“Teaching” to Be A Better Business Leader
Kelly has completed her Fellowship in 2018. Since then she has moved on to the business world. We caught up with her a year later as she reflected her journey in the Fellowship, and how she has grown into a people-oriented leader in business.
Kelly taking what she had learned from the Fellowship into her current workplace
Kelly graduated from Durham University before joining the Fellowship 2017-18 at TFHK. Taking the skills she picked up during her time as a Fellow, she has made a move into business industry and is now a Management Trainee at Hang Lung Properties. We asked her to share her experience at TFHK and how it is translated into her new professional life.
Q1. What is the biggest inspiration for your one-year Fellowship journey?
My biggest inspiration is to develop empathy and trust toward others.
It is easy for teachers to be blinded by rage and neglect students’ intentions and feelings. More often we will be guided by our pre-assumptions and judge before knowing the truth.
I have learned that there must be a reason or story behind every students’ misbehavior. For instance, some may seek attention as no one cares about them at home or some may struggle with low self-esteem due to constant failure in exams, etc. Thus, it is crucial for me to develop a sense of empathy, try to listen more, and put myself into my students’ shoes. I think the same applies to my daily life in which I have learned to be less biased and more empathetic towards others.
Kelly patiently teaching two of her students at one of her first classes in her Fellowship
Q2. How does TFHK support your career development?
In particular, the leader sharing section during the orientation gave me more insights into different career fields and development. TFHK’s employment partnership had also played a crucial role in assisting me throughout the year.
Q3. How does the Fellowship experience benefit your future job?
My journey in TFHK has equipped me as a more people-oriented leader and enhanced my communication skills. I have learned to motivate my students emotionally, appreciate every students’ uniqueness and cater to their individual needs. I think these skills are transferrable in any career field as it is crucial for a leader to build close bonds with team members in order to optimize working efficiency.
Also, being a teacher often requires negotiating and balancing different stakeholders’ concerns (i.e. other teachers, students, parents, the principal), through which I have strengthened my communication skills. Thus, I have developed the ability to present confidently, interact with clarity, concision, and demonstrate empathy, open-mindedness while communicating with others.
All these are skills that cannot be learned in other internships or exchanges, which is why TFHK has been immensely important in supporting my current and future career development.
Kelly (second left) with her colleagues at Hang Lung Properties
Q4. What is your ideal education?
My ideal education is very much like my experience in Baptist Rainbow Primary School: every student is genuinely enjoying themselves and having fun during class.
I wish that education in Hong Kong could be more student-centered, meaning the teaching method, outcome, and content will be surrounding students’ needs and interests. Thus, education should offer more autonomy and guidance in unleashing students’ potential.
For instance, the knowledge that students acquire should focus on personal growth, methods to adapt to the 21st century, and things that arouse their interests, instead of formulas. More importantly, education should be able to cater to individual needs and value diversity, instead of being ‘one-size-fits-all’.
Kelly and her students on her last day of Fellowship
Q5. Can you say a few words to encourage our new Fellows?
To be honest, there will be a lot of unexpected challenges, moments of frustration and disappointments throughout the year. Yet, whenever I see my students’ smiles, the sense of satisfaction and happiness will outweigh everything.
My Fellowship passed in a blink of an eye and I wish I could continue, therefore, my advice would be to enjoy every moment in this journey. I am very glad to see a lot more passionate faces joining our movement this year, remember to always believe in yourself and believe in your students! Good luck!