by mohammadalamin584@gmail.com | Dec 24, 2024 | Events
Self-belief is important.
Conventional wisdom tells us success begins by trusting ourselves.
But trust is not an ask. Trust is earned.
𝗦𝗼, 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿?
This is the story of rock climber Alex Honnold who took self-trust to an unprecedented level.
In 2017, Alex became the first man to climb the 3,000 feet EL Capitan (EL Cap) vertical wall in California Yosemite National Park.
A remarkable feat he accomplished using only his bare hands.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝟯,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱?
It didn’t happen instinctively.
Alex took 7 years to believe he could scale El Cap.
Another 2 years to trust his abilities to complete the task.
Here are 5 lessons from Alex’s story on how we can learn to trust ourselves.
𝟭. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗯𝘁𝘀.
‘(𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧) 𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳’.
Familiarity builds trust. Alex rehearsed his climb sequences over 2 years to make each movement feel secure, repeatable, and ingrained in him.
𝟮. 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲
‘𝘐 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦’.
Our mind can’t do things that it can’t see. Visualization allows Alex to see success in his mind and builds self-confidence in his abilities.
𝟯. 𝗡𝗼 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹.
know your weaknesses and respect the challenges they bring. Alex practiced daily stretching for a year to improve ONE particular movement.
𝟰. 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀.
‘𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘵’.
Alex was completely focused on his tasks at that moment. He learned from his previous climbs but did not ruminate on past mistakes.
𝟱. 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 ‘𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳𝘀’
‘𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧, 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬, 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘺?
Practice instills confidence. Alex silenced his negative self-talk by climbing El Cap 50 times with ropes to study his route and surroundings.
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Building trust takes time and effort. 🌟
We can build self-confidence with a clear plan and consistent practice.
When we learn to trust ourselves, others will learn to trust us. 🌟
That is when we can achieve more than we imagined.
PS: What’s your recent success? Share in comments 🙌
by mohammadalamin584@gmail.com | Dec 24, 2024 | Career, Events
2 months ago, I became a mentor with FutureLab.my and Mentoring SG.
In my first sessions with 2 mentees last week, a recurring question emerged:
“𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭? “
Now, here’s the truth.
Standing out requires a different mindset.
You can’t stand out with the same mentality as everyone. 😐
The sessions reminded me of my experience as a young Customer Relationship Office (CRO).
How changing my mindset would elevate my entire career trajectory.
Here are the 5 little-known mindset shifts that you can adopt today:
𝟏. 𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬
→ Don’t wait for external challenges.
→ Take responsibility for your growth and participate in cross-functional projects.
𝟐. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐊𝐏𝐈𝐬
→ Don’t be limited by your current role and KPIs.
→ As a CRO, I looked beyond answering more calls to proactively explore ways to reduce my hotline’s call volume instead.
𝟑. 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝-𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠:
→ Anticipate your future roles.
→ I knew I wouldn’t answer calls in my next role. So, I planned two steps ahead to learn essential new skills to be a team leader.
𝟒. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐬
→ Contribute towards work improvement.
→ People remember your ideas, not the KPIs you achieved.
𝟓. 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲
→ Ask the ‘how’ and ‘what’.
→ Step up strategically and show maturity to understand the bigger picture while others avoid ‘doing more’.
These mindset strategies turned me from a self-doubting CRO to a confident team leader within 2 years.
They paved the way for more career opportunities including being part of Singtel Group’s Myanmar market entry task force and taking up an assignment in Indonesia.
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Our mindset is akin to our second skin. 🧠
We wear it 24/7. In our work and into our life.
Whether you are starting, an established executive or a team leader, cultivating a growth mindset would allow you and your team to stand out and deliver greater impact.
Master your mindset and watch your career soar! 🚀
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 | Dec 24, 2024 | Career, Resources
Recently, I spoke to several individuals affected by the latest wave of layoffs.
Amongst them were former colleagues and clients.
News from Samsung, Dyson, Love Bonito and META reminded us that 3 years after the pandemic, a new norm is here.
As companies chase cost efficiency relentlessly – faster, better, cheaper options will always win.
At the rate of AI advancement, knowledge-based roles risk being automated.
It’s reasonable to ask, “Will my role be replaced by AI soon?” 😵
If that’s you, I’d like to offer my perspective.
AI is a powerful tool.
However, it relies on past data and requires clear instructions to perform.
Without clear and precise instructions, it can’t produce the desired results.
📌 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗮𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲?
→ Do you also lean on your past and require clear instructions to deliver?
→ Or are you proactive in seeking answers and driving improvements?
Here’s the fact.
→ In today’s competitive landscape, the passives will be overlooked.
You can’t get ahead by thinking in the same way as everyone.
It requires a different mindset.
Those who stand out anticipate needs, solve problems and add value without being asked.
They are proactive, adaptable and always looking ahead.
→ Developing a Career Growth Mindset moves you from passive to proactive.
It’s about continuous learning, embracing the new and adapting to changes.
25 years of corporate experience shows me,
→ You don’t advance in your career by protecting what you know.
→ You get ahead by pushing yourself to learn what you don’t.
You can’t stop technology, but you can be competitive…
by offering what AI can’t (yet) – that is, by being proactive in adding value.
Developing a Career Growth Mindset is like having an ice-cream sundae – you get to add colors, toppings and flavors to create a career uniquely yours.
📌 What was your #1 career advice?
