This article first appeared in Forum, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on December 30, 2019 - January 5, 2020
The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are. — J P Morgan, American financier and banker (1837-1913)
December on the Thames — what a clichéd concept, I thought as I celebrated my birthday along the balustrades that stretched the length of England’s ancient river. From where I stood, I had St Paul’s at my back and the Tower Bridge on the opposite end. This was my year-end holiday and as I paced swiftly to reach the front of the iconic London Eye, the evening chill biting my exposed face, I suddenly realised despite all that had happened in 2019, I had lost yet another year doing nothing really significant. And it rankled me.
I stopped in my tracks and turned to look across at Big Ben and the Parliament building, softly lit by the city’s night lights, feeling despondent. I had plans of becoming a better speaker, a better communicator and a better leader in 2019. But I saw little in me that I could consider an improvement.
Have you ever had the same disappointed year-end feeling? Darn, another year gone, and I still have so much to shoot for. Despite my efforts and the books I read, I had to hang my head in shame. I was nowhere near my goal.
I had read many works of acclaimed authors this year, and as I walked past Londoners and Chinese tourists, the latest came to mind. In Mastery, author Robert Greene argued that we all have the ability to push the limits of human potential. Power, intelligence and creativity are forces that we can unleash, with the right mindset and skills.
His words seduced me. Remaining average, according to Greene, was not an option. Not when we have access to extensive knowledge that past generations could only dream about. He spoke about information and knowledge and ideas being the currency of the 21st century, and that resonated with me. So, early in the year, I resolved to be that instrument to share these game-changing ideas.
There is nothing more inspiring than a bold idea delivered by a competent leader. It has impact that can change the world. I am using the word “idea” quite broadly here. An idea, in my vocabulary, is anything that can change how people see the world. If we can conjure a compelling picture in people’s minds, we have done something wondrous. We have given them an idea, a new view point, a little piece of us that will become a part of them.
When Dale Carnegie wrote the first mass-market public speaking guide, The Art of Public Speaking, in 1915, he recommended that speakers speak with enthusiasm and verve. He recommended a lot of practice and a strong delivery to move people. His advice has not aged. Good leaders present ideas in manners that are emotional, novel and memorable. And they keep them short. They use stories as a way of connecting emotionally with their audience. And they are skilled in the use of devices such as metaphors and analogies.
I took Carnegie’s advice to heart and I practised — a lot — because I know only ideas that are truly unique and unexpected will stand out. I wanted to be able to communicate well because neural studies have shown that our brains cannot ignore novelty (that is why magic tricks succeed!) and if we can curate and consciously design and deliver “wow” moments, we would have created moments that our audience will speak about years later.
That stroll along the Thames continued and I arrived in front of that giant wheel that is the London Eye. I eyed the construction, and I marvelled at the idea of turning a regular Ferris wheel into a major tourist attraction. I am sure there were many who were against building such an industrial contraption on the hallowed banks of the Thames, but the promoters persevered. A great idea can mean the difference between enjoying acclaim and toiling in hopeless obscurity. The usually staid Londoners placed a strategic bet on the wheel, and they won big! True, it could have been a mistake, but it was not.
I am reminded of the altruism: If one cannot inspire anyone else with ideas, it won’t matter how great those ideas are. Your ideas are only as good as the actions they provoke.
The chill was now biting, and I stepped up to pay to ride the London Eye. The wheel began to turn slowly and as I sat watching the city from the apex, I thought about 2020 and what the new year might bring. An exciting new decade, new hopes, new challenges. New attempts and new mistakes? Of course!
Author Neil Gaiman once said, “I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, pushing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re Doing Something.”
The ride on the wheel has ended and as I walked quickly through the thickening London fog, I resolved to do better next year. Despite falling short of my goal this year, I will continue to improve in 2020. I will make new mistakes. And I hope you will too. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes that nobody has ever made before. Make them, and carry on.
Cheers, friends, and have yourselves a Happy New Year.
Zakie Shariff is managing partner of Kuber Venture Bhd, a specialist investment company. He is also a director of Universiti Malaysia Pahang.
Save by subscribing to us for your print and/or digital copy.
P/S: The Edge is also available on Apple's AppStore and Androids' Google Play.