When Hana first accepted her role as Division Head, she imagined her toughest challenge would be learning the agronomy of palms. She was wrong. The real challenge lay in leading managers, motivating workers, and balancing cost with yield.
⚠️ Struggle 1: Labour Shortage
At Estate No.3, Hana noticed stacks of Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) still uncollected by late afternoon.
“Why are these bunches left behind?” she asked sternly.
The estate manager looked uneasy.
“Madam Hana, we are short of harvesters. Some have gone back to their countries, and new workers are delayed.”
Hana felt the weight of responsibility. Without enough harvesters, ripe bunches would rot, FFA would rise, and revenue would fall.
That night, she wrote in her journal:
> “Machines never complain, but people have limits. Leadership means finding solutions within human constraints.”
She quickly worked with HR to redistribute labour across estates, introduced task-based incentives, and pushed for mechanisation trials — motorized cutters for tall palms.
๐ Struggle 2: Pest Outbreak
Two weeks later at Estate No.6, the assistant manager reported:
“Rhinoceros beetles have attacked several replanting blocks. If we don’t act, yields will suffer.”
Hana walked the field, seeing damaged young palms. Her engineer’s instinct was to find a quick technical fix. But she remembered her new role required a bigger picture.
She called her agronomy team:
Introduced pheromone traps.
Enforced sanitation in replanting areas (burying old trunks to avoid breeding).
Trained workers to spot early infestation.
> “In the mill, problems were mechanical. Here, they are biological and never-ending. Leadership means patience and persistence.”
๐ธ Struggle 3: Cost Pressure
At the monthly review, the accountants presented figures. Fertilizer costs had risen 20% due to global price hikes. Headquarters demanded cost control without compromising yield.
Hana gathered her managers. Instead of cutting fertilizer immediately, she:
Prioritized high-yielding blocks for full manuring.
Applied site-specific fertilization based on soil tests.
Negotiated bulk purchase with suppliers.
She told her team:
“Cost control does not mean cutting blindly. It means spending wisely, where returns are highest.”
๐ Hana’s Leadership Growth
Months passed. The division began to stabilize. Harvesting efficiency improved, pest outbreaks were under control, and fertilizer costs were optimized.
At the annual company review, the Regional Director commended her:
“From an engineer to a planter, Hana has shown that leadership is about adaptability. She has turned struggles into systems, and problems into lessons.”
That night, Hana looked at her estates’ maps pinned on her office wall. She smiled.
> “In the mill, I was a manager of machines. Today, I am a leader of men, trees, and nature. This is the true test of engineering leadership — not just controlling processes, but guiding people through uncertainty.”
๐ Footnotes (Journal Style References)
1. Corley, R.H.V. & Tinker, P.B. (2016). The Oil Palm, 5th Edition. Wiley-Blackwell.
2. MPOB (2020). Good Agricultural Practices for Oil Palm Cultivation. Malaysian Palm Oil Board.
3. Wood, B.J. (2002). Pests of Oil Palm in Malaysia and Their Control. Incorporated Society of Planters.
4. Goh, K.J. & Hรคrdter, R. (2003). General Oil Palm Nutrition. International Potash Institute.
5. Rankine, I.R. (2009). Field Handbook on Oil Palm Cultivation.
6. Basiron, Y. (2007). Palm Oil — Nature’s Gift to Malaysia.
7. Shaufique, F.S. et al. (2014). Economic Challenges in Malaysian Oil Palm Plantations. Journal of Oil Palm Research.
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