The one skill that changed his career

When Amir first arrived at the palm oil mill in Kunak, Sabah, he was known for one thing—his technical brilliance.
He could trace a process flow blindfolded, detect a boiler’s issue from a single hiss of steam, and calculate extraction rates faster than most could open Excel.

Naturally, when the senior maintenance manager retired, the board decided Amir should take the role.
After all, if he could solve mechanical breakdowns in record time, surely he could manage a team, right?

The first few months told a different story.
Suddenly, Amir wasn’t just fixing machines—he was managing people.
He was in meetings more than in the workshop, listening to conflicting complaints between fitters and operators.
Tasks he thought were “clear” came back incomplete.
Delegation felt like giving up control, and frustration became his new shadow.

One day, his mentor, Encik Rahman, pulled him aside.
“Amir, you don’t have a people problem. You have a skill gap. You were promoted for what you can do, but now your job is to help others do it well.”

Rahman gave him one challenge:
“Pick one skill—just one—that you will master. The one that will make everything else easier.”

After a week of thinking, Amir chose Communication & Delegation.
Not the glamorous “strategic thinking” skill. Not the tempting “decision-making under pressure” skill.
Just the humble, often-overlooked art of explaining clearly, assigning wisely, and listening fully.

Over the next six months, Amir learned to:

• Explain the why behind tasks, not just the what.
• Match jobs to the right people based on strengths.
• Set checkpoints instead of breathing down necks.
• Listen without rushing to fix everything himself.

The change was slow but visible.
His team grew more confident. Breakdowns were solved faster without him always jumping in.
And for the first time, Amir left work with energy instead of exhaustion.

Years later, when asked about his biggest career turning point, Amir didn’t mention his degree, his promotions, or the million-ringgit project he led.

He simply said:
“The day I realised managing machines and managing people are two different jobs—and I learned to do the second one well.”