INTEGRITY IS COURAGE: LESSONS FROM THE JUDICIARY FOR CORPORATE LEADERSHIP

Abstract

It is a distinct honour to be invited to the PETRONAS Leadership Centre. When I first received the invitation to address the Group Procurement Managers, I admit I paused to consider the nexus between our two worlds. Although no specific topic was assigned, I noted your general theme of Leadership and Transformation.

To highlight the parallels between our roles, I have taken the liberty of titling my address: “Between the Gavel and the Gatekeeper: Leadership, Integrity, and the Art of Transformation.” This, in my view, enabled me to draw out the key parallels between our two worlds. I spent my judicial career dealing with statutes, constitutional interpretation, and the liberty of the subject. You deal with vendors, complex supply chains, and commercial value. I dealt with the currency of justice; you deal with the currency of the nation. As I reflected on the connection between the Judiciary and Procurement, I realised the distance is not so great after all. In the Judiciary, we are the intended gatekeepers of the Rule of Law. In Procurement, you are the gatekeepers of corporate governance. We both are in the seat of judgment. We are thus decision-makers in our contexts.

I wish to share my reflections on the burden of leadership during turbulent times. My address will focus on three indispensable pillars that define a culture of effective leadership: the agility of Transformation; the discipline of Managerial Capability; and above all, the courage of Integrity.