2020 was a year full of unprecedented news… Starting from the sudden tragedy of Kobe Bryant in January, then there was a world-wide pandemic of COVID-19 that gradually shut down the entire world… Then it was the #blacklifematters social activity that triggered the race equality issue in the United States… Later all the sports games got canceled and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic got postponed, and few days ago… It was the passage of soccer legend Maradona…

What a year it has been!

With so many negative news spreading around the world, staying healthy suddenly becomes a blessing.

As COVID-19 has changed the way people live, a lot of the so-called irregular happening are getting normalized and have becoming part of our everyday life. For example, the emergence of remote working and digital transformations.

All of these has led me to spend more time reflecting more about life than ever before.

Here are the ten valuable lessons that I have learned in leadership and humanity from leaders, friends, and life in general.

I hope you found a thing or two that is useful and applicable in your life.

• “Passion, purpose, and people – Follow your passion, guide yourself with purpose, and surround yourself with people that inspire you and bring you joy.” – Consolidation from various conversations with leaders.

• “One person can run fast, together we can run longer.” – Run club motto. Slowly but surely, step by step.

• “It’s not what you do or say, but how you make others feel.” – Treat others the way you want to be treated. Somewhere on the office wall.

• “When you make a career decision, don’t just listen to your brain, but follow your heart. It tells you something that you can’t analyze.” –  An amazing marketing leader.

• “Be water, my friend.” – A 30 for 30 documentaries of Bruce Lee.

• “To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift.” – Nike DNA long-distance running athlete Steve Pre Prefontaine.

• “It is not what happened that mattered, but how you reacted to the situation counted.” – Iceberg theory. You see 10% of the thing but 90% are not covered. It is all about how you perceive, internalize, and react. Don’t let emotion overtake your response.

• “Personal branding, leadership, and skillsets are the three integral parts for career development.” – Amazing business & people leader.

• “Work hard; and be nice to people.” – A caring marketing leader.

• “Don’t just look ahead, look around, reach out, and show you care.” – A caring marketing leader.

After today, I will officially turn 35-year-old. Kobe died at 41 years old. Maradona left the world at the age of 60. Really, anything can happen at anytime and in anywhere.

Live at the moment, cherish the time with the ones that care about you and you care about. Take care of yourself and then others. Reach out more and look around.

And last but not the least…Be water my friends. We are entering into a whole new era of digitalization – The world that we live in today changes the fastest…But it will also be the slowest.

Buckle the seat belts, adjust your mindset, and get ready for the ride.

Post 2020.