Category: Leadership

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.

===

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 🙌

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?

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.

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?

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 ⬇