How to Become a Great Leader & Improve Your Leadership Skills

A great leader is able to inspire his/her workers to work harder. Instead of firing workers, great leaders know how to fire his/her worker up to do their best.

Your leadership skill will determine the size of your business, company and even your position at your work place. I read the book of 1st Samuel and 2nd Samuel from the Holy Bible, from those books; If you have the chance to read them, please read them, they are not that long to read, and what you learn from the books will change the way you relate to other people.

These are qualities of a great leader. Read them, remember them, apply them, teach them and you will remember them.

A great leader is open toward learning. He/she usually loves to read. When you ask a great leader about how he/she is doing in their in life today, usually they will tell you that "They are just getting started." A great leader will constantly aim toward improving his/her self daily. They will seek wisdom and knowledge from every challenges and trials that they are going through.

A great leader knows how to inspire other people around him/her to do their best.

A great leader has no fear to do what's right and knows to use the right words at the right time. He/she is masterful with his/her words, because he/she knows that what comes out of his/her mouth matters.

A great leader knows how to appreciate differences. Instead of fighting over people's differences, a great leader knows how to utilize different people's strength and talent to strengthen his/her organization.

A great leader is willing to take the first step into battle or challenges and others then will follow. He/she doesn't wait for other people to throw the trash for him/her, he/she usually takes the trash out by him/her self without any body else telling him or her what to do.

A great leader knows how to motivate him/her self. One of the main reasons why so many people are not successful in what they do, it's because they are unable to motivate themselves. Life is full of challenges and trials, but our ability to deal with our disappointments and to motivate ourselves when we have been knocked down will determine the level of success.

A great leader treats other people as they important. Every body wants to be treated with respect and they want to be appreciated. People want to know that their self-worth is important and a great leader knows how to show a genuine appreciation & complement toward other people.

A great leader will do his/her best at his present position and situation in spite of the challenges, trials and difficulties he/she is facing at the present time. He/she will do his/her best without complaining about their difficult situation. Joseph is a great example of a great leader. You can read it in the book of Genesis.
A great leader knows that there is a beginning in everything. There will be time of preparation, and there will be time for performing. Those who have great preparation usually will do better than those who don't have preparation. He/she is patient, and he/she is willing to wait during the time of preparation. A baby must learn how to crawl, stand up, walk and then run.

A great leader knows how to teach his/her knowledge to other people. He/she doesn't mind to teach what they know to other people who are willing to learn what he/she knows. Usually a great leader becomes a great mentor to his/her students.

A great leader is not self-centered. He/she cares about the interest of others. He/she is usually a great servant. Even though he/she is in a high position, he/she doesn't mind to serve other people.

A great leader writes down his/her goals, so he/she knows where to hit them. You can not hit a goal that doesn't exist. When you see your goal written out, you will be able to see it and to reach for it. Can you imagine a game of basket ball without the baskets to aim the ball? Even a great shooter needs a target so he/she can hit it. People know that they are great shooters, because they know how to hit the target accurately. Without the target, how can they tell whether they have hit their target accurately? You must have a clear, definite and written out goals of your life if you want to become a great leader!

A great leader is not lazy, he/she is willing to do what ever it takes to grow his/her self to become a better leader.

I believe with all my heart my friends that you also can be a great leader. No body is born a leader, but a great leader is made! You also can choose to grow to become a great leader. Start today in your daily life. Apply these principals in your life and you will see a big difference and change in your life. Take small step each and every that will take you where you want to go, it's better than standing still and doing nothing.

Ministry Monitors Private Sector Employment Trend

At the Dewan Negara Reports by Zulkifli Abd Rahman

THE Human Resources Ministry monitors the activities of private companies to ensure they do not practise racial or gender discrimination.

Its Deputy Minister Datuk Maznah Mazlan said companies which preferred to employ workers who are able to speak English and Mandarin could be due to linkages with foreign establishments.

“The jobs offered by these companies might also not be suitable for certain candidates.

“However, if there are complaints of discrimination, we will investigate the company concerned,” she told Senator Datuk Akbar Ali.

Maznah said the ministry conducted labour utilisation surveys every two years to monitor the racial composition of workers employed in the private sector.

In the last survey done in 2007, the ministry checked 330,000 employers and about three million workers.

The survey revealed that 47.7% of the workforce comprised Malays, Chinese (35.1%), Indians (7.5%) and other races (9.7%), she added.

“The survey found that 39.7% of those who held management and executive positions in the private sector were Malays, while 46.9% of the posts were held by the Chinese. Indians held 60.5% and other races 6.9%,” she added.

Maznah said the National Labour Policy clearly stated that the racial composition of workers in the private sector must be “fair and reasonable”.

“Firms should also consider equal racial composition for posts at the management and executive level,” she said.

Maznah said the Labour Depart­ment also held visits and dialogue to educate employers on their res­pon­sibilities to workers.

Maria Tunku Sabri Gagal Tuntut Penyelesaian Perjanjian Pampasan RM5.5jjuta

KUALA LUMPUR 30 Julai - Personaliti TV3, Maria Tunku Sabri hari ini sekali lagi gagal dalam usaha menuntut penyelesaian perjanjian pampasan RM5.5 juta daripada seorang ahli perniagaan yang didakwa memungkiri janji untuk berkahwin.

Ia berikutan keputusan Mahkamah Tinggi di sini yang menolak saman beliau selaku plaintif terhadap Datuk Wan Johani Wan Hussin.

Pesuruhjaya Kehakiman Datin Zabariah Mohd. Yusof membuat keputusan itu atas alasan perjanjian tersebut tidak sah, bersifat pramatang dan mendapati Wan Johani selaku defendan tidak pernah mengingkari perjanjian seperti yang didakwa oleh plaintif.

Sehubungan itu Zabariah memerintahkan supaya bekas pengacara rancangan 'Jalan-Jalan Cari Makan' itu membayar kos guaman RM10,000 bagi tindakan tersebut.

Keputusan yang dibuat di kamar beliau, dimaklumkan kepada pihak media oleh peguam Akbardin Abdul Kader dan Jagjit Singh yang mewakili Wan Johani, 57. Maria diwakili peguam Sangeet Kaur Deo.

Menurut Akbardin, Zabariah juga memutuskan bahawa Maria, 40, tidak berada dalam kapasiti yang membolehkan dirinya terlibat dalam perjanjian itu disebabkan dia adalah seorang wanita Islam yang sudah bersuami.

''Seksyen 14(1) Akta Undang-Undang Keluarga Islam Wilayah Persekutuan 1984 jelas menyatakan bahawa seorang perempuan Islam tidak boleh berkahwin lain selagi perkahwinan asalnya masih wujud.

''Zabariah juga menyifatkan pembelaan Maria bahawa dia akan berpisah dengan suaminya juga bersikap pramatang kerana mereka masih berkahwin dan tiada kepastian bahawa suaminya akan menceraikan dia memandangkan hak cerai terletak pada suami,'' kata Akbardin.

Jagjit pula menjelaskan persoalan mengenai kepastian adalah isu penting dalam perjanjian dan mahkamah berpendapat ia adalah mustahil kerana Maria masih isteri yang sah kepada Ahmad Nazri Abd. Malek dan hak untuk bercerai tidak terletak di tangannya.

Maria dan Wan Johani tidak hadir ketika keputusan tersebut dibuat.

Sementara itu Sangeet ketika ditanya sama ada Maria akan memfailkan rayuan berhubung keputusan tersebut berkata, pihaknya perlu mendapatkan arahan lanjut terlebih dahulu.

Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik On Trial

THE charge:

“That you, between Sept 25 and Nov 6, 2002, at Level 4 of the Prime Minister’s Office in Bangunan Perdana Putra, cheated the Govern­ment by deceiving the Cabinet into approving a land purchase in Pulau Indah for a Mega Distribution Hub project in Port Klang according to the terms agreed between Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd and Port Klang Authority which, among others, are:

a) the size of the land being 999.5 acres or 43,538,200 sq ft

b) the purchase price for the land being RM25 per sq ft amounting to a total of RM1,088,456,000

c) the repayment period being based on a “deferred payment” of 15 years with an interest rate of 7.5% per annum (total RM720,014,600), and thereby dishonestly hiding the fact that the valuation by the Valuation and Property Service Department on the land was RM25 per sq ft for a repayment period of 10 years or RM25.82 per sq ft for a repayment period of 15 years, including coupon/interest that could be charged for the repayment period.

And as such, you purposely induced the Cabinet to give its consent to the purchase, whereas the Cabinet would not have given its consent if the fact had been told to the Cabinet, and the fraud was committed with the knowledge that you could cause a loss to the Government, where you have an interest in the transaction pertaining to the fraud and you are bound under the law to protect it and, as such, you have committed an offence punishable under Section 418 of the Penal Code.”

(Section 418 concerns “cheating with knowledge that wrongful loss may be thereby caused to a person whose interest the offender is bound to protect”.)

He also faced a similar alternative charge (for an alleged offence committed at the same time and place) under Section 417 of the Penal Code that concerns “punishment for cheating”.

Dr Ling pleads not guilty in the PKFZ scandal

By NURBAITI HAMDAN and YUEN MEIKENG

PUTRAJAYA: Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik has been charged with cheating the Government over the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal and he now faces up to seven years in prison.

The 67-year-old former Transport Minister, believed to be the first Tun in the country to be prosecuted in a court of law, was later granted a RM1mil bail by Judge Suzana Hussin with one surety.

He was accused in the Sessions Court here of knowingly deceiving the Cabinet to approve a land purchase in Pulau Indah for the purpose of the Mega Distribution Hub project in Port Klang, which resulted in wrongful losses to the Govern¬ment.

Leading the team: Abdul Gani (left) arriving at the Putrajaya Sessions Court with other lawyers in the prosecution team, including Tun Abd Majid Tun Hamzah.

The offence was allegedly committed at the Prime Minister’s office here between Sept 25 and Nov 6, 2002.

Dr Ling, the longest-serving MCA president, claimed trial to the first charge of cheating under Section 418 of the Penal Code and an alternative charge under Section 417 for an alleged offence committed at the same time and place.

He faces up to seven years in jail for the first charge and up to five years’ imprisonment under the alternative charge. Both carry a fine.

The prosecution, which came as a shock to the nation, was the result of a joint probe by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the police.

Dressed in dark-coloured pants and a blue striped shirt, Dr Ling, from Air Tawar, Perak, appeared calm in the dock and requested that his charges be read in English.

He said “not guilty” when asked for his plea.

Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, who is leading the four-man prosecution team, told the court that the charges were bailable offences and proposed a RM1mil bail to which the defence had no objection.

In mitigation, defence counsel Datuk R.R. Sethu said Dr Ling was a long-serving civil servant and gave assurances that he would not abscond.

He also applied for the next mention date to be set a month from yesterday.
Judge Suzana then fixed Sept 3 for mention.

Dr Ling, who posted the bail, was later seen shaking hands with the lawyers present after court proceedings ended at 5pm.

His wife Toh Puan Ena Ling and sons Hee Leong and Hee Keat were also present.

When met outside the courtroom, Dr Ling told reporters: “When you are at the Palace of Justice, you must be very confident of justice.”

Dr Ling, a doctor by training, served as MCA president from 1986 to 2003.

On June 13, 2003, he was appointed the party’s Honorary Life President in recognition of his loyal and meritorious services to the party, community and nation.

In Ipoh, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said party leaders were shocked over the matter.

Dr Chua, who was on a visit to SJK(C) Poi Lam here, told reporters however that he was confident Dr Ling would get a fair trial.

Public Accounts Committee chairman Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid said it had never identified Dr Ling as the “culprit” behind the PKFZ scandal.

Another former MCA president and Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said he only wanted the interest of the general public, especially taxpayers, to be protected.
“I’m not interested in specific personalities,” he said.

He added that there was a necessity for the authorities to keep the public informed of its findings, adding: “And if there has been fraud, then the funds must be recovered.”

Dr Ling is the fifth and the highest-ranking person to be charged over the scandal after former Port Klang Authority general manager Datin Paduka O.C. Phang and three others were accused of criminal breach of trust (CBT) and cheating by making false claims late last year.

The PKFZ project was mooted during Dr Ling’s term as Transport Minister, and the cost of the project – initially estimated at less than RM2bil – more than doubled to RM4.6bil by 2007.

PKFZ Ghost Continues to Haunt the Nation

By Khoo Kay Peng

PKA claims that PKFZ has been in operation for the last few years and it is obligated to repay its bondholders.

The ministry said the government had taken all relevant factors including the government's commitment to bondholders and PKA's obligations under the agreements signed.

PKA had also given an undertaking to make payment to the special purpose vehicles, said the ministry.

It was learnt that the PKA had reservations over making the payment in view of its on-going RM1.4 billion suit against KDSB.

A source from the port authority said they are considering withholding the payment as the board would be held liable for monies that cannot be recovered from KDSB in the event that the PKA wins the suit.

Nearly RM3 billion is also owed to three other SPVs – Transshipment Megahub Bhd, Valid Ventures Bhd and Special Port Vehicle Bhd.

A sum of RM1.3 billion is scheduled to be paid to Valid Ventures next year, while a RM1.4 billion payout is due to Transshipment Megahub in 2012 and RM150 million is owed to Special Port Vehicle Bhd.

PKFZ will continue to churn out more bad news, more financial commitments and more losses in the following months and years. What has PKFZ achieved in real economic terms?

Who is accountable for this silly project which was started with a bad intention in the first place?

PKFZ is a mirror of the current economic structure. It was a wrong strategy and a bad call. How many developed economies are still doing what we have done? Building industrial parks or logistics hub and hoping for them to be filled up is a wrong move. We should have focused on promoting and catalysing real industrial development and not seeking rentals.

In the PKFZ case, one size does not fit all. Most companies prefer to build facilities based on their own business needs and not taking up some ready made facilities.

Is the government going to be accountable to ensure that this project can become viable in the near future and not continue to drain public funds?

The government needs to do some serious thinking here. It has to be decisive enough to decide what to do with the PKFZ. Money wasted on this project can be used to create jobs elsewhere.

I heard that some real culprits are still left to enjoy their spoils. Why the inaction?