HRM533

Outcomes and next steps for growing

the talent pipeline of program leaders in
Malaysia
Individual Assignment
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Date of submission: 16th December 2015

Outcomes and next steps for growing the talent pipeline of program leaders in Malaysia

INTRODUCTION

What are the outcomes and next steps for growing the talent pipeline of Program leaders in
Malaysia? In this report, we will discuss about it. The questions came out and it is leads to this
report which is address the steps and outcomes of talent pipeline of program leaders in this
country. It is to understand and get more details information about definition and description of
the concept for leader, leadership, and we will more focus with the outcomes and steps for
growing the talent pipeline of this program.

Outcomes and next steps for growing the talent pipeline of program leaders in Malaysia

CONTENTS

What is definition of leader?

Leader define as a person or thing that holds a dominant or superior position within its field, and
is able to exercise a high degree of control or influence over others. Other definition of leader,
Leaders are people who do the right thing; managers are people who do things right, (Professor
Warren G. Bennis)
Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants
to do it, (Dwight D. Eisenhower)
The role of a leader is the action that one takes, leaders reward excellency, encourage personal
and professional growth, act as role models and set future directions (Winston, 2007)
Leader skills are the human knowledge and skills (Day, 2001).

What is concept of leadership?

Leadership is a process of social influence, which maximizes the efforts of others towards the
achievement of a goal. Besides, it has nothing to do with the seniority or ones position in the
hierarchy of a company, titles, personal attributes and is not about management. Other definition
is
Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality, (Professor Warrant G. Bennis)
As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others, (Bill
Gates).
Leadership refer the roles that come with and without formal authority, (Day, 2001), it is the
ability to inspire others to follow, ( Pardey, 2008).

Outcomes and next steps for growing the talent pipeline of program leaders in Malaysia

Leadership is the social interaction and influence that engages people in the organization
through building mutual commitment and trust, (Day, 2001).

Leaders in Malaysia rated their leadership quality more negatively compared to others around the
world, perhaps because of Malaysia is still an emerging economy or promotions into leadership
positions are largely based on tenure or technical skills not leadership readiness. Only 30% of
leaders rated the quality of leadership in Malaysia as being high. Many of todays leaders are illequipped to handle the challenges organizations face in this new business environment.

The quality of leadership can make or break an organization. As result, this research
demonstrated that organizations with the highest quality leaders were 13 times more likely to
outperform their competition in key bottom-line metrics such as financial performance, quality
of products and services, employee engagement and customer satisfaction.

There are 3 key drivers of leadership quality from The Global Leadership Forecast 2011:
1. Leadership development
2. Talent management systems and practices
3. Management culture

To achieve high-quality leadership, organizations need effective leadership development and

talent management systems in the areas of selection, performance management and succession
management. Moreover, it is to fulfill their potential to drive business success, management
needs to ensure that the organizations culture gives people the freedom and opportunities so that
they need to be effective.

Outcomes and next steps for growing the talent pipeline of program leaders in Malaysia

According on the thousands of leaders that surveyed, the effectiveness of development programs
was the leading determinant of leadership quality within an organization. Based on the global
example, leader in organizations with more effective leadership development programs were
eight times more likely to rate the quality of their leaders as very good or excellent.
Organizations in Malaysia appear to be prioritizing development by increasing their spending
more than other regions.

Malaysia is anticipating a strong rebound from the recent economic recession. The local market
is already saturated; growth can only come from regional or global expansion. But still with
millions spent on leadership development initiatives each year, it is unfortunate that only about
two-fifths of HR professionals and leaders we surveyed in Malaysia rated the effectiveness off
their organizations leadership development, Malaysian organizations are leaving their leaders
unprepared to manage in a constantly evolving business environment.

The most critical skills leaders in Malaysia needed to be effective in the past in the past were:
1. Driving and managing change
2. Coaching and developing others
3. Executing organizational strategy
The focus changed slightly when we asked Malaysian leaders for the top three skills they would
need in the next three years. This is also driven by the strong focus on identifying and growing
leaders from within. Their top three skills for the future were :
1. Coaching and developing others
2. Driving and managing change
3. Identifying and developing future talent

Outcomes and next steps for growing the talent pipeline of program leaders in Malaysia

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
This development focuses on the social awareness and the social skills to develop the
interpersonal skills of a leader. There are several tools that are used in organizations with the
purpose of developing employees to progress to higher levels (Day, 2001). The most reviewed
and popular practices used to develop leadership according to Day (2001) and Stahl et al (2012b)
the following:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.

Job assignment
Job rotations
Networking cross-functionally
Mentoring
Executive coaching

Leadership development efforts should be measured by developed capabilities. Black & Earnest
(2009) suggest that the leadership development should be evaluated at three levels:
i.

ii.
iii.

Personal growth
Broadening the perspectives of high potential leaders, raising their self-confidence
and sense of self-efficacy
Professional growth
Learning new and innovative ways of doing business and leading people
Policy and practice
Building strong networks and thereby becoming resourceful.

Methods and Tools

Outcomes and next steps for growing the talent pipeline of program leaders in Malaysia

Under this sub-topic the most mentioned tools on how high potential leader are developed today.
There are several methods and tools in development on leader and leadership. One of them is
training and development programs.

Training and development programs

It is presented by interviewees that the leadership and management training programs play an
important role in the talent management strategies. It is present that several training programs
that the company has invested in with the purpose of developing leaders.
Training program need to be combined with one the job learning for effective leadership
development.
A few of the executives highlight that the training programs need to be combined with on the job
learning in order for a high potential leader to take use of the individual classroom learning.
Even though, generally the high potential leaders agree that the formal training needs to be
combined with on the job learning to be useful. For instance, high potential leader, Mr.
Thirukumaran, Technical Manager at CoMarconi, argues:
To me, on the job training plays a more important role and what you are learning in the
classroom is just 1-2 days, but what you face out there is every day.
The best training is always on the job training.(Mr.Ibrahim, Purchasing Manager at CoCurie).
There is argued by several of the high potential leaders that if the training programs would come
more in relation to on job learning, they will be better take use of the classroom learning.

Outcomes and next steps for growing the talent pipeline of program leaders in Malaysia

Practicing Leadership is also one of tools in leadership development. To have effective

leadership development process, a concept called, uncomfortable excitement is the most
prerequisite for leadership development. It is presented as a method for high potential leaders to
stay out comfort zones and thereby keep up to speed with the changing business environment. A
practical tool that helps to get the high potential leaders to think outside the box is taking on
challenges outside their normal job scopes.

A few of the executive are putting high potential leaders in strategic projects to test their ability
to lead and solve problems. Several high potential leaders point out that the involvement in big
strategic projects is a great way for widening their perspective of the business and thereby
develop as a leader. Such projects are seen as a good way or one way for pushing high potential
leaders outside of their comfort zone.

Besides, a leader should take responsibility to drive initiatives within the firms. Examples of
initiatives taken by the high potential leaders are for improving documentations and smaller
process in the firm. They see too few own initiatives coming from the high potential leaders
nowadays. Leadership skill requires the ability to drive change and learning on the job as driving
own initiatives plays a role in developing that. Unfortunately, employees in Malaysia are
becoming better at adapting to change but so far not many are able to drive change.
The first step is to adapt to change and the next step will be when we want people to lead the
change. And it will require leadership. Most people are quite goods at adapting to change
nowadays, but they are not good at leading change, Mr. Woo, Commercial Director at
CoMarcconi.

Outcomes and next steps for growing the talent pipeline of program leaders in Malaysia

Working across functions and rotating between different jobs is mentioned as the main tool for
leadership development because these enable the high potential leaders to develop more holistic
perspective on the business as well as a cross functional and flexible mindset.

Outcomes and next steps for growing the talent pipeline of program leaders in Malaysia

Steps for Growing the Talent Pipeline of Program Leaders

Sustainable and innovative pool of leaders will be the key competitive advantage in Malaysia in
its transition towards knowledge economy. There is several opportunities for improving how we
think about leaders an how they should be developed in the Malaysia context.

To create a sustainable pool of innovative leader and staying competitive, firstly the senior
management needs to have a greater awareness of what knowledge; skills and abilities high
potential leaders need to develop to become effective and efficient leaders for the future.
Secondly, by acknowledging the centrality of high potential leader role, more transparency
would be created with the effects of better knowledge.

There are several steps which recommendations presented for improvement and structures
following a cycle of steps accordingly to the development path of a high potential leader in
Malaysia. Figure 15 binds the main concepts developed through research, executive maturity and
the organizational communication and influence structure, together with the perspective of
business needs and leadership development tools.

Outcomes and next steps for growing the talent pipeline of program leaders in Malaysia

Step 1: Demonstrated early signs of executive maturity

Business strategy is the natural starting point to see what is needed from leaders are needed for
the future. The executive maturity concept is recommended to be a guideline for effective
leadership development when it is adapted to the specifics of the organization and the business
environment. Leadership development needs to be addressed in combinations with how the
business strategies are being adopted to the local market conditions. Employees who perform
over average and illustrate early signs of executive maturity need to be given opportunities to be
visible earlier than it is done today. At an earlier stage develops employees faster and ties then
stronger to the organizational strategy and vision with more recognition and visibility.

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Outcomes and next steps for growing the talent pipeline of program leaders in Malaysia

Step 2: Identification of high potential leaders

High potential leaders can be identifies by demonstrated early signs of executive maturity. In
developing a sustainable talent tools within the organization, effective succession planning lies in
extra efforts. All the leaders at all levels should feel ownership and buy-in to the development
process of high potential leaders. In order to earlier start developing effective leadership, dont
wait too long with identifying employees with leadership potential as high potential leaders.
In the identification process, high potential leaders should be a made aware of their own
responsibility for their development:
i.

Make sure high potential leaders are able to take control over their career, instead of

ii.

handing then a fixed career plan.

High potential leaders should seek out new challenges, job opportunities and make it
clear where they want to go next

The immediate managers should encourage more responsibility while the high potential leaders
need to learn how to catch their own fish. The more they get to think for themselves and take
decisions, the more they learn to problem solve at an earlier stage.

Step 3: Visibility and development opportunities

The manager and the senior team should create an aligned view on what drives the high potential
leader forward by having open discussion with the high potential leader. Typically its driven by
continuous learning and passion for the work. In developing towards executive maturity, the
talent management practices need to be aligned with one another and their strategies. For
effective leadership development, an organizations need to have an internal consistency,
alignment between the tools and method. By aligning the organization, that creates transparency
and clearer communication. This will consequently lead to that changes can be implement and
driven faster in the organization. The efforts should be made in developing all dimensions of
executive maturity simultaneously.

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Outcomes and next steps for growing the talent pipeline of program leaders in Malaysia

There are several of tools and methods for development need to be more practice oriented:
i.

Creating an environment of uncomfortable excitement will enable more efficient

ii.

development for all parts of executive maturity;

There should be a match between the business strategy and leader and leadership

iii.

development to create greater learning opportunities for high potential leaders;

Training programs need to come in combination with on the job learning in order for

iv.

a high potential leader to efficiently take use of the individual learning;

Immediate mangers need to have an awareness of their coaching role, as it plays a

v.

large role in changing the traditional mindset;

For effective coaching the immediate managers should also be informed on cross-

vi.

functional theory or have cross-functional experience;

Creating involvement opportunities in strategic projects develops people skills and

vii.

strategic mindset;
High potential leaders should be encouraged to drive more own initiatives as it

viii.

practices the ability to drive change;

Create cross-department networking and/or job opportunities for the high potential
leaders to develop a more holistic view of the business;

The immediate manger and senior team need to create development opportunities along all
dimensions in the organizational communication and influence structure. Besides, create buy-in
to the strategizing process for the high potential leader. It will create a feeling of involvement
and ownership.

Step 4: High potential leaders start to play a main role in the organization
Employees across the organization need to have awareness of the central role of the high
potential leaders. Firstly, the high potential leader has a central role in mediating between local
needs and the global strategy. Secondly, the high potential leader is the middle person of the
organizational knowledge flow, and needs to leverage between the official communication
channels and the ways they influence the organization.
A higher awareness of the central role if the high potential leader will enable adapt their strategy
to the local market conditions and the information flowing through official communication lines
becomes more efficient. The managers also need to make themselves more visible to the high
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Outcomes and next steps for growing the talent pipeline of program leaders in Malaysia

potential leaders, to nurture a more open communication and information flow while the top
management are recommended to be involved with the high potential leaders in their succession
planning process, to create buy-in to the development plans at all levels.

Step 5: Taking advantage of learning opportunities

High potential leaders are recommended to develop into change agents:
o To create a more open and innovative environment;
o To build capabilities to lead change fast;
o Prerequisite for the high potential leaders to become change agents is ensuring that the
centrality and level of influence of their roles is acknowledged by all levels of the
organization
The high potential leaders should be evaluated by their progression towards more senior
positions along all executive maturity dimensions simultaneously. Other than that, the high
potential leaders need to be made aware that developing towards executive maturity in Malaysia
takes time as it demands experience. It is recommended to find a balance between the speed and
depth of learning.

Conclusion
The organizations need to look for people with the potential capabilities for running high
performing organizations tomorrow and the business environments they need to operate in are
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Outcomes and next steps for growing the talent pipeline of program leaders in Malaysia

getting more complex by the day. This study is to explore the outcomes and next steps for
growing the talent pipeline of program leaders in Malaysia by looking at how current executive
leaders and high potential leaders view and leadership development.

It has found that the next generation leaders need to demonstrate executive maturity in order to
effectively lead innovative firms and retain high potential employee. The high potential leaders
need to develop a mature mindset five dimensions: they need to be able to think beyond their
own roles, lead people, be strategic thinkers, view business problems holistically and be scalable
across functions.

The high potential leaders develop the ability to not only adapt to and cope with change but to
drive change. The next generation leaders in Malaysia are best characterized as change agents,
because they need to be able to drive their organizations forward regardless of the constant
disruption and volatility of the business landscape. Besides, the ability to drive change stems
from effectively leveraging the indirect influence that high potential leaders have in an
organizations.

In conclusion, the great leader need to be able to stay competitive and be able to build diverse
leadership teams. There also need be quick in rethinking their leadership development practices
by starting to embed higher level of coordination and transparency to the leadership development
practices.

References
1. http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/leader.html
2. https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_41.htm
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Outcomes and next steps for growing the talent pipeline of program leaders in Malaysia

3. http://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2013/04/09/what-is-leadership/
4. https://hbr.org/2003/12/developing-your-leadership-pipeline

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