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Sophia Chin

Unlocking Asia's Potential: The Power of 仁 in Scaling Impact

Updated: Apr 23


Good people doing good go hand in hand.

At Personna, our mission is to empower ambitious leaders and teams to scale impact in Asia by making leadership personal.


It's a mouthful.


But the idea is strikingly simple - so simple it can be summed up in one word: 仁 (pronounced rén in Mandarin). It means being kind, caring and respectful in all aspects of life, including business. This character is a deeply ingrained Confucian virtue. As is the Indonesian spirit of gotong royong, Vietnamese đoàn kết or Filipino bayanihan. It's personal.


Making money doing good IS charity work.

In business, 仁 entails leading with integrity, valuing employees and customers, and prioritising societal well-being over personal gain. Confucianism also emphasises harmony and balance, which means business should be financially sustainable without disrupting social order or causing harm to others.


In Confucianism, making money and doing good go hand in hand. Unlike the prevailing notion in the corporate world where making money almost seems like a sin ("ill-gotten gains") to be atoned through charity and donations. In Confucianism, making money doing good IS charity work. The organisation is a group of people coming together to make positive impact on society.


Scaling impact has 3 qualities:


#1 Meaningful

Organisations effect positive change in people's lives. For instance, Gojek, an Indonesian ride-hailing and mobile payments company, provides employment and improves mobility for millions of people, easing congestion while creating job opportunities.


#2 Profitable

While making a meaningful impact is important, financial sustainability is crucial for long-term success. Alibaba exemplifies this, leveraging profitability to drive innovation and shareholder value across its e-commerce, cloud computing and digital payment platforms.


#3 Sustainable

Organisations maintain and grow the positive impact, while safeguarding resources for future generations. Singapore Airlines exemplifies this commitment through sustainable aviation practices and environmental initiatives, from investing in newer, more fuel-efficient aircrafts, to adopting sustainable aviation fuels, to reducing waste on board its flights.


Asia, your time is now. Asia is the perfect hotbed for big projects like smart cities, clean energy, digital payments and eco-tourism, with its bustling cities, booming population and innovative spirit. Asia's facing new challenges before anyone else. So the solutions need to come from here, not imported from elsewhere. We can't just copy what works in the US or Europe anymore.


Asia's wealth extends beyond its economic prowess. It can offer valuable contributions to global progress. Asia can contribute with new ideas, delicious food and new ways of doing business. Asia can serve as a beacon of inspiration, fostering a brighter future for all.


Talk to us if you are looking for:

  • Individual Coaching: Elevate your leadership skills to the next level and scale your impact.

  • Team Workshop: Transform your team dynamics and drive performance to new heights.

  • Culture Building: Shape a culture of excellence and innovation within your organisation.

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PERSONNA is a leadership development company specialising in Leadership Branding. We help ambitious leaders and teams to scale impact in Asia by making leadership personal. We provide leadership branding, leadership coaching and group experiences. Personna has been developing leaders since 2010.


If you are curious to learn more drop us an email at hello@personna.me.



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