Day two of AVPN and the Hasanah Forum presented a panel titled People & Leadership: Nurturing Courageous Leaders. Facilitated by Louise Pulford from the Social Innovation Exchange, the incredible leaders in the panel presented some reflections and insights for philanthropists across Asia with many lessons applicable globally (disclaimer: noting that this reflection will never do justice to the face-to-face presentation). 

Lesson 1: Be humble 

Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar talked not just about the eco-system in philanthropy but suggested there can be an “ego-system” and that it can be incredibly important to “leave your ego at the door” including through creating structured leadership opportunities, thinking about succession planning, and making sure that metrics are used to monitor your progress. 

Lesson 2: Be future-focussed 

Professor Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood talked about having a future plan – starting each role with an exit strategy in mind, in order to make sure that you are not irreplaceable. Part of this may mean leaving your organisation in a way that is better than when you first arrived, or making sure that you are coaching others, or that you are hiring a team that you think is better than you.  

Lesson 3: Lead with a “yes” 

Managing director, Dato’ Shahira Ahmed Bazri from Yayasan Hasanah, talked about the importance of stepping up, leading with a yes, while noting that sometimes things are tough, but if we are not willing to take risks, or to take action, it is harder to make progress. Using the metaphor of Marvel Heroes, the question is asked: which hero would say “no” to help humanity? 

Lesson 4: Ask for help 

Dr Jemilah Mahmood talked about the fact that courage is not about an absence of fear but about making the right decisions at the right time and acknowledged that courageous leadership sometimes means asking for help when it is needed. In the context of having colleagues pass away in front of her, as well as having been shot herself, and still delivering a baby in a crisis setting, Dr Jemilah Mahmood helped to share the respectful and important approach of asking for professional support, e.g. from a psychologist or counsellor to help process a crisis.  

Lesson 5: Take time to consider decisions 

Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar, the Chairman of the Bursa Malaysia Berhad, talked about the courage to do the right thing, being willing to step up, and that courageous decisions sometimes take time to be considered to think about not just what is the right decision for that moment, even if it is not the right decision for the organisation, but asking – is it the right decision “hand on heart” that I am making. Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar also acknowledged that in the private sector you can afford to make decisions that are less popular, but sometimes in Government it is difficult and takes courage to make decisions that may not be as popular, but will be for a greater good. 

Lesson 6: Acknowledge problems 

Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar notes as a member of the board of trustees for WWF Malaysia that sometimes it is really important to acknowledge problems so that solutions can be developed. For example in the biodiversity context, acknowledging that the last Sumatran Rhinos were extinct in 2019, and that there are challenges in terms of the number of tigers that remain in the world.  

Lesson 7: Be collaborative  

Dr Jemilah Mahmood noted the importance of working with others, because complex challenges require collaboration.  

Lesson 8: Be respectful and responsible 

Dato’ Shahira Ahmed Bazari, from Yayasan Hasanah, talked about reflecting on what you are doing: “are you serving the machine or serving the mission?” She talked about leadership requiring urgency, noting we all take different journeys, but it is incredibly important to respect and enable partners to do their job on the ground, which requires a sense of responsibility. 

Lesson 9: Continue to learn 

Dr. J. Satrijo Tanudjojo, from the Tanoto Foundation, reflected that “leadership is a lifelong journey of learning”. He suggested that learning is a key attribute of philanthropic leadership, through being self-aware (leading yourself) then leading others, and then preparing for the future, noting that “all leaders must be people leaders and that it is not a title, entitle, means a merit, to serve, which is based on your contribution, not based on your seat or office.” 

Renata Zanetti, Director of Learning and Content, Philanthropy Australia