I have had many mentors throughout my more than twenty years in the industry. Each of them, in one way or another, taught me how to work more efficiently and effectively. Their guidance shaped not only the way I worked, but also the way I thought, responded to challenges, and made decisions.
One of the mentors who left a lasting impression on me was Atan Johan.
On my first day at my third palm oil mill in the interior of Miri, Sarawak, I was welcomed by Atan Johan. He was a tall, lean man with a moustache, a Malay by heritage, originally from Kulim, Kedah and married to Sabahan. He was about 55 years old at the time and had extensive experience in the palm oil industry. He started his career as a boilerman and eventually worked his way up to an executive position.
When I joined the company, he was serving as a Senior Assistant Manager. He had been managing the mill for several months during a transition period while the company waited for a new mill manager to take over. The trust placed in him by the company demonstrated just how experienced, capable, and dependable he was.
For me, meeting Atan Johan was a blessing.
As a young engineer who was still new to the company, his presence helped me adapt much faster to the company's culture, working environment, and way of doing things. He was a simple, relaxed person with an excellent sense of humor. He was always smiling and laughing, and whenever he was around, the workplace seemed to become lighter and more cheerful.
With an age difference of almost fifteen years, I regarded him more like an elder brother than merely a colleague.
One thing that fascinated me about him was his way of working. He rarely carried a notebook around. When he was given a task, he would simply remember it, act on it, and make sure it was completed as quickly as possible.
Because of that, very little was ever left pending.
One day, I came to him with an issue that had been troubling me deeply. I was struggling to deal with different expectations and approaches from senior management, and in my mind, the situation had become extremely complicated.
I explained the whole story to him in great detail.
He listened patiently without interrupting.
When I finished, he smiled and gave me his perspective.
It took only a few sentences.
Suddenly, the problem that had seemed so complicated in my mind became surprisingly simple. There was a clear and practical way forward.
I was amazed by his ability to simplify problems.
Perhaps that is one of the great differences between someone with decades of experience and a young person who is still discovering how the world works. Sometimes, experience does not necessarily give us more answers. Instead, it teaches us how to see a problem more clearly.
How often do we reach a dead end in our lives?
We become confused. We overthink. We see too many possibilities and cannot determine which direction to take. Without someone who can give us sound advice, the burden can become even heavier.
I did not feel that burden when Atan Johan was around.
Whenever I faced a difficult situation, I knew there was someone I could approach. He would listen, smile, perhaps make a joke, and then reduce the complicated issue into something simple and manageable.
Years later, I moved from one mill to another, taking on new responsibilities and facing increasingly complex challenges.
Atan Johan, however, was no longer there.
I eventually had to learn to stand on my own.
But whenever I reach a dead end, I often remind myself to think and act the way Atan Johan did.
Stay calm.
Smile.
Do not make the problem bigger than it really is.
Think simply.
Then solve it in the most effective and efficient way possible.
I still remember his smile, his laughter, and his wonderful sense of humor. Even when the mill was facing serious operational problems, he rarely allowed pressure to take control of him.
He showed me that professionalism does not always have to look serious.
Sometimes, the most effective leader in the room is the person who remains calm when everyone else is worried.
Atan Johan taught me something that no textbook could fully explain: experience gives us the ability to simplify what others see as complicated.
Today, whenever I face a difficult problem, I sometimes imagine what Atan Johan would say.
Then I smile.
And I begin looking for the simplest way forward.
Thank you, Atan Johan.
You may no longer be here, but the way you worked, the way you thought, and the way you brought joy into a demanding workplace remain with me.
That is the legacy of a true mentor.
And that is my story today.
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