by mohammadalamin584@gmail.com | Dec 24, 2024 | Events, Leadership
I began my career in the Mobile Telecommunications (Telco) sector in the year 2000.
That was an era when Telco was the unicorn much like the AI industry is today.
As a fresh Marketing graduate, I felt I ‘arrived’ when I landed my first job with MobileOne (M1).
I became a call centre officer, much to the disappointment of my parents.
They couldn’t understand why their son would find joy in answering customers’ inquiries every day.
My dad would further question..
‘How much longer are you planning to waste your time?’
He wanted me to follow his career path in Finance where he believed smart people should be.
My first job in the call centre lasted 6 years but it was anything but a waste.
It was where I learned everything I knew about team leadership.
The lessons I learned from observing my supervisors were akin to sitting in the front row of an MBA class, every day.
There was one particular lesson that stood out.
‘Tasks will only take up 20% of your time. People will take up the other 80%.
‘BUT your greatest reward is when knowing you have made a positive difference to someone.”.
An advice that guided me throughout my career.
As I progressed, I was privileged to collaborate and lead diverse teams in Southeast Asia in my roles with Singtel International, Telkomsel and Lazada.
Managing teams sharpened my eye for human potential.
Oftentimes, I could see the spark in a person before they could.
Helping individuals recognize their spark was my motivation.
I created a team culture and provided opportunities for my members to find their voice. To share their ideas and career aspirations while being heard, valued and respected.
When they see beyond their current role, they start to believe in their abilities to grow and go further.
===
One of the greatest gifts in life is to have someone who believes in our potential.
✳ If you are in the position of giving, support someone.
✳ If you are in a position of receiving, don’t be shy to seek guidance.
I choose to believe it is in our power to make a difference, for others and ourselves.
We can’t go back in time to change our start.
But we can make the decisions today to change our future. 🌟
How about you? What was your most important career advice?
by mohammadalamin584@gmail.com | Dec 24, 2024 | Leadership, Resources
99% of us avoid discomfort. 😖
It’s not a weakness. It’s a fact.
It’s how our brain reacts to ‘threats’, even if it is just the discomfort of the unknown.
It’s because when we step out of our comfort zone, we are confronted by our fears – of failure, judgment and not being good enough.
This fear leads to excuses, procrastination, and self-doubt, pulling us back into our comfort zone.
So, why is it so difficult to push through the ‘Fear Zone’ on our own?
𝟭. 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗯𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘃𝗶𝗿𝘂𝘀:
When there’s no one to challenge our negative thoughts, we start believing “I’m not ready” or “What if I’m not good enough?”
Over time, these limiting beliefs become our truth.
𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀:
When faced with the unfamiliar, we find excuses such as
“I’ll do it later,” or “I need more time.”
These may feel valid but we know we are holding ourselves back.
𝟯. 𝗡𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲:
We avoid uncomfortable actions when no one pushes us.
Without accountability, we take the easy options and avoid the REAL work.
Overcoming fear alone is tough. 🌩
📌 But what if living in that comfort zone comes with opportunity costs?
As a Growth Mindset Coach, I work with my clients to take small, intentional steps toward overcoming their fears.
After 100 coaching sessions, I’ve identified 3 effective ways to help you navigate fear and toward your goals:
𝟭. 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀:
When you start making excuses, it’s a sign you’re on the edge of comfort. Instead of retreating into comfort, ask yourself, “What opportunity does this fear bring?”
𝟮. 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲:
Start with one small, uncomfortable task this week.
Completing each step will build momentum and over time, you will learn to trust yourself more.
𝟯. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘀:
Each time you push past fear, your confidence grows.
Leverage your strengths to remind yourself of what you’re capable of.
The results you want are often on the other side of fear.
With the right support, you can push through fear to reach your goals.
So, are you ready to take that first small step towards your #ICAN?
The power is in your choice to start.
📌 Have you ever faced this fear, and what helped you push through it? I’d love to hear your story.
by mohammadalamin584@gmail.com | Aug 4, 2024 | Events, Leadership
I began my career in the Mobile Telecommunications (Telco) sector in the year 2000.
That was an era when Telco was the unicorn much like the AI industry is today.
As a fresh Marketing graduate, I felt I ‘arrived’ when I landed my first job with MobileOne (M1).
I became a call centre officer, much to the disappointment of my parents.
They couldn’t understand why their son would find joy in answering customers’ inquiries every day.
My dad would further question..
‘How much longer are you planning to waste your time?’
He wanted me to follow his career path in Finance where he believed smart people should be.
My first job in the call centre lasted 6 years but it was anything but a waste.
It was where I learned everything I knew about team leadership.
The lessons I learned from observing my supervisors were akin to sitting in the front row of an MBA class, every day.
There was one particular lesson that stood out.
‘Tasks will only take up 20% of your time. People will take up the other 80%.
‘BUT your greatest reward is when knowing you have made a positive difference to someone.”.
An advice that guided me throughout my career.
As I progressed, I was privileged to collaborate and lead diverse teams in Southeast Asia in my roles with Singtel International, Telkomsel and Lazada.
Managing teams sharpened my eye for human potential.
Oftentimes, I could see the spark in a person before they could.
Helping individuals recognize their spark was my motivation.
I created a team culture and provided opportunities for my members to find their voice. To share their ideas and career aspirations while being heard, valued and respected.
When they see beyond their current role, they start to believe in their abilities to grow and go further.
===
One of the greatest gifts in life is to have someone who believes in our potential.
✳ If you are in the position of giving, support someone.
✳ If you are in a position of receiving, don’t be shy to seek guidance.
I choose to believe it is in our power to make a difference, for others and ourselves.
We can’t go back in time to change our start.
But we can make the decisions today to change our future. 🌟
How about you? What was your most important career advice?
by mohammadalamin584@gmail.com | Aug 3, 2024 | Leadership, Programs
I started my career as a Customer Service officer (CSO) in a call centre.
My job involved a single task. That was to retain (‘winback’) at least 7 subscribers per day who called to cancel their service subscription with MobileOne (M1).
That single task proved challenging. I struggled to deliver 5 winbacks on most days. This would become a consistent theme in my first year on the job.
As a rookie, I was embarrassed and guilty. I tried to add value by suggesting ways to improve our results in team meetings. Looking back, it was a strategy that kept my job in that first year.
One afternoon, my manager called me into her office.
I feared for the worst.
To my surprise, I got promoted to Team Leader that day. I felt relieved and confused at the same time. Later, I came to understand why.
I was fortunate that I had an ‘𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭’ supervisor. Sharon Chiam was in her early 20s, younger than me. She had risen through the ranks as a CSO the year before I joined her team.
As my supervisor, Sharon looked past my glaring underperformance. She saw my raw leadership. She looked beyond my role and recognised my unique strengths as an individual.
She saw my potential which I did not. 💡
Sharon gave me 2 pieces of advice that afternoon. Her words stayed with me till this day.
🔅 My new responsibility: “𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘶𝘱 80% 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘶𝘱 20%.”
🔅My new purpose: “… 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴 ‘𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦’.”
⌛ I took 5 seconds to understand my new responsibilities.
⌛ Another 10 years before I understood what would become my purpose.
Later, I was privileged to lead teams across Southeast Asia as I progressed in my career.
I experienced firsthand the powerful influence we hold as people managers. When I empowered my team to reach their potential and achieve beyond their current abilities.
I felt a sense of deep fulfilment that I could help unlock new perspectives and make positive changes in someone’s life.
These experiences shaped my mission at 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 today.
As a coach, I want to empower aspiring executives and emerging team leaders. I want to help them develop a growth mindset and self-confidence to become their best selves.
So, here I am. Looking to help others find their true potential.
In the same way, I am grateful for how Sharon helped me find mine.
𝗣𝗦: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗘 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹? 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 ⬇
