The Silver Lining of the COVID Lockdown
A handshake. Sitting in a classroom. Going to ‘Freddy’s’ bar. So many things we have taken for granted have now changed.
What My Dad’s Failed Business Taught Me about Life
When I was 12 years old, my dad launched a start-up. After having closely analysed and researched the market, he had identified a gap. So, he quit his job, got a loan, recruited the best people, rolled up his sleeves and got to work. His entire team worked feverishly for months and months on the project: a sort of paper-based Craigslist with the revolutionary addition of CD-ROM content.
Navigating Change and Ambiguity: Moving on Means Letting Go
After nearly five years of working in an office environment at INSEAD, I’ve switched to working from home. Due to the COVID-19 situation, I knew it was the right decision but I’ve been surprised that letting go of working from the office would be so uncomfortable.
A Call to Leaders
As I write this, the 'circuit breaker' in Singapore has been extended to June 4, a big blow to the student and faculty morale.
Invariably, this will be another post amongst the 1000’s detailing the disruption COVID-19 has caused albeit with a focus on leadership. Specifically, I will touch upon the ‘act’ aspect of leadership from my perspective of the faculty and students.
Students
Thoughts & Reflections on My EMC at INSEAD
‘The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.’ - Carl-Gustav Jung
When I was admitted to the EMC programme in Wave 22 of June 2016, I had no idea that nothing was to become more real than the above quote by CG Jung.
The Lockdown Project
The INSEAD MBA is an intense 10-month rollercoaster and the COVID-19 pandemic seemed to put a sudden brake at the very summit, jolting us back to an unfamiliar new reality.
But despite our self-administered physical fences, the unwavering support of our INSEAD friends shone through, reminding us that we were in this together.
Silence Is the Language of God. All Else Is Poor Translation.
Spring is upon us and has ushered in a riot of colours with flora and fauna creating a potpourri, refreshing all beings across the world. These sites and aromas arrest our movements and bide us to become one with the gorgeousness of the surroundings. These magnificent shows of nature descend upon us every year but alas, most of us in our haste had a tendency of ignoring these blissful moments, until now.
Bringing Together a Global Community in the Fight Against COVID-19
Facing the widespread COVID-19 pandemic, alumni of the INSEAD MBA, Global Executive MBA and Tsinghua-INSEAD Executive MBA (TIEMBA) brought together a global network to raise funds and support frontline medics in need. These actions were initiated by a few MBA alumni and endorsed by the INSEAD National Alumni Associations and TIEMBA chapters.
The Strength of Strong Ties
The year 1775 in pre-revolution France was the best of times, and it was also the worst of times - at least according to Charles Dickens. “[…] It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us […]”
How to Stand in a Storm
I recently had a session with my career coach. Our meetings often have a straight-forward agenda. This one in particular was to talk about how to highlight my leadership abilities in my upcoming interviews.
But, as usual, this session would be one where we choose to meander our way around this agenda and take the scenic, reflective route instead.
She’d let me give an account of how I was feeling, what I’d been up to since we last spoke, and would then proceed to respond with a series of questions that would kick-off our hour-long session.
