September Teller 1

The brain and heart of success
From page 18
By Darren Tan
Chief Financial Officer
Brain
But, of course, you can never fight all
battles. You must pick the right battles
to win the war. This requires you to be
smart, to use your brain. Here I am going
to quote Professor Neo Boon Siong and
Professor Geraldine Chen from their book
Dynamic Governance, “Think ahead, Think
again and Think across”.
You might be wondering whether what
you have studied in accountancy over the
past few years are still relevant given the
rapid changes that are taking place in the
industry. Or whether you will be made
obsolete by technology – if not now, soon
enough. Unfortunately, I won’t be able
to tell you that you are still relevant or
whether you will get a job or whether you
will get to keep your job.
Why? That’s because I am not you! The
answers to these questions - whether
you remain relevant, get a job, keep a
job, be promoted, and become a CFO
or a CEO – solely depends on you. You
must think ahead to prepare yourself for
the future. Think again whether you are
doing the right thing, and doing things
right. And think across to have a broader
understanding, and be open to new
experiences.
Don’t settle. Don’t stagnate. Only then,
can you become better, and remain
relevant. If you apply your brain to think
ahead, again and across, you will not be a
Scarecrow.
Heart
And to do things really, really well, as we all
know, we need to have heart. And having
heart is to have passion and compassion.
You would have heard of many who
advocate that success is often attained by
following your passion. The truth is that it
takes time and commitment to develop
your passion. Fully immerse yourself in
every opportunity and be wholehearted in
all that you do. Only then can you discover
what fits.
Many people fail to find their passion not
because of lack of desire, but because of
lack of commitment. We often hear of
people who changed the world, but what
we don’t see is the commitment that
made them who they are today. So make
a promise today to commit to your passion
and never give up.
Finally, bring compassion with you
wherever you go. Looking back, I have
personally benefitted from the guidance
of many mentors in my career. And now, I
feel deep satisfaction each time I help my
colleagues to grow and succeed.
Nelson Mandela once said: “What counts
in life is not the mere fact that we have
lived. It is what difference we have made to
the lives of others that will determine the
significance of the life we lead.” So kudos
to the tutors, lecturers and professors of
Nanyang Business School, especially those
who are here with us today.
And to repay their dedication and
guidance, you must commit to something
that makes you tick. And as you pursue
your passion, layer it with compassion.
Pay it forward – You are in a privileged
position to share and to contribute.
Embrace every opportunity to do so.
Ultimately, what differentiates us as
homo sapiens from a robot or Tin Man is
our heart.
Down the road, you may be envious of
friends who seem to be achieving so much
in their lives and living out their dreams,
while you struggle to play catch-up. Don’t
be anxious. Each one of us has our own
timeline. Jack Ma started Alibaba when
he was 35 and renowned fashion designer
Vera Wang, did not design her first dress
until she was 40.
Be patient, and run your own race.
To close, I urge you to create meaningful
and fulfilling lives for yourselves and use
that to make an impact on others. Have
courage to take a chance, broaden your
thinking. Be passionate about whatever
you do. Be compassionate and help those
around you grow.
Don’t just aspire to make a living; aspire to
make a difference. Life is a journey, and I
thank you for letting me be a part of yours
today.
Congratulations, Class of 2018. Good luck
and bon voyage.
T
September 2018
TELLER 25