Haji Yatim had been in the oil palm industry for more than three decades. From the days when he rode an old motorbike between field blocks to inspect harvesting, to now managing a cluster of estates spanning thousands of hectares, his journey was long — but his vision had grown even longer.
In his earlier years as a manager, Hj Yatim was… well… everywhere.
If a harvester was late, he knew.
If the sprayer missed a weed, he saw it.
He had a notebook full of observations and a throat sore from giving instructions.
But as the estates grew, so did his responsibilities. And one day, it hit him — he couldn’t be in every block, at every morning muster, in every fertilizer loading bay. The harder he tried, the more mistakes slipped through. His managers were waiting for his decisions like seedlings waiting for rain. And that delay was choking growth.
So, he changed.
Instead of micromanaging, Hj Yatim began coaching.
When a young estate manager, Ariff, asked, “Tuan, how should we adjust the harvest round this month?”
Hj Yatim replied, “What’s your view? Show me your plan. I’ll tell you what to watch for.”
Instead of giving orders, he started asking questions.
Instead of correcting every mistake, he let his people own their work — and their errors.
He sent his assistant managers to agronomy workshops.
He encouraged his planters to walk the fields with senior harvesters and learn the rhythm of the land.
He even paired new graduates with seasoned supervisors who could teach them the subtle art of reading palm health from the frond tips.
Over time, something shifted.
Blocks ran smoother without his direct hand.
Harvesting standards improved because supervisors took pride in the results they owned.
Young planters stayed longer in the company because they felt trusted, supported, and challenged.
Hj Yatim would often stand at the edge of a ripening block, watching a team work with precision and confidence, and think to himself:
Leadership is not about being the only voice in the field. It’s about making sure the field keeps talking, even when you’re not there.
By letting go, he lifted others.
And in lifting others, he grew more than oil palms — he grew leaders.
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