Leadership lessons from my 40s (Part 2 of 2)
- HO Seng Chee
- Apr 12
- 5 min read
The accident at our Ho Chi Minh City project site had killed three workers and injured four others. As Mapletree’s Vietnam CEO, I was appearing before the investigating authorities, accompanied by our contractor AB.
The ensuing discussion was entirely in Vietnamese. The authorities paid me no heed as they rattled instructions to AB, who nodded compliantly throughout. It was clear who was in charge. I understood nothing and felt helpless.
Following the meeting, AB quickly saw to the funerals of the deceased and medical care for the injured. Compensation was paid to all affected families. We were then told to await the investigation outcome. Meanwhile, all construction works were suspended.
Weeks passed without any news. Then, about two months in, we were suddenly summoned to see the authorities. AB had been primed beforehand of the investigation’s “no fault” conclusion; the meeting was to be a formality to close the case.
But it was not to be. An attendee – someone unfamiliar who was not present at previous proceedings – protested about procedures. He refused to endorse the investigation report and asked AB to “see him separately.” Two weeks later, AB reported that the objector had been appeased. Our case was finally closed and construction resumed.
Anyone familiar with emerging markets will identify with the vagaries in my story above. From project timelines, to the clarity of government decisions, to the reasons for business behaviour, opacity permeates. Issues may vanish into a black box, only to re-emerge inexplicably resolved. The capriciousness I encountered reminded me of similar experiences in developing countries earlier in my career.
Problem-solving in Vietnam demanded a resourcefulness not found in my first-world tool kit. With business rules rarely clear, relationships dominated how things got done. I networked. Prospectors came knocking. Brokers touted access to deals. Making fast friends was easy; learning whom I could trust was another matter. Years of experience had taught me so.
My Vietnam role came with a change in reporting lines, and building trust also became a central theme in relations with my new boss K. K was a highly-regarded bank analyst from whom I believed I could learn much. This proved true as she guided me to make better investment decisions.
As a new P&L leader, I felt lucky to have K’s support. I trusted her numeracy and respected her strong work ethic. K was herself new to the company and had been given the wide remit of growing our Southeast Asia business. She was covering the region from Singapore, while I was the resident Vietnam CEO. I thought I would complement as K’s Vietnam-based eyes and ears.
Unfortunately, it was not the partnership I envisioned. K leapt into every aspect of our Vietnam business. From the macro to the minutiae, nothing escaped her eyes. She questioned everything and directed everyone. I tried my best to honour K’s authority while maintaining mine. Not wanting to let my team down, I also strived to shield them from K’s endless inquisitions so they could go about their jobs.
In retrospect, I can empathise with K’s hands-on approach. She was new in the company and must have felt keenly the weight of expectations. More importantly, we did not know each other well and there was no basis for trust. It would have been foolish for her to blindly rely on me. After all, I can recall my own disappointments with giving trust prematurely earlier in my career. I wish I had some of K’s scepticism with strangers then.
Regardless, K’s omnipresence became suffocating over time. I decided to resign. I left Vietnam but stayed within the real estate industry – I joined Singapore’s CapitaLand as Group Head of HR. It was my first foray into a line HR role.
Compared to Mapletree, CapitaLand possessed a longer legacy. By the time I joined the company, it had a two-decade track record. CapitaLand’s teams and leaders comprised many who had grown their careers symbiotically with the firm’s expansion. There was palpable camaraderie among these incumbents. Many spoke fondly of battles fought and frontiers conquered together. As they regaled me with their war stories, I saw myself as the new soldier among these battle-tested warriors. Fresh-faced in my clean uniform, I must have seemed an intrusive curiosity in their worn trenches.
Being the most senior HR leader, I was drafted to run change management in several digital transformation projects. I had gone through similar initiatives and knew what was required. It also helped that, with my prior business experience, I could credibly link the digital changes being pursued to real business outcomes. I was raring to go.
From the outside looking in, many observers admired CapitaLand’s strong corporate culture. And as a mentor once counselled me: “You can change a culture only by first becoming a part of it.” Once again, I faced a “building trust” challenge, but this time, it was cloaked as a “fitting in” mission. Unfortunately, assimilating would take time, while project deadlines loomed. Between endearing myself to others and accounting for results, l tilted towards the latter. I met the targets but paid a price: my drive for results earned me no stripes from the veterans.
As I approached my 50th birthday, I felt distant from my colleagues and unfulfilled in the work I was doing. I hungered to do something impactful and untried. My pangs must have been loud, for an opportunity surfaced to join a startup. I had, up till then, always worked at large firms and multinationals. I was intrigued by this potential adventure and decided to take the leap.
What my 40s taught me about leadership (Part 2 of 2):
- The rough and tumble of emerging markets can only be understood by living it. To be effective, first world leaders must carefully tread between respecting local ways and accounting to their HQ. Avoid total capture by either.
- Building trust takes time, but KPIs will rush you. Leaders face this dilemma every day. Find balance between the two by being the leader you wish to have.
- Successful organisations last because they have strong cultures. Before joining one, carefully consider whether the company culture and people resonate with your temperament and values. You will have to become one of them to lead any of them.
What did your 40s teach you about leadership?
The next article in my mid-career retrospective series, covering my early 50s, will drop in mid-2025. Subscribe to my blog to be notified.
(This article is part of a mid-career retrospective series on my professional life. Each article in the series recounts events in one decade of my career. At the end of each piece, I summarise what those events taught me about leadership. All articles in this series are hosted on my blog.)
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I am a Board director and leadership advisor. I help CEOs and teams use good leadership practices to succeed. Email me to discuss how we can work together.
