(Courtesy Of BII)All leaders adopt their own style of interacting with their employees. It may be based on keeping a respectful but understood distance, or taking a more familiar and friendly approach.

PT Bank International Indonesia Tbk (BII) President Director and CEO Dato’ Khairussaleh Ramli opts for the second approach, hosting regular sit-down morning meetings with about 30 people from different departments and positions. He calls the forum STMJ, the initials of the ingredients — milk, egg, honey and ginger — in the drink of choice at the gatherings, held on two Fridays every month.

“We chat and talk in an informal manner while drinking glasses of STMJ. At least they know who I am, what I do, what my hobby is … I am also a human being,” the Malaysian national said.

Khairussaleh also uses the forum to assure employees that they are an important part of a complementary team upholding the bank’s values.

“I tell them, ‘We have to work together. I am part of you and you are part of me’,” he said.

BII sets its core values of TIGER – teamwork, integrity, growth, excellence & efficiency and relationship – in achieving shared corporate goals.

Of course, instilling corporate values among employees is fundamental to any managerial program. He said a banker must implement the values consistently in daily operations instead of paying lip service to them or only resorting to them as a manual reference.

He emphasizes that there is no compromising on honesty and transparency.

“Each value should not only be said but done. We once dismissed an employee who lacked a sense of integrity. He was caught for involvement in a fraudulent act, even though it was the first time for him to do it. We cannot tolerate a fraudulent act by an employee, integrity is not negotiable.”

Implementing the values in the workplace is a continual and synergetic process.

“For example, if we want to implement an initiative related to customers, such as offering a product, then everyone from across the groups is involved because everyone has a role to play,” he said.

“Internally, we emerge as one unit to serve customers.”

From a leader’s point of view, the most effective way of nurturing values among employees is through leading by example.

“If you want other people to do the same thing as you do, you have to do the same thing. If you want other people to work long hours, then you have to work long hours,” said Khairussaleh, the former CFO of Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank).

According to Khairussaleh, a leader is a figure who employees should follow.

“People will see where I go. They will notice if I go to a toilet, for example,” he said, laughing.

Prioritizing people

Khairussaleh was appointed to his current position in 2011, two years after the bank was acquired by Maybank.

Under his leadership, he has embarked on a series of breakthrough programs, leading to the bank achieving good results over the last nine months.

They include the so-called transformation program, with developing human resources one of the priorities.

Under the transformation program, employees are offered valued proposition as part of the management’s efforts to keep employees loyal to the bank.

“We clarify employee-related aspects, such as career development, training development, trainings programs, performance in organization and salaries,” he said.

“We also try to put people in an international climate by sending eligible employees to work in Maybank overseas, such as in Malaysia.”

He describes his leadership style as simple.

“I always discuss things with members of my board of directors. The discussion allows for pros and cons on every issue but once the decision has been made, then everyone should support it,” he said.

Under the transformation program BII has set the target of higher return on equity (R.O.E) in the next three years, which is keeping Khairussaleh and his employees extra busy. Apart from having regular informal meeting with employees, he must also attend the meeting of the board of directors every month to monitor implementation of programs or initiatives.

“I keep telling my employees that I spend much time with lady BOD members,” he said, laughing.

But he does not want to sacrifice his weekends for work. “I spend my time with my wife and my three kids on weekends. I play football or go swimming with my kids,” he said.

He has a musical outlet for any built-up frustrations, although it’s unlikely that his apartment neighbors will suffer silently.

“I release stress by playing drums. But my acoustic drum is still in Malaysia,” he said. “Someday I’ll try to get an electric drum.”

He had a chance to play at a recent event in Yogyakarta with an employee band. It was more than just a way to let off steam.

“Playing the drums with a home band is another way of becoming closer to my employees,” he said.

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