Transformational Leadership In Higher Education Leadership Talk by Dato’ Sri Idris Jala

Leadership Talk made a triumphant return to USM, presenting an unmissable opportunity. With Dato’ Sri Idris Jala as the distinguished speaker, Afni and I eagerly clicked the registration link, counting down the days until 1/12/2023.

As the anticipated day arrived, our journey commenced with a brisk walk from Pusat Racun Negara to Dewan Persidangan Universiti. Calculating our steps, we easily surpassed 7000, ensuring we stayed on track to meet our daily 10000 steps target.

Along the way, I dig into Dato’ Sri's background, discovering his connection as a USM alumni. Familiar with his noteworthy tenure as MAS CEO where he orchestrated an impressive turnaround for the company in 2006, I recently learned of his role as the CEO of Pemandu through a podcast, where he oversees the implementation of KPI initiatives—undeniably the right person to impart wisdom on leadership.

The session commenced with an eloquent introduction by our versatile MC, En Arman, paving the way for Dato' Sri to steal the show. Beginning with a glimpse into his roots, including a captivating anecdote about his grandfather, Dato' Sri seamlessly transitioned into the heart of the discussion.

The overarching theme unfolded in two parts, akin to the Yin and Yang of his discourse—Transformational Leadership and Transformational Way Of Thinking.

In the realm of Transformational Leadership, Dato' Sri unveiled six secrets:
1. The Game of Impossible
2. Anchoring on the True North
3. Discipline of Action
4. Situational Leadership

5. Winning Coalition

6. Divine Intervention

Zooming into the Higher Education perspective, Dato' Sri highlighted two significant challenges facing Malaysian Higher Education:
1. Quality Of Students
2. Roadblocks To Target

Expanding on the first three secrets, he shared a compelling personal experience from 2009 to 2016 when tasked with the seemingly impossible mission by the prime minister:

"If the top 1% of schools in Malaysia are equivalent to the best in the World, how can we get all the other schools to be just as good? I want you to find a way to make this happen! Let me know next week how we can do this."

The transformative journey he embarked on during those years undeniably reshaped Malaysia's education landscape.

The remainder of the talk soared with Dato' Sri's insights and experiences, best left to be heard directly from him. For those interested, the recording is available on USM's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/USMOfficial1969/videos/1733330783830334.

In conclusion, here are some key takeaways that resonated with me:

1. Identify the Game of Impossible as the catalyst for transformation.
2. Stay focused on the True North with disciplined actions facilitating the transformation.
3. Establish a robust successor plan in terms of leadership, and recognize the value of a Reward System for organizational success.

The session concluded with a photography session with Dato' Sri, and as for me personally, a gentleman's handshake shared with him as he left the hall.