Leadership Lessons for Next Generation Leaders from the Minister of Health

Learnings from a special interview with from YB Dato Isham, Minister of Health, Brunei at FLY UBD in September 2024.from YB Dato Isham, Minister of Health, Brunei

Health Minister, YB Dato Isham's interaction with students

Interview with Shaun Hoon, Curator, FLY Program

Group photo with FLY's Sponsors

Group photo with VC and UBD Students

1. Do the small things well

When people give you a chance, no matter how small the task, do it with all your heart, mind and soul. Do it well. You will be trusted with bigger responsibilities as a result.

2. Learning as a lifelong discipline

Pursue learning as a lifelong discipline. Don’t just learn from the people above you. Learn also from those who hold a lesser position as well, especially those who are in the front line. Listen to their complaints. The lessons may surprise you.

3. Don’t learn from your own failure

It is not a failure if you learn from it. Don’t just learn from your own failure. Learn from the failures of others in order to become successful.

4. Develop your critical thinking skills

This generation has access to more knowledge than ever before. Don’t just cast the net wide to acquire knowledge. Be intentional. You need to be critical and sift through what is useful. Build your knowledge with a solid foundation that isn’t easily uprooted by the storms.

5. Complains

Don’t complain. Through his years of working, YB Dato observed that those who complain the most are the ones that don’t grow and get stuck in their job. He noted that, those who put their heads down and get things done instead of complaining are those who climb the corporate ladders the fastest, furthest.

On the other hand, as a leader, we should not fear complaints. The ability to receive complaints graciously and improve from it is a superpower. “The more complaints, the better.” He emphasized.

6. Gratitude

The Minister noted that showing appreciation, providing feedback and exercising gratitude are important elements in building employees’ trust and confidence especially for GenZ. If affirmation is something that this generation responds better to, we must adapt in order to get the best out of our people.

That said, as a leader, you must also accept and be prepared for people not being thankful to you in return (and still continue to lead objectively with excellence).

7. Communicate well

The Minister regarded clear communication as one of the most essential leadership skill sets.

How did YB Dato hone his own communication skill?

YB Dato recounts the trying days of internship at the biggest cardiac hospital in Scotland that helped shape his communication skills. The experience taught him to be accurate and succinct with his reporting to his superiors. He had to think through multiple angles, scenarios and consequences before sharing his thoughts. “The senior doctors had no time to filter through your flowery languages, they wanted to get to the facts quickly and accurately in order to make life and death decisions.”

He described communication as an art. “You have to think about the timing, context and tone of delivery in conveying your message. Often, it’s not just what you say, but how you say it that matters just as much.”

8. Management by fear

If your employees are fearful of you, you have failed. They should not feel they’d be reprimanded for their mistakes or reporting the truth, period.

9. Leadership by example

What did I learn most about leadership from my interview with the Health Minister?

What struck me the most about the leadership lessons from YB Dato Isham was his actions as opposed to the advice he provided, which was in everybit captivating and brilliant.

Being a Minister is a full time job and some, yet he seems to be able keep abreast with his pulse on the ground with great details. YB Dato said he receives over 300 direct feedback from the intranet each month only accessible to himself and a designated assistant. The emails are categorized and addressed on a quarterly basis face to face with those in charge of the hospitals in the four districts.

YB Dato also stated that still does his rounds at the wards every Wednesday, operating on babies and special vascular patients at RIPAS (Brunei’s general hospital) and every Friday at JPMC. During those times, nurses have direct access to him, which is how he keeps abreast with what’s going on at the operational level.

When the leader’s own action is the embodiment of the standards and expectations of his or her organization, there is very little left with spoken words that are necessary in order to inspire the team to follow suit.

10. Bonus Advice: Treat the nurses well!

The Minister noted Nursing as the most respected profession in the world. He urged the nurses to keep this in mind in order to maintain a sense of pride and purpose in their job. The Minister also highlighted that there is a lack of nurses in Brunei and all over the world, sharing that “If you are a nurse, you will never be out of a job.”

He reminded us all about the very nature of the lifecycle where we will all one day end up in the care of the nurses during our final moments. “Treat the nurses like how you’d like to be treated. Same thing as being a leader, you must treat your subordinates the same way you would like to be treated.”

Wisdom!