With the global economy still in a state of turbulence, more chapters are finding new ways to leverage their experience. Intent on expanding their learning horizons, EO Malaysia recently held its annual “TAIPAN: The Making of Asian Giants” event, an education-oriented program that fosters experience-sharing and growth. This year’s event was held in Kuala Lumpur, and it marked the eighth installment of the session.
It all started in 2002 when EO Malaysia’s James Ng attended the Entrepreneurial Masters Program (EMP) and decided that a similar event was needed in Asia— one that benefited chapter members and associates on Asian shores. With that in mind, Ng and other EOers committed themselves to creating a regional experience unlike any other. The TAIPAN Malaysia founding committee was chaired by Meer Habib, and thus, the event was born. This year, more than 450 members and associates attended.
Unlike other regional events, TAIPAN is a radically different experiential program where members get to learn alongside their executive teams. What’s more, the organizing committee members gain tremendous value while bonding and honing their organizational and leadership skills.
“TAIPAN has a cult following because it delivers what members want: a program that engages staff, attracts top CEOs and stimulates thought leadership,” said EO Malaysia member Mok Yuen Lok. “We keep returning to TAIPAN because we benefit from immediate organizational alignment and a refreshed team.”
This year’s event was chaired by incoming president Lim Boon Siong, who worked in collaboration with CK Tan of YPO. The theme was “Surviving the Crisis: Going Global, Going Lean,” with a focus on how EO Malaysia can face the economic downturn head on, speed up business growth and create strategies to face the challenges ahead.
Here is a recap of the event’s presentations and various lessons learned:
- From Rockefeller Habits guru, Verne Harnish, the audience learned that people would pay more for a product or service if they fear they’ll lose it.
- According to Guy Parsons, founder of Value Streams Solutions, getting “lean” is more than just cutting costs. It’s about “lean thinking”; i.e., delivering to customers what they perceive as the best value while consuming the least amount of resources.
- Hostage negotiator Dr. George Kohlrieser discussed how to gain employee trust and act as their secure base. Understanding and managing peoples’ emotions is critical to successful management.
- CEO of Malaysian Airlines (MAS) Datuk Seri Idris Jala received a standing ovation (first in the event’s history) for his insightful talk on the innovative “Six Principles of Management,” which he successfully adhered to when turning MAS from a company that had lost US$900million in 2005 to one that posted a US$260million profit in 2007.
For more information, contact Mei Choon, EO Malaysia'a Communications Chair.