As Darwin would say, only the most adaptable will survive. We have adapted a lot but that is
more for our survival. But our revenues have not grown. Sabina cannot grow old with me. It
needs an infusion of new ideas. I have to find a successor who is better than me. I want Sabina
to grow profitably and become a true ASEAN contender before I retire in five years. My
successor will have to take it to the next level by drawing on the ideas of all our employees. We
have a few strong internal candidates. We are also hiring some talented middle managers. They
are all very clever but the one who succeeds me has to nurture the culture of empowerment that
we have built. If the company’s leaders centralize all decision making because of a fear of
mistakes or hesitate to delegate because their subordinates may come up with the better decision,
we will have serious problems sustaining our success even in the short run. The more you give
the more you get. I want all leaders at Sabina to be good teachers. This is what I will look for in
my successor.