UTAR Leadership Week 2023

The Division of Human Resource (DHR), Institute of Management and Leadership Development (IMLD) and the Department of Soft Skills Competency of Sungai Long Campus jointly organised the UTAR Leadership Week 2023 from 3 January 2023 to 6 January 2023 in a hybrid mode. Themed Leadership and Effective Performance Management, the event served as a platform to develop and increase an individual’s capacity to perform in leadership roles. It also aimed to provide sessions for those who are currently in leadership roles to facilitate the execution of an organisation’s strategy by fostering alignment, gaining mindshare and developing the capabilities of others besides enabling effective performance management and good employment practices through leadership.

Front row, from left: DSSC Head Fook Oi Yee, Prof Cheng, Prof Dato’ Ewe, Marchie Lim, We and Prof Rajkumar with participants

UTAR President Ir Prof Dato’ Dr Ewe Hong Tat, in his speech, said, “Having a vision for the future is what distinguishes leaders from common men and classifies them as a special type of person. They are clear about which direction they need to go and what they want out of life. They are experts at developing strategies and adapting those strategies as the situation demands them. The event is oriented toward leaders of all levels, such as UTAR academic leaders, UTAR administrative leaders, UTAR staff members, and UTAR students as participants. I believe that by participating in this sharing among academics and leaders, you will be able to explore new approaches and expand the existing ones to upgrade your leadership skills. So, I encourage all of you to make use of this opportunity to learn, discover and upgrade yourself.”

DHR Director Marchie Lim Pin Sim gave an introduction of UTAR Leadership Week 2023. She said, “Each of us has the opportunity to expand our leadership skills in all aspects of our lives. I hope all participants will benefit from this event and gain more insights into leadership.”

From left: We, Prof Dato’ Ewe and Prof Cheng during the sharing session

The event kickstarted with a session with Prof Dato’ Ewe. The session, which was moderated by DHR Deputy Director We Chin Yong and IMLD Director Prof Dr Cheng Ming Yu, saw Prof Dato’ Ewe sharing his journey of becoming an academic, his career journey as well as his leadership skills. He said, “I find joy in sharing knowledge and research. There is no shortcut in life to be successful. We need to put in effort and passion to naturally yield better results in the things we do.”

Ng explaining how common vision and mission have the power to “glue” people

Quantum Dynamic Human Development PLT Managing Partner Ng Thian Watt shared about “Leader in communicating a vision for effective performance”. He said, “Everything begins with vision and mission. The common vision and mission have the power to “glue” people tightly and people unite when they are shared; when vision and mission are shared, performance can be achieved and everyone can perform better.” Ng’s sharing focused on two contents which included the understanding of vision, mission and core values, and sources of effective performance. He shared the idea of vision and mission; functions of vision and mission statement; shared vision and mission; intellectual intelligence, emotional intelligence and spiritual intelligence; examples of outstanding performers in Malaysia such as Public Bank, GDEX, McDonald’s, Google and Huawei; organisational values and its benefits; Zohar’s 12 principles of transformation and many more. 

Prof Dr -Ing Dirk RIlling (right) with We (left) as moderator

Hochschule Fresenius Online Plus GMBH Prof Dr -Ing Dirk RIlling presented his talk titled “Performance management system for distance education & the different perspectives in education systems: Germany vs Malaysia”. He spoke about the types of universities in Germany; how universities are set up; how to become a faculty member, and how performances are measured. Aside from that, he also explained students’ perspectives on the student admission process, distance education, and university entrance qualifications.

William Wong explaining the widening scope of employees’ protection

“The impact of the recent amendment of employment legislations in performance management” was presented by S.E. Wong & Co. William Wong. In his session, he spoke about the new amendment to the employment act, labour laws, and other related topics. “Human resource management is more important than ever before. It is vital for even small companies and businesses. It is important to do background checking and plat-employment before hiring. Consult the legal department before taking any action. Always have documents or evidence on any events. It is important to do a well-drafted contract of service with a rule book and company policy which can be updated from time to time by notification,” said William Wong.

From right: Prof Faidz, Marchie Lim, Yim and We discussing the concept of leadership

A leadership panellists discussion titled “Leadership and effective performance management” featured Vice President for R&D and Commercialisation Prof Ts Dr Faidz bin Abd Rahman, Vice President for Student Development and Alumni Relations Prof Dr Choong Chee Keong, Marchie Lim, UTAR past registrar Yim Lin Heng and Aberystwyth University Visiting Senior Research Fellow Ts Dr Yap Vooi Voon. The discussion was moderated by We. In the discussion, the panellists shared their career journey and experiences, the concept of leadership and management, conflict management, performance management, effective communication as well as leadership styles.

Melati describing the personality of a good leader

Teft Cavalho Resources Consultant Melati Ismail presented on “Leader in developing and sustaining high-performance work teams”. Describing the personality of a good leader, Melati said, “A good leader should have integrity, self-awareness, courage, respect, empathy and gratitude. Leaders should practise agile learning and flex their influence while communicating and delegating tasks effectively. These key leadership qualities can be learned and improved at all levels of your organisation.” She also shared eight key leadership skills; the introduction and elements of leadership performance; the seven biggest factors that influence employee performance; how leadership makes a difference in organisational performance; how leadership skills improve professional performance; how the lack of leadership affects performance; the poor signs of leadership; strategies to manage poor performance at work; leadership qualities and many more.

Pearly Tan (left) and Simon Frisby (right) during the sharing session

Etchr Lab Co-Founder and Sales and Marketing Director Simon Frisby and ETCHR Lab Finance and Operation Manager Pearly Tan conducted a session titled “Arts for mindfulness: Clear minds make better decisions”. Participants were introduced to Etchr, the concept of mindfulness and its origins, the impact of mindfulness on decision-making, and a hands-on mandala drawing session. Pearly Tan said, “The correlation between mindfulness and art is that it is all about the flow. Art-making decreases negative effect, reduces anxiety, cultivates attentional and observational gains, increases the ability to shift attention between different levels of focus and allows self-expression which increases self-understanding to increase mindfulness that gives the individual the ability to be more self-aware of one’s emotions and thoughts.” “Mindfulness can be used in business decision-making through ethical evaluation, the creation of the solution, the recognition of the limits of knowledge, and the identification of decision and unintended consequences. You need to be able to trust your team, give them your expectations, know that they are aligned with the values and culture and let them do their thing,” added Simon.

Participants engaging in the mandala drawing session

Kitti Chang explaining the differences between good and great leaders

Ascella Consulting Sdn Bhd Managing Director Kitti Chang started her topic “Rethinking leadership” by sharing with the audience the definition of leadership. She said, “Leadership is a state of developing the abilities or qualities to be a great leader. A great leader should have integrity, self-awareness, courage, respect, empathy and gratitude.” Kitti Chang added, “A great leader doesn’t dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. A great leader will spend the energies on moving forward and finding the answer.” She also explained the state of leadership; leadership qualities characteristics; differences between good and great leaders; what would propel one’s leadership and many more. 

Maxwell Sim (top left) moderating the forum with panellists Alwin Ng (top right), Dr Desmond Chong (bottom right) and Kenny Lee (bottom left)

A leadership forum titled “Leadership role in effective performance management”, moderated by Faculty of Creative Industries Department of Modern Languages Head Maxwell Sim Yik Seng, was also held. The forum featured Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit (AKPK) Financial Trainer Dr Desmond Chong Kok Fei, Finivo Capital Management Founder Kenny Lee and SmartB Solutions CEO and Managing Director Alwin Ng. The forum focused on leadership and performance management, leadership style, alignment of the organisation with vision and mission, challenges of becoming a leader, creativity in the workplace and other relating topics. The panellists concluded that a leader does not need to know how to do everything but must be able to assign work to the right people, understand everyone’s thoughts before communicating and be open-minded to other people’s points of view.

Prof Lim showcasing the UTAR strategic plan book

On the final day of the leadership week, Institute of Postgraduate Studies and Research of Sungai Long Campus Deputy Director Prof Ts Dr Lim Yang Mooi gave a presentation titled “If not now then when? If not me then who?” where she shared her life story and her interest in herbal medicine. “No one can succeed simply; there is a rainbow after every storm and hard work, and effort will lead you to success. What is necessary to change a person is to change his/her awareness. Knowledge is like a garden; if it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested. We need to master the art of communication as it is the language of leadership,” shared Prof Lim.

Prof Rajkumar during the Q&A session

The talk was followed by another presentation titled “Leadership adaptability in challenging times” by Academic Quality Assurance and Audit Dean Ir Prof Dr D. Rajkumar. He spoke about leadership in higher education and challenging times, the leadership competency model, adaptive performance, adaptable leader, performance management, FOGG behavioural model and other related topics. He said, “The most important asset of the university is its staff. Thus, the task of supporting, developing and maintaining the welfare of staff is critical to facilitating the development of a high-performing organisation.”

Group photography session to commemorate the event