Talent Leadership Crucible

Finding the Right Mentor for Personal Success with Dr. Jessica Leong

Having the right mentor can change lives and set one on the path to accomplishing something beyond what we can imagine is possible.


Dr. Jessica Leong is a pioneer and leader in the field of Transactional Analysis in Singapore. Besides her thriving private practice in psychotherapy, she is also a founding director and CEO of a leading academy for executive counselling and training in Singapore called ECTA.


In this podcast, Dr. Leong shares how, with the support of her former boss and mentor, she overcame self-doubt to realise her lifelong dream of entrepreneurship and helping those less fortunate than herself.


Dr. Ramesh was a student leader when she first met Dr. Leong, who was then a student counsellor staff at a tertiary institute. Subsequently, Dr. Leong became one of Dr.Ramesh's earliest mentors.


Join us in this episode where Dr. Ramesh and Dr. Leong share how to create a powerful mentor-mentee relationship and practical insights on how to thrive in life.

Host: Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra, Author, Podcast Host and Founder of Talent Leadership Crucible

#DrRamesh #DrJessicaLeong #TLCpodcast #ECTA

1 week ago | [YT] | 1

Talent Leadership Crucible

Season 5 - Episode 1 | Is ENTREPRENEURSHIP with Dr. Ramesh's Approach the KEY to SUCCESS?

In this rare and deeply reflective episode of Thriving in the Age of Disruption, Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra steps into the guest seat to share her extraordinary entrepreneurial journey—one shaped as much by ambition and growth as by integrity, resilience, and values-based leadership.


Dr. Ramesh recounts building a technology and data company from scratch to pre-IPO in the early 2000s. Within three years, the company attracted multiple rounds of investment, pursued aggressive M&A to scale, and reached valuations as high as SGD 1 billion, later recalibrated to SGD 300 million during the dot-com crash.

At the pivotal moment, Dr. Ramesh made a decision few founders would dare to make: she walked away. Faced with ethical misalignment and pressure to compromise her values during the IPO process, she chose integrity over financial success—accepting short-term loss in exchange for long-term clarity.

What followed was not an end, but a reinvention.


The conversation expands into one of Dr. Ramesh’s deepest areas of work: family businesses. Drawing from decades of consulting and academic research, she explains why over 80% of businesses globally are family-owned, and why trust and altruism—often dismissed as “soft”—are in fact powerful competitive advantages.

She introduces a systems lens to family enterprises: the business system, the family system, and the individual family members. When these are misaligned, conflict arises. When they are consciously integrated, family businesses can move faster, think longer-term, and sustain legacy across generations.


The episode closes with Dr. Ramesh’s reframing of entrepreneurship itself—not as company-building alone, but as a way of living. To her, entrepreneurship means being resourceful, managing uncertainty, creating value for others, and staying future-ready in a world defined by disruption.


This is a candid, honest, and deeply human conversation—essential listening for founders, family business leaders, and anyone questioning what success truly means.


💡 Key Takeaways

✅ Fundraising is not validation—it is responsibility
✅ Scaling too fast can undermine sustainability
✅ Integrity is a long-term leadership asset
✅ Entrepreneurship is a mindset, not a job title
✅ Trust and altruism drive enduring family businesses
✅ Success evolves from money to fulfillment and contribution

1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 2

Talent Leadership Crucible

Season 5 - Episode 3 | Agility, Learning, and Letting Go: Thriving in a World You Can’t Control - Professor Shantanu Bhattacharya (Singapore)

🎧 Episode Description
In this Season 5 episode 3 of Thriving in the Age of Disruption, Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra is joined by Shantanu Bhattacharya, Professor of Operations Management and Deputy Dean of Education at Singapore Management University, for a wide-ranging and deeply reflective conversation on learning, leadership, crisis, and what it truly means to thrive in an uncertain world.
Drawing from his background as an engineer, academic, consultant, and researcher, Shantanu explores the tension between two critical capabilities of our time: rational, long-term thinking and an agile, experimental mindset. While traditional planning, optimization, and analytical depth remain important, Shantanu argues that shortening technology and product life cycles demand a much stronger ability to experiment, adapt, and continuously learn.

The conversation moves beyond business into education and the future of work. Shantanu challenges the assumption that elite degrees guarantee long-term success, suggesting that informal, continuous learning, critical thinking, and on-the-job adaptation will matter far more than rigid career plans. For the next generation, the ability to pivot may be more valuable than choosing the “right” university or profession.

The discussion extends into family businesses and leadership across generations, where Shantanu offers a counterintuitive insight: true impact may not come from imposing values or directions, but from giving others agency—allowing them to learn through experience, make mistakes, and shape their own paths.

The episode closes with a grounded reflection on spirituality, simplicity, and thriving. For Shantanu, spirituality is not about grand meaning or belief systems, but about living authentically, finding purpose in everyday actions, and appreciating small moments. Thriving, he suggests, is not about competition or comparison, but about choosing to declare fulfillment on one’s own terms.

💡 Key Takeaways
* Agility beats certainty in a world of rapid disruption.
* Learning fast matters more than formal credentials.
* Crisis is about perspective, not panic.
* True impact comes from giving others agency, not control.
* Thriving is defined by fulfillment, not comparison.

#drramesh #tlc #profshantanu #thriving

2 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 1

Talent Leadership Crucible

𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 5 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 2 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬: 𝐍𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐅. 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 & 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 (𝐔𝐒𝐀, 𝐕𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐧𝐚𝐦)

In this episode of Thriving in the Age of Disruption | The Mastery Effect Podcast, I sat down with Neal F. Bermas, Founder of STREETS International, for a thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation on entrepreneurship, crisis readiness, and what meaningful impact really looks like over time.

What stood out most was Neal’s ability to hold both rigour and humanity. With a strong academic and consulting background, he brings clarity to problem definition, structure to decision making, and discipline to execution. At the same time, his lived experiences, travel, and deep exposure to inequality have shaped a moral compass that keeps purpose front and centre.

We explored the realities of building a hybrid social enterprise model, the importance of preparing for crises rather than reacting to them, and the role of resilience when systems are under strain. Neal also reflected on spirituality, simplicity, and the danger of outsourcing too much of our thinking to technology, especially in an age where AI accelerates speed but can quietly erode discernment.

This conversation is a reminder that thriving is not measured only by scale, growth, or visibility. It is about contribution, impact, and the discipline to stay anchored to values even when opportunities and incentives pull us in other directions. Neal offers a timely reframe for leaders and entrepreneurs navigating uncertainty. Enterprise is a means, not the end. Purpose is the anchor. And resilience is built not by avoiding hardship, but by preparing for it consciously and early.



𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧?

#ThrivingInTheAgeOfDisruption #Season5 #Leadership #SocialEnterprise #EntrepreneurialMindset #CrisisReady #Impact #Philanthropy #SystemsThinking #PurposeDrivenLeadership #DrNealFBermas #StreetsInternational #DrRameshRamachandra #TalentLeadershipCrucible #ImpactVelocity #TheMasteryEffect

1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 3

Talent Leadership Crucible

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 1: 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐭

Daron Hongsananda, Founder, 𝐊𝐨𝐳𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 reframes crisis in a way that feels confronting but honest.

For him, a crisis is not just a setback. It is a turning point. A moment where the choice is no longer comfort versus discomfort, but survival versus collapse. When handled well, crisis becomes the doorway to learning, reinvention, and growth.

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵.”

Running out of money. Lacking support. Feeling alone. These were not abstract challenges. They were deeply painful experiences that forced him to mature quickly. In those moments, he began to understand what survival instinct really means.

He draws a striking comparison. Children raised in crisis environments often develop maturity far earlier than those raised in comfort. Not because suffering is desirable, but because survival demands adaptation. Crisis accelerates growth.

This is why Daron believes children should not be protected from struggle entirely. When young people are told they will inherit safety, security, or a business, survival instincts stay dormant. When they are told they must build their own path, something sharpens inside them.
Pain becomes a teacher.

When asked how he reframed pain as future gain, his answer is visceral. Urgency forces action. When everything is on the line, you think faster, move differently, and discover capacities you never knew you had.

“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘦.”

Crisis, in this framing, is not the enemy. Avoiding crisis is. Because the longer one postpones the fall, the harder it becomes to adapt later in life.

𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧?


#ThrivingInAgeOfDisruption #Podcast #CrisisAndGrowth #SurvivalInstinct #EntrepreneurJourney #Resilience

1 month ago | [YT] | 3

Talent Leadership Crucible

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 200 𝐭𝐨 20,000: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐅𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐕𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐧𝐚𝐦 𝐓𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐌𝐞 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩

I had the pleasure of speaking at 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐅𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐕𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐧𝐚𝐦 2025 — and what an experience it was.

This festival began 13 years ago with just 200 attendees in a modest building. This year, it drew over 20,000 people to Hanoi. The energy was undeniable. And that kind of growth tells a powerful story about a nation in motion.

In my keynote, I shared what I believe is critical for Vietnam’s startup ecosystem to thrive truly:
✨ A mindset shift — in founders, investors, and the broader ecosystem. Growth begins when we believe it’s possible.
✨ Corporate governance — not just for formality, but to protect investor rights and create an environment where capital can flow with confidence.
✨ A collective shift from survival to contribution — where entrepreneurship is about building value, not just extracting it.

TechFest made me pause and ask:
🌀 What does entrepreneurship mean in this new season of life?
🌀 What would it look like to start again, not from ambition, but from wisdom?
🌀 What kind of legacy do I want my ideas to leave behind?

#DrRamesh #TechFestVietnam #entrepreneurship #talentleadershipcrucible

1 month ago | [YT] | 5

Talent Leadership Crucible

After years as an entrepreneur and now as an angel investor, my answer is simple. I bet on the person.


Ideas will change. Markets will shift. Strategies will fail and need to be rewritten. What does not change easily is who you are under pressure.


When I look at founders, I pay attention to how they think, how they learn, and how they respond when reality does not meet their expectations. I listen for self-awareness. I watch for resilience. I notice whether they can hold feedback without becoming defensive and whether they can adapt without losing their integrity.

A strong founder can pivot an average idea into a meaningful business. A weak founder will struggle even with a brilliant idea.

This does not mean the idea does not matter. It does. But the idea is the starting point. The person determines the journey.

As investors, mentors, and ecosystem builders, we often over-index on decks and projections. What truly predicts long-term value is the human capacity to learn, unlearn, and lead through uncertainty.

That is where I place my bet.


lnkd.in/g8GckWRs


If you are raising capital, ask yourself this first. Who are you becoming as a leader as the business grows.

And if you are investing, look beyond the idea. Look at the person who has to carry it forward when things get hard.

1 month ago | [YT] | 2

Talent Leadership Crucible

Succession isn’t just about passing the baton — it’s about building the track for the next race. In this reel, Dr. Kevin Cheong breaks down how multi-generational family businesses often falter after the second generation, when cousin-consortiums replace sibling-leaders.

He offers practical wisdom: if the business isn’t growing as fast as the family, conflict is inevitable. His strategy? Equip the third generation with entrepreneurial muscle, give them their own “kingdoms” to lead, and let them earn their own trophies.

“𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘴 — 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘰𝘰.”

What’s your experience with generational transition in family business? Join the conversation — we’d love your take.

#nextgen #familybussiness #kevincheong

2 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 2

Talent Leadership Crucible

Pause, Reflect, Reframe: Redefining Entrepreneurship in a Disrupted World | Ajjaree Limpamont

In this thoughtful and deeply reflective episode, Dr. Ajjaree Limpamont
explores what it means to be a Thai entrepreneur, strategist, and educator in a world marked by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.

#talentleadershipcrucible #thriving #DrRamesh #DrAjjaree

4 months ago | [YT] | 2

Talent Leadership Crucible

𝐒𝐨𝐋 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐦 2025 – 𝐃𝐚𝐲 3 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐩

The final day of the Global SoL Forum brought us back to the heart of this gathering: culture, connection, and collective action.

We began with a Fireside Conversation on Culture Regeneration with Bel Villavicencio, Tebogo Mogaleemang, hashtag#TruongPhung, and Ranganayaki Thangavelu, exploring the question: What in your culture would you like to share with others on the journey of personal mastery? Their stories reminded us that mastery is always rooted in culture—and those roots can sustain global healing.

“We often forget that we are part of the very system we want to change. If we don’t see ourselves in the problem, it’s hard to be part of the solution,” Tebogo reminded us, grounding the morning in responsibility for both self and planet.

From there, participants moved into two transformative workshops: Robert Steele and hashtag#KateDore facilitated Navigating Collective Impact with the Sustainability Compass, offering tools to align action with ecological and social values. Meanwhile, Yong Kiat Peter Seah guided Generating Connections and Actions Toward A Flourishing Future, a space to link insights across systems and translate them into action.
The day closed with an energizing keynote from Alan AtKisson, who urged us to embrace optimism—not as passive hope, but as active belief in our ability to shape a better future. His talk, “2026 Ahead,” was a call to step forward with courage and clarity.

We ended in a circle of reflection, where voices from across the region shared what gives them hope: spaces like this, where solidarity becomes a lived experience. With that, the seed of a SoL Vietnam Community was planted—an intention to carry this spirit forward, rooted in local leadership and global solidarity.

✨ The truth echoed as the SoL Global Forum 2025 Vietnam closed: real change begins within, and it grows through community.

#SoLGlobalForum2025Vietnam
#PersonalMastery #CollectiveImpact #FlourishingFuture
#CulturalRegeneration #GlobalSoLCommunities #HAWEE

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4 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 3