The Role of Employee Development in Southeast Asian Startups
In the past, most leaders in Southeast Asia were recruited externally but that is changing quickly. The region has a lot of growth potential and there is a shortage of experienced leadership to fill top management positions. Leadership development is now an essential part of business strategies for startups, especially in a region where the workforce is rapidly expanding at an annual rate of almost 7%.
The challenge for startups comes from developing leaders within an environment that is constantly changing. Startups need to be agile and flexible as they grow from small entrepreneurial enterprises to large innovative companies with global reach and impact.
Taking ownership
“After experiencing multiple roles here, I think I'm actually particularly interested in people's success, which is helping them to uncover their strengths [because] I’ve gained a lot from just looking at my people.” - Desmond Chua, Head of Sales at Datasite
Leaders in Southeast Asia are taking ownership of developing their people more than ever before. The trend is even more pronounced at the startups in Southeast Asia.
As a leader, you know that leadership development is not a sprint. It’s a marathon. And you also know that it’s not something you can do once or twice and expect the results to stick.
Leadership development has to be continuous, because your team needs constant guidance for them to grow and develop their skillsets over time. It's important for leaders at startups in Southeast Asia to realise this and take ownership of developing their people on an ongoing basis - even while they're growing the business itself at breakneck speed!
But here's the thing: there are so many things on your plate as an early-stage company that it can feel impossible to pursue this type of leadership development when there are so many other priorities vying for your attention day-in and day-out!
There are options
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"I think it's important that we have a very safe space to experiment because you don't have too much experience leading 20 or even 40 people." - Victor Setya, VP of Data at Tiket
There are a number of different types of leadership development, each with their own benefits and drawbacks:
Develop leaders early
"Middle management tends to be more robust in the West compared to Asia. Its value is often underappreciated in this part of the globe." - Michael Mucci, Head of Accounts Management at Razer
One of the most important factors in a startup’s success is leadership development. While it may seem like all eyes are on you, it’s also important to remember that developing your people is not just about you—it’s about their futures and the future of your company.
Leadership development shouldn't be seen as a top-down process either; everyone has things they can improve upon, so make sure that everyone knows what they need to work on and how they can improve their skillset. The best way to get started with this? Start by taking ownership of your own growth as a leader!
Conclusion
The trend of leaders taking ownership of developing their people is even more pronounced at the startups in Southeast Asia. The region has long been known as one of the most entrepreneurial and innovative regions on earth and this type of leadership development fits right into the values that have traditionally made the region so successful.
It can be difficult to pursue this type of leadership development at the same time as running a startup but it’s important that leaders find ways to make time for it as it will only make them better equipped for future challenges ahead.