Strong Leaders Base Decisions on Facts, Not Personal Preferences

If you could change one thing for future women leaders, what would it be?

I want everyone to recognize the playing field isn’t even for women leaders. In reality, a woman has to work twice as hard to achieve the same level of success as a man would.

It’s not about removing obstacles, it’s about providing opportunities. Everyone deserves an equal chance when it comes to taking on challenging or exciting projects, irrespective of gender.

What was your path to becoming the chairperson of Shangri-La Asia?

As a woman in a family led by men, there were no set expectations of me to join the family business, so I had to carve my own path, which meant that sometimes I had to work even harder to prove myself.

My first assignment was working in an area that wasn’t seen as a core part of our business. My family had always been quite low profile, so dealing with the media was outside of most of our comfort zones, but I embraced it as an opportunity to roll up my sleeves, learn, and contribute.

How much you put in is how much you gain, but that gain isn’t always measured by financial success. The lessons you learn and how you develop as a person are much more important, especially early on in one’s career.

What’s a pivotal moment that shaped the trajectory of Shangri-La Asia?

I’m grateful to lead a company that built such strong foundations over the past 50+ years. These foundations rest on two pillars: first, the deep-rooted culture of delivering Asian hospitality from the heart, emphasizing respect for both our colleagues and our customers. And second, the bold, pioneering foresight of my father in identifying opportunities before anyone else, resulting in remarkable hotels and other assets in wonderful locations across Asia.

For any ongoing business, there are always opportunities and challenges. It’s how we navigate them that defines us. You can really see someone’s true nature when they have to deal with adversity. Leaders don’t become leaders if they’re overly protected. The more challenges you encounter, no matter how they come your way, your growth as a leader is determined by how you overcome and learn from them.

How do you use consumer feedback to inform brand development and evolution?

First, we take feedback very seriously and we’re always grateful to customers who take the time to give it because it shows they really care. What’s equally important is how we act on that feedback.

Second, it’s crucial we figure out and interpret what customers aren’t explicitly telling us. That is, what can we take away from the subtext of their message?

Armed with these insights, we can deliver a consistently seamless and outstanding customer experience, no matter where they visit us.

How do you use social media to connect with your customers?

We live in a world where there is so much information and competition to grab people’s attention that it is more important than ever to share your narrative effectively without compromising your values.

For me, the catalyst came during the start of Covid, when China was our hardest-hit market. I felt a need for a more light-hearted, non-corporate way to connect with our colleagues, and that’s why I started my social media account on Xiaohongshu. This account helped me share my thoughts and messages with our colleagues, as well as communicate with our customers and other stakeholders in a more casual way.

What leadership quality do you think is essential for success in the business world?

Objectivity is key. Decisions should be based on facts, not personal preferences. An objective business decision is one that really addresses the needs of customers and relies on the inherent merit of something, instead of personal biases or likes and dislikes.

Staying as neutral and impartial as possible also enables you to recognize when someone has a better idea or solution than you, allowing the whole team to focus on the task at hand rather than promote individual viewpoints. This, in turn, creates an overall culture of fairness and transparency, which I believe is vital for long-term success in any business.