Leadership with Heart vs Management with Iron Fist

1. For many years, I have always managed for high productivity, high performance and extremely results driven. I have always achieved my desired results due to my management style. Not my leadership style. However, the people were not sustainable as they will either resigned or get fired. Sometimes my fault. Sometimes their fault. Sometimes its nobody’s fault. It’s just what you want at the time of your life. We all have different needs at different times. So does the organisation.
2. For many years, I worked hard to figure out and learn from trial error on how to best lead manage my teams for high productivity, high performance to achieve desired results to better provide for my people.
   
3. For many years, I have both failed and succeeded and the lessons were truly a blessing for me to grow to be both a better leader and manager to make a difference to make lives better for my people myself.
   
   

What I learnt was simple: 

1. Leadership is NOT for everyone Management is NOT for everyone.
   
2. Leadership is only for those with a willing heart to sacrifice. And I really mean sacrifice to really make a difference.
   
3. Management is only for those with a result driven focus Heart, Head Hands to get things done.  

The platform is ready. Its up to you to decide on the role that you intend to play to create opportunities for both yourself and the organisation. All the best!

OUR YEAR FOR EXPONENTIAL GROWTH IN 2018!

If you are reading this now, you must be getting either extremely excited or extremely worried. 

Let me tell you why. 

1. We have a very BIG VISION to achieve that most think is impossible. We want to be Asia’s No. 1 Business School for the College/ University. 
2. We are working towards becoming Malaysia’s Largest Education & Training Group. We will be the first RM1 Billion Education & Training Group in Malaysia. It has never been achieved before by any Education & Training Group in Malaysia.   
3. We are working towards becoming a Public Listed Company that will allow us to grow exponentially to acquire & set up Education Institutions that fit into our business model of Education & Training that serves from Cradle to Grave.

To achieve the above 3 will require real courage, determination and persistence not just from me but the whole team that want to do this with me. We have to just work harder, smarter and faster. 

As Jack Ma (Probably One of the Most Misunderstood Person before he became a Billionaire – And most called him an Idiot!) said: 

“Today is tough. Tomorrow is tougher. The day after tomorrow is beautiful. 

This is the story of my life. Will this be the story of your life? 

PORTMAN CULTURE – AWESOME CODE OF HONOUR

1.    OUR INTEGRITY: Our value is to uphold HONESTY with the right MORAL ETHICS. DO NOT CHEAT. DO NOT LIE. DO NOT STEAL. Do the RIGHT thing even when no one is watching.

2.    OUR PRINCIPLES: DO NOT COMPLAIN. DO NOT BLAME. DO NOT GIVE EXCUSES. If you start doing any of the three stated, it’s time for you to leave the PORTMAN Brand.

3.    OUR PURPOSE: We are not here as a business to choose between profits OR to be a meaningful business. We are here to build an education business that is BOTH PROFITABLE AND MEANINGFUL to make lives better.

4.    OUR ATTITUDE: Always be bold in ambitions, assertive in actions and humble in achievements. Never assume anything. Ask if you do not know. Be prepared with facts and figures or be prepared to be challenged on your knowledge, skills, attitude and habits.

5.    OUR OPPORTUNITY: We are part of something extraordinary special and have the opportunity to make our lives extremely AWESOME. We just need to believe, learn & take massive actions to achieve all our dreams.

6.    OUR COMMUNICATION: We communicate to express NOT impress. Stay curious and always be learning. Be fast and accurate with your communication to get things done. Talk is Cheap. Action is Good. Result builds Trust.

7.    OUR FOCUS: We are PROBLEM SOLVERS & RESULTS DRIVEN. If there is a problem, fix it. Be solution focused and a solution provider. If we solve enough problems, we will be very successful in life and in business. If you think you work hard, work harder.

8.    OUR BELIEVE: LOVE PEOPLE. USE THINGS. Never the other way around. We must sincerely care for one another and look out for each other to make sure WE ALL SUCCEED TOGETHER.

WE ARE PORTMAN! WE ARE PORTMAN! WE ARE PORTMAN!

Pain, Challenges & Obstacles Are Real. I am only human just like you.

I am only human just like you. I have dreams just like you. I have feelings just like you. Most of the time, you only see my successes. Hardly do you see my pain, challenges & obstacles that I had to overcome to get to where I am today. 

Yes I have my wins but more than my wins, I have failed more than I have won. Many war scars over the years from loving people whole heartedly, trusting them to do what is necessary but still being betrayed, manipulated for whatever the reason or excuses it may be. The disappointment is real and its never easy. 

I am only human just like you. 

Has it discouraged me to soldier on to make things happen to make a difference to make lives better? NEVER. 

This is because I have learned to let go and move forward with positive energy no matter what the situation. Anything can happen anytime and I have no control over it. But I am always in control of my attitude and what I do with what I have. 

I am only human just like you. 

However, I do believe that the sincerity of my heart’s intention can move mountains and I intend to continue doing so as pain, challenges & obstacles ONLY exist to make us stronger.  

Love, Trust and Letting Go.

1. I am naturally a very people oriented person and I do love people. I really do care a lot for my peoples’ well being especially those close to me. However, over the years, I have been burnt badly, taken for granted with the trust given.  
2. However, I have never stopped loving, trusting and creating opportunities for my people. The reason is simple. We must never take away the love & trust for the majority of the good people because of a few bad people that don’t deserve us. 
3. The question is then, "How do I keep doing this as it hurts pretty badly every time we get burnt?"  – It’s a lesson I learnt when I lost my mother and when my health started to deteriorate badly when I used to weighed 130Kgs – Its called really LETTING GO. 
4. If you really want to live a fulfilling life, be grateful for what you have right now, strive to be better to first and foremost really love & trust those that go above and beyond for your well being. 
5. Never live a life of regrets as we all can live a much happier and healthier life that can really make a difference starting with our own lives. 

Nobody vs Somebody!

1. When PORTMAN was a nobody in the market 5 years ago, not many industry players cared as most thought we probably will not survive. We were not a threat to anyone then.  
2. Now that we have become a somebody in the market, industry players are starting to pay attention and scrutinise our every move. I know this for a fact as industry players are speaking about the PORTMAN Brand & Ernie Chen the extremely aggressive boss. 
3. The good ones will wish us all the best and look forward to us achieving every success. The bad ones will hunt us down and continuously find fault in everything that we do. 
4. Either way I thank them for they will make us stronger and better with everything that we are doing. 
5. Always remember our VALUE of INTEGRITY – Doing the right thing even when no one is watching. This is and will be our key to our continuous success with an aligned team towards our core purpose, mission & vision. 
6. As we soon move into our next phase of exponential growth, I encourage you all to reflect on your journey with us so far. Take this time to ask yourselves, what are your intentions with this organisation and what do you intend to achieve with us. 

Have an awesome last 2 months of the year in 2017!

LIFE DECISIONS THAT WILL CHANGE OUR LIFE.

1. I used to believe that it was impossible to do well in both business and have a nice healthy body. 
2. I used to focus on just growing businesses and not my health.  
3. I was unhealthy and not eating right. 
4. I was always wanting to help people become better even though they were not deserving of me and my time. 
5. I was having a lot of incompetent and people with bad character working with me.  I had to lower my personal standards just to grow business.  
6. I was always required to work a lot harder to fix other people problems and I thought that was what a business owner was to do to be successful.  
7. When my mother passed away 3 years ago, I was very sad. I decided that I was not interested in businesses anymore and that I was going to start taking care of my health only. 
8. You see, it has always been for me to either build a big and successful business or have a healthy lifestyle as it was just impossible to have both at the same time. IT WAS JUST TOO DIFFICULT. 
9. Today everything has changed as I have decided that I can have both. It is "and" not “or” However, things will have to change. My directions in life MUST change. My lifestyle MUST change. 
10. My New Directions in Life: I have decided to build a PROFITABLE & MEANINGFUL business AND also to live a HEALTHY & FULFILLED LIFE. 

The following are what I DECIDED to do and continue to do AS I DO NOT WANT TO WASTE ANYMORE TIME WITH THINGS & PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT MEANINGFUL. 

1. I decided to close down businesses that was not meaningful & profitable. 
2. I decided to terminate all employees with no integrity with bad character and incompetent.
3. I decided that I only wanted to work with people of integrity that have competency. 
4. I decided to stop chasing after monetary gains for the sake of being richer. 
5. I decided to workout at the gym to live a healthier lifestyle.
6. I decided to eat right and a lot healthier. 
7. I decided to accept things that I cannot change. 
8. I decided to wish people all the best when they were not good to me. 
9. I decided to remove people that was negative and draining my personal energy.
10. I decided to only live my life to first and foremost make me happy. I am responsible for me first not others. 

WE CAN HAVE BOTH. IT’S ALL ABOUT YOUR DECISION. DECIDE AND TAKE MASSIVE ACTIONS. RESULTS DO NOT LIE.