Lenovo. With more and more organisations practicing positive and effective D&I policies, we will continue to see a gradual increase in women in leadership roles across the tech industry in the years to come.
What advice can you offer those looking to start their career/own business?
Especially for women looking for a career in the tech industry, the first thing you should do is research. I encourage you to look for companies that are committed to helping women grow their careers and leadership potential within the organisation.
Look for D&I initiatives such as Lenovo’s Women in Lenovo Leadership and Women’s Leadership Development Programme, which brings Lenovo female leaders together from across the globe to discuss career advice, networking opportunities, and advancing high-potential female directors into executive roles. These programmes will help you visualise your career path within the organisation, identify your passions and celebrate your successes.
What do you want to accomplish in the next five years?
To be a competent leader. Together with my team, I want to grow our expertise in the consumer segment and provide the right and smarter tech to consumers in Malaysia. In servicing our customers needs, I’d like my team to deliver better and smarter options for everyone. This will elevate Lenovo to be the number one choice in the consumer segment.
Best piece of advice you ever got in your career.
> Believe in yourself and do the right thing.
> A thoughtful advice from my first boss: “If you are not managing yourself well (financially & personally), how can I expect you to help me manage the business delegated to you?”
Most-admired business leader? Why?
Two business leaders whom I admire:
> Lenovo Malaysia general manager Varinderjit Singh: He’s an open and supportive leader whose leadership motto is “People come first”. He leads his team by continuously raising the bar and empowering us to meet and exceed it in every way – from quality of work to working as a team.
> Lenovo Central Asia Pacific director of consumer business Tina Tong: I find Tong to be someone whom I can learn a lot from. The Central Asia Pacific team oversees the alignment of news and information from Lenovo headquarters to the entire region, and Tong directly oversees the consumer segment throughout Central Asia Pacific.
I adore her curious mindset, where she is sensitive to the market or competitors’ actions, and is always looking into details with a different perspective. She continues to show great leadership to the regional consumer markets, and I believe there is a lot to learn from her.
How do you stay abreast of issues affecting your industry?
I always keep my ears open to what my peers have to say – whether it’s to my internal or externals teams, and even my customers. They have interesting insights or perspectives that might differ from mine.
I also stay alert to industry trends, movements, and nuances through social media.
If you could have an hour with any thought leader in the world, who would it be and why?
If I could, I would like to have a moment with AMD CEO Lisa Su. I admire her ability to turn AMD’s business around in such a short amount of time, and I would like to understand her and her team’s key success factors. I’d also want to get her insight on how she can consistently grow together with her team and keep them competitive.
What are the top three factors you would attribute your success to?
First of my top three factors is Lenovo’s D&I policies – a supportive workplace that allows for a vast opening of opportunities to bring the team forward, and further enhancing women’s roles in the company. Lenovo’s policies have given me the opportunity to showcase my expertise throughout my years of experience, and I aspire to continue propelling the consumer segment in Malaysia forward.
Second, I couldn’t have walked this journey without my family’s strong support. They have allowed me to pursue my career goals. Thanks to their belief in my ability to achieve my dreams, I have grown (in my passion and self-motivation) to inspire others to achieve better results.
Finally, my mentors from my previous organisations (who have a big factor in my success) for being my career support system. They played a huge role in my learning and career development and have given me the opportunity to grow into who I am today.
Source: The Sun Daily
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