| Up until 2006, the highlight of my year in terms of continuing self-education was a regular two-day live conference in Kuala Lumpur. Unfortunately, with each passing year I found myself getting increasingly jaded by the degree of self-promotion and outright marketing of speakers' products that was taking place there, to the detriment of high-content teaching. Thankfully, the Global Leadership Summit came to Malaysia in 2007.
Since then, I've reallocated my training budget from the KL-based live conference, which had degenerated into a hard sell event, to the higher quality video-based GLS. To be honest, though, at first I had reservations about the loss of live interaction, but the absolute top-notch quality of speakers and the world class delivery standards of the organisers, both of the live event in the US and the subsequently aired event in Seremban, Malaysia, quelled my fears.
For as long as the quality of this annual event is maintained, and it actually appears to be improving, I plan to continue booking GLS seats for my wife and myself. Clearing two full business days from my work as a financial planner isn't easy, but I feel it needs to be done to give me the opportunity to interact with other like-minded lifelong learners and to 'sharpen my saw', to borrow a phrase from Stephen Covey.
Unless I stay at the cutting-edge of international thought and knowledge, I risk reducing my relevance to the growing needs of my consulting, speaking and writing clients.
Rajen Devadason
Malaysian Securities Commission-licensed financial planner, and CEO of corporate mentoring consultancy RD WealthCreation Sdn Bhd
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