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Value
based living and leadership: Insights from true reflections
Dialog
Global CEO and first Lankan participant at US State Department-Fortune
magazine organised Global Women Leaders Mentoring programme
Anoja J Obeyesekere says values of childhood, foundation to
leadership
Leadership
is about humility and values, how best you could utilise the
mandate given for the benefit of others. These comments are
very true and come from a person who on her own right has
been a leader, and personifies values and humility. These
characteristics of true leadership stems out of her conviction
that the essence of leadership is not about leaders themselves,
but about the people they lead. She is Anoja J Obeyesekere,
the CEO of Dialog Global the international business arm of
Sri Lanka’s Telecom giant Dialog Telekom PLC.
Anoja was one of the 35 participants hand picked from 24 developing
countries across the world to participate at the Fortune/U.S.
State Department Global Women Leaders Mentoring Program in
May this year. Incidentally it was the first time a Sri Lankan
was selected for this program, organised by the US State Department
and FORTUNE’s
Most Powerful Women’s Summit in conjunction with Vital
Voices Global Partnership, to provide international emerging
women leaders in business the opportunity to develop their
leadership, management and business skills. The participants
comprised upcoming entrepreneurs, professionals and corporate
executives.
This unique program combines the study of U.S. business culture
with a working mentorship program, that enables emerging women
business leaders across the globe to spend a month in the
U.S. to enhance their capabilities and propel their careers
forward. Top American female executives - Fortune’s Most
Powerful Women - mentored these emerging leaders to support
them in their professional growth. The participants also had
the opportunity to meet the US Secretary of State Ms Condoleezza
Rice and a slew of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Leaders.
Anoja says that she was fortunate to be mentored by Ms Linda
Addison, an internationally recognised litigator and corporate
counsellor who serves on Fulbright and Jaworski’s executive
committee. Ms Addison was named among the 100 most influential
lawyers in America by the National Law Journal and was honoured
as the United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast Woman of the Year
for 2006.
Speaking further of her mentor, Anoja states that, “Linda
is considered a very formidable opponent in the Courtroom
and an astute legal business woman. But the warmth and care
with which she received me and mentored me was extremely heart
warming. What was most captivating, was the level of energy
and commitment she displayed towards her work, community related
services, and her family, and her extraordinary ability to
balance these roles to the satisfaction of all stakeholders.”
“The 3 weeks I spent with Linda and her colleagues at
Fulbright & Jaworski was a rare and unique experience
that left me inspired and re-energised to make a positive
difference in the lives of others,” recalls Anoja.
With regard to the lessons learnt from the Leadership Program,
Anoja recapped, “ firstly it was an eye opener as to
the extent of what one could do to make a positive impact
on others, and secondly it gave me the reassurance and reaffirmation
that the values I have long treasured and applied since my
childhood, are indeed essential to form the very foundation
of a leader “.
Childhood values
She emphasised the importance of parental influence as informed
advocates in the life of a child, and states that the parents
always have a critical role to play in the character formation
of every child. “The values we learn during our childhood
from our parents will be entrenched in our minds, and will
form an integral part of the characteristics we display when
we are called upon to lead in adulthood”.
In support of this she says that the value of Truthfulness,
Authenticity, Integrity and Equality were drilled into her
by her maternal grandmother and parents as values that should
never be compromised under any circumstances whatsoever, and
today these values form the very foundation of her character.
“ My maternal grandmother and later on my mother used
to repeatedly relate the story of “the Emperor without
clothes” to emphasise the value of truthfulness and authenticity,
of speaking out and being who you are without pretence..
“The importance of integrity my father didn’t preach,
but he lived it and showed me that integrity is not a conditional
word that can be changed to suit our own circumstances”
Her parents also instilled in her the importance of equality
that transcends all boundaries through real life examples.
“My mother used to emphasise the importance of equal
treatment toward all human beings irrespective of differences
in social background, nationality and race, while my father
made me believe that I have the ability to be whatever I want
to be irrespective of my gender,” says Anoja.
She stresses that in the fast paced society we live in the
modern day parents too must find time to teach their kids
these enduring values.
To accentuate her point as to why the US program took her
mind back to her childhood learning, Anoja said that the well
articulate presentation on leadership delivered by Ms Carly
Fiorina the former CEO of Hewlett Packard, underscored that
candour, authenticity and integrity are essential traits of
a leader that should not be compromised no matter what the
consequences are. In support of it Ms Fiorina said that, “When
the Board of HP wanted to make a change at the top, they requested
me to describe it as my decision where I should say that I
have accomplished whatever tasks that I have set out to do,
and that its time to move on. However I believed that truth
is always the best answer and that we should tell the truth.
The Board has fired me.”
The journey of discovering values continued during her school
days starting from Bishops College and until her Advanced
Levels at Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo..
“The solid foundation I gained at Bishops made me convinced
that nothing is impossible to a willing heart, and it was
at Bishops that I learnt my first lessons in leadership from
late Ms A.C.B Jayasuriya, the then Principal of the School.
Because of the exemplary manner with which she balanced discipline
with care, the very sight of her used to evoke in me a sense
of warmth and enormous respect, a value I vowed even at that
young age to practice when its my time to lead one day,”
recalls Anoja.
At Vishaka she was exposed to the diversity of the society.
Ms Eileen Siriwardene the former Principal of Visakha instilled
in her the importance of fearlessly striving for justice and
standing up for it against all odds as, “justice should
not only be done but seemed to have been done”.
“These values I learnt during my formative years both
at home and at school, today form the very foundation of my
character,” confesses Anoja, who insists they can be
upheld despite the life today being fast paced, highly competitive
and complex.
Re-calibrating the career
Having qualified as a lawyer, Anoja set her eyes on the big
corporate world via the National Development Bank as a trainee
legal officer where the late Walter Fernando was her first
overall boss. She recalls with a lot affection the advice
given by Fernando a few months into her job at NDB. “Mr.
Fernando called me to his room and said, “Sometimes your
first job may not lead you to the achievement of your aspirations.
Hence don’t hesitate to re-calibrate if it is so in your
case as I feel you have the potential to achieve greater heights”
This advice, which Fernando shared with her, is now being
passed on by Anoja to aspiring young executives and professionals.
Anoja further adds that, “unfortunately the day I left
NDB he was no more but it made me realise, the confidence
reposed by a leader can act as a powerful motivator in the
minds of those he or she leads.”
Be that as it may Anoja says that it was at Dialog Telekom
that she met her role model superior in June 1996. He is Zaini
Diman the then CEO of MTN Networks (Pvt) Ltd (as Dialog was
known at that time).
She joined the company as its first General Counsel to oversee
the legal and company secretarial related work at its early
stages of development and growth and was keen to explore her
interests and capabilities in multi-functional areas.
Her first foray away from a strictly legal function came through
the company’s ambitious entry in to International Roaming
operations – ahead of its counterparts in South Asia.
Reiterating the impact of a Boss’s confidence she recalls
that the fact that Mr. Diman and Dr Wijayasuriya (then General
Manager Engineering of MTN) believed in her ability to succeed
in multiple management functions ranging from International
Business to Human Resources acted as a powerful motivator
to accept challenges that appeared daunting in nature..
She said that Diman’s ability at delegation by insisting
that he surrounds himself with highly skilled and talented
people and providing them with the requisite autonomy to perform,
left a lasting impression on her as a trait essential to a
leader.
“He (Mr. Diman) is a powerful motivator who could inspire
his people to do the best. He still continues to be a constant
source of guidance and motivation to me,” Anoj said.
She highlights that the sheer sense of humility, well articulated
vision and the due recognition granted to the freedom of speech
as a fundamental right of people, guaranteed by the Constitution
are ingredients that she has learnt and value most in Dr Wijayasuriya.
Perhaps a striking phenomenon in Anoja’s career is that
at every juncture in her life thus far there was somebody
who made a difference along the way and left a lasting impression
apart from further nurturing the values and her character.
This, she treats as a blessing and the modest Anoja added
“ I had the good fortune of being surrounded by these
inspiring people, then what I have achieved in life and career
isn’t extraordinary at all.”
However she admits after being probed further that “sensing
and seizing opportunities that come along one’s way despite
the challenges help a person to advance in career.”
When questioned about her own philosophy on leadership Anoja
says that the values and lessons she has learnt from those
mentioned (as well as from many others) had fashioned her
own philosophy, as she believes that how one leads is a natural
consequence of one’s “character” which in itself
is the sum total of one’s own experience and values learned.
Essence of leadership
In summing up she says that, “The essence of leadership
is not about the leaders themselves, but about the people
they lead and about envisioning a goal that could captivate
and harness their collective will and potential. Further it’s
a position of trust that one holds on behalf of others and
not a power wielding tool that should be abused for ones own
gain to obtain recognition and to enrich oneself. It is a
rare mandate granted to you to uplift, develop and commit
yourself for the betterment of the others with integrity,
authenticity and equality.
“It is true that people follow leaders whose sense of
meaning resonates, and in that context a leader should be,
“an inspirational enabler” who could build the confidence,
and capability to bring out the best in those led through
the creation of a positive environment that permeates self-development,
autonomy, candor and straightforwardness.”
Anoja is very emphatic in her conviction that the time tested
rule of “Do unto others what you do unto yourself.”
ought to be the signature theme of all leaders.
To the question as to who inspires her most to keep going
at her job, her spontaneous response was that it’s the
talented staff and peers at Dialog who always inspire her
to do her best.
She says, “the level of passionate commitment and skills
that they display at work is a constant reminder to me of
the truth of Ms Fiorina’s comment that “ a Boss
isn’t paid more because he or she is superior in ability,
but because the boss has greater responsibilities. One of
those responsibilities, is to stand up for your people when
it is necessary and shield them from things they shouldn’t
have to deal with.”
Reminiscing again on the Mentorship program she said that
the highlights and the most enduring moment of the entire
program was when Ms Fiorina concluded her presentation on
leadership by declaring the following quote as her favourite
description on Leadership, a quote that Anoja herself has
always revered and acknowledged as the best definition of
Leadership : “A good leader is he whom men revere, the
evil leader is he whom men despise, the great leader is he
of whom the people say, “we did it ourselves” (Sun
Tzu, The Art of War)
Anoja was also thankful for the assistance and encouragement
rendered to her by the staff at the US Embassy in Colombo
with specific reference to Ms Kami Witmer, Commercial Attaché
and Economic Officer, in facilitating her selection and the
visit to the US. Anoja will be attending the Fortune’s
Most Powerful Women’s Summit in October this year on
the Invitation of Ms Addison.
Advice for aspiring female leaders
Being a proven woman leader, Anoja also has some advice for
females who are aspiring to make a mark in their chosen fields.
“Always look inwards for weaknesses, and strive to be
a better professional with each passing day, as a lifetime
would not suffice for us to address all our ingrained weaknesses,
to be a better professional and a human being. Focus only
on the strengths and positive qualities of your colleagues
and ignore the weaknesses. What matters is not gender, but
how you portray yourself as a professional worthy of respect
through knowledge, competence, integrity and authenticity.”
She further encouraged all to follow the advice given by her
mentor Ms Addison who said, “Whenever I lost I never
thought it is because I am a woman, but because I was not
good enough. Hence I was determined to do better by working
harder the next time and succeeded.”
Drawing from her real life experience she said the most memorable
example she could relate to establish that its not the gender
but the caliber of the individual that matters, was her elections
as the Chair of GSMAP, the Asia Pacific Regional Interest
Group of the GSM Association where she won with a majority
vote of over 75% against her male counterpart.
“When the results were announced, I recognised with a
deep sense of humility that I have been accepted by my regional
counterparts for who I am, what I stood for, the values I
uphold and believed in through out my life.
At that moment I remember all those who had made me what I
am with a lot of gratitude,” said Anoja, the first South
Asian woman to head the Asia Pacific Group of the GSM Association.
Incidentally the next GSM Asia Pacific Conference will be
held in Colombo from the 7th to the 10th of September.
As the answer to the question, “What’s next in her
agenda?” Anoja says that she would like to utilise the
experience, confidence and reassurance she gained throughout
her life and the month’s stay in the US, to engage in
here life long ambition of creating a multiplier effect that
could make a positive economic, spiritual and social impact
in the lives of others on a day to day basis.
“I have realised that for me to remain fulfilled I have
to embrace a cause a lot greater than self. Presently the
subject that captures my attention the most is the escalation
of violence across the world, and I feel that the nations
and the governments across the world are yet to harness the
collective will or sense of urgency to address this issue
in a constructive manner.
“While I acknowledge that the eradication or the mitigation
of violence should be approached on a more permanent footing
with the aim of addressing the root causes of violence such
as poverty, religious/racial disharmony etc, as a start I
hope that I could work towards ensuring that on October 2,
every year (which is declared as the day of Non Violence)
would be a violence free day for all of us where every individual
in every country of the world single mindedly, resolves to
refrain from violent activities.
“It’s a big dream and an audacious one but I would
urge all like minded people across the world to join hands
with me to work towards this cause with the firm belief that,
nothing ever built arose to touch the sky, unless some man
dreamed that it could, unless some man believed that it would,
and unless some man willed that it must. Let that be the legacy
we leave behind for our children,” says Anoja passionately
and resolutely.
Simple
ideas could make a world of a difference
To illustrate how a simple idea has made a difference, Anoja
traced how Fortune/U.S. State Department Global Women Leaders
Mentoring Program started off.
Ms Dina Powell, when she was in Washington, D.C. and working
for Condoleezza Rice as Assistant Secretary of State for Cultural
and Educational Affairs, dreamed up this Mentoring Partnership.
Dina said “I have an idea!” one afternoon when Fortune
editor at large Patricia Sellers paid her a casual visit at
her State Department office.
She had suggested that they start a mentoring program together.
Fortune, through its Most Powerful Women Summit, could recruit
the mentors; the State Department could work with its embassies
around the world to supply the mentees.
“They ensured that it is implemented and today the program
is running in its 3rd year, creating a multiplier effect all
over the world via women leaders,” says Anoja.
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