Organizational culture, people’s mindset, and attitude are the most challenging that I face. Technology is not the famous root cause of challenges.

My life progressed step by step and I started from a very junior level. I always used my resources (time, cash, brain) to learn and to study. Never hesitate to accept a challenge or a role if there is an opportunity, even if there is a slim chance.

I start my morning with draft planning for “what I am going to do today!!” I mostly talk with my colleagues, inter-department people, outsiders, and read news sometimes. I walked a bit around the office or my home after lunch or small break-time. Before I start my daily job, normally, I do check my inbox and messages, not to miss the importance. Before I leave the office, I check again the message, daily work-done, and after 5 pm, I enjoy my time by doing some physical exercise. I read some news by 7 pm followed by dinner with my wife, then meditate sometimes. And I normally sleep by 11:30 PM. That’s my daily routine.

Being a leader is better than a title of “Manager” or something. Recently, I learned “Transformational Leadership” rather than other lessons, yes, in a real scenario.

Organizational Behavior (15ed) by Stephen P. Robbins | Timothy A. Judge. After I studied that book, I felt that something enlightened me about management and leadership style. And real leadership doesn’t mean that I have to be smart in every area. I just have to know how to negotiate, how many handle organizational politics, how to deal with difficult people, and it is extremely useful. Well, I was in a Tech-oriented life and weak in other aspects of an organization. I read that book for MBA study, then I realized that I have to face and solve everything as much as I can. Then my leadership changed slowly from hard style to negotiation. I didn’t expect that I could be handling much with my current role, Group CIO, but now I have my confidence and I feel that this is a good fit for me, this is the true story.

Communication!. Listen to everyone’s voice first. Listen with sympathy and empathy, and without bias. Attention to every detail and talk for what should be. I mostly build leadership capacity with soft skills and try to negotiate for most. Based on the concept of vice versa, I have to give something to another party in return for something that I want.

Due to COVID and major instabilities in politics of my country, Myanmar, it hits our economy sector worst. The organization that I am working for decided to minimize, to cut-cost, to reduce the opex such as salaries. We discussed internally, in CIO’s team, then we decided to share the resources, the salaries, rather than retrenchment of employees. We will keep it that way as much as we can. I feel that this is a meaningful story of humanity, sympathy, empathy, and “sharing is caring”.