The Benefits Of Leadership

Singapore Health Leader at Mercer Marsh Benefits, Neil Narale learned important leadership lessons from an unlikely source – his school vice principal.

- Oliver Featherston

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Years before he became Singapore Health Leader with Mercer Marsh Benefits, Neil Narale had a different career path in mind. “My dream job was to be a runner,” he says. “I spent quite a bit of time running track and field, and cross-country. What I loved was the discipline of training, timing, setting goals, reaching milestones – the mental aspect of the sport, not just the physical aspect – and taking care of my health.”

Though he never ended up going professional as a runner, Neil has kept up the regimen and training in support of a healthy lifestyle. Moreover, the regimen, training and discipline contribute to Neil’s leadership qualities. While his perseverance and dedication has been built up from physical exercise, Neil’s style of leadership has been informed by a prominent figure in his childhood – his elementary school vice principal. “He was a very humble individual,” Neil recalls. “What I remember about him is he spoke to everyone with the same tone of respect – teachers, janitors, students close to graduating, or those in lower grades. He spoke to them all in a similar respectful manner.”

Neil’s leadership style these days is marked by that same egalitarianism, as well as his vice principal’s good humour and use of stories to make a point. For example, when the business enacts a growth strategy, it’s not Neil’s strategy, it’s the team’s strategy. He’s instituted a culture of collaboration, of idea sharing, where open dialogue with the boss is not something the team needs to feel hesitant about. Most importantly, Neil has cultivated trust and loyalty, thanks to his emphasis on cooperation.