Leading By Example - Zeti Akhtar Aziz

It is easy to think that great leadership is some kind of innate ability or gift;
to think that either you have it or you dont! "hat is not the #ase! Leaders are
a#tually train$ not born! I strongly believe in order to be#ome a good leader %e
first need to be a good follo%er! &ood leaders set good examples for their
subordinates and others to follo%! If %e #annot manage ourselves and are
un#lear on %hat %e stand for$ %e definitely #annot expe#t other people to follo%
us!
&ood leaders need to have desire$ po%er and energy to lead and make a
differen#e! Evolutionary psy#hology also points to the importan#e of #onfiden#e
in establishing leadership! 'eople %ill follo% a #onfident person$ espe#ially one
%ho appears to offer a %ay out from un#ertainty and turbulen#e!
In my opinion$ I think great leaders should have #larity on their values in
order for them to separate right from %rong! (ur values are the key beliefs that
%e hold to be guiding lights! "hey define ho% %e #hoose to live our lives!
Apart from having good values$ great leaders also need to have a%esome
behavior! (ur behavior indi#ates our #hara#ter! It is the out%ard expression of
%hat %e hold to be important! After all$ %e are %ho %e #hoose to be! )e are
emotional #reatures and our instin#ts dra% us to%ards those %hom %e trust and
guide us a%ay from those %hom %e fear! &ood leaders should not have ego-
driven behavior! Arrogan#e$ aggression and sar#asm #ause distan#e and redu#e
trust and #ommitment in relationship! If %e are #lear on our values and live by
them$ %e have a strong sense of our o%n integrity and %orth! )e do not need to
make others feel bad in order for us to feel good!
&ra#iousness is another value that a leader should possess! &ra#iousness
is ho% %e behave! It involves treating others %ith respe#t and by living by
example$ not by pro#lamation! &ra#iousness is a standard of ex#ellen#e; it is a
gift of yourself to others$ the donation of your attention$ your interest and
#aring! It builds trust and fortifies relationships!
(ne of the things that #an restri#t our vision is our per#eption of the
boundaries around us! "he %ay %e per#eive the %orld #onditions our
expe#tations! It #an even make us see things that are not really there$ and
suggest that the future %ill merely be an extension of the past! *ixed mind-sets
#an e+uip us badly for dealing %ith #hange! "hey make us too slo% to adapt! )e
respond too late be#ause %e are fixed in yesterdays pattern of thought! 'attern
of thought #an easily be#ome habit$ and habits #an migrate into the per#eption
that they are the only %ay to do things! As leaders$ %e need to #hallenge the %ay
%e per#eive the boundaries! )e need to think outside the box in order for us to
a#hieve great things in life!
Even though I understand the theory on ho% to be a great leader$
leadership is still a tough a#t to ,ump into %ithout some guidelines! "herefore$ as
for me$ I have an idol to look up to and motive me to be a better person and a
good leader! -he is an in#redible person and a great example of a national
leader!
"an -ri .r! Zeti Akhtar Aziz is the #urrent &overnor of the /alaysia
0ational Bank! -he %as born in 1ohor Bahru and her father is 2oyal
'rofessor 3ngku Aziz$ former 4i#e-5han#ellor of the 3niversity of /alaya and
founder of "abung 6a,i! 6er mother is a ,ournalist and so#ial a#tivist -harifah
Azah /ohamed Alsagoff! -he is also the great granddaughter of the late .atuk
1aafar /ohamed$ 1ohor7s first #hief minister$ and grandnie#e of 3mno founder
.atuk (nn 1aafar!
"an -ri .r! Zeti re#eived her early edu#ation at Assunta 6igh
-#hool$'etaling 1aya in 89:; and she re#eived a Ba#helor7s degree
in E#onomi#sfrom 3niversity /alaya! After that she #ontinued her studies
at 3niversity of 'ennsylvania$ obtaining a 'h. in monetary and international
e#onomi#s!
"an -ri .r! Zeti Akhtar Aziz began her #areer as an e#onomi# analyst in the
-outh-East Asia 5entral Bank "raining < 2esear#h 5enter from 89=9 to 89;>!
-he %as then appointed as .eputy /anager in the E#onomi#s .epartment at
0ational Bank of /alaysia! After that$ she ,oined the E#onomi#s .epartment at
the 0ational Bank of /alaysia in 89;: and %as appointed -e#retary to the Board
of .ire#tors of the bank in 89;=! In 89;9$ she %as appointed as the 5hief
2epresentative in the London (ffi#e!
2eturning to /alaysia in 899>$ "an -ri .r! Zeti %as appointed the Bank7s
5hief E#onomist and the 6ead of the E#onomi#s .epartment! In 899:$ she %as
ele#ted as the Assistant &overnor of the 0ational Bank! -he %as responsible for
e#onomi#s$ reserve management$ foreign and money market operations and
ex#hange #ontrol! In ?@@>-?@@;$ she %as on the board of dire#tors of Ahazanah
0asional Bhd!
"an -ri .r! Zeti %as named B"okoh /a7al 6i,rah 8>C?6B at the national-
level ?@8@ /a7al 6i,rah #elebration! At the age of DC$ she is the first %oman ever
named as the re#ipient of the a%ard in the #elebration7s history of ?>
years! Interestingly$ her father$ 2oyal 'rofessor 3ngku Abdul Aziz 3ngku Abdul
6amid also re#eived the a%ard 88 years ago!
3nder her leadership$ the Islami# finan#ial system had been improving in
/alaysia and #ontributed to a #ompetitive$ diverse$ #omprehensive and in#lusive
finan#ial system! In a de#ade$ "an -ri .r! Zeti managed to in#rease Islami#
banking assets up to ?8 per #ent$ thus over 8@@ domesti# and international
Islami# finan#ial institutions are enable to operate in /alaysia!
At the international level$ "an -ri .r! Zeti also #ontributed to the global
a##eptan#e of Islami# finan#e! "his in#ludes leading an international team to
prepare the *inan#ial -tability and Islami# *inan#e report$ as %ell as #hairing the
Islami# *inan#ial -ervi#es Board$ an international agen#y for setting prudent
monetary poli#y for Islami# finan#ial institutions %orld%ide!
/inister in the 'rime /inister7s .epartment .atuk -eri 1amil Ahir Baharom
said "an -ri .r! Zeti deserved the /aal-6i,rah a%ard based on her #ontributions
in the development of the finan#ial system and national e#onomy$ espe#ially in
the Islami# finan#ial system! "his %as espe#ially evident in times of e#onomi#
re#ession$ he said$ saying that apart from national leaders$ "an -ri .r! Zeti %as
among those %ho provided ideas and #ontributed to%ards the re#overy of the
national e#onomy! 6e said that the #ountry is not only proud of her #ontributions$
but is also happy to give her this a%ard and hope that other %omen share the ,oy
of this re#ognition for "an -ri .r! Zeti!
In ?@@9$ &lobal *inan#e magazine$ sele#ted "an -ri .r! Zeti Akhtar Aziz as
one of the %orld7s best #entral bank #hief! "an -ri .r! Zeti and six other #entral
bank #hief %as given grade BAB in the arti#le B5entral Banker 2eport 5ardsB for
su##ess in areas su#h as inflation #ontrol$ the target of e#onomi# gro%th$ stable
#urren#y and interest rate management!
Apart from numerous a%ards she re#eived in /alaysia$ "an -ri .r! Zeti
had also re#eived international re#ognition %hen she %as sele#ted as a member
of the 3nited 0ations 5ommission of Experts to dis#uss the dire#tion of %orld
monetary and finan#ial system!
"an -ri .r! Zeti also #haired the Exe#utives7 /eeting of East Asia-'a#ifi#
5entral Banks EE/EA'F task for#e to formulate the master plan of finan#ial
#ooperation bet%een #entral banks!
-haring her su##ess$ "an -ri .r! Zeti said she spent most of her time
reading$ espe#ially about finan#ial$ e#onomi#$ leadership development and self-
improvement! -he said that it %as important to instill #uriosity in one7s +uest for
kno%ledge! -he also said that gender issue had never arisen throughout her
#areer! -he believed that there %ere also many more %omen #apable of
a#hieving the same level of su##ess!
(n ?@th /ay ?@88$ it %as reported that Bloomberg #olumnist )illiam
'esek has pi#ked "an -ri .r! Zeti as one of his four nominees to head the
prestigious International /onetary *und EI/*F! "he position be#ame va#ant
follo%ing the resignation of .omini+ue -trauss-Aahn %ho %as arrested in 0e%
Gork$ and is presently fa#ing sexual assault #harges!

'esek suggested that an
Asian take over the role of the global institution that has traditionally been filled
by Europeans and shortlisted regional #andidates %hi#h he felt #ould bring a
fresh perspe#tive to the institution!
'esek praised "an -ri .r! Zeti for her brilliant prin#iples and said that she
%as one of those people that Hbet against the I/* and %onI in the aftermath of
the 899; Asian *inan#ial 5risis %hen /alaysia de#lined aid from the I/*! In the
late 899@s$ it seemed inevitable that /alaysia %ould ,oin "hailand$ Indonesia and
-outh Aorea in a##epting multibillion-dollar I/* loan and stringent #onditions like
raising interest rates$ #utting spending and letting irresponsible #ompanies fail!
/alaysia said no to I/* and "an -ri .r! Zeti helped the nation to %eather
the turbulen#e! And then she %at#hed the 3-$ in the height of hypo#risy$ do all
the things it told Asian offi#ials not to do! 'esek noted that "an -ri .r! Zeti is one
of the most internationally respe#ted #entral bankers and played a key role in
turning Auala Lumpur into a global hub of the 3-. 8trillion E2/C trillionF Islami#
finan#e industry! 6e believed "an -ri .r! Zeti %ould bring a mu#h-needed
different perspe#tive to the I/*!
)hether taking on foreign fund managers or dealing %ith the #ountry7s
leaders$ "an -ri .r! Zeti plays her role %ith remarkable ease and a #lear
head! -he led the #entral bank to su##essfully introdu#e and implement
/alaysia7s most #ontroversial poli#y initiative %hi#h is the #apital #ontrols! "he
risky move paid off$ earning "an -ri .r! Zeti great respe#t and high admiration
from all over the %orld! 6er move to rationalize the banking se#tor and the
development of Islami# finan#e has given /alaysia its strong footing and
#ompetitive edge!
*or su#h outstanding a#hievements and #hara#ter$ I believe I made the
right #hoi#e by #hoosing "an -ri .r! Zeti Akhtar Aziz to be my idol! Like other
'".s$ I %ould also %ant to be a leader in the future! I %ant to influen#e$ to be
#ounted and not ,ust be another follo%er! *or that matter$ I am going to give my
best to%ards a#hieving my dreams! I am aiming high up for the moon$ and if I fail$
I hope to at least tou#h the stars!
References
Alan 5oppin and 1ohn Barratt E?@@?F!Timeless management.
.r! Aaren (tazo E?@@@F! The truth about being a leader:and nothing but the truth.
B*inan#e7s female fa#eB! "/5net!#om! ?@@:-8?-?9!httpJKKsmall-business-
voip!tm#net!#omKne%sK?@@:K.e#K8?>DCC?!htm!
BBank 0egara #hief in 30 task for#eB! Business "imes /alaysia! ?@@;-88-
8=!httpJKK%%%!btimes!#om!myK5urrentL0e%sKB"I/E-Karti#lesK%o%eeKArti#leK
indexLhtml!
B.r! Zeti Akhtar Aziz the %orld7s best #entral bank #hiefB! All 4oi#es!#om! -ep 8C$
?@8@!httpJKK%%%!allvoi#es!#omK#ontributed-ne%sKD=>C9@=-dr-zeti-akhtar-aziz-the-
%orlds-best-#entral-bank-#hief!
B"an -ri .r Zeti named M"okoh /aal 6i,rahB!"he -tar!.e#ember =$
?@8@!httpJKKthestar!#om!myKne%sKstory!aspN
fileOK?@8@K8?K=KnationK?@8@8?@=8=?8C><se#Onation!
BZeti one of Bloomberg #olumnists top pi#ks to head I/*B! "he /alaysian
Insider!httpJKK%%%!themalaysianinsider!#omKbusinessKarti#leKzeti-one-of-
bloomberg-#olumnists-top-pi#ks-to-head-imfK!