A Virtual MiM Forum: Rethinking Leadership for the New Normal
New Leadership delivers not just new answers, but an entirely new perspective to redefine its role in contemporary society.
The Master of Science in Management Programme (MiM) successfully organised its yearly signature event, the MiM Forum, on 15 May 2020. It was well attended by around 130 MiM students, guests and faculty staff members including Prof. Rocky Tuan, Vice Chancellor of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).
Themed “New Normal of Leadership”, the MiM Forum invited five prominent speakers including Mr. James Root, Partner and Director, Bain & Company; Mr. Lennard Yong, Group CEO, Tricor Group; Mrs. Christine Ip, Managing Director and CEO Greater China, United Overseas Bank Limited; Mr. Gordon Orr, Non-executive Director – Lenovo, Meituan Dianping; and Ambassador George Hara, Special Advisor, the Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister of Japan and the Adjunct Professor, Department of Management of CUHK Business School. They are the forerunners in their respective fields who shed new light on what it would take to be a New Normal Leader.
Mr. James Root shared how COVID-19 accelerates people in the era of Scale Insurgency and transforms each and every one of us to become ‘big and fast’.
Mr. Lennard Yong redefined the 5Ps which are Protect, Preserve, Prosper, Perform, and Purpose. They are the prerequisites for leaders to navigate through the turbulent times and to achieve business continuity.
Mrs. Christine Ip highlighted the psychological impact the pandemic brought to most of us and interpreted her ways to manage anxiety ─ Think positive (Whether it is a grey cloud or a blue sky, it is all about the mindset.); Build a habit; Learn new skills; Quiet time; Enjoy chocolate and be merry.
Mr. Gordon Orr shared his pragmatic four-step approach for the boards to create successful leadership ─ Always be prepared for a crisis and have a crisis management plan; develop financial resilience during the crisis; manage strategy and operation review post-crisis; and settle into the new normal through strategic direction reinforcement and resources commitment.
Ambassador George Hara highlighted the notion of Public Interest Capitalism (PIC) in creating a society where every person can lead a healthy life until his or her last moment through technology innovation, policy innovation, and ecosystem.
Students went through an intense day as they navigated through the immense insights shared by the distinguished speakers at the forum. They were assigned as the session host to introduce the speakers, moderate the Q&A session and make a conclusion for each sub-topic.
Prof. Lin Zhou, Dean of CUHK Business School and Choh-Ming Li Professor of Economics, thanked the guest speakers and his team for making this virtual event happen despite challenges. “With your involvement, we believe the forum could play its role to foster thought-leadership and most importantly, to connect students with industry leaders and enrich their industry know-how and insights into the global markets.”
On a last note, Dr. John Lai, Programme Director of MiM Programme and Assistant Dean (Undergraduate Studies) encouraged students to stay agile and self-aware. “It is a time of instability but also opportunity for the leaders to step up and rise up to the challenge. I hope you could create your own interpretations of the learnings after today’s forum. As you internalize the wisdom to part of the values you embody, it would sharpen your saw as you become a true time-tested leader making an impact to the world.”
He concluded with the quote from John F. Kennedy, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”
