Character Before Success

Here's the start of a series of radio interviews I did at BFM89.9 on the topic of what it means to be a leader of character. This is the introduction and there is more to come. How time flies, this talk series started in 2009. Click on the podcast link below to listen:
https://www.bfm.my/joseph-tan-good-monday-consulting-character-sucess

No Such Thing as Bad Emotions

There is no such thing as bad emotions. However, there is such a thing as an emotion gone bad.

I cringe when someone says that we should remain objective at all times and not let our emotions influence our decisions. There is no running away from that abstract, often mushy stuff that goes on inside of us - no matter how much you want to reason it away, it is always there! This is what makes us human in the first place. For example, anger is not a wrong emotion. However anger gone bad becomes destructive. Anger is a part of our emotional repertoire that helps us to rightly respond to life. Let me explain.

If you as a parent witness the addictive habit of video-gaming in your teenage son, do you then just sit back idly and say that - "Well, boys will be boys, what can I do?" That to me is a passive response and do not signal your love for your son. In fact, if you truly love your son, you will be angry - not angry at him as a human being but angry at the addictive habit which is eating away at his potential to become someone better than this! However, if you are angry because his habit is disturbing your peace at home and irritates your schedule - then it is anger which is misdirected, it is anger gone bad because the focus of your emotions is not for your son's good but for your own selfish comfort and convenience.

So the next time you are tempted to dismiss certain "negative" feelings like anger or frustration, ask yourself - "What cause I am defending?" - if you are defending your own preferences and ego, then it is an emotion gone bad but if it is directed towards the good of another, then your emotions has the right focus which will then lead to the right actions.

For more video tips on life and leadership lessons:
https://www.youtube.com/goodmondaychannel

Five Reasons Why Values Fail

Click here to listen to an radio interview I did yesterday on the subject - "Five Ordinary Reasons Why Values Fail". Following is the synopsis:

Companies have long recognized that it takes more than just bottom-line profits to sustain their business model – ironically, there is a need for non-monetary focus areas in order to keep the money coming in! This is an issue of value-based sustainability. In today’s session, the five areas of common and ordinary failures are highlighted as to why corporate values start off with plenty of good intentions but fail to deliver when it comes to daily employee attitude and behaviors. Find out more as we speak to Joseph Tan from Leaderonomics.

Empowerment is Not Everything

Click Here to listen to a recent interview on BFM89.9 on the subject of why empowerment may not be the magic pill for your team.

In today’s context, empowerment means to assign authority and trust to an individual to carry out certain assigned responsibilities. This all sounds good as an end goal – however, is that enough? Is giving more power and autonomy really the answer to improved engagement and performance? Find out more as Joseph Tan shares his thoughts on how to empower your employees effectively.

Stretch Goals vs Stretch Experiences

Click here to hear my recent interview with BFM 89.9 on why setting goals alone is not enough.

How often have you heard in management meetings – “Our numbers are looking dismal, each one of you need to take on a new set of stretched goals to push our company performance to the next level!” If stretching the goals is all it takes to push for greater profits and productivity, then performance management should be the most straightforward of all organizational development practices. Yet, performance management is more than just a numbers game. In fact, the more we focus on numbers, the more numb we become - unless we fortify our approach with not just stretched figures but also with challenging experiences. In this week’s Raise Your Game, Joseph shares the experiences we can create to build sustainable high performance.