Leaders in the government need to be adaptable to market conditions and the changes posed by rapid technological advancement and the fast emergence of digital economy, said the Sarawak State Secretary.
“There is a need for government leaders to thrive and overcome. Leaders must value growth, learning and experience. Growth mindset is key, as opposed to fixed mindset. They say great leaders are great learners. (Therefore) the journey of learning and growth never ends,” said Sarawak State Secretary YB Tan Sri Datuk Amar Haji Mohamad Morshidi bin Abdul Ghani during a leadership seminar on Open Source Leadership on November 19.
He also highlighted ‘hyperawareness, informed decision-making, agile integration, speed and value’ ought to be the hallmarks of a good and effective leader in the service.
Organised by the State Human Resource Unit of Chief Minister’s Department and Leadership Institute of Sarawak Civil Service, the seminar, which is a High Performance Leadership (HPL) programme is attended by 100 senior civil servants of grade 52 and above.
Themed ‘Open Source Leadership: Reinventing Management When There’s No More Business as Usual’, the seminar is a two-day programme tailored specially for leaders in the public sector and aims to address some of the challenges to meet the growing demand for competent leaders in all areas of government.
“Delivering these (government) initiatives has required not just digital transformation, but also transformation in people, and especially in leadership — the human factor is key to successful change,”
“Sarawak Civil Service (SCS) has no choice but to be an overcomer in this disruptive age. I firmly believe if we are instilled with the right vision, right purpose, right values; leadership will be the driving force that ensures success and sustainability in all our government transformation initiatives for the rakyat,” said YB Tan Sri Datuk Amar Haji Mohamad Morshidi in his opening address.
Also present during the seminar is the Chief Executive Officer of Iclif Leadership and Governance Centre, Rajeev Peshawaria as the main speaker.
According to Rajeev, the skills and qualities that government requires from its ‘new’ leaders are often around leadership skills, coupled with an openness to change.
Rajeev has been named one of Top 100 Global Thought Leaders for Trustworthy Business in 2014, and a 2017 Top Thought Leader in Trust by ‘Trust Across America’.
