After building a successful career in telecommunications, Jerome Teh took the leap to start his own business, co-founding SecondLifeAsia in 2019. The fast-growing mobile device repair company has 35 outlets in Malaysia and plans to enter Thailand this year. Here, we speak with Teh about the key leadership lessons he has picked up over his career, the time-management tips he uses to get things done and how he switches off. Inside Retail: What are some of the key leadership lessons you’v
ou’ve picked up over the course of your career?
Jerome Teh: Be proactive as a leader. Make things happen, don’t wait for them to happen. Work with everyone and learn to communicate effectively. Prioritise perspectives. Always and continuously walk in your customer’s shoes and understand their needs and demands.
Think critically. Do not be hasty and do not let emotions control rational thinking when it comes to leadership. Keep it simple. Sometimes, keeping things short, simple, and sweet is the secret formula to efficiency and efficacy. Avoid overcomplicating simple decisions.
Be data and fact-driven. Do not “assume” or judge too quickly based on what is on the surface. Find the balance between people and time management. Sometimes, a compromise is essential for the most beneficial outcome
IR: What advice would you give to someone who wants to move up the corporate ladder?
JT: Hard work goes without saying, it is of utmost importance. Be prepared to put in your 200 per cent effort. Stay focused on your fulfilling customer/market needs and balance that with business success.
Apart from just pure hard work, it is also important to learn to manage upwards. That means understanding management’s needs and wants and then being prepared to be the right person with the right solution.
If hard work is half the battle, then managing up is the other half. Developing and cultivating a productive working system with your stakeholders and corporate leaders means learning and adapting to their management, leadership and communication styles and preferences.
Increasing your awareness of the work and communication style and preferences of decision-makers is key to standing out from the crowd.
IR: Where do you go for career advice?
JT: Over the years, key lessons can come easily from simple reads. One of the most accessible, digestible, and widely applicable reading recommendations is Sun Tzu’s Art of War.
IR: Do you have any business heroes?
JT: The late Lee Kuan Yew, who built Singapore into the successful powerhouse nation it is now. There are many lessons and management ideologies that can be applied similarly to building a business.
Closer to home would be Tan Sri Robert Kuok who built a lasting and successful business empire spanning various industries, while applying traditional values and humility as foremost traits in his leadership.
IR: What does a typical day look like for you?
JT: On a typical day, I get in on time to work, but not without a cup of coffee.
At work, I usually start by checking financial figures from the previous business day to get an overview of things and address any underlying obstacles ahead of time. It also helps me plan, in terms of business growth and expansion.
Keeping up with the team is one of my favourite hours on my calendar. I like to conduct short daily reviews with the team to check on the progress area for various ongoing projects and receive feedback.
Any challenges that may arise, I try to address them in detail with the team, as a collective whole.
Other than that, I spend other hours on weekly WIP (Work in Progress) meetings with different stakeholders and teams in technology, products, and operations, as well as with external parties.
What time I have left, I use to plan the next phase for the business.
IR: Do you have any “work hacks” for getting things done?
JT: I try to apply an anti-procrastination philosophy. Before ending the workday, do not put off what you can complete today and carry it forward to tomorrow.
That would only add weight to any unprecedented situations that might or might not happen tomorrow, and in turn, cause more setbacks for the days coming forward.
I loosely apply the Covey Time Management Matrix to prioritise my tasks based on importance and urgency, to avoid procrastination.
IR: What’s your approach to work-life balance?
JT: Work hard and play hard: I believe in a balance between the two, but I always opt for the best possible outcome, which means putting in maximum effort in work, so I can put in maximum effort in my own personal life likewise. Nothing less.
But it isn’t always a fixed 50-50 balance. It is different for different people. Some people prefer a 70-30 distribution, some 50-50, some 30-70 and so on.
It depends on what you feel comfortable with as a balance. Ultimately, as long as you maintain your efficiency in your career, you get to decide what ratio of work-life balance works for you.
IR: Do you have any hobbies that help you switch off and stay balanced?
JT: Reading is one of my favourite pastimes. I love reading and have a huge library of books. It is also the easiest and most accessible form of pastime.
Besides that, I indulge in some outdoor pursuits like fishing, cycling, hiking, and even racquet sports from time to time.
I am quite a competitive person by nature, hence, when I am under stress, I tend to bake cakes and muffins to satiate my sweet tooth.