On a recent trip to Singapore I
found myself taken by this billboard. For those of you like me who have
trouble with the small print, the four billboard themes are:
- Donate - directly or participate in fundraising activities
- Venture - into businesses that serve social causes and be eligible for the President's Challenge Social Enterprise Award
- Volunteer - our time or skills to help the less fortunate
- What - are we doing to show we care
This is Singapore President Tony Tan
Keng Yam plan to build momentum on two initiatives he started in 2012 - the
President's Challenge Volunteer Drive and the President's Challenge Social
Enterprise Award.
Fundraising continues to be at the
heart of President's Challenge. However, I was told by the hotel concierge that
the campaign has now gone beyond people giving money, Singaporeans are giving
of their time, skills and talent for the less fortunate. The President's
Challenge Volunteer Drive is an event where individuals, schools and
organisations are encouraged to participate in a host of programmes and volunteer
activities. The President's Challenge Volunteer Drive aims to help people to
understand the critical needs facing the less fortunate in Singapore. At the
same time, they can experience the satisfaction of volunteerism.
The prestigious President's Challenge
Social Enterprise Award recognises outstanding social enterprises, be it
existing social enterprises, start-ups, or social enterprises managed by youth,
for their contributions made to the social service sector.
You may say well there is nothing
new here - we Australians volunteer our money, time, skills and talents, and I
agree many of us do.
We also see social enterprises
throughout our great nation.
But what struck me was President
Tony Tan Keng Yam's leadership.
From my perspective he is seeking to
engage people by putting these ideas 'on the streets of singapore'.
Whereby
creating conversations. He is seeking to create communities that care. He is
asking people to think about 'We' rather than 'Me'
This is a key part of Conscious
Leadership people first, and then profit.
Conscious' leaders are defined
as those who inspire and bring out the best in those around them, foster
transformation, and manage beyond conventional profits. They embrace a role to
serve the purpose of the organisation, or in this case his country, to
support its employees/citizens to create value for the company's stakeholders
...or the country.
So I invite you to consider what
'conscious leadership' means for you, how you can make a difference?.
