For A Leader

I'm always proud to have the chance to work in Chili's KLCC during the final year of my undergraduate degree. Not only it is a famous restaurant, I got to work with superb leaders and experience true team work there. And of course, nasty customers, too.

I learned from my immediate supervisors that great leaders are first great listeners. Whenever there is a conflict, be it between colleagues or between us and the customers, my then managers were the ones who stepped in and handled it - literally like a boss. Unlike some leaders whom I personally know, who just like to point fingers and want nothing to do with it.

My managers are not only patient, they're also equipped with motivational skills. Before we started every shift, we'll have prep talk and briefing, which play important role to keep the team spirit up and make us want to give 110% into our service.

And my trainers! Oh I must not forget how selfless my trainers were! They taught me everything I needed to know about the job. They kept no knowledge to themselves because they understood that in the end it'll only benefit everyone, including themselves, if everyone has been trained well from the beginning, to be a part of the team. They were the ones who showed me to look at the bigger picture in everything I do - if I do my job in certain ways, how will it bring convenience or inconvenience to other people along the way and so on. And most importantly, they put teamwork in their actions. I could rely on them to help me when I needed help, and I observed that everyone helped each other without being asked to, because that's the culture. Leadership - lead by examples.

It just so happened that these days as my thoughts have been about leadership and team spirit, I read an old news from Facebook that one of my favourite leader has passed away. The post was dated back in September 2013. Of course it is a shocking news to me because he wasn't very advanced in age. He passed away because of heart attack. And I knew nothing about it until now. (I have left Chilis' KLCC by early 2009.) What's more, he had been posted to an outlet around my area for a good period of time before his passing.

Things like this always make me stop and ponder about life for a while. And this time, about great leaders who made a difference.