Building A Legacy of Leaders in Malaysia

In 1999, after a number of years living and working across GE roles in the US and Europe, I finally returned home to Malaysia—taking on the CFO role for GE’s Aviation shop.

And I walked into a reality that many leaders quietly face (but rarely say out loud):

We didn’t have a strong finance talent bench.

Not because Malaysians weren’t smart. Not because people didn’t work hard. But because talent doesn’t magically appear 'fully baked'. It has to be built.

So I started something simple… and painfully demanding:

The Financial Management Programme (FMP). A structured pipeline to take raw graduates and turn them into finance leaders—through rotations, real projects, tough coaching, and lots of stretch assignments.

The photo I’m sharing today is from the graduation of the very first FMP batch in Malaysia (2001)—a two-year programme.

And here’s the part that people don’t talk about enough:

Developing talent is one of the most thankless things a leader can do.

Because when talent is raw, they slow you down.

They ask obvious questions. They make avoidable mistakes. They need feedback. They need time. They need patience. They need you to repeat the same lesson for the 12th time… while your calendar is already on fire.

And the brutal truth?

Most organisations don’t reward that kind of leadership. They reward output. Speed. Metrics. Quick wins. But talent building is slow cooking. It’s a long obedience in the same direction.

Ironically, you often don’t get the credit.

Because by the time the person becomes exceptional, one of two things happens:

They get promoted into another department / business / country.
They leave and become someone else’s ‘amazing hire’.

And you’re left with… your spreadsheets and your memories.

But I’ve learned this:

If you only invest in people who are already ‘useful’, you’ll always rent talent instead of building it. And renting is expensive—financially and culturally.

A story that still makes me smile

My first ever FMP hire in Malaysia was Alicia Chin.

She went on to spend more than 20 years serving in finance roles across various GE entities. And recently—life does this beautiful, unexpected full circle—she returned back to the fold, and today she’s with us at Leaderonomics as CEO of our MAD Movement.

That’s what talent development does.

It’s not a transaction. It’s a legacy.

What FMP taught me about building talent (that still applies today)

If I were to summarise the programme behind talent development into a few principles, it would be this:

You don’t develop talent with training alone—you develop talent through assignments. Real work. Real accountability. Real consequences (with safe coaching).
Rotations aren’t a 'nice to have'. They create systems thinkers. When people see the business from multiple angles, they stop being functional specialists and start becoming leaders.
The hidden curriculum is character. Skills get someone hired. Character gets them trusted.
Feedback must be frequent, specific, and kind—but not soft. If we avoid hard conversations, we don’t protect people; we delay their growth.
Great talent isn’t born confident. It becomes confident through proof. Small wins, repeated over time, build internal belief.
You must build a culture where seniors enjoy coaching. If coaching is treated as extra work, the pipeline will always collapse.

Why I still care about this deeply (and why MAD matters to me)

At MAD Movement, we work with youth—many of whom are raw, uncertain, under-resourced, and still discovering their voice. A lot of the time, you don’t see the fruit immediately.

But you do it anyway. Because you’re not just building a person—you’re building a future. And this is the mindset shift I want more leaders to embrace:

Not all rewards come to you. Some rewards come through you.

So if you’re currently investing in someone who feels ‘too raw’…

If you’re coaching someone who seems slow…

If you’re building a pipeline and wondering if it’s worth the time…

Let me encourage you:

You may not get the applause. But you are doing the work that makes organisations—and nations—stronger.

One day, someone will look at a polished gem and say, “Wow, they’re amazing.”

They won’t see the late nights. The rewrites. The tough feedback. The patient mentoring. The second chances.

But you will know. And that’s enough.

Question: Who is one person you invested in years ago that makes you proud today?

For leaders carrying more than their job titles…

Be part of Malaysia Immersion Week 2026!

Join us for an 8-day journey (June 24–July 1, 2026) designed for leaders who want time and space to connect with like-minded business leaders. You’ll gain VIP access to the Malaysia Leadership Summit, engage in masterclasses with global leaders, and experience cultural immersion that offers fresh perspective on yourself and your team.