Leader's Digest Issue 101 (November-December 2025) by Leadership Institute

Publication Team

MOVING FORWARD

ENTERING 2026 THROUGH THE 3R LENS Revisit, Rethink and Recharge Amid Emerging Challenges

As we enter 2026, the Sarawak Civil Service operates in an environment shaped by rapid change and growing uncertainty. Technological disruption, economic volatility, climate-related risks, demographic shifts, and rising public expectations are redefining the role of government. To remain effective, relevant, and futureready, the civil service must be firmly anchored in the 3R approach: Review, Rethink and Recharge. This framework provides a structured yet adaptive pathway to embed reflective thinking, openness, and readiness for change in delivering services to the people.

Revisit is increasingly important in the face of emerging challenges. Existing policies, systems, and service delivery models may have been effective in the past but may no longer be fit for purpose in a rapidly evolving environment. Reflective review enables civil servants to critically assess performance, manage risks, and learn from both successes and failures. By continuously reviewing outcomes, data, and public feedback, the civil service can identify gaps, improve efficiency, and ensure that programmes remain responsive to the changing needs of the rakyat and aligned with Sarawak’s development priorities.

Rethink addresses the need to respond creatively to uncertainty. As challenges become more complex and interconnected, traditional, siloed approaches are often insufficient. Rethinking encourages openness to new ideas, innovative policy solutions, and new ways of working across agencies and sectors. This includes embracing digitalisation, data-driven decision-making, and collaborative partnerships to enhance service quality, inclusivity, and agility. Through rethinking, the civil service can better anticipate change and adapt proactively rather than reactively.

and Uncertainties

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Recharge recognises that sustainable reform depends on people. Uncertainty and continuous change place new demands on civil servants, making resilience, adaptability, and strong values essential. Recharging focuses on renewing skills, strengthening leadership, and reinforcing a culture of integrity, accountability, and service excellence. By investing in continuous learning and fostering a motivated, resilient workforce, the civil service is better prepared to implement reforms and sustain momentum even in challenging conditions.

Together, the 3R approach provides a coherent framework to navigate emerging challenges and uncertainties. By reviewing what has been done, rethinking what must change, and recharging for the future, the Sarawak Civil Service can confidently move into 2026 delivering people-centred services, strengthening public trust, and supporting long-term, sustainable development for the state.

Datu Dr. Haji Azhar bin Haji Ahmad Happy New Year! Wishing you all the best.

The Biggest Leadership Trends for 2026 and Beyond

BY SONIA MCDONALD

HOW LEADERS CAN PREPARE NOW

The workplace is transforming faster than ever. Technology, workforce expectations, global pressures, AI disruption, demographic change, and new models of work are reshaping what it means to lead. The pace can feel relentless: new tools, new risks, new expectations, and new generations entering the workforce with very different ideas about work, life, and leadership.

By 2026, leadership won’t be defined by hierarchy, title, or tenure, it will be defined by human connection, adaptability, and the wisdom to lead alongside technology, not against it. The leaders who will matter most are not the ones who know everything, but the ones who are willing to learn, experiment, and stay deeply human in the middle of all this change.

If there was ever a time for leaders to rise with courage, clarity, and humanity, it’s now.

In this blog, we break down the eight biggest leadership trends shaping 2026+ and what you can do today to prepare your team, culture, and organisation for what’s next.

Source: Image by Pablo Stanley from Lummi.ai

Human–AI Co-Leadership Becomes Reality

AI is no longer an add-on. It’s becoming a core leadership capability.

It’s not just about using a new tool; it’s about reshaping how decisions are made, how work is done, and what humans are uniquely here to do. Leaders are being asked to run teams where humans and AI work sideby-side with leaders responsible for ethics, judgment, decision quality, and governance.

This requires a shift from controlling tasks to orchestrating an intelligent ecosystem. Instead of asking, “How do I get my team to do this?” leaders will increasingly ask, “What should people do? What should AI do? How do we combine them wisely?”

Think of it this way: AI can analyse patterns, generate options, and take away repetitive work. But it can’t replace your judgment, your values, your empathy, or your ability to hold the bigger picture. That’s the new frontier of leadership.

How leaders can prepare:

• Build AI fluency (not technical mastery). Learn the language of AI, risk, bias, and value. You don’t need to code, you do need to understand enough to ask smart questions and make informed decisions.

• Use AI personally to model comfort and curiosity. Use AI to draft emails, summarise reports, explore scenarios, or prepare for meetings. When your team sees you experiment openly, it signals that learning and trying new things is safe.

• Create “human + agent” workflows for key processes. Identify a few high-impact processes (e.g. reporting, research, customer queries) and intentionally redesign them: where does AI help, where do humans lead, and where must a human always sign off?

• Establish clear principles on responsible AI, data privacy, and oversight. Document your nonnegotiables. For example: “A human always makes the final decision on people matters,” or “We will always tell clients when AI is being used.”

The leaders who thrive will be the ones who treat AI as a partner, not a threat and who use it to elevate human contribution, not erase it.

Skills-Based Teams Replace Rigid Job Descriptions

Organisations are moving from jobs → skills.

Instead of locking people into fixed boxes, work is increasingly organised around missions, projects, and capabilities. This means more fluid team structures, more cross-functional missions, and more rapid redeployment of talent. The old model of static org charts and narrow job descriptions is fading.

In a skills-based world, the question shifts from “Who sits in what role?” to “Who has the skills and potential to solve this problem?” Talent becomes more portable, careers become less linear, and leaders must become great at spotting strengths and redeploying them quickly.

How leaders can prepare:

• Identify the mission-critical skills your team needs in 2026. Look ahead 12–24 months. What strategic projects are coming? What skills will you need more of (e.g. data literacy, stakeholder management, change leadership) and which ones are becoming less central?

• Build a capability map, not a job-description file. Create a simple skills inventory. Ask: What are our top 5 strengths as a team? Where are our gaps? Who has hidden talents we’re not using?

• Promote lateral movement and stretch assignments Encourage people to move sideways to grow, not just upwards. Short-term projects, secondments, and cross-functional squads are powerful ways to build capability and engagement.

• Train managers to lead fluid, rapidly shifting teams This is a big shift for many leaders. They must get comfortable with people joining and leaving projects frequently, leading without rigid authority, and focusing more on alignment and clarity than control.

This shift allows organisations to be faster, more innovative, and more resilient — but only if leaders are willing to let go of rigid structures and embrace a more dynamic way of working.

Human Performance & Wellbeing Become Business Imperatives

Engagement is no longer enough.

It’s not sufficient for people to simply like their job or feel satisfied on a survey once a year. Leaders must create conditions where people experience psychological safety, purpose, autonomy, connection, and sustainable performance.

Burnout, anxiety, and disconnection are rising, especially in hybrid environments where it’s easy for people to feel invisible or isolated. Loneliness, burnout, and low trust are not just “HR topics” — they are genuine business risks.

How leaders can prepare:

• Redefine performance to include wellbeing and collaboration. When you talk about “high performance,” include energy, health, and teamwork; not just output. Make it clear that burning people out is not leadership.

• Introduce rituals that promote connection. Things like weekly huddles, check-in rounds, peer coaching circles, and reflection sessions create rhythm and relationship. Connection doesn’t happen by accident; it happens by design.

• Train managers to recognise stress and protect capacity. Most burnout isn’t about yoga or resilience apps — it’s about workload, clarity, and support. Equip leaders with the skills to redistribute work, set boundaries, and have honest conversations about capacity.

• Build cultures that reward honesty, healthy boundaries, and early risk signalling. When people feel safe to say, “I’m at capacity,” or “This deadline isn’t realistic,” you prevent crises before they erupt.

Healthy teams outperform burnt-out teams every time, in innovation, service, retention, and long-term results. (A great tool to leverage would be Budaya’s Happily app for your workforce)

Radical Flexibility & Boundaryless Work

Hybrid and distributed workforces aren’t going anywhere.

What we are seeing is an evolution toward portfolio careers, contractor ecosystems, global teams, and outcome-based work. People may have multiple income streams, work across borders, or move between employment and contracting more fluidly than ever.

But flexibility without clarity creates chaos. Leaders must shift from monitoring presence to managing performance. The days of equating leadership with “monitoring time at the desk” are over.

How leaders can prepare:

• Create clear, outcome-focused role expectations. Every role should have clear outcomes: “What success looks like” in terms of deliverables, impact, and behaviours. This makes flexibility far easier to manage.

• Design asynchronous workflows and communication norms. Set expectations around response times, documentation, channels, and decision rights. Not every decision needs a meeting, but it does need a clear owner and a record.

• Ensure fairness in flexibility (not just for knowledge workers). Think creatively about flexibility in frontline roles: shift swaps, compressed weeks, different start/finish windows. Flexibility shouldn’t be reserved only for those at a laptop.

• Treat contractors and partners as part of an extended talent ecosystem. Bring them into your culture, values, and ways of working. When everyone feels part of a shared mission regardless of contract type performance improves.

The future of work is flexible but the future of leadership is disciplined, intentional, and clear.

Trust, Purpose & Responsible Leadership Take Centre Stage

People want to work for leaders and organisations they trust.

In a world of AI, misinformation, and constant change, trust becomes one of the most valuable currencies in leadership. Team members are watching what leaders say, what they do, and how they handle pressure.

At the same time, purpose is no longer a slogan on a wall; it’s a compass that shapes decisions, priorities, and trade-offs. In uncertain times, people want to know: “Does what we’re doing here actually matter?”

How leaders can prepare:

• Make purpose operational, connect daily work to impact. Don’t just talk purpose at town halls. In one-on-ones, project kick-offs, and team meetings, link tasks back to the difference they make for customers, communities, or the organisation.

• Be transparent about why and how AI is used People don’t need perfection, they need honesty. Explain what you’re trying, why you’re trying it, what you’re monitoring, and how you’ll keep humans at the centre.

• Address ethical, social, and DEI considerations early. Build fairness, inclusion, and ethics into how you design products, algorithms, policies, and promotion processes. Trust is built (or eroded) in these details.

• Involve employees in shaping new technologies, policies, and decisions. Invite input, pilot changes with small groups, and genuinely listen. Co-creation builds buy-in and surfaces issues faster.

When trust is high, speed increases, friction drops, and change becomes much easier to lead.

Leaders Become Chief Learning Officers (CLOs) of Their Teams

The shelf life of skills is shrinking, and leaders are now expected to be learning architects.

Learning is no longer an event that happens in a classroom once a year. It is the daily, ongoing work of adapting to new realities. Continuous learning isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s the engine of future performance.

In this environment, leaders need to take on a new identity: part coach, part guide, part Chief Learning Officer of their team.

How leaders can prepare:

• Build structured, recurring learning time into every role. Even 1–2 hours a fortnight, protected and planned, makes a difference. Treat learning time with the same seriousness as client work.

• Use AI for personalised learning pathways. AI can curate content, recommend resources, and help people learn in the flow of work. Let technology take care of the curation so humans can focus on reflection and application.

• Share your own learning practices publicly to normalise growth. Talk about courses you’re doing, coaching you’re receiving, books you’re reading, and what you’re learning from mistakes. This makes it safe for others to do the same.

• Reward curiosity, experimentation, and crosstraining. Recognise people who try something new, share insights, or learn skills outside their role. Curiosity is contagious when leaders celebrate it.

Organisations that learn fastest and leaders who model that learning, will lead the market.

Source: Image vector from Freepik

Data-Driven Decision-Making & Experimentation Cultures

Teams must learn how to experiment, test ideas, iterate, and use data to guide decisions.

In a complex, fast-changing world, big-bang, “set-andforget” strategies are risky. Instead, successful leaders build cultures where it’s normal to run small tests, learn from results, and adjust as they go.

This mindset shift is crucial for speed, innovation, and resilience.

How leaders can prepare:

• Use a simple “hypothesis → test → learn → improve” cycle. Before you roll out a change, ask: “What’s our hypothesis? How will we test it? What will success look like?” Capture what you learn and share it.

• Build dashboards that show outcomes, wellbeing, and learning, not just activity. Look at metrics that reflect real value: customer outcomes, decision speed, team sentiment, capability growth, and experiment results.

• Teach teams how to run small experiments safely. Not everything has to be perfect. Design low-risk pilots, sandboxes, and “safe to try” trials where people can test new ways of working.

• Reward insights and learning, not perfection. When people feel they must always be right, they hide mistakes. When they know you value learning, they bring you better data and better ideas.

Leadership in 2026 is about thinking like an innovator, not just an operator.

Source: Image vector from Freepik

Generational Shifts & ‘Vibe Working’ Cultures

Gen Z and emerging Gen Alpha talent are reshaping leadership expectations.

They value authenticity, creativity, autonomy, and meaning and they expect AI-enabled workflows to remove friction and elevate human contribution. They are often less impressed by titles and more interested in whether leaders are real, inclusive, and aligned with their values.

At the same time, there’s a rise in more informal, “vibe-driven” cultures: looser structures, more experimentation, and social, collaborative working styles. This can unlock huge energy — but it needs boundaries.

How leaders can prepare:

• Define the culture you want intentionally. Don’t let culture be dictated by trends or social media. Decide: What behaviours do we reward? How do we communicate? How do we treat each other when things get tough?

• Pair young talent with experienced leaders in reverse mentoring models. Let younger employees share their digital, social, and AI fluency, while more experienced leaders offer judgment, experience, and context. Both sides grow.

• Balance creativity and speed with craft and standards. Encourage experimentation, but be clear about non-negotiable quality standards. “Playful” does not mean careless.

• Build inclusive decision-making rituals. Give emerging leaders real voice in projects, retrospectives, and strategy conversations. Invite their perspectives early, not as an afterthought.

Generational diversity, managed well, becomes a powerful competitive advantage, not a source of tension.

SO WHAT SHOULD LEADERS DO NEXT?

A big question: “Where do I even start?”

You don’t need to fix everything overnight. What matters is momentum, taking practical steps that build confidence and capability over time.

Here’s a simple 90-day plan to get ahead:

Next 30 Days: Clarity & Foundations

• Draft your team’s “AI Principles”. A short, simple document that outlines how you will use AI, where humans stay in control, and what you value most (e.g. ethics, transparency, safety).

• Map your team’s skills: where you are strong, where you are vulnerable. Run a strengths and skills scan. Ask: What skills are we known for? What do we need for 2026? Where are our blind spots?

• Reset team expectations around hybrid, outcomes, and collaboration. Have an open conversation: What’s working? What’s not? What do we want our new “rules of the game” to be?

30–60 Days: Experiment & Connect

• Pilot one “human + AI workflow”. Pick one process (e.g. reports, research, meeting summaries) and redesign it with AI. Measure how it impacts time, quality, and stress.

• Establish connection rituals to increase psychological safety. Start small: check-in questions, monthly reflection sessions, or peer learning groups. Consistency matters more than complexity.

• Launch a micro-learning initiative (one insight shared per week). Each week, a different team member shares one thing they learned (from a course, book, podcast, client conversation). Capture and celebrate these insights.

60–90 Days: Embed & Elevate

• Review role structures for flexibility and skill alignment. Are roles too rigid? Where can you create more cross-functional work, projects, or development moves?

• Build your leadership dashboard (outcomes, wellbeing, learning). Create a simple view (even in a spreadsheet) tracking: key results, team sentiment, learning activity, and experiments run.

• Codify new working norms and share them. Document “This is how we work now” — your principles, rituals, expectations, and commitments. Share it widely and revisit it regularly.

FINAL THOUGHT: LEADERSHIP IS CHANGING BUT ITS HEART REMAINS HUMAN

The tools are evolving. The workplace is evolving. The language is evolving.

But the essence of leadership remains the same:

Courage. Connection. Clarity. Compassion. Character.

The leaders who thrive in 2026 and beyond will be the ones who embrace AI without losing humanity, create cultures of trust and learning, and lead with intention, not reaction.

They won’t be the loudest in the room or the ones with the fanciest title. They’ll be the ones who show up consistently, care deeply, and choose, every day, to lead with wisdom and heart in a world that desperately needs both.

This article was originally published on Sonia McDonald’s LinkedIn.

SONIA MCDONALD

Sonia is CEO of LeadershipHQ and has vast experience in organisational development, learning and development, facilitating, and leadership development. She is passionate about building long term partnerships with her clients and making sure she achieves the best results for their business and people.

Spring-Cleaning Your Motivation

Eight Evidence-Based Strategies

BY MICHELLE GIBBINGS

THE BEST WAY TO SUSTAIN MOTIVATION

Spring is nearly here. The daffodils are blooming, the days stretch a little longer, the air feels lighter, and the promise of renewal (or at least warmer weather) is around us.

As the sunlight increases, so does the brain’s production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter linked to mood regulation. Research highlights the impact of the weather on our psychological state, with exposure to natural light improving both mood and productivity.

Consequently, just as the seasons change, so can our mindset and motivation. Yet, renewal doesn’t simply ‘happen’.

Motivation, like growth in nature, requires cultivation and nurturing. It’s a discipline as much as it is a feeling. The best way to sustain motivation isn’t to chase inspiration but to design conditions that make progress more possible and even, inevitable.

With spring on our doorstep, it’s the perfect time to spring-clean your motivation, so you and your team can finish the year with clarity, energy, and impact.

Here are eight evidence-based, and sometimes surprising, strategies to elevate motivation.

Understand What Really Motivates (It’s Not What You Think)

We often assume motivation is an internal spark that arrives fully formed. It isn’t.

Motivation is not a precondition for action; it is often the result of it. Psychologists call this the ‘activation energy’ principle, which means the hardest part of any task is starting.

This is why productivity strategies such as time blocking, the Pomodoro technique, or the 20-minute rule work so well. Commit to starting for just a short period, and momentum often carries you through.

But motivation isn’t one-size-fits-all.

Professor Edward Deci and Professor Richard Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory highlights the need for autonomy, competence and relatedness. Some people are driven, for example, by recognition, others by mastery, others by connection.

As a leader, resist the temptation to assume your team is motivated by the same factors as you. Ask, observe, and adapt.

Make Progress Visible (and Celebrate the Small Wins)

When Harvard researchers Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer asked employees what most boosted motivation, the answer wasn’t recognition or incentives. It was the sense of making progress.

Even small wins triggered positive emotions and higher engagement.

This is why progress rituals matter. It could be ticking off tasks on a Kanban board, updating a shared tracker, or celebrating milestones in team meetings. What matters is that you and your team’s progress is visible.

Audit Your Personal Brand (and Close the Gaps)

Marketing expert, Seth Godin, once wrote that a brand is the collection of expectations, stories and relationships that explain why people choose one product or service over another. Your personal brand works the same way.

The challenge, of course, is that the way you see yourself may not match the way others see you. You may want to be perceived as a visionary leader, but be recognised as a technical expert. This brand mismatch can stall your career.

The only way to understand the gap is to ask. Seek feedback from colleagues, mentors and even peers outside your organisation and ask: What three words come to mind when you think of me as a leader?

Once you have those details, look at the responses and reflect, considering:

• Where is the commonality?

• Where are the gaps?

• What most surprised you?

• How can you best close any identified gaps?

Remember, reshaping how people see you takes effort and focus. It won’t happen overnight. Having brand alignment helps to elevate your energy and progress.

Source: Image by Freepik

Say Goodbye Before You Say Hello

We often underestimate the motivational drag of unfinished emotional business. We can hold grudges, cling to outdated self-narratives, or persist with unrealistic expectations (on ourselves and others). All of which can negatively impact your cognitive load.

The act of psychological decluttering can be a powerful tool. Write down what you’re holding onto, whether it’s fears, limiting beliefs, or resentments, and consciously decide what you’ll leave behind.

Ask yourself:

• What are you holding on to that is preventing you from changing and moving forward in some way?

• Are you holding on to expectations or grudges about people that are damaging your relationship with them?

• Are your expectations of yourself (and others) too hard or too easy?

• What are you telling yourself about what you can and can’t do that needs to shift?

• What daily practices and habits do you have that are holding you back from being the best version of yourself?

As author Paulo Coelho reminds us: “If you are brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.”

Set Daily Intentions (But Don’t Rely on Willpower)

At the start of each day, intentions anchor attention. Writing down what you will achieve makes your goals more salient and less likely to be ignored.

Multiple studies demonstrate that public commitment boosts goal follow-through by increasing accountability and social pressure, which encourages persistence and reduces the likelihood of giving up.

However, relying on willpower alone is a flawed strategy. Research reveals that willpower is finite and easily depleted. The smarter move is to design structural nudges that reduce friction. This could be scheduling high-focus work in the morning, using apps that block distractions, or physically preparing your workspace the night before.

Clean Up Your Workspace (But Avoid Sterility)

The physical spaces we occupy affect cognition and emotion.

A cluttered space can elevate stress and reduce focus, and paradoxically, an overly tidy, sterile environment can stifle creativity. So the answer isn’t minimalism at all costs. It’s about balance: clean enough for clarity, but not so pristine that it suppresses experimentation.

The Japanese Kaizen 5S method offers a structured approach to workplace organisation. You can:

• Sort – scan the workplace and remove all unused materials, equipment, and other items that are lying around.

• Straighten – take all the remaining items, consider how frequently you use the item and who uses it. Categorise and organise where things are stored and placed, so they are easily accessible based on the frequency of use.

• Shine – clean your work area and establish a maintenance routine, so everything remains in an order that suits your working style.

• Standardise – identify the practices to ensure the work environment remains vibrant. This may include standards and habits around clearing your workspace at the end of each working day.

• Sustain – don’t let your improvements slide. Humans are creatures of habit, so it can be easy to fall back into old behavioural patterns. It helps to focus on why this matters to you.

The end goal is not perfection, but finding and setting the aesthetics that work for you.

Elevate with Senses (Source Colour, Light, Scent and Sound)

Motivation is not purely cognitive; it’s sensory.

The environment we inhabit sends constant cues to our brain. These cues often operate below our conscious awareness, and yet they shape how energised, focused or creative we feel.

Colour, for instance, does more than brighten a space; it interacts with our neurophysiology. Blue tones enhance focus and accuracy, while green tones are linked to greater creativity and expansive thinking. Warm colours like red can heighten attention to detail but may also increase stress if overused.

Scent is another powerful influence. Because the olfactory system connects directly to the limbic system (i.e. the brain’s emotional centre), smells can instantly trigger memories and alter mood states. Lavender has been shown to promote calmness and reduce anxiety, while peppermint can stimulate alertness and improve working memory. Citrus scents, such as lemon, are often associated with increased energy.

Sound and texture also matter. Background noise at a moderate level has been linked to increased creativity, whereas excessive noise can drain focus. The feel of your workspace, whether it’s the smoothness of your desk surface, the softness of a chair, or the warmth of natural materials, can create comfort or discomfort that shapes your willingness to stay engaged.

Think Long Term (and Redefine ‘Down Days’)

The narrative that high performers are endlessly motivated, upbeat and productive every single day is misleading and unhelpful. Human energy naturally fluctuates.

Circadian rhythms, sleep quality, nutrition, workload, and even seasonal changes all influence how engaged and energised you feel at any given time.

Consequently, allow yourself to pause without guilt, use reflection to extract insight from setbacks, and accept that progress is measured over months and years, not hours and days.

RENEWAL AS A LEADERSHIP PRACTICE

Spring is more than a season. It’s a mindset: the willingness to let go of what no longer serves, to create space for what is next, and to design conditions for growth deliberately.

So as the season shifts, ask yourself:

• What will you let go of this spring to make space for growth?

• How will you design conditions for progress, rather than just chasing inspiration?

• What small rituals will sustain you and your team’s motivation in the months ahead?

Because, remember, motivation starts with intention.

Republished with courtesy from michellegibbings.com

MICHELLE GIBBINGS

Michelle Gibbings is a workplace expert and the award-winning author of three books. Her latest book is ‘Bad Boss: What to do if you work for one, manage one or are one’.

Source: Image by Freepik

change habits

Change Your Life

Focus on Habits, Not Motivation

BY AMIRAH NADIAH

WHY RELYING ON YOUR MOTIVATION KEEPS YOU STUCK

Many of us believe our lives will only change once we feel highly motivated. Motivation is important, yes, but it fades easily when we’re tired, distracted, or face setbacks. The truth is, what truly transforms our lives isn’t bursts of motivation, but the small habits we practice every day.

Consistent habits are stronger than fleeting enthusiasm. Once a habit settles into your routine, it starts to happen almost naturally—just like brushing your teeth every morning.

Take a look back at the beginning of the year. Many people set big goals—eat healthier, exercise more, lose weight. The motivation is there, but consistency is what usually slips away. Some try to live healthier but choose approaches that are hard to sustain. In reality, one consistent habit is all it takes to create lasting change.

The key is to focus on systems. A goal like ‘lose 10 kilograms’ can feel intimidating and far away. But when you shift your focus to a system—like walking for 10 minutes every morning—the process feels lighter, yet still leads to the same result. Systems keep you consistent, even when motivation fades.

Small changes carry big power. Cutting just one spoon of sugar, adding five extra minutes of walking, or drinking an extra glass of water daily might seem insignificant. Over time, they compound into something transformative.

One effective strategy is to attach new habits to old ones. For instance, after brushing your teeth, read one page of a book. After morning prayers, drink a glass of water. Linking a new behavior to an existing routine makes it easier to stick with—because it becomes part of something you already do.

Your environment also shapes your habits. If you want to stop eating junk food, don’t keep it at home. If you want to read more, leave a book on your pillow. A supportive environment makes good habits easier and bad habits harder.

Make the first step simple. Lay out your workout clothes the night before. Keep a water bottle on your desk. The easier it is to start, the more likely you’ll keep going.

Most importantly, don’t break the chain. Mark each successful day on your calendar. As the chain grows, you’ll feel motivated to keep it going. Eventually, the habit becomes part of who you are.

But missing a day doesn’t mean you’ve failed. One slip doesn’t undo all the effort you’ve put in. Be kind to yourself, what matters is that you find your way back the next day. Change takes time. The journey may feel like a marathon, but every step still counts toward where you want to go.

THE TAKEAWAY

Don’t wait for motivation to strike before you start. Begin with small habits, stay consistent, and build systems that make progress easier. What feels small today could be the very thing that takes you to places you never thought you could reach.

AMIRAH NADIAH

Amirah Nadiah holds an academic background in Malay Language and Linguistics. This foundation, combined with her passion for reading and staying current on contemporary issues, enables her to maintain a sharp awareness of diverse topics. As a Content Editor, she specializes in translation and is actively involved in creating engaging and compelling content.

Source: Image by Jcomp on Freepik

Why I Track My Acts of Kindness

BY CHESTER ELTON

Small act of gratitude goes a long way

…And why you should too.

I’ve come to believe that kindness is gratitude in action. When we express kindness, we’re showing appreciation for the world around us and the people in it. And when we start looking for kindness, we see it everywhere: in small, simple, beautiful gestures that connect us.

Years ago, a dear friend and mentor challenged me to hold myself accountable each day with a simple checklist, a practice inspired by Benjamin Franklin. Franklin had a list of twelve virtues he aimed to live by: temperance, industry, moderation, tranquility, and (at his friend’s urging) humility. Each evening, he’d place a tiny black dot next to any virtue where he fell short, reminding him that growth is a daily practice and tomorrow is another day.

My friend encouraged me to do the same, but with a different set of questions. They included:

• Did I do my best to set clear goals today?

• Did I do my best to make progress toward those goals?

• Did I do my best to find meaning?

• Did I do my best to be happy?

• Did I do my best to build positive relationships?

The key phrase is in those first five words:

“Did I do my best?”

Not “Was I perfect?” But ”Did I try?”

Over time, I’ve added my own questions to the list that include gratitude journaling, physical exercise, and one that’s become especially meaningful: “Did I do my best to show kindness today?”

It’s a simple but powerful goal for each day. I try to lift someone up through a small act of kindness. Sometimes that’s sharing a smile with a cashier. Sometimes it’s reaching out to a friend to let them know I’m thinking of them. What continually amazes me is how often those little gestures arrive at exactly the right moment for someone who needs them most.

At the end of each day, I open my spreadsheet and mark whether I met that goal as well as the others. It’s a small ritual, but I’ve come to realise that what feels small to me can mean something much bigger to someone else.

Let me share one example.

One Saturday morning not long ago, I stopped by my favorite Italian deli in Kenilworth, New Jersey. (Their ravioli is so good I tell myself it counts as a spiritual experience; my doctor disagrees!) That day, I felt impressed to buy a meal for my family and one for a friend recovering from surgery. His operation hadn’t gone well, and he was feeling anxious and low. When I dropped by his house, he was alone as his wife had to run out. We chatted for a while, and I left the meal behind.

Later, his wife told me that while they loved the food, what meant the most to him was the visit, the simple fact that someone cared enough to show up. A small act of kindness made his day. And honestly, I know that feeling. I’ve been on the receiving end of that same kind of kindness, when someone checks in, remembers my family, or shows up just when I need it most. It always lifts me, too.

That little experience with the Italian dinner reminded me that kindness doesn’t have to be grand. But it should be intentional.

So this week, I encourage you to try it: one act of kindness every day. Notice how it lifts others, and how it lifts you, too.

CHESTER ELTON

Chester Elton is a bestselling author, executive coach, and keynote speaker known for his work on workplace culture, leadership, and employee engagement. Co-founder of The Culture Works, he draws on research from over one million employees worldwide to help leaders build high-performance, values-driven teams, manage change, and foster innovation. Author of acclaimed books such as Anxiety at Work, Leading with Gratitude, All In, The Carrot Principle, and The Best Team Wins, his works—translated into 30 languages—have sold over 1.5 million copies and earned #1 bestseller status across major lists.

Empowering People, Advancing Prosperity, Building a Resilient Future.

Building High Quality Education and Human Capital

CONTINUOUS UP-SKILLING AND RE-SKILLING OF

SARAWAK CIVIL SERVICE

The Sarawak Civil Service needs continuous upskilling and reskilling to deliver quality services and effectively implement government development plans.

To strengthen the capabilities of officers at all levels, in training and talent development.

RM48.5 MILLION

BUILDING HEALTHY WORKPLACES

Sarawak will allocate RM1.26 million in 2026 to promote healthy workplaces through well-being and work–life balance programmes, along with studies to inform future policies such as hybrid work, special needs support, and back-to-work initiatives.

RM1.26 MILLION

SARAWAK INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT

Sarawak’s education sector advances with the Yayasan Sarawak International Secondary School, offering the Cambridge curriculum and aligning with global standards.

RM36

MILLION will fund its operations in 2026

RM13 million under Alternative Funding will support preliminary works to expand new campuses in Bintulu and Miri alongside existing ones in Kuching and Sibu.

ACCELERATING DIGITAL GOVERNMENT TRANSFORMATION

Sarawak is advancing smarter, connected public services by streamlining processes and enhancing data-driven, automated delivery.

RM27 MILLION will fund ICT development and upgrades

RM299 MILLION will support system maintenance to ensure secure, reliable digital services

STRENGTHENING INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT FOR SARAWAK CIVIL SERVICE

Sarawak will allocate RM300 million in 2026 to begin building new housing and related facilities for civil servants across various districts, aiming to improve living standards and strengthen institutional support for those serving the State.

RM300 MILLION

FREE TERTIARY EDUCATION SCHEME (FTES)

The Free Tertiary Education Scheme will fund tuition fees for eligible Sarawakian students in fulltime undergraduate programmes at Swinburne Sarawak, Curtin Malaysia, UTS, and i-CATS University College. RM250 million is allocated for the scheme in 2026.

RM250 MILLION

NEXTGEN TVET

NextGen TVET focuses on industry-based learning and lifelong education to strengthen Sarawak’s global competitiveness.

RM4.5 MILLION will support the NextGen Digital and Innovation Talent Programme for schools and the Sarawak Digital and Innovation Talent Acceleration Programme.

REBUILDING AND REHABILITATION OF DILAPIDATED SCHOOLS

Sarawak remains committed to upgrading and rebuilding dilapidated schools to ensure safe, conducive learning environments.

RM1 BILLION

provided by the State Government as an advance payment on Federal loans.

Source: https://premier.sarawak.gov.my/web/subpage/speeches_view/230

Source: Image by Freepik

Your Brain in the AI Age

How to Keep Your Memory Sharp

BY MICHELLE GIBBINGS

Recently, my sister asked me for good fiction book recommendations.

Despite reading every week and having many books that I loved, I struggled to think of one to recommend. Yet, when I cast my mind back to my pre-Kindle days, I can easily remember many, many books to recommend.

It made me wonder: Is there something about digital reading that makes it harder to remember what we consume? Or was I imagining it?

Given my bias towards evidence over anecdote, I went looking for what the research actually says.

Along the way, I fell down a rabbit hole that stretches from how we read on screens to how AI changes what we remember to what neuroscientists are learning about how memory really works.

The short version is that my Kindle experience is not unusual, but the story is more nuanced than “screens are bad, paper is good”.

It is a story about attention, meaning, and how we choose to utilise the digital tools around us.

Does format matter? What the research says about print vs digital

Researchers have been comparing paper and digital reading for years, and the findings are mixed – which is precisely what you would expect in a messy, real-world phenomenon.

A 2018 meta-analysis of studies comparing paperbased and digital reading found that, on average, people understood and remembered paper texts slightly better than digital ones, particularly when reading under time pressure and when the texts were informational rather than narrative in nature.

The authors suggested that screens often nudge us towards skimming, multitasking and ‘good enough’ reading, which weakens comprehension.

More recent work complicates the picture.

A 2024 meta-analysis reported no significant overall difference in reading comprehension between digital and paper formats once factors such as text length, task type and how familiar people were with the medium were controlled. In some contexts, digital did just as well; in others, paper still held a small edge.

Therefore, weaker recall for digital texts is not simply a matter of pixels. It reflects how we tend to use digital media.

Screens are often:

• Surrounded by distractions. For example, notifications, tabs, messages, etc.

• Used in short bursts rather than extended stretches.

• Associated with scanning and jumping rather than slow, linear reading.

Paper books, in contrast, come with built-in cues that support memory. For example, the physical feel of the book, the repetition of seeing the book’s cover, a sense of where you are in the chapter, and a more precise mental map of the text. There is also less temptation to flick away.

In other words, it is not that a Kindle or e-reader cannot support deep memory. It is that you and I are more likely to read in ways that undermine deep encoding when we are on a digital device.

To understand why that matters, we need to take a look under the hood at how our memory works.

Your memory is not a filing cabinet

Popular debates about memory often treat forgetting as failure. If you cannot recall an author’s name or the exact statistics from a report (or, in my case, a good fiction book to recommend), something must be wrong.

Neuroscientist Charan Ranganath argued that this is the wrong way to think about memory. In his book Why We Remember and in a widely discussed 2024 New York Times op-ed on President Biden’s memory, he argues that forgetting is normal and often adaptive.

Memory has evolved not to store everything, but to help us make good predictions and decisions in a changing world.

So, what is going on in your brain when you read and try to remember? At a simplified level, there are three key pieces to the story.

1. Short-term and working memory

Short-term memory is the ability to hold a small amount of information in mind for a brief period, seconds to minutes. Working memory is the more active version of this; it is the mental workbench where you juggle and manipulate information, such as holding a sentence in mind while you determine its meaning. This depends heavily on networks in the prefrontal cortex.

Short-term and working memory are limited.

You cannot deeply encode what you never fully pay attention to. Suppose you are reading while glancing at an email or half-listening to a podcast. In that case, your working memory is constantly disrupted, and the likelihood of transferring that material into long-term storage drops dramatically.

2. Long-term memory and the hippocampus

Long-term memory stores information over days, months and years.

A structure deep in the brain, the hippocampus, plays a central role in forming new episodic memories (events and experiences) and in binding together the different elements of an experience – sights, sounds, ideas, and feelings – into a coherent narrative.

Over time, through a process known as consolidation, those memories become more widely represented in the neocortex, the outer layer of the brain. Sleep, repetition and revisiting ideas all support this process.

3. Synaptic plasticity and changing your wiring

At the cellular level, new learning is associated with changes in the strength of synaptic connections, a phenomenon known as synaptic plasticity.

When you learn something new, your brain cells actually change how they communicate with each other; that is, they strengthen or weaken their connections (i.e the synapses that connect neural pathways).

When you practice or repeat something, these connections can become permanently stronger. This lasting strengthening is one of the main ways your brain builds memories and learns new skills.

The key point for the rest of us is that how we engage with information matters.

Deep, focused processing – linking ideas, generating examples, questioning, teaching others – sends a strong ‘this matters’ signal to the hippocampus and strengthens those neural pathways. Shallow, distracted exposure does not.

Which brings us back to screens, AI and why some things do not stick.

Outsourcing your brain: The Google effect and AI

Humans have always offloaded memory onto tools: clay tablets, notebooks, calendars and search engines.

The question now is what happens when we outsource more and more of our thinking to digital systems and AI.

One of the earliest warnings emerged long before the advent of generative AI.

In a 2011 paper in Science, Professor of Psychology Betsy Sparrow and colleagues showed that when people believed information would be stored on a computer, they were less likely to recall the information itself and more likely to remember where to find it.

This so-called “Google effect” or digital amnesia does not mean our brains have stopped working. It means we are reorganising what we remember: from content to location.

As AI has become more capable, researchers have begun to notice a related pattern in skill development. In an article originally published in The Conversation, Researcher Tapani Rinta-Kahila described how an accounting firm discovered that, after years of relying on smart software to handle fixed-asset accounting, their staff struggled to perform the work manually once the software was removed. Critical expertise had quietly eroded.

The same article introduced the notion of “automation complacency”: the understandable but risky assumption that if a system is usually accurate, you no longer need to monitor it or maintain your own competence.

A 2024 review in an educational technology journal went further, arguing that overreliance on generative AI for tasks such as writing and problem solving may damage memory retention and critical thinking over time, precisely because it removes the need for active cognitive effort.

Active learning – effortful engagement with ideas – is what drives consolidation and durable memory.

Leaders are also starting to worry about this in the workplace. While most executives see significant productivity gains from AI tools, some are concerned about skill atrophy and loss of foundational knowledge among employees.

There is a genuine tension here.

Offloading some tasks to technology frees up mental bandwidth. That can be good for higher-order thinking. At the same time, if we offload too much, too early, we risk weakening exactly the neural circuits and habits of mind we value.

The question is not “should we use AI?” but “what do we still need to know how to do ourselves, and how will we stay in practice?”

Source: Image by Macrovector on Freepik

Attention as the gateway: Why context matters

Psychologists describe attention as the gatekeeper for memory.

If your attention is scattered across many inputs, very little makes it through the gate with enough force to trigger strong memory encoding.

The combination of always-on devices, constant notifications and AI tools that produce instant answers can keep that gate in a perpetual half-open, half-closed state.

This does not mean we need to abandon our devices. It does mean we should be more deliberate about when we seek deep understanding and how we shape the conditions for it.

Building better memories in a digital, AI-rich world

What might this look like in practice?

Here are evidence-based strategies to help you remember more of what matters, whether you are reading on paper, on a screen or working alongside AI.

1. Read with a purpose

Before you open the book or article, ask yourself: What do I want to take away from this?

Setting a clear intention helps the brain decide that this material is worth encoding. Memory research indicates that meaning and relevance significantly influence what we retain.

2. Make digital reading more “paper-like”

The problem is not the Kindle or e-reader; it is passive scrolling.

Get deliberate as you read by:

• Creating conditions for focus: one device, notifications off, dedicated reading time.

• Annotating as you go. Highlight sparingly and write short notes that explain why an idea matters.

• At the end of each chapter, close the device and summarise the key ideas in your own words. This active recall practice is one of the most potent techniques for strengthening memory traces.

3. Use spacing and retrieval, not just exposure

Memory consolidation benefits from spacing –revisiting material over time – and retrieval practice, where you test yourself without looking at the text.

Instead of rereading, try:

• Jotting down what you remember the next day, then checking against the text.

• Creating a summary or model that you could explain to a colleague.

• Using simple digital flashcards for key concepts or definitions.

4. Make it meaningful and emotional

We remember what is connected to existing knowledge and what carries emotional weight. Context, meaning and emotion all strengthen memory networks.

As you read:

• Link ideas to real problems you are tackling at work or what you already know.

• Notice where you agree, disagree or feel surprised.

• Capture one ‘So what?’ after each reading session: what might you do differently because of this?

Source: Image by Freepik

5. Treat AI as a thinking partner, not a substitute

AI can be a powerful ally for learning if you stay in the driver’s seat.

Consider:

• Drafting your own summary of a chapter, then asking AI to critique, extend or challenge it.

• Asking AI to quiz you on key concepts, rather than asking it to summarise the book for you.

• Periodically doing tasks “AI-free” to keep your skills sharp and stay competent without autopilot or smart software.

The discipline is to let AI accelerate the grunt work, without handing over the parts of thinking you actually want to own.

6. Design for attention, including time in nature

Given the link between attention and memory, even small design choices make a difference.

For example:

• Create device-free blocks for deep reading, even if they are only 25 minutes

• Where possible, pair reading or reflection with time outdoors – a short walk in a park can restore attention and boost working memory performance. Studies have shown that spending time in nature can improve your attention and memory.

• Reduce multitasking. Every context switch is a small tax on your working memory.

7. Protect the brain systems that support memory

Finally, the unglamorous basics matter: regular sleep, physical activity and stress management all support the hippocampus and prefrontal networks that underlie memory.

You cannot out-read or out-AI a chronically exhausted brain.

Remembering what matters

When I interrogated my own ‘Kindle amnesia’, the answer turned out not to be a simple indictment of screens.

It was a reminder to be more deliberate. When using a paper-based book, I was more likely to slow down, underline, pause and reflect. On a device, I was more likely to skim between other tasks, trusting that I could always search for the idea again later. My brain responded accordingly. It remembered what I had signalled, through my behaviour, was important.

In a digital, AI-enabled world, setting that signal requires conscious control. We can choose to let technology hollow out our skills and memories, or we can design a different relationship in which digital tools expand our capacity without eroding our competence.

The difference lies less in the devices we use and more in the habits and environments we build around them.

In the end, the real question is not “Can you remember everything you read?” It is “Are you remembering and practising the things that matter for the work and life you want to lead?”

Republished with courtesy from michellegibbings.com

MICHELLE GIBBINGS

Michelle Gibbings is a workplace expert and the award-winning author of three books. Her latest book is ‘Bad Boss: What to do if you work for one, manage one or are one’.

11Power Tips for Better AI Literacy in your team

Human behaviors, either skillful or broken, may make or break your AI success

Bad news just in from MIT on your chances of AI success. A 2025 study showed that 95% of enterprise generative-AI pilot programs fail to deliver measurable profit-and-loss (P&L) impact, and only about 5% of pilots move into production and show significant business outcomes. This study cited workflows, data readiness, organisational alignment, and governance as the culprits.

We propose another missing link likely buried under the organisational alignment category: human behavior around AI. The behavioral layers of digital transformation are the least tended area of AI progress, yet the ‘human in the loop’ is the linchpin of every single AI keystroke.

Human behaviors, either skillful or broken, may make or break your AI success. So, here are my very favorite novel approaches to AI that can minimiSe distractions and rework, opening up channels for growth and revenue in AI-savvy teams.

Source: Photo by Zinkevych on Freepik

1. ADOPT THE AI ADVANTAGE TRIAD

Keep this framework for organisational modernisation close and refer to it with regular cadence to check your playbook. Successful AI integration requires balancing three essential elements:

Emotional Guidance: Recognition and management of the fear, resistance, and uncertainty accompanying technological change.

Formal Education: Structured learning about what AI can and cannot do, which tools serve which purposes, and the conceptual frameworks that guide effective use.

Sandbox Experimentation: Messy, imperfect, handson practice where team members try things that don’t work, discover unexpected capabilities, and develop comfort and fluency.

Executive Action Tip:

Audit your current AI plan against these three elements. You may find that your playbook is 95% formal education. Rebalance accordingly.

2. CONDUCT AN AI HOT WASH

A Forrester study shows that over-reliance on AI causes cognitive laziness. Therefore, it is critical to make sure that the project as a whole was managed better with AI than without it. After any complex AI project, invest fifteen minutes in a ‘hot wash,’ a rapid review to determine whether the AI saved time or created additional labor.

Executive Action Tip:

Create a simple rotating three-question review at project end. Select three from this list and rotate them:

• Did using the AI reduce the overall quality of the final work?

• Did the AI save us time overall, even accounting for edits and rework?

• Did the AI introduce any new ideas or perspectives we wouldn’t have considered?

• Did the AI help us discover any inefficiencies in our usual process?

• Did the AI save time for future tasks by learning from this one?

This discipline transforms each project into organisational learning and betterment of the next AI time investment.

3. MITIGATE AI DISTRUST THROUGH REVEALING FLAWS

AI systems hallucinate, fabricate sources, and confidently present incorrect information. When team members discover this after depending on AI outputs, they may abandon the technology as trust has been broken.

Executive Action Tip:

In AI training sessions, demonstrate a live hallucination. Ask an AI tool to cite sources for a claim, then verify that those sources don’t exist. This controlled exposure builds healthy skepticism and teaches your team the critical habit of verification.

4. APPOINT AI SHERPAS

Identify a few team members to become your AI Sherpas. These dedicated guides are tasked to develop deep expertise in AI applications relevant to your work. These aren’t IT specialists; they’re trusted colleagues who become relatable advisors having been given more time with AI than others.

Executive Action Tip:

Select your Sherpas based on curiosity and credibility, not purely technical background. Invest in their development through seminars, online courses, and dedicated learning time; up to 10 hours weekly. Their role is to demystify AI for colleagues and serve as first-line support.

5. CREATE CAPACITY FOR AI RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

51% of workers say that learning AI feels like taking on a second job. To help your team develop a genuine relationship with AI tools, you must create dedicated space and time. Relationship building requires time, not leftover minutes crammed between other priorities.

Executive Action Tip:

Cancel two hours per week of your team’s current activities and designate that time specifically for ‘AI relationship building’. Give them room to explore and become comfortable without pressure for immediate deliverables.

6. MINIMISE AI SLOP AND REWORK

Leaders accepting good-enough output as a result of AI-driven quality degradation is called Satisficing. The often mediocre output of AI-generated work then either lowers client-facing quality (a net loss to the business) or demands extensive revision. When teams use AI prematurely on complex tasks, they often create more work than they save.

Executive Action Tip:

Exercise restraint with AI on your most intricate projects until both the technology and your team’s proficiency mature. By waiting strategically, you reduce unnecessary rework and maintain efficiency from the start.

7. ALLOW BEST PRACTICES TO SCALE

Effective AI adoption requires ongoing change management, not one-and-done training. Once a month, establish an organisation-wide hour with no scheduled meetings for an ‘AI Idea Exchange’. Everyone shares their most effective AI applications and observes what colleagues are discovering.

Executive Action Tip:

Encourage team members to come prepared with one AI insight or challenge. Include competitive intelligence or permission to share sticking points. This transforms isolated experimentation into organisational capability.

8. SEPARATE EDUCATION FROM EXPERIMENTATION

As the AI Advantage Triad shows us, simply teaching your team about AI is not enough; they need dedicated, low-risk time to play with it directly.

Executive Action Tip:

Help your team distinguish between learning the rules of AI (like studying the rules of tennis) and actual ‘court time’. Separate theoretical learning sessions from hands-on experimentation periods. Both matter, but they serve different purposes.

9. AMPLIFY PRESENCE WITH AI NOTE-TAKING

With constant virtual meetings, our cognitive capacity for recall is overwhelmed. By deploying an AI notetaker in every meeting, you offload the mental burden of capturing details and focus your full attention on the strategic conversation.

Executive Action Tip:

Implement a tool like Sybill to automatically generate detailed summaries and transcripts of virtual meetings. Comprehensive notes improve clarity, reduce misunderstandings, and make follow-ups more efficient. (Bonus, they also reduce FOMO and make people more likely to opt out of unnecessary meetings as the information can be sourced later.)

10. USE IN-ROOM AI TRANSCRIPTS TO ENRICH IN-PERSON SESSIONS

For in-person meetings, events, or off-sites, valuable insights emerge that are easily forgotten. A dedicated AI voice recorder ensures you capture a precise, inroom transcript of everything discussed.

Executive Action Tip:

Use a device like the HiDoc P1 AI voice recorder to capture accurate transcripts of all in-person discussions. This ensures no valuable comment or strategic insight disappears.

11. INCENTIVIZE THE AI CHALLENGE

AI represents an exciting frontier, and engaging your team’s sense of adventure makes the learning curve more enjoyable. When you add the carrot factor, you unlock creativity and voluntary engagement.

Executive Action Tip:

To help employees push through the cognitive bias against AI, establish a monthly competition with meaningful rewards (such as a cash prize or an extra day off) for the most innovative application of AI to real work challenges.

Turning Literacy Into Leverage

AI success will not belong to the fastest adopters; it will belong to the most literate ones. The differentiator in this next phase of digital evolution isn’t just access to tools, but the quality of human engagement around them.

Leaders who treat AI literacy as a core competency (not a side project) will create cultures where technology amplifies judgment instead of replacing it. They’ll see fewer false starts, less rework, and more measurable ROI, not because their algorithms are smarter, but because their people are.

As you look ahead, remember: every competitive advantage begins with behavior. Equip your teams to think critically, experiment wisely, and engage deeply. That’s where AI stops being a headline and starts becoming a lever for real performance.

This was also published on Juliet Funt’s LinkedIn.

JULIET FUNT

Juliet Funt is the founder and CEO at JFG (Juliet Funt Group), which is a consulting and training firm built upon the popular teaching of CEO Juliet Funt, author of A Minute to Think.

When the World Gets Hotter, Leaders Must Stay Cool

BY LEADERONOMICS

In a season that tests tempers, composure becomes your shade.

The past few weeks, the air temperature in various cities across Indonesia has been suffocating. The scorching sun penetrates the walls of our homes, air conditioners are working harder than usual, and many people are starting to lose their patience due to the seemingly merciless weather.

In situations like this, even the smallest thing can trigger emotions. Imagine clocking in exhausted after being stuck in traffic, only to have your chatty colleague irritate you even more (usually you wouldn’t mind).

Interestingly, this condition can actually be a reflection of how we lead and work under pressure. Leadership is not measured by how a person behaves when everything goes smoothly, but by how they act when the ‘temperature’ starts to rise—both literally and emotionally.

When Both the Weather and Emotions Are Hot

Amidst the hot air, our bodies respond spontaneously just as they do when we are in a stressful work situation. When pressure increases, the brain is more likely to react than to think.

A leader who fails to control their emotions at a critical moment can create a domino effect. Think how one morning outburst could be enough to bring down the team’s spirit for the rest of the day.

Therefore, the ability to maintain composure amidst a heated situation becomes a crucial leadership skill in the present day. This is a soft skill that may not always be visible, but its impact is very real.

The Air Conditioner for Leadership

Imagine an office without air conditioning when the temperature reaches 35C. Everyone is restless, it’s hard to focus, and every interaction has the potential to become a conflict. Now imagine a leader who can act as the ‘air conditioner’, not by ignoring the heat of the situation, but by creating an atmosphere where people can find their way to clarity.

This skill is called emotional regulation, which is the ability to understand, control, and channel emotions in a constructive way.

Leaders with a high level of emotional regulation typically:

• Are not easily provoked in emotional situations.

• Are able to separate personal issues from professional decisions.

• Are able to transform stress into productive energy.

• And most importantly, set an example for the team to remain calm under pressure.

As the saying goes, “You can’t pour calm into others if you’re boiling inside.”

Source: Photo by Wirestock on Freepik

Cool Head, Warm Heart

Managing emotions does not mean becoming distant or indifferent. In fact, calm leaders create space to understand others on a deeper level.

When a team member feels frustrated over a missed target or a difficult customer, an empathetic leader doesn’t rush to assign blame. They listen first, seek the root cause, and approach the situation with composure to find a solution together.

This is where the balance between a cool head and a warm heart becomes essential. A cool head preserves clarity and sound judgment, while a warm heart sustains genuine human connection in the workplace. Together, they cultivate the cornerstone of lasting leadership.

In the Midst of Crisis, Calmness is the Compass

In today’s volatile world, many teams operate in survival mode. They naturally look for direction from the calmest person in the room.

A calm leader is not passive. They act, but with clarity. When everyone else panics, they ask, “What’s the most rational next step?”

Take the pandemic as an example. The pandemic forced many organisations into painful decisions. Yet, those who led with belief and steadiness proved to be the true pillars of leadership.

Exercises to Keep a Cool Head

Just as the body adjusts to hot weather, the mind can be trained to remain stable even under high pressure.

Some simple steps you can take include:

1. Stop Before Reacting: When emotions rise, pause for a moment before responding. A long, deep breath is often enough to prevent words you might regret.

2. Identify Your Triggers: Note down the situations that usually make you angry or stressed. Awareness is the first step toward control.

3. Listen Truly: Listen to understand, not just to wait for your turn to speak. This helps to lower emotional tension.

4. Build Reflective Habits: After facing a difficult situation, ask yourself whether you reacted or responded consciously.

5. Practice Self-Care: Getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, and taking quiet time outside of work helps maintain mental balance.

Conclusion:

Be the Cool Breeze in the Hot Weather

The hot weather we feel, although uncomfortable, can be a simple reminder that the world is not always pleasant. This is where the quality of leadership is tested.

Becoming a leader or a colleague who can keep a cool head under pressure is not only about professionalism, but also about humanity. We cannot control the weather, but we can control how we respond to it.

So instead of being the loudest voice in the room, be the steady one—the presence that helps others find their footing.

LEADERONOMICS

Finding Gratitude in a Crisis

BY CHESTER ELTON

Finding gratitude where the light is hardest to find

“

Of all the ‘attitudes’ we can acquire, surely the attitude of gratitude is the most important and by far the most life-changing.

— Zig Ziglar

It’s easy to be grateful when life is good. But what about when it’s not? How does gratitude help when you’re going through something truly difficult?

In my work as a coach, volunteer, father, and friend, I’ve walked alongside people during some of their darkest moments. They’ve lost their health, a friendship, a marriage. Some have lost homes to floods or fires. Others have lost jobs they loved or, hardest of all, they’ve lost loved ones.

In those times, when heartbreak feels unbearable, how could gratitude possibly help?

A wise man once taught me that gratitude has the power to heal. Honestly, at the time, I found it hard to believe. How could being grateful change anything when you’re in the depths of despair? And yet, over the years, I’ve found it to be true. Time and again, I’ve seen how choosing gratitude can soften pain and bring light into the darkest places.

When my father passed away, I was filled with regret. I wished I’d spent more time with him in his final days, called more, been a better son. He was one of my greatest heroes, and I felt like I’d let him down.

But then came the funeral. As our family gathered in the chapel to celebrate his life, something unexpected happened. The memories began to flood in and were full of laughter and joy. I could hear him singing while my mother played the piano. There were more smiles than tears that day. And in the middle of all that grief, I felt something powerful: gratitude.

I was so grateful for the man he was. For every tennis match we played, every lesson at his knee, every hug, every kind word. Thankfulness began to wash away the guilt and replace it with peace.

I realized in that moment that gratitude doesn’t erase the pain, but it helps us carry it with grace.

So often, when we count our blessings, we focus on things we have or things we’ve achieved. But rather than be grateful “for” things I’ve learned to be grateful “in” things. And I’ve learned that the greatest blessings are moments. And sometimes, hard moments teach us the most. They remind us that we’re stronger than we think, and that even in hardship, we can grow. That day at my father’s funeral was one of the hardest of my life, and yet it became a moment I’ll always be grateful for.

I often think about Job in the Old Testament. He had everything, and then he lost it all. And yet, even in his darkest hour, he gave thanks. His words still echo today: “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job understood something powerful: that gratitude is not about what we have, but about what we see. Even when everything is stripped away, there’s still room for a thankful heart.

It’s never lost on me how truly blessed I am. Even when life feels hard, I know that so many others would trade places with me in a heartbeat. My writing partner Adrian Gostick and I have traveled the world in our work helping leaders and organisations. We’ve been feted in luxury resorts, and we’ve volunteered in places with true hardship, where people live with no clean water, no safety, no certainty about tomorrow. And then we get to come home. I turn on a faucet and clean water flows. My house is warm. My kids and grandkids are safe and thriving.

In those moments, a wave of gratitude rushes over me. And I hold onto it.

So, I’ve made it my goal to be grateful every day, no matter what.

I hope today brings you a moment of gratitude too. Not just for your life, but in your life. Especially during the hard days.

This article was firstly published on Chester Elton’s LinkedIn.

CHESTER ELTON

RESULTS-BASED BUDGETING (RBB) POLICY OF SARAWAK GOVERNMENT

The implementation of RBB is a strategic approach that aligns resources with specific and measurable outcomes, ensuring accountability and transparency in the utilisation of public funds. This demands paradigm shift in resource allocation, prioritising outcomes and impacts over mere inputs and outputs. By adopting this approach, the Government can align National and State priorities, thus ensuring that public expenditures are directly linked to quantifiable and meaningful outcomes, which is also in line with the focus of the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030).

RBB links funding to specific results, making it easier to hold Ministries or Program Heads accountable for their performance.

Resources are allocated based on the achievement of specific goals and directed toward programs that are effective and aligned with Ministries' priorities.

All Ministries, Departments, and Agencies are encouraged to find the most cost-effective ways to achieve their goals by focusing on outcomes, which can lead to innovation and efficiency improvements.

RBB provides valuable data and insights into program performance, which can inform future budgeting decisions and strategic planning.

Linking budget decisions to outcomes would improve communication and transparency with stakeholders, including the public, policymakers and investors.

Provide flexibility to adjust funding when needs and priorities change as reflected by the importance of outcome.

Image by Mason Tang