Lau (right) conducts the training programme.
KUCHING: Good leadership requires not just the right knowledge and skills, but also critical thinking and foresight, to be a cut above the rest.
As the world’s economies continue to evolve in these uncertain times, Leadership Institute chief operating officer (CEO) Segaren Arumugam said that stellar leadership is pivotal — now more than ever — to navigate the calamitous waters of change.
“Through mentorship and leadership programmes, civil servants of today are provided with more resources to reach their full potential,” he said at the ‘Maximising Leadership Impact to Influence People and Drive Results’ training programme here yesterday.
Organised by the institute, the two-day training programme, which began on Tuesday, was participated by civil servants from Grade 44 to 52.
“In line with developing current and future leaders of the Sarawak Civil Service (SCS), emerging technologies have the potential to disrupt the status quo and it is important for future leaders to be well prepared for them. These will continue to become the norm, and leaders, especially in the SCS need to constantly be learning new approaches,” he added.
The trainer Eric Lau, from Leaderonomics, made it his personal mission to inspire and influence others to rise up to their full potential and calling.
He is a faculty trainer who regularly leads training sessions in the areas of leadership, management and personal development.
Key lessons that participants get from attending this programme include learning to embrace value-driven leadership posture to ensure sustainable success as well as developing a positive and proactive leadership mindset for personal empowerment.
Lau said that as technology continues to shape different sectors, the public service is pointing towards an increasing divide between those who have the skills for the new digital economy, and those who do not.
“This training also seeks to instil a strong sense of team accountability to deliver business result; and at the same time, develop courage in order to break comfort zones to move to the next level of leadership,” he said.
He added that not only should leaders be malleable, but they should also possess the humility to recognise that there was potential where others fail to see, and have the propensity to develop others.
“Tomorrow’s leaders need to communicate openly with their team, so as to empower them. They need to create a connection between the team and the organisation to push them to strive for more.”
As the pace of change and the complexity of services place a premium on recruiting and developing the right people, Segaren said the role of the Institute was to conduct cutting-edge courses to make leaders become more adaptable and responsive, to remain relevant in serving the public.
Segaren also said there was a need to offer more need-based training in building digital champions to support the state government’s direction in digital economy.
“Participants who complete our courses will be able to internalise and use what they have learnt in their daily job. Essentially, the Leadership Institute trainings are focused on empowering the workforce of the civil service to take charge of the things they’re doing, and deliver what is required of them – making Sarawak Civil Service one of the best in the region.”
On Monday last week, the Institute exchanged a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Leaderonomics during the Institute’s Appreciation Night 2017 event, which was attended by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.