Morning Reflection - Good Leader

Good Leader...

When I see this word.. I think what is the meaning of this word...

Everyone perhaps has different opinion or perception on this word... During my career life, more than 25 years, I already have more than 10 boss... Is a boss will be similar with a Leader.... I don't think so..

You could be a boss when you have a team and also because you are being promoted to be a boss..

A leader not necessary you have a team, even in your personal life you also could be a leader for anything... A husband, a father, a single mother or the bread winner of the family regardless the gender and etc...

Therefore for me, a good leader is more meaningful than a good boss.. And in my opinion a good leader are as follows :

- People "respect" to a good leader instead of "afraid". This 2 words has different impact. When people respect to you... it means that they will do a task because they feel that they would like to make you happy and they will do wholeheartedly... while if people afraid of you, they will do only because they feel that they will get the bad impact if they don't do the task and not wholeheartedly...

- People "trust" to a good leader because they believe that the leader will bring them to a good result. Once a Leader could not be trusted especially if you lead a team, it will jeopardize the whole programme or relationship.

- People "feel secure" with the good leader as they feel that the leader will not threat their security especially their heart.... This is relate to the trust... If they trust the leader they will feel secure. A leader could make the team feel secure when he also feel confidence & secure on himself...

- A good leader is "inclusive"... He/She could appreciate uniqueness of each individual because nobody same with other people.. Every person has different strength & weakness.

That's my opinion for the good leader...

As I mention above, everybody has different perception or opinion on this... soo everybody has also welcome to have different opinion...
 

Basic Skill for Secretary/Personal Assistance - Keeping Secret

"Secretary" from the word "Secret", therefore one of the important skill of secretary is keeping a secret.
Nowadays,  secretarial job known as Personal Assistance which means that this skill also still valid.

In my professional life when I am doing the secretarial job, I proud because I am the one who will know about my boss personal & professional life even the team under my boss.

One of my experience was when 1 of the team was being promoted to be a manager which this person was having close relationship with me. I already had the information however I keep this information from her. When she received  the payslip with the additional salary, she ask me and I told her to ask the boss. She surprised that she got promoted when she was being told by the boss.
When she asked me why I didn't told her, I ask her how she feel if the news come from me and not from the boss, she said the impact will be different.
From that experience I could say that it is matter who will deliver the news. The impact from the boss deliver the news compare to me who only just chit chat and inform her that she got promoted is totally different.

In my other experience, I have the experience, which the information about the promotion leak to the person by one of the secretary while this information was not confirmed yet. Suddenly the planning changed and the person who was being promoted is not him/her. The person asked to the boss why not him/her while he/she already have the high expectation.
We can imagine how disappointed for the person and it will impact to the performance or attrition.

This is only small sample.... which impact to the person... can you imagine if this is company top secret and the secretary/PA told friends in the chit chat.

For me this is one of the important skill for the secretary/PA....

However sometimes in your relationship, some "want to know" friends will ask the secretary about some information especially on the people arrangement... How to handle this?

This is my tips based on my experience.

I always answer the question with the following answer :

For the close friends ..... "I am your friend but on this matter, sorry, I could not answer your question... because this is my job and I have to be a professional on this

For other... "Eventhough I could answer your question but this is not my position to answer the question"

This tips are work because they will respect me.... and one day when they are being your boss they could trust on you. We never know what is the future, perhaps one day your friend will be your boss :)

This skill is one of the skill which very useful when I am handling the role as the Benefit Specialist. I am the only one in my company who had the access for all salary review including my boss at that time. My boss report to a boss outside Indonesia therefore I am the one who knows his salary increase proposal. When my boss asked me to give him the information, I said to him, I will inform his boss to inform him the amount and I will not inform him about this information.

I feel that this skill based on my practice when I am doing my secretarial job therefore I could play this role eventhough the person is higher than me.

Because when a Secretary/Personal Assistant is not have this skill, this means is he/she is not suitable for this job.

One of the reason I could sit in my position now because this skill and for me when I could not do this skill anymore it means jeopardize my job.

Career vs educational background

I studied in secretarial school end of 80' and now I am one of the HR assistant manager in one of the multinational company which already more than 20 service years. This company is my 3rd job.

When I finished the secretarial school, I though that my career journey will be as the secretary like my role model, my mom... however 10 years from my service year in this company I was being promoted to be an assistant manager. Why? One of the consideration because I have the experience dealing with the expatriate... because this role at that time is Assistant Country Contact Manager.

And several years later I was taking role in the Remuneration Department and handling numbers and policy in this role which end up to almost 10 years and being respect because of my expertise in this role... which never cross my mind.

People never guess that my background is a secretary because people tend to think that secretary only could do secretarial or administrative job.... soo I would like to share my experience how people especially  secretary could take other role successfully...

I am being blessed that all my career journey as the secretary and the assistant manager which has several different role always getting respect and acknowledgement...soo I will also share what is the tip in my blog.....

This is the opening of my professional tip sharing