This will be (I think) a fairly long post, muddled up based on a collection of thoughts I have. For those of you who belong on the 'J' side of the MBTI (including me), you may be disgusted at the lack of structure in what you're about to read. But I hope at the end, it'll all make sense.
Last week, I was super fortunate to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) on East Asia in Bangkok as part of the Global Shaper community. Before I left, I have to admit that I wasn't 100% enthusiastic about attending the forum because
a) It meant 1 week away from Diablo 3 especially after (maybe) having set this up:-
b) I'm not a natural schmoozer - I'm not comfortable schmoozing all the time. I mean, it's generally a standard repetition of, "Hi, how are you? I'm Nick from Malaysia. Here's my card. What do you do?...Oh, that's very interesting. Generic question 1...Generic question 2...Me? Oh, I'm in the Research department at Khazanah Nasional. Generic statement 1...Generic Statement 2...Well, it looks like lunch/the meeting/the event/dinner is about to start but it was a great pleasure to meet you...Let's stay in touch, take care."
c) I wasn't sure how the 20 Shapers that were attending the conference would interact with each other - Would people be cold but polite to each other? Would there be some Alpha-ing going on given how accomplished people are? Would people remain super professional with each other, without trying to get to know each other?
For part a), well, I convinced myself that it wasn't that big a deal. For part b), well, I convinced myself that it's part and parcel of these things and I have to just go and do all that.
For part c), I was completely blown away. While cliche writing is lazy writing, I gotta say that both the people and the collective group chemistry was seriously over and beyond anything I could have imagined.
You see, I've been involved in a lot of teams before - football, basketball, computer games, professional project, bathroom-cleaning, even fricking dodgeball - and I think it's fairly easy to tell when you're part of a team versus being part of a group of individuals. In a real team, all the members do subscribe to a collective goal even if that collective goal diminishes the personal achievement of each member.
It's not as straightforward as it sounds. People generally do have problems processing the "teamwork over talent" thing. But I think we've seen, over and over again, that one person alone usually doesn't bring a team success but the contrary is true - one person can prevent a team from gaining success. It's not about one member's performance or statistics or achievements as it is making everyone else better and putting the team ahead of themselves.
When that happens, when everyone is keyed in on a common goal, without worrying what personal accolades will come with them, that's when a group of individuals becomes a team. And even then, it's not completely perfect yet. In a lot of cases, a very good team can consist of members who treat each other very professionally, without actually liking each other. They all respect each other (necessary AND sufficient) but they don't necessarily want to hang out with each other.
It's simple. In a team, there will always be friction - positive or negative. People have different ideas and different ways to do things. And sometimes, it can get to the point where the friction causes people to dislike each other on a personal basis, even if they have respect for each other. BUT, imagine a proper team where everyone also likes each other. Basically, you would then have a situation where
a) People care about the team's achievements rather than their own achievements
b) People believe and commit to a common goal
c) They all like each other
When you put a), b) and c) combined into a brew, you have the best team chemistry possible. To the point where it's electric. And that's what I experienced in Bangkok with that group. And it's really special. It's very rare to have teams like this. Where everyone is so bought in with each other and each other's achievements and are willing to help each other, without envy or restraint, to advance the goals of the group. Al Pacino nails it in the greatest sports motivational talk of all time when he says, "Either we heal, now, as a team or we will die as individuals." And beyond even all that, beyond working with and for each other, it is so powerful to be a part of something that is bigger than yourself.
So, that's part c).
Now, within that team of 20 people, the individuals I met are seriously all amazing people. I don't use this word often, but those people inspired me. At the end of the Forum, where we had our debriefing session, we were asked 3 questions, one of which was our key takeaways from the Forum. I remember thinking that, for me, I had both personal and professional takeaways from it. The professional is straightforward - the power of a team and meeting seriously amazing people.
For the personal, I say this with no hyperbole - Meeting these people has made me consider and reconsider my personal philosophies as well as potential future plans. Honestly, the past week kind of changed my life. Or at least how I view it. One of the Shapers said this, which I thought was quite cool, "I'm a Capitalist at mind but a Socialist at heart." I remember thinking, "Oh, I'm a Capitalist at mind AND a Capitalist at heart." But then I asked myself why. Why do I so strongly believe in the virtues of capitalism? Allow me to plug myself - Capitalism - A Means, Not an End.
In there, I basically describe why I'm a strong advocate of capitalism. But what that Shaper's statement really made me consider was, "Why do I care about freedom and prosperity?" Or in other words, what's the higher ideal - what is driving me to push for that? Another Shaper said that he would die for the cause of sustainability. I know many people say it, and I know that it sounds dramatic, but I believe this guy. I believe that his conviction is genuine. And through his work, he is walking the talk.
So, then, the combination of the two statements led me to think - For what ideal could I see myself pursuing with pure unadulterated conviction. I'm still thinking about it and I will continue thinking about it even if I've identified what it is. And, no, it is not "Ruling the world."
But it's led me to think - If I, at the least, care about freedom and prosperity, what am I doing about it? To be clear, when I say 'freedom', I really mean the freedom to make whatever the hell choice you want to make for your life, even if it's a poor choice (riding a motorcyle without a helmet) as long as it doesn't harm other people. The ability to choose what you want for your life because, well, hey, it's your life.
But to choose, one needs options to choose. As you can see in that blog post I wrote for the Forum, I care about equality of opportunity. Everyone gets the chance to prove themselves. Whether you sink or swim, it's up to you. In this swimming analogy, I would believe everyone should be taught to swim, but I don't believe the fastest swimmer should have weights put on her to slow her down so that everyone else can keep up.
Now, from there, how do I go about putting these words into action? What can I do? And perhaps more pertinently, can I do anything about it? Well, after spending 4 days with the Shapers, I really do believe that each person can do something significant. And if I believe that, then I must believe that I can do something significant. It's now a matter of finding out what that 'something' is. And then to actually do it. Maybe that 'something' is to be an economist. Or maybe it's something else. I haven't figured it out yet. But I do know that I will do it not just because it's my conviction but because I would also feel that it is my duty.
I recognise the moral-high-ground-self-righteousness of that last statement but maybe let me rephrase it this way. Take these two first examples:-
Rorshach (Watchmen) - "Once a man has seen, he can never turn his back on it. Never pretend it doesn't exist. No matter who orders him to look the other way. We do not do this thing (vigilantism) because it is permitted. We do it because we have to. We do it because we are compelled."
NB: Granted, he was talking about mankind's capacity for horrors but bear with me.
Uncle Max (Sound of Music) - What's going to happen is going to happen (Nazi takeover). Let's just hope it doesn't happen to us.
Captain Von Trapp - MAX! Don't you ever say that again.
Uncle Max - You know I don't have any political convictions. Can I help it if other people do?
Captain Von Trapp - Oh yes, you can help it. You - must - help it.
One of the highlights of the forum was the appearance of Aung San Suu Kyi. She's pretty much this generation's version of Gandhi, MLK, Mandela. So it was such a thrill to see her and to listen to her speak. And among the things she said which really stuck with me was when she described how she managed to stay optimistic through all her years of house arrest in Burma. She said that her mother had told her that the greatest of all values was 'duty'. And that struck me. I mean, I don't think that it should be a universal greatest value (indeed there isn't an absolute universal greatest value), and I don't think it's for everyone, but it resonated with me. I think I have long felt that beyond passion, beyond conviction, beyond doing what I want, I should be doing what I must.
So, moving forward, I have to say, my way of thinking has been changed quite significantly. The Forum has shown me 3 main things which I will now summarise:-
a) The power of a team that likes each other is exponential.
b) With great power, comes great you-know-what. And my duty ought to be to my conviction - the ideal that I find most dear to me.
c) And once I find that ideal, I need to walk the talk and do something about it. And I believe there is something that can be done and this is inspired by the Shapers I met who have proven that lives and worlds can be changed.
What a week.
Last week, I was super fortunate to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) on East Asia in Bangkok as part of the Global Shaper community. Before I left, I have to admit that I wasn't 100% enthusiastic about attending the forum because
a) It meant 1 week away from Diablo 3 especially after (maybe) having set this up:-
 |
| Lock and Load |
c) I wasn't sure how the 20 Shapers that were attending the conference would interact with each other - Would people be cold but polite to each other? Would there be some Alpha-ing going on given how accomplished people are? Would people remain super professional with each other, without trying to get to know each other?
For part a), well, I convinced myself that it wasn't that big a deal. For part b), well, I convinced myself that it's part and parcel of these things and I have to just go and do all that.
For part c), I was completely blown away. While cliche writing is lazy writing, I gotta say that both the people and the collective group chemistry was seriously over and beyond anything I could have imagined.
You see, I've been involved in a lot of teams before - football, basketball, computer games, professional project, bathroom-cleaning, even fricking dodgeball - and I think it's fairly easy to tell when you're part of a team versus being part of a group of individuals. In a real team, all the members do subscribe to a collective goal even if that collective goal diminishes the personal achievement of each member.
It's not as straightforward as it sounds. People generally do have problems processing the "teamwork over talent" thing. But I think we've seen, over and over again, that one person alone usually doesn't bring a team success but the contrary is true - one person can prevent a team from gaining success. It's not about one member's performance or statistics or achievements as it is making everyone else better and putting the team ahead of themselves.
When that happens, when everyone is keyed in on a common goal, without worrying what personal accolades will come with them, that's when a group of individuals becomes a team. And even then, it's not completely perfect yet. In a lot of cases, a very good team can consist of members who treat each other very professionally, without actually liking each other. They all respect each other (necessary AND sufficient) but they don't necessarily want to hang out with each other.
It's simple. In a team, there will always be friction - positive or negative. People have different ideas and different ways to do things. And sometimes, it can get to the point where the friction causes people to dislike each other on a personal basis, even if they have respect for each other. BUT, imagine a proper team where everyone also likes each other. Basically, you would then have a situation where
a) People care about the team's achievements rather than their own achievements
b) People believe and commit to a common goal
c) They all like each other
When you put a), b) and c) combined into a brew, you have the best team chemistry possible. To the point where it's electric. And that's what I experienced in Bangkok with that group. And it's really special. It's very rare to have teams like this. Where everyone is so bought in with each other and each other's achievements and are willing to help each other, without envy or restraint, to advance the goals of the group. Al Pacino nails it in the greatest sports motivational talk of all time when he says, "Either we heal, now, as a team or we will die as individuals." And beyond even all that, beyond working with and for each other, it is so powerful to be a part of something that is bigger than yourself.
So, that's part c).
Now, within that team of 20 people, the individuals I met are seriously all amazing people. I don't use this word often, but those people inspired me. At the end of the Forum, where we had our debriefing session, we were asked 3 questions, one of which was our key takeaways from the Forum. I remember thinking that, for me, I had both personal and professional takeaways from it. The professional is straightforward - the power of a team and meeting seriously amazing people.
For the personal, I say this with no hyperbole - Meeting these people has made me consider and reconsider my personal philosophies as well as potential future plans. Honestly, the past week kind of changed my life. Or at least how I view it. One of the Shapers said this, which I thought was quite cool, "I'm a Capitalist at mind but a Socialist at heart." I remember thinking, "Oh, I'm a Capitalist at mind AND a Capitalist at heart." But then I asked myself why. Why do I so strongly believe in the virtues of capitalism? Allow me to plug myself - Capitalism - A Means, Not an End.
In there, I basically describe why I'm a strong advocate of capitalism. But what that Shaper's statement really made me consider was, "Why do I care about freedom and prosperity?" Or in other words, what's the higher ideal - what is driving me to push for that? Another Shaper said that he would die for the cause of sustainability. I know many people say it, and I know that it sounds dramatic, but I believe this guy. I believe that his conviction is genuine. And through his work, he is walking the talk.
So, then, the combination of the two statements led me to think - For what ideal could I see myself pursuing with pure unadulterated conviction. I'm still thinking about it and I will continue thinking about it even if I've identified what it is. And, no, it is not "Ruling the world."
But it's led me to think - If I, at the least, care about freedom and prosperity, what am I doing about it? To be clear, when I say 'freedom', I really mean the freedom to make whatever the hell choice you want to make for your life, even if it's a poor choice (riding a motorcyle without a helmet) as long as it doesn't harm other people. The ability to choose what you want for your life because, well, hey, it's your life.
But to choose, one needs options to choose. As you can see in that blog post I wrote for the Forum, I care about equality of opportunity. Everyone gets the chance to prove themselves. Whether you sink or swim, it's up to you. In this swimming analogy, I would believe everyone should be taught to swim, but I don't believe the fastest swimmer should have weights put on her to slow her down so that everyone else can keep up.
Now, from there, how do I go about putting these words into action? What can I do? And perhaps more pertinently, can I do anything about it? Well, after spending 4 days with the Shapers, I really do believe that each person can do something significant. And if I believe that, then I must believe that I can do something significant. It's now a matter of finding out what that 'something' is. And then to actually do it. Maybe that 'something' is to be an economist. Or maybe it's something else. I haven't figured it out yet. But I do know that I will do it not just because it's my conviction but because I would also feel that it is my duty.
I recognise the moral-high-ground-self-righteousness of that last statement but maybe let me rephrase it this way. Take these two first examples:-
Rorshach (Watchmen) - "Once a man has seen, he can never turn his back on it. Never pretend it doesn't exist. No matter who orders him to look the other way. We do not do this thing (vigilantism) because it is permitted. We do it because we have to. We do it because we are compelled."
NB: Granted, he was talking about mankind's capacity for horrors but bear with me.
Uncle Max (Sound of Music) - What's going to happen is going to happen (Nazi takeover). Let's just hope it doesn't happen to us.
Captain Von Trapp - MAX! Don't you ever say that again.
Uncle Max - You know I don't have any political convictions. Can I help it if other people do?
Captain Von Trapp - Oh yes, you can help it. You - must - help it.
One of the highlights of the forum was the appearance of Aung San Suu Kyi. She's pretty much this generation's version of Gandhi, MLK, Mandela. So it was such a thrill to see her and to listen to her speak. And among the things she said which really stuck with me was when she described how she managed to stay optimistic through all her years of house arrest in Burma. She said that her mother had told her that the greatest of all values was 'duty'. And that struck me. I mean, I don't think that it should be a universal greatest value (indeed there isn't an absolute universal greatest value), and I don't think it's for everyone, but it resonated with me. I think I have long felt that beyond passion, beyond conviction, beyond doing what I want, I should be doing what I must.
So, moving forward, I have to say, my way of thinking has been changed quite significantly. The Forum has shown me 3 main things which I will now summarise:-
a) The power of a team that likes each other is exponential.
b) With great power, comes great you-know-what. And my duty ought to be to my conviction - the ideal that I find most dear to me.
c) And once I find that ideal, I need to walk the talk and do something about it. And I believe there is something that can be done and this is inspired by the Shapers I met who have proven that lives and worlds can be changed.
What a week.
1 comment:
Guess you'll have to change your one-liner About Me description from T-Rex to something bigger :P
That said, you have my support! Wish I was there, it's things like these that motivate me to go further. Like it or not, the company you're in counts a lot for what you feel you're capable of doing.
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