Leadership lessons from an orchestra conductor

From Star Online: Business
30th March 2013

"A conductor may not be an expert at each instrument, but he knows how to make all of them work together harmoniously and make beautiful sound."

Japanese conductor Yoshikazu Fukumura with the Myanmar National Orchestra during a show at the National Theatre in Yangon, Myanmar recently. A business leader is similar to a conductor as he needs to create perfect ‘harmony’ in his business. – EPA

Understanding your team

Like an orchestra conductor, being a leader within an organisation bears the same challenges trying to create perfect harmony among the different variables in your business to ensure your organisation creates “beautiful” products and profits. According to Talgam, the best orchestra conductor understands his people, allows them to develop, treats them with respect, and yet gently nudges them towards the goal of making beautiful music.

As a leader, you might have a strategy as well written as a Mozart symphony, but if your orchestra is not well conducted, then noise will prevail over music. So, what are some leadership tips which we can learn from an orchestra conductor? I have outlined the Top 10 lessons of leadership from an orchestra conductor (some lessons extracted from Michael Hyatt's excellent piece on the Symphony Conductor):

Maybank IB says DiGi price weakness a buying opportunity

From Star Online: Business
28th March 2013

PETALING JAYA: Further weakness in DiGi.Com Bhd's share price closer to the completion of the Time dotCom Bhd (TdC) distribution could be a buying opportunity, said Maybank IB Research.

“We had expected some degree of profit-taking since DiGi was the best performing telecommunication stock last year with a 36% gain. “However, a number of company-specific events have exacerbated the correction, resulting in DiGi being the worst performing telco stock year-to-date with a 13% drop.

“While valuations are not yet compelling, net dividend yields are again looking decent at around 5%.

Sunway re-rated based on its RM30bil Iskandar development

From Star Online: Business
27th March 2013

PETALING JAYA: The 1,770 acres with a gross development value (GDV) of RM30bil Sunway Bhd owns in the Iskandar region and its plan to pay out dividends semi-annually are deemed as catalysts, UOB KayHian Research says.

In a report, the research house revised Sunway's target price to RM3.48 from RM2.98 as it removed the 10% discount to sum-of-the-parts. The new target price implied a 12 times 2014 forecast price-to-earnings (PE), which was slightly higher than its historical mean PE of 11 times, and remained a “buy” rating.

The research firm said: “Given that Sunway Iskandar makes up almost 30% of Sunway's revised net asset value, the market will eventually recognize Sunway as one of the key proxies to the Iskandar theme. We believe that re-rating should continue when earnings contribution begins in 2014.”

CIMB Research: Genting looking for fourth business

From Star Online: Business
21st March 2013

KUALA LUMPUR: CIMB Equities Research says Genting Bhd is looking for a fourth business as it seeks to diversify from gaming and leisure.

The research house said on Thursday Genting has three main pillars of investment gaming, plantations and energy and is looking for a fourth business. This is despite the renaissance in gaming opportunities around the world and the recent Las Vegas investment.

“The investment strategy here is to have an active private equity portfolio, which currently comprises 20-30 small investments. Small enough to fall under the radar, the investments span a broad range of sectors and even include a stake in a Sri Lankan bank.

Pace of GLC divestment likely to pick up after the GE

From Star Online: Business
21st March 2013

PETALING JAYA: Analysts are expecting the pace of divestment in government-linked companies to pick up post-general election.

Maybank Investment Bank Research mentioned this in a report, adding that based on its estimates, the combined holdings of government-linked investment companies (GLICs) in Malaysian equities was at least 35% for the top-100 stocks by market capitalisation and 39% for FTSE Bursa Malaysia KL Composite Index (FBM KLCI)-linked stocks.

PPB on RM592mil expansion drive

By Star Online: Business
8th March 2013

Bulk of the money to go to grains trading, flour and feed milling segment

The group also intends t o invest in three new cinemas with a total of 28 new screens this year

KUALA LUMPUR: PPB Group Bhd has committed to spending up to RM592mil over the next two to three years to expand its businesses, which include grains trading, flour and feed milling, property investment and development, waste management and utilities, as well as film exhibition and distribution.