I’ve had the opportunity over the past few days to listen to and meet some amazing people 🙂 firstly meeting Idris Jala who i first listened to on the BFM months ago, and i was thrilled to get the opportunity to meet such an inspiring human being, then got to goto TEDx which i heard the likes of Yasmin Ahmad, Kid Chan, Roshan Thiran.
During one of the talks, someone pointed out that, everyone needs a mentor and better if he’s dead, cause you’ll know how left his mark 🙂 although i’d much rather say I’ve met my mentor and he’s still alive.
Richard Branson, has definitely been an inspiration for me, in the way he leads and takes on life challenges, but then again, name me one person that has read a Richard Branson Book and not be awed by him.
Honestly before 2 months ago, the name Idris Jala wouldn’t even ring a bell, and MAS to me was another airline that i thought would crumble, well the last i heard anyways, I never really asked myself why they were still around. Then along my drive up to Melaka i heard Idris Jala on the radio.
put it this way, i’ve heard lots of interviews, some interviews you learn about a company. Some interviews you learn about their culture, some interviews you learn their experiences, some interviews you don’t learn squat, then there are some interviews that changes your life.
I urge you to got to http://www.bfm.my and download his podcast.
When he first Joined MAS in 2006 it was the biggest losing corporation 2 months away from bankruptcy, with billions in losses. Idris Jala turned it into a profitable company in 6 months.
He talked about survival, and setting out a clear goal, then having discipline on following it religiously until you reach it. Then even the most even the most painful of things you’ll have to do, you’ll have to do. he had to terminate 3000 employees, sell the MAS building in KL for 150 million and that would only carry on the company for 20 days.
He says, when you set a goal, you’ll have people who believe, people who don’t believe, and people who don’t care. You want to work with the ones who believe. if not you’ll waste to much time and energy on convincing the ones that don’t.
When Dato Sri Idris Jala speak in front of you, there’s so much to absorb, and to say of 1 thing that i learnt would be impossible, so here are the few that i’m sure you can apply your life to.
In his 6 steps to success. i’ll point them out to you without getting to in detail. GO DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST!
here’s some of it :
His first lesson is defeat the fear of failure. If he was scared to fail, he’d never have taken the MAS job.
The Game of the impossible : set a target that’s impossible and that way when you don’t achieve it, it’s ok. cause it was impossible anyway 🙂 but you would have done the best you of your ability.
Be clear about your road map!.
Discipline and action! YOU Must DO what you set out to do. you must follow through. a dream without work is a dream.
Winning coalition : No man is an island. Innovation surfaces when people work together.
Never run away from engagement : explain to the ones that don’t understand, and they will see you point of view.
divine intervention : Understand that human beings have limited control. 40% controllable and 60% uncontrollable. e.g if Sars hit the airlines industry, no one will fly no matter what they do. and that’s out of your control. rising gas prices ETC.
ETHICS! : be a good human being, NEVER do the corrupt.
The theory of enough (my personal favorite) : define what is enough for you. that way you’ll count your blessings everyday and live for the now. he says the most miserable people are the ones that don’t know that have enough and keep wanting more.
and probably the most profound statement of the day was and one that i will take away is
” The sign of a true leader is one that makes himself redundant”.
WOW.
After all the success he’s had, you don’t feel an air about him, and he was easy to just walk up to and speak with. This is a man who understood what happiness and life was about. and a meeting i will always remember.
NOW go to facebook and join the group “DATO SRI IDRIS JALA FOR PRESIDENT!”
