Learning to lead the Home Team way

Sean attended the Phoenix Programme in 2020. A?five-week?course that is the apex programme in the?Home Team Academy's (HTA)?suite of?leadership development initiatives, the Phoenix Programme aims to broaden leadership perspectives and enhance?proficiency in navigating complexity and change in a dynamic environment. It offers insights to interpret developments and events from both regional and global perspectives to guide leaders in overseeing and driving organisational transformation and cultural change throughout the Home Team.

When I attended the Phoenix Programme, the module I enjoyed the most was about personal mastery and leading teams. This module is mostly led by INSEAD, and I felt that the quality of facilitation and instruction was of a very high standard, and I especially benefitted from the “new topics” which they introduced to us, such as meditation and mindfulness.

The programme also gave me a deeper understanding about my strengths and weaknesses, and how I can leverage this knowledge when leading teams.?There was a strong emphasis on how these theories could be put into practice, and on the benefit of peer critique to help us do better. Through this, I uncovered blind spots which I took note of – and have since made a deliberate effort to work on.?

Through the Phoenix Programme, I also learnt that we should invest time to comprehend the broader issues at a deeper level – issues that ultimately affect what we do at the Home Team, and to a large extent, how we deal with members of the public, or even how we bring up our children. This means that we need to equip ourselves with a good understanding of current issues so that we and the Home Team can be more ready to take on these waves.

During the course, we had opportunities to dialogue with a number of Political Office Holders and Permanent Secretaries. It was very enlightening to hear from them, their views on current affairs, and on planning for the greater good of all.?This gave us a fuller understanding and greater sensitivity to the thinking and deeper issues behind policies so that we can explain them better to our people, and the community.

When I was attending the Phoenix Programme, we were still in the thick of COVID-19.?When things are uncertain and everything is so fluid, people will always look to their leaders.?Every leadership team will have its own challenges. So how do we maintain our relevance??How do we ride the times of change and continue to stay on top of situations??And on the vital issue of trust – it is the basic currency and capital that people draw on in times of crises.

Taking for example this topic of leadership – leaders may not always know what to do, but they have to find the best way forward, and encourage their people to put their best foot forward together, as one.

After attending the Phoenix Programme, I would say that my perspectives on leadership have been refreshed and recharged. Although it is a daily struggle to do so, I do spend more time thinking about issues, and about human behaviours and have been less quick to judge.?And I would credit this to many of my course mates who generously shared their ideas and experiences.?

Exercising mindfulness and learning to see things from others’ points of view have also taken a more central place in my management and interactions with stakeholders.?In my current role as the Assistant Chief Executive (Programmes) at the Home Team Science and Technology, I oversee the capability delivery of programmes for the Home Team Departments, and oftentimes, I am one of the first to answer to my Permanent Secretary and the Home Team Departments if there are any programme delays. It is extremely important to exercise empathy, and present facts and issues well in order to help clear the situation and move things forward.

One of the things that I was also reminded of was to continue to build my network of friends with whom I can be open about how I feel in certain situations, how I could have done better, and in what other ways I could have better managed the emotions of those around me. It is useful to receive constructive criticism from those whom I trust, and to learn on a deeper and non-judgmental level. This is a network, a community, that one has to intentionally invest time and effort to build, to contribute to, and to consciously sustain.

On the personal front, I have also learnt to set aside some time each week to exercise my “strategic brain muscles”, to tackle things from a more strategic view rather than be focused solely on the operational and tactical concerns. Over time, my hope is to build this approach into my “muscle-memory”, and I certainly hope that I can get better at it as I realise that this is an essential skill at the higher leadership levels.

In my personal life, I have also learnt to be a better husband, father and friend.?I am also in leadership positions in the Army as a Brigade commander and in church, and so I get exposed to a wider variety of situations that continue to shape and hone me.?I think it is really important to see leadership as a journey, to reflect often and take charge of things – and have the courage to speak up, make changes and see things though to completion. The Phoenix Programme has made a huge difference in my life, and I am grateful to have attended it.