Attending the ELP with the aim of becoming a better leader for the incoming School of Biomedical Engineering in 2018.

Ever wonder the difference between Manager, Leader & Entrepreneur?

The aim is to be an entrepreneurial leader. Entrepreneur is good at breaking the norm and overcoming bureaucracy. Ha ha! I think I have that one!

Had 1 evening session with Tan Sri Dato’ Dr. Zulkefli Hassan – “Excellence starts from you”

There are so many routes to success. You have your own path, and you decide who you want to be. It is your responsibility and not others. Success is not gifted, you have to work hard. Great minds discuss ideas, average mind discuss events, small minds discuss people.

Developed Shared Values for the School of Biomedical Engineering:

DIREC – Dynamic, Integrity, Resilient, Excellence, Creativity

Not just teamwork needed, need to also align your team. Things to be aware of: people look at things differently, describe things differently, see problems differently, with different levels of understanding, some have their own personal agenda, some people just don’t care! As a leader you are “blindfolded” to these information. Don’t judge them even if your hunch was true. Continue to communicate, give your trust, dare to decide and brave to take actions. Leaders must set a clear vision. Or else, everybody will be in the dark.

Results for the Entrepreneurial Leaders Questionnaire:

Just before the end of the programme, we were given a deck of cards, consists of 110 characteristics of a person. We were then asked to collectively decide which card best represent each team member. I was given these 2 cards:

a bit surprised, yet humbled, when received the above 2 cards from my team members. I was expecting something else.

 

Town Hall with Industry and Academia with a title “Synergistic Cooperation in Harnessing Industry 4.0”. The session was chaired by YB Dato’ Seri Idris Jusoh, and the panels were Mr. Brian Wong (Vice President Alibaba Group), Dato’ Charon Mokhzani (Managing Director, Khazanah Research Institute)  and Mr. Abraham Liu Kang (CEO Huawei Malaysia).

Dato’ Charon’s comments on education: “Learn computer science and psychology. The former to learn how computer works, and the latter on how human works!”

Brian Wong added: “True innovation happens at the intersection of disciplines. Science + Liberal Arts, Medicine + Engineering, Biology + Information Tech, plus Entrepreneurship. This is the way forward.”

13th – 16th November 2017 @ Berjaya Times Square

Opening speech by the General Chair of WEEF 2017

Medical Engineering – a new engineering discipline?

Ha ha! Malamnya pergi ke Masjid Al-Bukhary, dengar kuliah Maghrib Syeikh Ali Zainal Abidin, tafsir surah Al-Furqan! Yang ini lagi terbaik!

Masjid Al-Bukhary is just 10 minutes walk from the venue.

9-10 & 30-31 October 2017 @ Sunway Putra Hotel Kuala Lumpur

Attending the workshop organized by the Malaysian Institute of Management (MIM). We looked at Scenario Planning – analysing the future rather than analysing the past. I then realized that Dr. Fauzan and I conducted similar stuff to the National Institute for Business Management (NIBM) Sri Lanka earlier this year, using Lego Serious Play (LSP). We didn’t call Scenario Planning, but “Playing Emergence”.

Mr. Nizar Idris, with years of experience leading Shell Malaysia as Deputy Chairman and Executive Director, talking about “Paralysis of the Mind”. The tragedy of doing the same old way, resisting change. He also related one very inspiring story:

Tun Mahathir was once invited to a dinner organised by an engineering society. As usual, the MC praised Tun for all his contributions before inviting him to the stage. But, Tun in his speech did not return the praise. Instead he criticized the society. He said, I once invited all of you to help me build the tallest tower in the world, but you rejected, saying that we have not done this before. But, when I asked other Asian countries, they were willing, even though they themselves never constructed one in their own country.

Leaders have to be bold and brave. With strong deep-rooted values and principles as anchor. Motivating subordinates for the future.

Henry Ford once said – “Whether you think you can, or you can’t, you’re right!”

Another inspiring session with Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Datuk Dr Anuwar Ali on Leadership. The slide above sums up his talk. Students should come first, he said. And we desperately need lecturers passionate about educating, not just concern about KPI in order to get promoted.

 

Learn some very valuable lessons from someone who dares to dream! Very inspiring and motivating. He mentioned the very thing that is close to my heart – Environment for Innovation and Success.

When asked what he foresee the next big thing in business after low cost flight, he mentioned without hesitation – Low Cost Hospital!

Let’s dream big!

Attending UTM’s Senate Meeting for the first time.

A unique history of its own – 3 professors related to Dr. Hamzah Mohd Taib (one of the early Malay doctors, 1900 – 1955) are Deans of Faculties in UTM:

1. Prof. Dr. Baharuddin Aris (Dean Faculty of Education)
2. Prof. Dato’ Ir. Dr. Mohammed Rafiq Abdul Kadir (Dean FBME)
3. Prof. Dr. Noordin Mohd Yusof (Dean Faculty of Mechanical Engineering)

Diberi amanah mengetuai FBME bermula 01 Jun 2017.

May Allah give His full support and assistance in order to bring FBME to greater heights.