5 Lessons I Learnt From Leaderonomics Office Launch In Johor

Leaderonomics spreading her wings to the south

A few weeks ago, my big boss Shahran Masood, the leader of the Leaderonomics troops down south, tasked me with a project – to prepare for the launch of the Leaderonomics office in Johor, Malaysia.

Our Iskandar office is the first ever regional office for Leaderonomics and it supports our work with corporate organisations, educational institutions and social communities, enabling us to develop leaders all across Johor, and beyond. While I was excited at the prospect of spearheading the launch, I was trembling in fear at the thought of leading such a big initiative.

Something crossed my mind – what’s the value of a launch? Why should we waste money, time and resources on such event? After all, it’s just an event – and will likely be lost in the annals of one’s memory, a day or two after the event. Would I be part of a time-wasting, resource-sapping, unproductive event?

Ready to roll

Despite having these doubts, being a Leaderonomer, I knew I had to be a trooper and get things going. Before I knew it, August 5 rolled along. Iskandar Investment Bhd president and chief executive officer (CEO), Datuk Syed Mohamed Bin Syed Ibrahim, our guest of honour arrived early in the morning to kickstart our launch and celebrations.

He was joined by Ang Hui Ming, our Leaderonomics co-founder and chief operating officer (COO) and Roshan Thiran, Leaderonomics CEO. The launch began with Datuk Syed reinforcing the importance of Leaderonomics and the work we do in this country.

It was followed by Roshan who inspired and challenged CEOs and senior leaders to keep pressing on and pushing forward to bring leadership development to the needy communities in Johor.The event continued with Christoffer Erichsen, our faculty partner, who gave his insights to the various Johor CEOs and leadership community that gathered.

As the day unfolded, I suddenly recalled the question I had at the beginning of the journey – why bother with a launch?
It immediately dawned on me that I now know the answer to this question. Here are my insights on why having an event launch for your services or products may not be as bad an idea as I first reckoned.

1. It celebrates and commemorates

Whether you’re launching a product, service or even a new location like we did, launch events are a great way to display the hard work your team has put in. Since you’ve done the necessary, why not put an extra effort to make it memorable? Given that launches typically require participation from teams across the board – from sales and marketing to product teams – this is also a great way to promote internal collaboration.

2. It builds curiosity and creates buzz

You’ve invested time and money into this new offering, and presumably, its ultimate purpose is for others to utilise. So what’s the use if there is no buzz and people don’t know it exists? A launch event is an opportunity to create chatter in a targeted community about your latest development. Build curiosity in your invitations. This way, even before the actual event, you can get your company name into office and home conversations. “Hey did you hear that Company XYZ is unveiling something new next week?” Perfect.

3. It gets partners and clients together

Launch events provide an ideal setting for catch-ups with existing clients, partners and potential ones about developments and new offerings.
Create an atmosphere conducive for relationship-building with your external network. This is a prime time to get early adopters, influencers and advocates on board, and build momentum for future partnerships and sales.

4. It’s a chance to communicate key information

You’ve got the crowd in the room, and they’re there specifically for the launch. Make the most out of their attention by using the time to communicate essential information. Sell the ‘whys’, get them excited, emphasise team efforts, the care taken in the manufacturing process, or whatever your essential gems of information may be. Preparation for this also serves as an opportunity to refine your company’s value proposition.

5. It’s a great time to get feedback

Since you’ll be educating attendees about your new offerings, you’ll inevitably get comments. What a useful and efficient way to get feedback!
Ask for elaboration. Chew together on opportunities for improvement, expansion and partnerships. Get their insights and note them down for future developments.

In conclusion

I learnt a tonne organising and managing our Johor office launch. As Roshan Thiran says:

“The best way to learn is to do something.”

I am glad I worked hard for the launch and am looking forward to its fruits. If you are ever in Legoland in Medini, do drop by our humble office to say hello!