1 Are you successful 

Are you successful?

By
Dr Leow Chee Seng
B.Sc(Hons) Community Health (UPM), MBA (UPM), DBA (UBI),
MMIM, MIHRM,
MIM-CPT, CAHRP (Consultant),
Certified E-Commerce Professional (Mal),
Certified Professional Trainer (MIM, PSNB),
Certified Stress Management (IACT, USA),
Certificate Qualitative Research (Georgia, USA)
Certificate in Homeopathy Medicine (Mal)

When we were young, we always said, “I want to be successful”. This statement seems
familiar to most of us. In reality, how many of us could understand this term:- successful?
I am sure you have heard of Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and Carlos Slim. They are
successful businessmen. Have you ever thought what contributes to their success?

The term successful is rather ambiguous. There is no certainty or definite answer for it.
Different people would catagorise success differently. For instance, a housewife would
describe the term successful as ability to take good care of her family. Whereas, a teacher
is successful when he or she is able to produce a group of “A”s students. In the eye of
businessman, managing billion dollar companies would be success for them. However,
these groups share a few similarities in forming paradigm of successful in their
perception.

In Islamic approach, the concept of “self-reflection” which means looking deep into
ourselves to check the kind of things we do and values we uphold in life is the essence of
a successful person. This concept is important because it will help us evaluate and re-
evaluate our behaviours and conduct everyday. “self-reflection” prevents us from values
that are not deviant from Islamic thought. Most people now concerns how much they
earn, job performance and examination results. A subsequent question that all Muslims
must ask is this: are these sufficient to qualify a person as “successful” in the “eye” of
God? By referring to Qur’an, a successful person refrains from saying or doing things
that are worthless or have little use or value. On the other hand, we should use our five

By Dr Leow CS
 2 Are you successful 

senses to contribute to the society. In Islamic worldview, a “successful” person is not

self-centered, but knows and performs his societal and religious duties for others.
I went to a government department to enquire some information. The staffs were friendly
and helpful, greeting us when we stepped in. Her smile and her cheerful demeanor
marked a contented person. Not only she treat me as the best customer, but her interest in
me as a person had me believing I was the most fascinating individual she has ever met.
Her professional advice really impressed me. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and she was
actually the deputy director of the department. From there, I learned a powerful lesson
from her: what we do is not as important as how and why we do it. Unfortunately, most
workers lack inspiration and they do not treasure the fun when working.

According to the late management guru, W. Edward Deming, he estimated that less than
2% of managers and 10% of workers are happy in their work. It is an interesting finding.
He added, it is hard to give good service unless you enjoy your work. As a rule of thumb,
people who are motivated by satisfaction they derive from work not only productive,
creative and they are successful. In short, the first principle to be successful is “self-
motivated”.

Taking up a doctorate program enable me to be an inveterate learner and a firm believer

in the adage that knowledge is power. As we know, Malaysia has stepped into
globalization era. Hence, we need to take initiative to seek out all the training we can
possibly get to keep us up to date. After talking to several CEOs, I found that the job
promotion and the highest pay increases will definitely go to those employees who are
constantly learning how to do their jobs better. That is why; training, development and
education programs have multiplied its demand at present.

The degree of success depends on the goals we are setting. Ask yourselves, “What
position do you hope to attain?” Then, you have to identify it, then develop a plan that
will assist you achieve the goal. According to Philip Kotler, satisfaction arises when
expectation and the goals meet. However, setting goals are subjective. This task depends

By Dr Leow CS
 3 Are you successful 

on your education background, past experience and your exposure. However, training
should be an integral part of your plan.

In term of working environment, before setting a goal, you should identify what you need
to know. Perhaps, you should ask your supervisor or superior what skills and training
would enable you to be more promotable. You may also talk to person who is currently
working in the position that you would someday like to have to identify what you need to
be successful!

“Don’t wait for apples to fall” Do not wait for someone else to give you the power to
improve yourself and to more effectively serve your customers. If you want to be creative,
productive, you must be empowered person, and self-motivated people become
successful. Besides, organize and execute around priorities. Do the most important or the
most difficult task first. Conceivably, group related and similar activities and do them at
the same time. When you prioritize, you think ahead and work on the roots of problems.
This method enables you to kill two birds with one stone. You may consider the pareto
principle: 80% of the results of your labour flow out of 20% of your activities. Remember,
getting the highest possible quality production out of your time can do a lot to make you
successful. For this reason, time management is essential for a successful person. Start
organizing now!

To be a successful person and increase our satisfaction level, you may consider
developing a sense of humour. I came across an article written by a clinical psychologist,
Dr Charles Garfield that stress on sense of humour. “A sense of humour is one of the
qualities of a high achiever. Humour is a positive attitude. It stimulates us to deliver good
service. Not only humour makes you feel better, it makes those around you feel better.
C.W Metcalf, the president of Fort Collins Colorado developed “the humour principle”.
In his principle, he pointed out that humour could generate an enthusiasm that boosts the
level of psychic energy, enhance alertness and mental efficiency, improve interpersonal
relationships, clarify meaning and promote understanding, develop co-operation and

By Dr Leow CS
 4 Are you successful 

camaraderie while deflecting conflict. It is interesting that Stephen Leacock, a Canadian

humorist quoted, “A man will freely confess that he has no ear for music or no taste for
fiction or even no interest in religion. But I have yet to hear a man announce that he has
no sense of humour.”

The book “Your Mind Speaks Your Health” indicates the importance of our health. If
you are going to be successful, you need energy. Energy is a prerequisite of motivation.
Get enough sleep; you will get more done in less time if your body is rested. Eat well and
regularly. Remember, if you do not have fun in life, you will be bored. Boredom is a
dead battery, a walking zombie. When you are bored, your productivity becomes slow.
Prof Richard Barthol, an associate professor of psychology at University of California at
Los Angeles says that, to be highly motivated; people need a healthy balance of work and
play. Recognize that there is as much energy in the emotional aspect of life as there is in
the physical aspects.

To sum up, the successfulness or quality of an individual is an endless question. However,

we would never be satisfied with our current situation no matter how successful you are.
We tend to keep improving ourselves to be a better person.

By Dr Leow CS