1

The focus of this assignment is the Chairman as the leader. He has to manage his
Board well such that he does not overstep the boundaries yet sufficiently challenge the
management to get better results and returns. The case study outlines many of the
challenges and dilemmas faced by the company and the leadership. In addition, the
shareholders Khazanah Nasional has issued the Green Book as a guideline to
Enhancing Board Effectiveness.
Questions to be answered in this individual assignment:
a) What are the Leadership behaviours, traits and skills portrayed by the Chairman?
What additional behaviours, skills and traits not demonstrated that he may require to
successfully lead the company's Board of Directors and why?
I believe good leaders should know how to apply various kind of leadership behavior in
every difference situation. Good leadership in the modern age more importantly requires
attitudes and behaviors which characterize and relate to humanity. Traits alone, will not
deliver the same value to the organization, as would a leader's behavior; since behavior
is manifested through actions rather than words on a memo, slide, or in a speech.
Behaviors are visible manifestations of ones true character (toxic or nontoxic), and can
be infectious. The message should be clear, that this process is not a one afternoon
meeting; it cannot be accomplished in a vacuum, and requires input from all
stakeholders if the final product is to be sustainable. Therefore in this case study Tan Sri
Dr Leo Moggie the Chairman of TNB had imposed the good participative style of
leadership.
Participative leadership is a style of leadership that involves all members of a team in
identifying essential goals and developing procedures or strategies to reach those goals.
From this perspective, this leadership style can be seen as a leadership style that relies
heavily on the leader functioning as a facilitator rather than simply issuing orders or
making assignments. This type of involved leadership style can be utilized in business
settings, volunteer organizations and even in the function of the home. TNB board of
members was lead by an effective and good chairman, it is more or likely that the
members will be able to fulfill their as well as the organizations goal and objectives
2

successfully. He involves all board members in terms of identifying important goals as
well as developing strategies and procedures to achieve the goals.
From this point of view, participative style of leadership can be perceived as a leadership
style that rely primarily on functioning as facilitator that the one who simply issues
commands or orders or making assignment for each member of the team. Capitalize on
the strengths of those around you. Leo Moggie understands that their success is
directly related to those around them. Leader is not a one person show. Support is
needed from many people. He know this and are willing to use other strengths to help
obtain their vision and goals such as the CEO. The first thing he decided was that all
information to and from the Board and Board Members was to be channel through the
CEO. As a result, he knows his areas of weakness and supports it with others who shine
in these areas without feeling threatened.
Leo Moggie had some characteristics of a trait and leadership skill like desire to lead:
He has a desire to lead the Board Members. Honesty and Integrity: He was very
honest to organization, to his goal and to the CEO. It is very essential to a leader to have
honesty towards his goal and the work. He was very confident while taking the charge
to drive the implementation of the new and high Corporate Governance Standards in the
framework of the Government-Linked Companies (GLC) Transformation Initiative
launched in 2005 which was very big challenge for anyone but he was very confident to
handle it and follow the guidelines in Green Book.
Beside this there are some leadership behaviors and skill that not demonstrated by him
which is important to help him successfully lead the organization such as
transformational leadership. As I mention earlier good leaders need to know when to
change or apply various kind leadership behavior in difference situation. In
transformational leadership the elements that important for him to adopt like inspire
positive changes in those who follow, energetic, enthusiastic, and passionate. Not only
are these leaders concerned and involved in the process; they are also focused on
helping every member of the group succeed as well. As Leo Moggie laid away the
Green Book and compared the new ambitions with the progress TNB`s Board has made
so far, he was easily coming to the conclusion: Building High-Performance Boards is
3

indeed a never-ending story. He should act as a role model, deliver strong results in the
right way, build, develop, and lead empowered and diverse teams; and motivate others
with a vision for the future that can be implemented.

b) The case does not mention the thinking and traits of the CEO. In order for the CEO to
be successful, given the situation illustrated, what are the Personality Traits does he
need to have? Assuming that he does not sufficiently have them, what are the right
Leadership Developmental Activities that need to take place and why?
There are many types of traits that are important for CEO. Firstly, honesty. Whatever
ethical plane you hold yourself to, when you are responsible for a team of people, its
important to raise the bar even higher. Your business and its employees are a reflection
of yourself, and if you make honest and ethical behavior a key value, your team will
follow suit.
Beside that in order for the CEO to be successful he must know how to motivate people
and maintain their involvement in the organization. Individuals are not permanent
fixtures within the organization. More over CEO provides meaning and purpose by
creating a vision of where the organization is going. Focus on the big picture and
understand how the work your team performs fits into the productivity, image and overall
success of the company. This ability to inspire and motivate others and transform them
into committed contributors to the organization is the function of successful CEO.
Confidence and know yourself. Recognize your strengths and work on your
weaknesses. Never be afraid of asking questions or taking additional training. You don't
need to know everything or be the best. If you're weak on detail work, make sure you
have people on your team who excel in that. Surround yourself with people who make
the company look good, not "yes men" who only say what they think you want to hear.
Listen, always take an interest in hearing others' opinions. Learn what policies or
problems are hindering your team from doing its job effectively, efficiently and
enthusiastically. Listen carefully to better understand quality of life and work/life balance
issues and then encourage employee-driven solutions. Be flexible, a good CEO doesn't
always want or need to be right. Be open to dissenting opinions, other ideas and new
4

initiatives. If your staff feels comfortable offering suggestions and are involved in
developing and implementing some of them, they will actively look for opportunities to
improve the company. Be supportive, show empathy and patience, and work through
frustrations regarding people who are less dedicated and driven than you. Always treat
your co-workers and staff with courtesy and respect and take an interest in them as
individuals. Remember; how you interact with people impacts how you are perceived as
a leader. Motivation skills, encourage people where a good CEO has the ability to
inspire, motivate and energize. Be a mentor. Concentrate on bringing out the best in
people, developing their talents and encouraging them to use their initiative and
judgment. Solve problems, As a leader, you'll need to make difficult, sometimes
unpopular decisions. You'll need to manage conflict and help people accept change.
Communication is the key. If you are committed to your career, your duties and your
work group, you'll find innovative ways to resolve problems. Lead by example, always
show your ability to work well with others, no matter how much you might personally
dislike them. Be fair and don't play favorites. Keep negative comments and frustrations
to yourself. Maintain a positive attitude, no matter what.
What are the right Leadership Developmental Activities that need to take place. I
believed that for CEO the Executive coaching is probably the best activities to take
place because executive coaching is increasingly recognized as one of the most
effective ways to create dynamic, focused organizations and foster executive
development. Executive coaching gives people the freedom to use their talents, skills
and experience, while at the same time ensuring clear goals are in place and outcomes
are achieved. Specifically, executive coaching can assist CEO in becoming more
effective leaders of their people and helps significantly progress their executive
development. Beside the executive coaching the personal growth programs also need to
take place. This program are designed to improve self awareness and overcome inner
barriers to development of leadership competencies. The effect of this programs will
help the CEO to find better balance between their work and personal life may be to
reduce commitment to the organization.

5

References:
Yukl, G. (2013), Leadership in Organizations, 8th Edition. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia:
Pearson International Edition.
Lussier, R.N. & Achua, C.F. (2011). Leadership: Theory, Application, & Skill
Development, 5th Edition . United States: South-Western.
Colin B. Carter and Jay W. Lorsch, Back to the Drawing Board: Designing Corporate
Boards for a Complex World.
Putrajaya Committee: GLC High Performance: http://www.pcg.gov.my/trans_manual.asp
TNB: Official Website: http://www.tnb.com.my/