I wouldn’t call myself a born leader, but I’ve found my own voice and leadership style from my past experiences, relevant reading, and observing other leaders.
Today at Love, Bonito, I’m responsible for driving its vision, growth and strategy across a variety of functions, from brand to business development to technology, and work closely with our leadership team on many aspects. I’m really proud that we are accelerating our ambitions beyond Singapore. To do all this takes the collective efforts of passionate and talented people.
HAIR Jimmy Yap MAKEUP Zoel Tee
Top & skirt, Love, Bonito Jewellery, Dione’s own
I believe leadership boils down to five things: infectious energy, thoughtfulness, compassionate candour, courage, and tenacity.
People often do themselves an injustice because of their age or lack of experience. You need to hold the same standards for yourself as other managers in your organisation. So what if they are a decade older than yourself?
Someone once told me that if you find yourself hesitating when presented with an opportunity because you doubt your capabilities, just jump into it and do it. Someone believes in you, and you might just be underestimating yourself. That’s the best career advice I’ve received.
Look inwards first, decide on your leadership style, embody that, and be a role model.
Always learn how to lead yourself. Look inwards first, decide on your leadership style, embody that and be a role model.
I don’t think I have ever been underestimated because of my age, but it can still be tough when managing people much older than I am. I try to overcome this by upskilling, being respectful, and also understanding how to maximise, leverage and involve the senior members in our organisation.
To those aspiring to lead teams, my advice would be to first always learn how to lead yourself. It all starts there. Look inwards first, decide on your leadership style, embody that, and be a role model. This creates authenticity, and enables you to naturally build and lead your teams. Then, learn how to manage yourself and create a system that works for you so you can have more operating leverage.
— In partnership with Estée Lauder —
Tell us how you power on, from your self-care tips to your motivations. We’ll pick 10 readers with the most inspiring and empowering IG posts to win a 50ml bottle of Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum and Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Complex, worth $280. Make sure that your IG profile is public, follow @HerWorldSingapore and @EsteeLauder_SG, and include the following hashtags in your post: #HerWorldHerStory #HowWePowerOn #EsteeLauderSG. Contest ends March 28, 2021. Posts may also be featured on Estée Lauder’s Instagram.
PHOTOGRAPHY Veronica Tay & Vee Chin
ART DIRECTION Ray Ticsay & Adeline Eng
STYLING Lauren Alexa
