The palm oil mill never slept — boilers hissed, conveyors rattled, and tankers queued at the loading bay.
But Hana, the mill manager, knew that her biggest challenge wasn’t the machines.
It was training her own mind to lead wisely in the middle of chaos.
Over the years, she practiced 10 habits — many drawn from what great leaders around the world do to strengthen their mindset.
1. Leading with Purpose
Every Monday morning, Hana asked herself: “What matters most this week — safety, production, or people?”
She aligned her week with clarity of purpose — just like visionary leaders who begin with “what matters most” [1].
2. Managing Energy, Not Just Time
Hana encouraged her crew to hydrate, stretch, and rest in micro-breaks. She herself walked at dawn before work.
She realized performance depended on energy across body, mind, and spirit — not just hours worked [2].
3. Staying Curious and Growth-Oriented
Whenever breakdowns occurred, Hana called her team to reflect: “What worked, what didn’t, what will we change?”
This mirrored the growth mindset practice of Win–Learn–Change [3].
4. Practicing Mindfulness in Stress
In crisis, Hana took a breath before speaking. By calming herself, she kept the prefrontal cortex — the “thinking brain” — in charge [4].
5. Reflecting Regularly
At night, Hana wrote down her feelings and lessons. Reflection sharpened her awareness — echoing what leadership scholars describe as mental clarity practices [5].
6. Building Self-Awareness and Regulation
She trained herself to notice her emotional triggers. Instead of reacting with anger, she chose composure.
This built her credibility — reflecting core emotional intelligence skills [6].
7. Seeking Coaching and Feedback
Each month, Hana asked her mentor: “What do you see in me that I can’t see myself?”
This practice of developmental feedback aligns with global leadership growth models [7].
8. Forming Consistent Habits
Her mornings were steady: tea, reflection, reading. These rituals rewired her brain, just as habit-science confirms [8].
9. Strengthening the Inner Game
Hana found meaning not only in production but also in protecting the river and community livelihoods.
This alignment of purpose and resilience reflects the inner game of leadership [9].
10. Learning from Role Models
She admired leaders like Dr. Mahathir, who at 100 years old credits his longevity to discipline, mental engagement, and curiosity [10].
Hana’s Legacy
The mill thrived not only in numbers but also in culture. People said:
"Work under Hana, and you’ll grow as much as the mill does."
Because she proved one truth:
🌱 Machines run on oil. Leaders run on habits that sharpen the mind.
📚 Footnotes
[1] Natural Direction. The Habits of the World’s Best Leaders. 2025.
[2] Time Magazine. Leaders Need to Take a Holistic Approach. That Starts With Looking Inward. 2025.
[3] Natural Direction. Win–Learn–Change Framework. 2025.
[4] Sana Ross. Neuroscience-Backed Habits for Highly Effective Leaders. 2025.
[5] John Maxwell. My Four Habits for Maintaining Mental Health as a Leader. 2025.
[6] Wikipedia. Leader Development – Emotional Intelligence.
[7] Wikipedia. Leader Development – Coaching & Feedback.
[8] Daily Telegraph. How to Make Healthy Habits Stick. 2025.
[9] Time Magazine. Leadership, Burnout and the Inner Game. 2025.
[10] Times of India. Dr. Mahathir’s Longevity Secrets at 100. 2025.
👉 #blog #mahathir #leadership #management #kembarainsan #leaderdevelopment #primeminister
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