Industry veterans and Generation T-listers share their insider tips.

A54_4545 copy.JPG

Stefanie Yuen Thio (center) in conversation with Richard Eu (left)

What does it take to be a successful leader or entrepreneur?

Ahead of the Generation T 2017 after-party, we got industry heavyweights and Generation T-listers to weigh in about innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as leadership and staying ahead of the game.

From relating their personal anecdotes to tips on managing employees, here are five things we learned from the panel discussion.

(Related: Secrets To Being A Good Boss)



20170727225753-A54_edit.jpg

Stefanie Yuen Thio

1. Get ahead of the game with people skills

"There are two ways [to succeed]. You can either get good at coding or be great at reading people to get ahead of the game,"  Stefanie shares. "In this digital age, we need to focus on the skills that computers can't deal with. People with great human skills are the ones who will make a difference."

Stefanie Yuen Thio, Joint Managing Director at TSMP Law Corporation


A54_4577 copy.jpg
Daryl Neo sharing his challenges at the panel.

2. Learn to let go

Of his challenges, Daryl says the toughest part of his journey is about learning to let go. "One thing I learned from Mr. Sim (CEO of Osim) is the fact that he is willing to cannibalise his products, and release something new every year," he enthuses.  "In my business, the difficulty is not choosing what to do, but what not to do. You have to let go of what you have today, or you will never get something new tomorrow."

Daryl Neo, Founding Director and CEO of Handshakes


A54_4593.JPG
Ron Sim on staying successful.

3. To be successful, you have to be mad

Ron Sim believes that to be successful, you have to be a 'mad cow'— to have the right mindset, attitude and drive to achieve your dreams, and the courage, openness and willingness to make a stand, and face the consequence of failure. "Success is very much what you believe, and what you do."

Ron Sim, Founder and CEO of Osim


A54_4229 copy.jpg

From left: Oon Shu An, Cherilyn Tan, Dannon Gabriel The

4. Never stop learning

Are millennials really people who don't stay more than two years at a job? Cherilyn offers a different viewpoint, "If someone stays more than three years, I would be worried. When a person is in the same role for too long, they are not growing, and the company is not growing either. The only way to  make them stay is to give them new roles and responsibilities."

Cherilyn Tan, CEO/Co-founder of Asia Law Network


A54_4668 copy.jpg

From left: Corinne Ng, Richard Eu, Sharanjit Leyl

5. Be open to learning from everyone else

Humility and openness goes a long way, especially in Richard Eu's book. "My attitude is that I'm there to learn from everyone else," he says. "I don't think I know everything... In fact, I think I know the least. And if you think you know the least, you will do the best."

Richard Eu, CEO of Eu Yan Sang


(Related: See Who Made It To Our Generation T 2017 List)