Wang Ji Jiang took charge of equipping himself for a high-profile leadership role by attending the High-performing Manager Development Programme.

Wang Ji Jiang, 42, joined OCBC Wing Hang Bank China in 2010 as legal counsel. He left the Bank briefly only to return in May 2018. In October 2020, he was appointed as the Secretary to the Board of OCBC Wing Hang Bank China.

Stepping up to the plate

My first stint at OCBC Wing Hang Bank China was in 2010 as legal counsel. I left the Bank briefly when I was the Executive Assistant to the CEO before rejoining in 2018. In Oct 2020, I was appointed as Secretary to the Board. It was a great honour. The role is a high-profile one and I knew that to succeed, I had to develop new skills and improve my leadership abilities. I wanted to be fully equipped as I stepped up to the plate.

After my appointment, I was alerted to the High-performing Manager Development Programme (HPMP). HPMP is a leadership development programme co-developed by OCBC Bank together with the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS). Its aim is to help leaders grow strategically in all aspects of the business by establishing high-performing teams and learning to better collaborate with internal and external stakeholders. The description sounded like exactly what I needed for my new role.

Understanding the big picture

HPMP helped me gain a clear understanding of the Bank, its strategy and purpose within the global environment. I began to contemplate and define what it takes to be a leader in a global values-driven organisation such as OCBC Wing Hang Bank China.

Customised communication

Clear communication is key to success, but not every person communicates in the same way. Similarly, each person likes to be communicated to differently. I learned to adapt and adopt multiple communication styles to influence various members of my team.

Throughout the course, my communication skills were constantly sharpened. I gained a greater appreciation of the importance of adopting tailored communication styles, implementing conflict management strategies and using influencing skills to build relationships and achieve organisational goals.

Breaking down for breakthrough

The role I had been appointed to was larger than any I had held previously. I learned the discipline of breaking down large projects to smaller components before dealing with the whole. Through case studies, I developed the skills needed to oversee organisational transformation by breaking down components of the change process.

Breaking down things to its component parts was also useful in gaining a better understanding of myself. Meaningful feedback from trainers and classmates allowed me to understand my strengths, weaknesses and identify the greatest opportunities for growth. I then calibrated behavioural changes to achieve breakthroughs in my leadership.

For example, I was equipped to tackle projects involving moving the Bank effectively from point A to point B, determining the actions managers and employees should take during the transition, and ways to ensure these actions are executed. I learned how to recognise and avoid key pitfalls that undermine successful change. Overall, by learning to break things down and build them up again, I learned to take an integrated approach to leadership.

On learning and leadership

Leadership is the art of motivating people towards achieving a common goal. Leaders must constantly enhance their skills and abilities to meet organisational goals and develop people.

Even though I had learned a lot from HPMP, the journey continues. I see learning as an ongoing activity. It doesn’t matter if learning happens in small or large increments, as long as learning continues. Attending the programme was an excellent growth experience. I became a more confident leader. With greater confidence, I became even more motivated to do well.