Leadership My Mydin

Table of Content
Definitions
What Makes A Leader
What Make A GOOD Leader
What is Organizational Leadership?
A Model of Personality
Datuk Wira (Dr.) Haji Ameer Ali bin Mydin
Leadership Styles
10
Transformational Leader
12
Great Leader of The Retailing Industry
14
Awards & Achievements
15
The Organization : MYDIN

History of MYDIN
16
First migration
17
Second Migration
18
Third Migration
19
Company Details
20
Datuk Ameer Alis words

Interviews, tips and inspirational words
24
25
Future Challenges
26
References
27
Definitions
BPMN 6043 Leadership in Organization
Leader A person or thing that leads

Leadership Being a Leader; The ability to be a leader
Definition of Leadership
Leadership is an influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend real changes
and outcomes that reflect their shared purposes. Joseph C Rost, Richard Daft, Leadership 2011
The ability to inspire confidence and support among the people who are need to achieve
organizational goals. Andrew J Dubrin, Principles of Leadership, 2010.
Leadership is the process of inspiring people to do their best to achieved a desired result.
Micheal Armstrong
A process of influencing a group to achieve goals. Stephen P Robbins & Mary Coulter
It is often the case that people dont want to be leaders for fear of rejection. Leaders are able to
rise above this natural fear and lead by the example of adding value to an organization. Managers
and leaders are not the same. Leaders possess strategic thinking and not only an understanding of
the vision of an organization, but also the ability to effectively carry out and communicate that
vision. Anyone, anywhere, at any level can be a leader.
The cornerstones of leadership are:
Truth telling
Promise keeping
Fairness
Respect for the individual
These four cornerstones combined will determine how the individual leader is perceived by
others, and in the case of organizational leadership, perception is reality for all effective purposes.
Mohd Fauzi Abdul Aziz

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What Makes A Leader?

It was Daniel Goleman who first brought the term emotional intelligence to a wide audience
with his 1995 book of that name, and it was Goleman who first applied the concept to business
with his 1998 HBR article, reprinted here. In his research at nearly 200 large, global companies,
Goleman found that while the qualities traditionally associated with leadershipsuch as
intelligence, toughness, determination, and visionare required for success, they are insufficient.
Truly effective leaders are also distinguished by a high degree of emotional intelligence, which
includes self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skill. These qualities
may sound soft and unbusinesslike, but Goleman found direct ties between emotional
intelligence and measurable business results. While emotional intelligences relevance to business
has continued to spark debate over the past six years, Golemans article remains the definitive
reference on the subject, with a description of each component of emotional intelligence and a
detailed discussion of how to recognize it in potential leaders, how and why it connects to
performance, and how it can be learned. Harvard Business Review 2004
In business, a leadership style called "transformational leadership" is often the most effective
approach to use. Transformational leaders have integrity, they inspire people with a shared vision
of the future, they set clear goals, they motivate people towards these goals, they manage
delivery, and they communicate well with their teams.
In most cases, it is an intuition that leaders do have the courage to stand up and let them be heard.
Even if it means great risk, they decide not to conform and promote change instead. This
definition of leadership challenges the status quo and gears towards a better world. But the thing
here is you dont have to hold a formal appointment to become this type of a leader. As long as
you think that change is needed, then off you go to challenging the status quo. This gives the
employees the chance to become leaders even if they dont have the right skills or the authority to
take charge.

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What Makes A GOOD Leader?

Here are some of their most important characteristics:
Self Awareness.
You have an intimate knowledge of your inner emotional state. You know your strengths and
your weaknesses. You know when youre working in flow and you know when youre over
worked. You know yourself, including your capabilities and your limitations, which allow you to
push yourself to your maximum potential.
Self-Direction.
Youre able to direct yourself effectively and powerfully. You know how to get things done, how
to organize tasks and how to avoid procrastination. You know how to generate energy for
projects, to calm yourself when angered. You can make decisions quickly when necessary, but
can also slow to consider all the options on the table.
Vision.
Youre working towards a goal thats greater than yourself. It could be something small, like the
success of the team, or a larger vision like world peace. Working towards a vision is far more
inspiring than working towards personal gain.
Ability to Motivate.
Leaders dont lead by telling people what they have to do. Instead, leaders cause people to want
to help them. A key part of this is cultivating your own desire to help others. When others sense
that you want to help them, they in turn want to help you.
Social Awareness.
Understanding social networks and key influencers in that social network is another key part of
leadership. Who in the organization has the most clout, both officially and unofficially? Who
moves the hearts of the group?

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What is Organizational Leadership?

Organizational leadership is a dual focused management approach that works towards what is
best for individuals and what is best for a group as a whole simultaneously. It is also an attitude
and a work ethic that empowers an individual in any role to lead from the top, middle, or bottom
of an organization. While discussing every component of organizational leadership would be well
beyond the scope of this document, five key components of organizational leadership are
identified below.
Worldview
Organizational leadership requires developing an understanding of your own worldview as well
as the worldviews of others. Worldview is the operating instructions for how the individual
interfaces with the world. One who does not take into consideration how individuals interface
with the world is in a much weaker position to lead these individuals. It is a composite image
created from the various lenses through which individuals view the world. Its not the same as
identity, political stance, or religious viewpoint, but does include these things. It incorporates
everything an individual believes about the world, combining the tangible and the intangible. An
individuals worldview is defined by that individuals attitudes, opinions, beliefs, and the outside
forces the individual allows to influence them. Organizational leadership requires an
understanding of the composite worldview of the organization, which consists of the many
diverse and sometimes conflicting worldviews of the individuals within that organization.
Strengths
Successful leadership requires capitalizing on strengths and managing around weaknesses.
Strength can be defined as consistent, near perfect performance in an activity. Ability is strength,
only if you can do it repeatedly, happily, and successfully.
The building blocks of strengths are:
Talents naturally recurring patterns of thought, feeling, or behavior
Knowledge facts and lessons learned
Skills the steps of an activity

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Developing strength in any activity requires certain natural talents. Although it is occasionally
possible to build strength without acquiring the relevant knowledge or skills, it is never possible
to possess strength without the requisite talent. The key to building a bona fide strength is to
identify your dominant talents and then refine them with knowledge and skills.
One need not have strength in every aspect of a role in order to excel in that role. That excellent
performers must be well rounded is a pervasive myth. Excellent performers are rarely well
rounded; on the contrary, they are sharp. One will excel only by maximizing ones strengths,
never by fixing ones weaknesses. Excellent performers find ways to manage around their
weaknesses, freeing them to hone their strengths to a sharper point. Excellent performers do not
ignore their weaknesses; they work on them just enough so that they do not undermine strengths.
Ethics
Organizational leadership requires ethics. Ethics aids leaders in balancing truth and loyalty,
individuals and communities, short-term and long-term, and justice vs. mercy. Ethics is not an
inoculation or a compromise. It is a process and a lens by which leaders approach a problem
situation. Ethics call on us to be impartial, yet engaged. Effective leaders utilize ethics to look for
the hidden alternative in ethically questionable situations. It is the compass by which leaders
navigate not only right vs. wrong, but also right vs. right.
Communication
Communication is a tool for individuals to interface with one another, with groups, and with the
rest of the world. It is not a text, email, phone call, or personal visit: these are methods/mediums
of communication. Effective communication requires an understanding of the VABEs (Values,
Assumptions, Beliefs, and Expectations) of those whom with we communicate. Understanding
someones worldview and VABEs enables leaders to acknowledge but look past differences,
focus on areas of agreement, and to effectively listen for and hear the messages of others. Leaders
are able to move beyond communication barriers (appearance, vocabulary, stutter, lisp, accent,
etc) and focus on the message of the speak.

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A Model Of Personality
Richard L Daft in his book, Leadership 2011 mentioned 5 personality dimensions thats in a
leader; socialibilty, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability and intellectual
openness. Apart of the personality dimensions, mental strength is another factor that blends in a
leader. They aspects of how they look into things, how they think and react makes them good in
avoiding and managing crisis. They have to be efficient & effective, prudent, time conscious and
calm. A leader is someone who not only successful in his life & company, but a person who could
change others. A person that is willing to share with others, instead of just giving, but train and
motivate them to improve other peoples life. The self awareness, self management, social
awareness & empathy are like seeds that need to be planted in a leader.
Datuk Wira (Dr) Haji Ameer Ali Mydin
YBhg. Datuk Wira Dr Haji Ameer Ali bin Mydin was born on June 4, 1956 in
Kota Bharu, Kelantan.In 1979, he graduated with a Bachelors degree in
Chemistry at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. He
completed his Master Degree in International Business from Sonoma State
University, California, USA in 1981.
Leader In The Making
He did not attend the Commencement Ceremony (Graduation Day) but took a flight back
immediately to start his first day at job with Ambank (then Arab Malaysian Merchant Bank).
In 1982, he was promoted from a bank officer to a bank manager. It was just a year since he
started and with promotions comes bigger responsibilities and opportunities. He was asked to
setup a branch in Kuching. Tan Sri Dato Azman Hashim then became his mentor and helped him
groom to what has he became now.
My father is my only role model. He is 83 years old and he still goes to work every day. He is
very discipline, I got some of his qualities and I feel blessed. If I want to see him on weekend I
usually go on Sunday. Let say I promise to come at 10am, and I am late by 10 minutes. You
know what? He is gone to the shop by that time. Thats my father. - Dato Ameer, July 2011

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Punctuality
Time is very crucial to him. He was taught this discipline since primary school. He was entrusted
to be the school bell ringer. Theres no compromise to be late for this standard five student, for
only the honest character can withstand. He selected his house to be in a location which he could
go to work in a short time. His apartment in Jalan Masjid India is just 10 minutes walking from
his office. In 2008, He was the first in line to cast vote on the general election..
If we say the meeting starts at 9.00 am, you must be here 10 minutes before 9.00 am and if you
come exactly at 9.00 am, you are considered late.

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Frugality
In his childhood, he brought own eggs from home to the restaurant for roti telur at a lower price,
used lime from his mee goreng on plain water as air limau, asking more peanut sauce from
satayman to enjoy with bread at home.
When he came back from USA and first started working in Ambank, He had rented a fully
furnished house, far from the city, to save on furnitures and high renting costs.
Simple Lifestyle
Mr Mydin has taught his children well. Even hes worth millions, but he lives in a 900sq ft
apartment in Jalan Masjid India. Never did he spend more then what he needs.
Tan Sri Azman once secretly asked the driver for a de tour on Datuk Ameers house before
launching of Kuching branch . Expecting Lavishly decorated & furnished house. He then
surprised himself, only to find it was just about an ordinary and moderately done.
Datuk Ameer Ali and his father Mydin Mohammed discussing in his 900sqft apartment in Selangor Mansion, Masjid India, KL.

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Vision
Datuk Ameer Ali is justifiably proud of his family business and the fact that it is driven by more
than just the bottom line. He had a vision to expand and transform MYDIN from just an
emporium into a gigantic hypermarket
Leadership Styles
Laissez faire, Charismatic, Participative. Open
Apart from honesty, humility and integrity, another secret recipe for his success is his attitude
towards self-discipline, responsibility and punctuality. All these qualities formed important
individual characteristics that shaped him as a business leader. For years, he has been developing
and polishing these values in himself and inculcating these values to his staff.
He was once asked by participants in a program organized by PUNB on 4th of July 2013, about
his views on investing for a new facelift of the mall, and he said,
Maklumlah, Hypermarket Giant kan baru buka di sebelah Mydin, jadi Never Underestimate
your Competitor. Customer tak pernah loyal, they can switch at any time. Bila bini baru
datang, Bini lama kenalah make-up lebih sikit barulah suami tak jemu!
-As you know Giant Hypermarket was just re-open next to Mydin, Never Underestimate your
competitor because customers are never loyal, they can switch at any time. When new wife
comes, the old wife should groom better, so the husband wont get bored he joked.
When he had made the decision to open the two MYDIN hypermarts next to Giant, he had great
confidence that MYDIN could stand up to the challenge of competing for the sales. Hes smart at
analyzing the opportunity. According to Datuk Ameer, MYDIN will get plenty of advertising as
customers who went to Giant would also like to see what MYDIN is offering. Other than that, the
RM100,000 digital billboard they invested in, can counter Giants advertisement quickly as it is
done digitally from the office.

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From the statements given, it shown that hes facing the competitor on a fair ground. Do whats
best for customers and improve from time to time. His charismatic style and sense of humor
attracts people to listen and pay attention to him. Having the ability to get people to buy his or her
ideas or thinking. For him, the ability to persuade others and to gain their respect is important and
he also believes that he has obtained the respect of his employees. There was once when they
faces a shortage of staff due to festive holiday which falls on weekend, He asked managers and
head of departments to sacrifice their weekend and work as cashiers. Most were willingly to help
including him.
Humble & Take Charge
As Datuk Ameer reiterated, a good leader does not take credit for him / herself, but instead, he or
she will take the blame upon themselves. Needless to say, his leadership qualities are largely
shaped by his distinguished family values.
Datuk Ameer emphasizes greatly on accountability. He has instructed all of his employees bring a
2 by 4 small notebook (famous by the name buku tiga lima or 555) whenever and wherever
they go. The purpose of the notebook was for them to jot down anything and everything related
to the operational issues of the company.
Discipline
As a disciplined leader, Datuk Ameer imposed rules and regulations to every individual who
works in the organization, regardless of his/her position. It applies to his family members as well.
He quoted his nephew and his brother had to comply with the company rules like any other
employee in the organization on issues such as of business travels without bringing along their
spouses and the abuse of paid/unpaid leaves.
He often observed his staff when it came to prayer time. The employees often came for the Zohor
prayers irrespective of when the prayers are due. To him, this is a poor reflection of discipline and
there can be no compromise. Disciplinary action needs to be taken against such negative attitude.
Transformational Leader
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Swift decision making, efficient & effective, prudent, time conscious & calm
According to Datuk Ameer, todays leader must be willing to change and adapt to the current
needs and requirements. In this sense, Datuk Ameer strongly believes in making change as
effective as possible. For him, business must change with time.
In order to change, he takes time to listen to the views of his staffs. In relation to the pricing of
goods, they know better about which items are not making any profits. Knowing the customer is
the key to MYDINs success, as the business offers an arraying assortment of products to cater to
the differing needs. As a market-driven leader, he actively applies marketing philosophy in his
daily business activities. His marketing charisma can be clearly observed from his excellent
communication and public relation (PR) skills while entertaining visitors, suppliers, and
customers from a multitude of backgrounds. In addition, one can notice the strong cooperation
and collaboration among the departments and this is a manifestation of MYDINs effective
internal marketing strategy among the employees from different units. Hence, with the support of
his employees, this philosophy is successfully transformed and embedded in the organizational
daily working culture.
Managing People Human Resources
The employees are important as they are the eyes and ears for the company. They will tell you
what the customers' complaints are.- Datuk Ameer Ali
The key to an organizational success doesnt rely on the leader alone but the people around him.
Brilliant financial planning and business ideas have helped the company to be firmly established
in the business arena. This has been attributed to the strong support of its human resource
strength. The values that he has accumulated for decades has been well blended with clear vision,
proper execution of plan, and efficient management of employees who agreed to comply with the
business culture, and later gradually transformed into daily business operations.
Personal Relationship
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If somebody passes away, for example of what had happened to one of my managers when his
son passed away due to cancer, or a husband to one of our staff passes away due to accident, we
will pay a visit to that family. If any of our staff is admitted to the hospital, my wife or I will go
and visit them. But we did not go to every wedding
As a humble and caring leader, Datuk Ameer tries his best to have close and personal
relationships with all his subordinates. Relationships between employer and employees can be
well developed through close interaction.
Communication is very crucial in any organization and according to Datuk Ameer, he said,
Jack Welch, the GM (General Motors) CEO spends time talking to his employees and he
managed to solve 20% of the companys problem.
He has also taken that into practice, by taking the opportunity to attend department meetings as
well as other informal occasions with his employees such as during the breaking of fast events in
the Ramadan month. Even though he encourages the open door policy, he will not overrule his
management decision and policy especially when the managers are asking all sorts of nonsensical
requests. With the open door policy practices by MYDIN, Datuk Ameer makes himself accessible
to his employees or any interested party.
Datuk Ameer exhibits the good qualities of a leader such as honesty, humility and integrity, which
he claims he had inherited from his father. In one instance, he talked about his fathers reaction
when a supplier mistakenly sent extra goods to their store. His father immediately asked them to
send the goods back to the supplier, as this is not Halal (not allowed or permissible in Islam).
These Islamic qualities of honesty cannot be ingrained in his children unless these values are
shown in practice through leadership-by-example. In this case, his father had proven to be a very
effective mentor and supervisor to him and his brothers
Service Beyond The Call of Duty

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Datin Dr Siti Hajah Hawa Mohd mentioned in her book MYDIN, the untold story that he once
rescued his stranded staff in Kathmandu, Nepal. 6 of his employees were in Nepal when the
country declared a state of curfew and emergency, when the king dismissed his Prime Minister
and took full control backed by the army. All media and communications were cut off. The only
news one can get is from CNN news on television. He boarded the Thai Airways, the only
airlines allowed to land, on the first flight to rescue the stranded workers. Nobody was escorting
him, not even a bodyguard, bracing the dangerous situation. How far a Managing Director would
go to ensure the safety of his staff, to the extent of risking his own life. He wouldve been killed
or kidnapped. He quoted, Think with your head but decide with your heart
Great Leader of The Retailing Industry

He attributes his success to his disciplined leadership traits such as punctuality, discipline,
honesty and frugality. "If you arrive on time you are late!" This motto was embraced by his
employees and family members.
Datuk Haji Ameer Ali has devoted his energies and expertise for Malaysia's economic well-being.
He made significant contributions to the development of the Malaysian retail industry not only by
actively supporting and promoting local products and IKS/PKS but also doing business the
wholesome way by embracing Halal products and services.
As a responsible Malaysian entrepreneur, he occasionally gives motivational talks to students and
young entrepreneurs in order to guide them with knowledge on how to be successful in business
arena. In doing so, Datuk Ameer presents himself as a humble leader, one who cares about others
and this is also reflected in its organizations caring philosophy to the public. As a result to this
kind of activities, he defines himself as a successful leader who is sincere in trying to make others
feel good about themselves and ever willing to spare some of his invaluable time to share secrets
of his success to those who are interested. His good attitude reflects his corporate social
responsibility to the public
Awards & Achievements

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In recognition of Datuk Haji Ameer Ali's contributions to the aspirations of the Malaysian Retail
Industry and bumiputera entrepreneurs, he was bestowed with several awards. These include:
"Business Person of the Year" award by Asian Academy of Management International

Conference 2013
Darjah Cemerlang Seri Melaka (DCSM) 2012, which carries the title Datuk Wira.
The Corporate Social Responsibility Leadership Awards 2012 by The Young Entrepreneur
Organization Malaysia
Winner of ASEAN Outstanding Business Award 2011 (AQBA)
Masterclass CEO of The Year 2011 by ASEAN Retail-chains & Franchise Federation
(ARFF)
Winner of the Brand Laureate 2011 Brand ICON Leadership Awards
Honorary Degree Doctor of Philosophy (Entrepreneurship) 2012 by Universiti Malaysia
Kelantan
Doctoral Degree Business Administration (Honora Causis) 2011 by University Tun Abdul
Razak
Putra Brands Award 2011 for category Special Mention under Retail Chain Sector
Winner of GOPIO International Awards 2010 under category Renown Entrepreneur
Excellence Award 2010 Hypermarket Chain
Winner of the Malaysian Business Leadership Awards 2010 under the category of Retail
Chain Sector
Winner of the Malaysia Brand Laureate SMEs Chapter Award 2009 under the category of
Personality Award
Winner of the Malaysia Business Leadership Awards 2009 under the category of Master
CEO of the year 2009 by Kuala Lumpur Chamber of Commerce
Winner of the Brand Laureate SMEs Chapter Awards 2009 under the category of
Personality Award
Winner of the 8th Asia Pacific International Entrepreneur Excellence Award 2009 under
the category of Excellence Leadership
Winner of the Entrepreneur Award of the Year by Ernst & Young under the category of
Master Entrepreneur 2007
Winner of the Excellence Leadership 2007 awarded by Dewan Perniagaan Melayu Kuala
Lumpur Malaysia (DPMMKL) Presented by DYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di
Pertuan Agong Al- Wathiqubillah Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Ibni Al- Marhum Sultan
Mahmud Al- Muktafibillah Shah
Winner of Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Award (APEA) for Malaysia Region under the
category of Outstanding Entrepreneur 2007
Conferred Dato' (DIMP) by the Sultan of Pahang in 1999

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The Organization : MYDIN

History of MYDIN
It started with a humble beginning in 1940, a hawker by the name of Mydin Mohamed involved
in a small family business run by his father, Gulam Husein bin Jamal, an Indian Muslim
immigrant settling in Penang selling merchandise and toys to customers in the nearby
neighbourhood of Georgetown. After it was bombed & burnt during the war, Mr Mydin sensed an
opportunity in the east coast resulting from inflow of goods from the neighboring country
Thailand, Mydin moved to Kelantan to set up his very first shop in the same year the country
achieved its independence. While the business was steadily growing, there was little to be proud
of as Mydin was only able to operate and maintain one outlet, which was actually a quarter of a
wooden shop.

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The First Migration
Since setting up the first hawker business in Penang in 1940 to the decision to seek fortune in a
foreign land in Kelantan, it has become the focal point upon which important decisions were
made by Mr Mydin and his sons later on. Being the eldest child in the family, the visions that Mr
Mydins late father had shared with him, brothers and sisters, had encouraged him to be a
visionary entrepreneur, taking challenges upon his stride in order to improve his familys
finances. He left behind the hawker business to his younger brothers to takeover, sacrificing
everything he has worked hard for to start all over again together with his family in Kota Bharu.
In the early years, life as a general retailer in Kota Bharu, life was tough as Mr Mydin had only a
bicycle for transportation of his goods. He had to cycle all over town in the scorching heat and
heavy rain to order goods and make deliveries to his many customers. During the times that he
had to make out of town deliveries, he had to travel by bus. Business slowly prospered and he
was able to purchase a van for deliveries. Ten long years in the small retail business did not deter
him from becoming a successful wholesaler. So it was, in the year 1957, that Syarikat Mydin
Mohamed, a sole proprietorship company was formed in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. Toys became the
first item that Mr. Mydin started with. Close proximity to Thailand means that ,Kota Bharu is the
best transit for business transactions between the two countries. The heavy traffic of goods to and
from Thailand had facilitated Mr Mydins business to expand and achieve popularity among the
local residents.

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Seasonal flooding in Kelantan also had made his business growth, umbrellas, water floats,
candles, blankets, brooms and many more item were selling like hot cakes. Although he made
quite a fortune, but he also contributed back by giving food and medical supplies such as
bandages and cotton swabs for those evacuated in shelters. Besides toys, his Father Mr Gulam
also sent other goods from Penang, which includes gas lighters, balloons, sewing needles, sack
needles and playing cards which were very sellable with high margins. In the late 1948, Mr
Mydin closed his quarter shop even at that time, his business was going well. He came back to
his family in Penang, to seek a life partner. He found his life partner in Hyderabad, India. After
his marriage, he started to work. Not under his father, but his brother-in-law, to seek knowledge
of business from a different perspective, starting from bottom again. Mydin moved to Kelantan to
set up his very first shop in the year the country achieved its independence, 1957. While the
business was steadily growing, there was little to be proud of as Mydin was only able to operate
and maintain one outlet.
The Second Migration
Twenty-three years, Mr. Mydin work very hard before Mydins second branch open at Kuala
Terengganu. This branch that open on 1979 is conducted by his eldest son, Mr. Murad Ali,
marking another milestone in the family business expansion plan. MYDIN has established itself
to be a reliable and trustworthy brand which is close to the heart for the community of Kelantan
and Terengganu, offering a variety of merchandise at affordable prices. Despite having two
branches in two different east coast states, MYDIN remained widely popular only in the east
coast. Less than 10 years passing by, the third branch is open at Jalan Masjid India, Kuala
Lumpur by Datuk Haji Ameer Ali, his second son.

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Third Migration
In 1989, MYDIN opened its third branch in Jalan Masjid India, Kuala Lumpur. It was the critical
move of a leaders heart and soul into the entrepreneurial world, a kick-start to what Mydin
venture beyond its familiar background of the east coast to prove its mettle against larger retailers
in the growing metropolis. Beyond this, it also marked another crucial milestone, an emotional
return of Mr Mydins prodigal son, Datuk Ameer Ali who had never shown any interest in the
family business back into the family fold but had carved a niche for himself in the banking
industry all these while.
Datuk Ameer Ali started the third branch of MYDIN in a rented 600 square feet shop lot in Jalan
Masjid India. Armed with a loan of RM200,000 and merchandise worth RM100,000, he focused
his attention to the purchasing power of the mostly Muslim community in that area. He sold
mostly leather and decorative goods as well as products that catered to the daily needs of the
Muslim community. His ideas and decision making ability reflects his managerial skills in the
retail business.
However, his decision to expand the business to a bigger facility did not get his fathers blessings
initially. Mr Mydin cautioned him to be financially prudent, and would not want to see money
flushed down the drain from expanding the shop quickly. Fortunately, he was a very persuasive
man, and was able to convince his father and siblings to embark on an innovative change for the
family business. In 1991, due to the escalating business turnovers and rapid expansion in size, the
family run business was converted from a sole proprietorship to a private limited company.

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Company details
In February 2000, the company officially registered its name as MYDIN Mohamed Holdings
Bhd, with Mr Mydin Mohamed as its Chairman and all his four sons as the board of directors.
Board of Directors
Mydin Mohamed Ali (Chairman)
Murad Ali (Executive Director)
Dato' Haji Ameer Ali (Managing Director)
Ahimmat Ali (Executive Director)
Salim Ali (Executive Director)
Datin Dr. Hajah Siti Hawa (Human Resources Director)
Puan Mumtaz (Director)
Puan Nadiya (Director)
Malik Murad Ali (IT Director)
Mirza Murad Ali (Merchandising Director)
MYDIN business activity is in retailing and wholesaling. The products range from food line,
household, soft-lines and hard-lines items. Hard-line products include hardware, electrical,
stationery, porcelain and toys. Whilst soft-line comprises of textiles and fabrics products. Food
line includes confectionery, drinks and beverages, delicatessen and dairy products. In their early
years of operations, MYDINs focus has always been in the non-food sector until they bought
over the first supermarket in Selayang in 1997.
Above all, MYDIN operates its business based on Halal concepts and stresses on honesty,
sincerity and good discipline in all aspects of its business.
Each of the branches has their own business category, based on the capacity of goods traded. The
category comprises hypermarket, emporium, minimarket, convenience shop, franchise store and
bazaar. Currently, MYDIN operates more than 100 outlets nationwide inclusive of 12
hypermarkets, 18 emporiums, 3 bazaars, 53 minimarkets (MyMydin), 10 convenience shops
(MyMart) and 5 franchise outlets (Mydin Mart). Each hypermarket is located in MYDIN Mall.
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Company Logo
Company Vision
MYDIN is the world's leading distributor of competitive "Halal" goods and services
Company Mission
We aim to be the leading wholesale and retail company by providing the best value, wide
assortment of goods and continuous excellence based on our business formula
The Tagline
Why Pay More, Buy at Wholesale Price
Quality Leaders
The success of MYDIN is attributed by the quality of its leaders, namely, the Board of Directors.
Mydins family is very hardworking and willing to push themselves beyond the limit. They have
a mixture of different skills. Their good habit that is cultivated from young developed the family
to have good character and excellent personality. They have strong family ties and are united.
They are committed to their business and are directly involved in negotiations with suppliers,
purchasing of inventories and choosing of franchisees.
These qualities which were nurtured since from young and supported by Islamic values has
created leaders which are able to bring the venture to greater success.
The Islamic value they practiced are:
Hardworking
Fardu Kifayah
Honesty and Integrity
Halal products
Spendthrift
Charity work
Accountability

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Community Service
Majlis bertindak
Datuk Ameer Ali as President of Masjid India Action committee had accompanied by 600
traders, marched to the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to surrender a memorandum of protests
Traders safety
Renovated the pondok polis for the safety watch of Jalan Masjid India.
TUKAR Program
MYDIN has been given the allocation of modernizing 100 shops. The
transformation process comprises of re-merchandising of items, install POS
systems and uplift the overall look of the shop. No fees were charged by
MYDIN on training.
Kedai Rakyat 1 Malaysia (KR1M)

Mydin was given trust and responsibility again after the successful TUKAR programme. MYDIN
provides assistance in fit-out works, equipment and racking installation, supply chain
management, IT support for POS system, retail, technical expertise and training.
Nation Building
Apart from the activities that ties with government and academic bodies, theres many more
Corporate Social Responsibilities carried out by MYDIN. Datuk Ameer Ali frequently attend
motivational speeches for students & entrepreneurs, exposing them to the world of business with
the do & donts, giving out tips and advices and relating his own experience in his talks. Its not
something that we could see every day, a billion dollar worth businessman, walking around the
streets, talking to people, an easily approachable person with his open mind and big heart.
Merdeka Celebration
MYDIN shared the same birth year and celebrated in conjuction of the national day, by
participating in parades, special promotions and ceremonies.

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Collaboration
Currently holds the Adjunct Professor of UiTM & Panel of Advisor of University
Malaysia Kelantan (UMK)
MARA Institute of Technology (UiTM)- joint project of mini-market in campus.
Exposing students with the basic business models to encourage entrepreneurship
Open University Malaysia (OUM) OUM & MARA student will be offered to have their
practical training in MYDIN.
Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Berhad (PUNB)-providing apprentice programme for
PUNB graduate students to increase Bumiputera youth participation in retail.
East Coast Economic Regional Development council (ECERDC)-coordinated a
Supervisory Management Development Programme (SMDP) for diploma holder with
Irshad consulting.
Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC) providing training grounds for HDC
trainees for global halal market
Ramadhan
MYDIN held the biggest buka puasa event organized by the private sector. Its Mass event of
Breaking of fast had seen more than 15,000 Malaysian joined the feast. For the less fortunate,
orphans and single mothers, besides providing free buka puasa and sahur, there are other things
that MYDIN had given out such as Baju Raya, songkok, sampin, biscuits and even duit raya.
Mothers Day
Mothers day is also included in its calendar event. Organized to celebrate about 100 mothers of
different races. The program which started as early from 10am includes cooking competition,
traditional congkak game, nuggets and ice cream eating contest, fashion show, mother make-up
contest and many more fun event for families to celebrate their mothers.
Public Awareness
MYDIN had distributed freely more than 50,000 booklets which contains 200-300 groceries and
household items for consumers to use as a guideline in which could help his customers to make a
comparison whenever they go out to shop. This had generated not only a stiff competition, but its
a sign to other traders and retailers to sell with lower margin for the sake of customers.

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Datuk Ameer Alis words

Here are the some few notable answers during his interviews with the public:What is your leadership and management style?
I think its more important to listen than to talk. As a leader, we have to lend ears often. It is not
going to work when you tell someone do as I say not as I do. You got to lead by example. You
need discipline to pull this through. Not easy but it gives long term value. People will follow you,
and its contagious. As a leader, we need to be honest, punctual and show highest integrity. When
you do that, people will want to be part of someone who lives up to his talk.
When managing, I also learn it is important to keep the separation between management and
staffs. It helps decision making. A leader cannot afford to become too emotional. When you
work, as a leader you got to delegate, not abdicate. I know some leaders sabotage their own
staffs just because they outshine him in front of the customers or other staffs. You got to learn to
let go and push the boundaries further. Another thing, as a leader we need to learn to honour
time. Dont keep people waiting just because you are the leader. Show some respect to other
peoples time.
In group, as a leader you need to put ego aside and deal with the issues at hand. You got to
separate people and issues or ideas. Ego is dangerous, it hampers decision making. You feel
good and powerful but nothing gets done.

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Points worth mentioning during interview @ 30/5/12

Be honest in life
Honesty is something very valuable in every organization and is often taken for granted.
According to this man, do not take what is not belonging to you. You may have cheated
someone of RM500 but at the end of the day you may be met in an accident with a total
repair of RM500. This principle has guided him and his organization for so long. Trust is
something you earned. Lets be honest in life.
Do not underestimate your competitor no matter what
Do not be comfortable with your core competency because one day it will fall against
you. We have seen this in the case of Kodak, a prominent brand where they became
reluctant to innovate. Always focus on your business but keep an eye on what your
competitor is doing.
Go out and work and gain experience before starting your own business
This is very important to me as I am aspired to be an entrepreneur one day. Experience
is vital to every individuals career development. It is because through experience you
gained, you increase your credibility. Your credibility follows you wherever you go. In
fact, this is about taking calculative risk which means to know what you are doing before
doing it.
Buy one packet of soldier for RM1 and sell each soldier for RM0.20
This highlights Datuk Ameer early training in entrepreneurship. His dad does not give
him money but instead teach him how to earn money. He shows that you can make money
in whatever you do. It is how to be humble and not taking things for granted.
The satisfaction from helping people is worth more than all the money you can earn
He put the importance in giving. Money gives you the satisfaction and buying power. But
helping others gives you significance in life. It is not how much you earned but how
many peoples life you have touched.

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Service from the heart

In the retail business, no matter how cheap your product is, you still need to give
service. Service from the heart. We see this in the success of Starbucks. Serving its
partners and customers from the heart.
Keep your passion
Passion is something one should keep in their heart. Passion drives a person. Passion
makes work more enjoyable. Passion gives energy. Passion is everything. Keep your
passion even if it takes years to achieve.
Future Challenges
MYDINs major obstacle is the often-narrow definition and labeling of Muslim Goods. It needs
to break away from the stereotype and encourage non-Muslim consumers to purchase goods in a
Muslim store. The name MYDIN, itself, denotes a Muslim outlet. Rarely does one see a nonMuslim consumers shop in MYDIN. This perception alone hinders MYDIN the opportunity to
broaden their target market. With purchasing power resting mostly on non-Muslims (mostly
Chinese minorities), MYDIN had to break ranks with religious and racial barriers inherent in
Malaysias culture. Today, MYDIN Holdings is the proud owner of several buildings in Jalan
Masjid India that houses the store. Anybody shopping there will include MYDIN as their favorite
shopping destination.

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REFERENCES
Books
1. Leadership, Richard L Daft 2010, International Edition 5th Edition,
South-Western College Publishing
2. Northouse, P. G. (2007). Leadership: Theory and practice (4th ed.).
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
3. Yukl, G. (2006). Leadership in organizations (6th ed.).
Upper Saddle River, NJ, Pearson-Prentice Hall.
4. MYDIN : The Untold Story, Datin Dr Hjh Siti Hawa Mohd (Ph.D), MPH Publishing
Journals
5. Australian Journal of Business and Management Research Vol.1 No.2, May-2011
6. The Impact Of Personality And Leadership Styles On Leading Change Capability Of
Malaysian Managers, Prof.Dr.Mohamed Sulaiman, Dept of Business Admin, Kulliyyah of
Economics and Management Sciences, International Islamic University of Malaysia
7. Harvard Business Review 2004 : What Makes A Leader
http://hbr.org/2004/01/what-makes-a-leader/ar/pr
E-Paper Article
8. The Malay Mail
http://manage.mmail.com.my/story/mighty-mydin-61664
Web References
9. http://www.mydin.com MYDIN Official company website
10. http://khairul-anwar.com/2011/07/05/ptmbd_interview-with-dato-hj-ameer-ali-bin-mydinof-mydin-holdings-bhd-part-1/
http://khairul-anwar.com/2011/07/05/ptmbd_interview-with-dato-hj-ameer-ali-bin-mydinof-mydin-holdings-bhd-part-2/
11. https://oc.okstate.edu/pages/personal/11654/Leadership Definition.pdf
12. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadership
13. http://leadershipdefinition.net/
14. http://www.tdktech.com/Organizational-Leadership
15. http://recruiterbox.com/blog/traits-of-a-perfect-employee/
16. https://www.google.com/#q=organizational+leadership+definition
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17. http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadstl.html

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Table of Content

What Makes A Leader

What Make A GOOD Leader

What is Organizational Leadership?

Great Leader of The Retailing Industry

Awards & Achievements

The Organization : MYDIN

Datuk Ameer Alis words

BPMN 6043 Leadership in Organization

Leader A person or thing that leads

Mohd Fauzi Abdul Aziz

BPMN 6043 Leadership in Organization

What Makes A Leader?

Mohd Fauzi Abdul Aziz

BPMN 6043 Leadership in Organization

What Makes A GOOD Leader?

Mohd Fauzi Abdul Aziz

BPMN 6043 Leadership in Organization

What is Organizational Leadership?

Mohd Fauzi Abdul Aziz

BPMN 6043 Leadership in Organization

Mohd Fauzi Abdul Aziz

BPMN 6043 Leadership in Organization

Mohd Fauzi Abdul Aziz

BPMN 6043 Leadership in Organization

Mohd Fauzi Abdul Aziz

BPMN 6043 Leadership in Organization

Mohd Fauzi Abdul Aziz

BPMN 6043 Leadership in Organization

Mohd Fauzi Abdul Aziz

BPMN 6043 Leadership in Organization

BPMN 6043 Leadership in Organization

BPMN 6043 Leadership in Organization

Service Beyond The Call of Duty

BPMN 6043 Leadership in Organization

Great Leader of The Retailing Industry

Awards & Achievements

BPMN 6043 Leadership in Organization

"Business Person of the Year" award by Asian Academy of Management International

Mohd Fauzi Abdul Aziz

BPMN 6043 Leadership in Organization

The Organization : MYDIN

Mohd Fauzi Abdul Aziz

BPMN 6043 Leadership in Organization

The First Migration

Mohd Fauzi Abdul Aziz

BPMN 6043 Leadership in Organization

Mohd Fauzi Abdul Aziz

BPMN 6043 Leadership in Organization

Mohd Fauzi Abdul Aziz

BPMN 6043 Leadership in Organization

Mydin Mohamed Ali (Chairman)

Murad Ali (Executive Director)

Dato' Haji Ameer Ali (Managing Director)

Ahimmat Ali (Executive Director)

Salim Ali (Executive Director)

Datin Dr. Hajah Siti Hawa (Human Resources Director)

Puan Mumtaz (Director)

Puan Nadiya (Director)

Malik Murad Ali (IT Director)

Mirza Murad Ali (Merchandising Director)

BPMN 6043 Leadership in Organization

Honesty and Integrity

Mohd Fauzi Abdul Aziz