Member: IAM Leadership Alliance Council

As CEO of Giraffe Intermovers & Logistic Ltd, I know that empathy is not the first thing you may think of when you look at prosperity, but its qualities of optimism, persistence, creativity, self-discipline, desire for good, and commitment are at the heart of effective leadership. Today’s worldwide threats of pandemics, war, political instability, and economic crisis may be the biggest leadership test in our generation. As business leaders, we must be role models by demonstrating these qualities and inspiring our team and future generations with positive energy and mindsets when taking on professional challenges.

My volunteering experience at IAM has taught me the importance of gratitude and appreciating all the things I have in life. It has helped me learn to cherish my ability and impact others, and inspired me to strive to become a better individual and professional leader.

As a good practice to develop the art of leadership, volunteering at IAM has expanded my planning and organizing skills. I have learned the true value of diversity, communications, mutual respect, and partnership, and I’ve had the opportunity to interact with people from multiple organizational levels. For example, one very important task of the Leadership Alliance Council is advocating women’s empowerment by developing strategies to empower women to be leaders. In the process of doing so, we introduced a women’s leadership award to celebrate the achievements of women in this industry.

The best volunteering practices I have found are to be open-minded, to share your difficulties with honesty, demonstrate a commitment to perform one’s duties on a timely basis, and being ready to provide meaningful feedback to others. 

My time in volunteering with IAM has been a great source of new business, friends, connections and skills, as well as a kind of group therapy, and has given me an enhanced sense of fulfillment of life.