Amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected the lives of people and has put the world in a standstill for months, Marcell King said having a positive attitude while acknowledging the severity of the crisis allows him to be confident about his ability to persevere.
King, a marketing professional focused on various hospitality brands such as hotels and restaurants, told Malaya Business Insight in an email interview that he always aims to do great and to take the lead since he was young.
He is in the process of establishing a cacao and liberica (barako) coffee farm that will soon allow guests to experience the tree-to-bar concept of craft chocolate creation and the third-wave coffee movement.
“I needed to transform and drive the vision of the organization by utilizing a team that is molded in compassion and is committed to achieving the vision,” King said in order to be an effective leader. “During a crisis, it is important to develop a sense of self-awareness.”
He noted the need to maintain clear communications and to share the action plans that lead to recovery. He also said it is essential to cultivate a positive attitude by being self-disciplined and to develop positive habits that improve efficiency. He manages his time through schedule management and good prioritization. He makes it a habit to invest in himself, too.
“Becoming a lifelong learner has always been one of my beliefs and I do this by reading a chapter of business of self-help book every day,” he added.
According to King, leading with a deep sense of value-driven purpose and responsibility to create positive change gives him a boost of inspiration.
“I wish to return to products of quality that provide a unique experience of ‘immersion’ — embracing the natural environment and the unique culture of a place, a new kind of luxury that indulges the soul, not the ego,” he related.
He empathizes whenever he communicates with various stakeholders, leading to effective solutions. “It is the sense of togetherness and collaboration that makes an organization successful. People should always come first, and no one will ever get left behind,” he said.
Good crisis leaders tend to be adaptable, revising their response plans as the situation develops, King said. This enables him to analyze the effectiveness of his current approach and to make necessary adjustments.
One of the best decisions that King made during the pandemic was to keep the people in the organization for as long as possible.
“Other organizations have decided to let their people go through various furlough programs to keep the bottom line positive. But I have decided otherwise. This not only helped them financially, but also boosted their morale in working within an organization that promotes a culture of camaraderie and togetherness,” he explained.
Also, a key lesson he learned during the pandemic is to stay positive. “It is important to keep a positive attitude and outlook until the worst of the crisis has passed,” King said.
When it comes to leadership, he stressed the importance of being calm, concerned, knowledgeable and in charge so “colleagues feel encouraged and are more likely to have confidence that things are under control and will be fine.”
“Leaders should be long-term thinkers and be able to plan for the future through concrete and quantifiable goals,” he said.
Ultimately, King said investing in others by proactively seeking opportunities to add value to the lives of those around him has always been his dream, in tandem with helping the community and the environment.
