By Ms Tay Lee Hoon, Co-Founder of The Women Leadership Centre
It is my honour as co-founder of the Women Leadership Centre of Cheng & Co Foundation to promote more women towards Leadership roles. I would like to share the three important core values of our firm “I’M FIT” that we apply particularly for women leaders.
(I-INTEGRITY) – For a woman leader in any profession and industry, integrity is always crucial. A woman with integrity is an elegant woman. Having integrity is as important as having morals. It is about being a woman who is dependable and has principles.
(M- MUTUAL RESPONSIBILITY & CARE) – Deliver with Professionalism and Develop Work-life Balance. Women are known to be caring and responsible but some may overlook work-life balance. In Cheng & Co, I am very lucky and impressed that our Executive Chairman, Dr Dato Chua Hock Hoo is encouraging work-life integration which is practical and works for me as a single mother.
We are allowed us to bring our family members while working on weekend, so we can enjoy our family day after finishing our work. I found that it really balanced my life and work through this practice which as woman I can say it’s always very important to help us in our roles as mother, wives and professionals. For a woman leader, flexibility with principles is very important.
How I apply the flexibility is on weekdays, I focus on my work and on weekends, I focus on my family. But I do apply some flexibility, when sometime a client would like to meet me on a weekend due to their busy schedule. This is where work-life integration comes in where I make myself more flexible by putting the principles of priority.
Lastly, I would say “Behind every successful woman is HERSELF.” How successful she is based on how strong and firm her mindset is! I wish all women a Happy International Women’s Day, do love yourself more and we will be able to give out more love to others.
