Set the Right Goalpost: Leadership Insights on Building Future Proof Organizations

As COO and Chief International Business Officer, Dalad Tantiprasongchai, guides and drives SCBX’s strategic operations, investments, and partnerships across fintech, digital platforms, and digital assets. She has accumulated over 18 years of extensive expertise in Finance and Strategy. Passionate about her work, Dalad has held key roles in private equity investments, mergers and acquisitions and strategic consulting, operating across various countries.

In a recent conversation with the Global Woman Leader Magazine, Dalad shares her thoughts on building better modern-day organizations and the evolving role of women in leadership. She talks about how to build positive organizational culture and facilitate personal growth for employees in today’s hybrid work environments. Drawing from her experience, Dalad shares suggestions for fostering a culture of innovation while aligning with the company’s short- and long-term goals.

Dalad also draws examples from her personal life to talk about the evolving role played by women in leadership roles while they also balance the demands of their personal lives. Her message to aspiring women leaders is to play to their strengths and not let gender differences colour their aspirations.

Read the article to know more about Dalad’s insights on leadership and more. 

Which key leadership traits help foster a culture of transformation?

The core leadership traits I value as a senior executive and a working mother are integrity, leading with empathy, and leading by example. The concept of stewardship and servant leadership is also essential to me.

Given your focus on people development how do you ensure a positive organizational culture and personal growth when a part of the workforce is remote or hybrid?

We live in a world where the SCBX organization operates in a highly hybrid model. Many internal discussions take place online, but key meetings such as board meetings, executive committee meetings, and management committee meetings remain in-person due to their effectiveness in face-to-face settings.

From a team development perspective, I focus on results orientation and being results-driven. As a leader, I take ownership of working closely with my team. Often, as individuals advance in their careers, they may distance themselves from day-to-day operations, but I make it a point to stay involved. Whether the team is working late or over weekends, I am present to provide guidance, conduct check-ins, and assist with problem-solving.

I also ensure there are systematic cadences for the team to raise roadblocks and critical questions. Leadership requires significant time commitment, and as one becomes more senior, time becomes the most valuable resource. Balancing time management, effective delegation, and engagement with both the team and senior stakeholders is an ongoing effort.

How do you balance innovation and operational excellence indigital banking? How do you foster groundbreaking ideas while managing resources and expectations effectively?

I approach this on a personal level by staying informed through extensive reading and keeping up with market developments globally, regionally, and domestically. It's about having access to market intelligence, leveraging information sources, and encouraging the team to do the same within their networks and through public information.

Building a culture that fosters knowledge sharing is crucial, especially in my team's role, which drives strategic growth for the organization. We aim to be the go-to resource for knowledge sharing and access to the right external experts. This requires a focus on information access, a continuous learning mindset, and ensuring this culture is cascaded both horizontally and vertically across the organization.

Which strategies do you employ to ensure operational stability? How do you align your team's effort to meet both immediate goals and long-term innovation targets?

Creating the right goalpost for the team is essential. Setting visionary goals, particularly for the younger generation, plays to their sense of purpose and highlights areas where they can make a real impact. As a leader, this approach helps rally team members around a shared vision. Aligning on these goals is crucial.

Additionally, it’s important to reduce the sense of hierarchy while maintaining the authority necessary for structure. I do this by providing forums for team debriefs and ensuring they have access to key takeaways from senior-level discussions. These approaches foster transparency, inclusiveness, and a shared sense of purpose, making the team feel more integrated into the organization's journey.

How do you envision integrating sustainability into the broader business strategy? How can other women leaders in finance and tech create value through climate-conscious investments?

Climate is one of our three strategic pillars and a key focus for our next phase of growth. We approach it from two perspectives: internal sustainability initiatives and climate as a value-creating business domain. The latter includes climate investing and business building, which must go hand in hand.

The climate sector is a dynamically evolving and complex landscape, shaped by uncertainties in climate technologies, environmental changes, and the regulatory framework. To navigate this effectively, we must balance humility about these uncertainties with bold, calculated risks and strategic actions, whether in experimentation, scaling, or learning. Our focus is on 

ecosystem building, leveraging partnerships to drive value and pave the way for a more sustainable future.

As virtual banking and new technologies redefine the workplace, how will the future of work evolve, particularly for women in leadership positions?

The evolution and advancement of technologies like AI will drastically reshape the workforce in the coming decades. This applies to both women and men in leadership, as they navigate and adapt their organizations to this evolution. However, what's unique to women in leadership is the dual role many play as professionals and caregivers.

As a woman and a mother, I know firsthand the additional demands placed on women, particularly in cultures like those in Asia. Despite progress toward gender equality, women often bear greater responsibilities at home, even while holding senior positions. For example, I’m a single mother working full-time, which adds layers of complexity to my professional life.

That said, we’re seeing a rise in strong female leadership in both private and public sectors. One key advantage women bring to leadership is a higher sense of empathy and human connection. In an era of AI and technological disruption, these qualities are essential for managing workforce motivations and navigating change. Women's natural attunement to the human fabric makes them well-suited to lead through these transitions.

LAST WORD

To young professionals, particularly women starting their careers, my advice is to play to your strengths. Reflecting on my own experience in male-dominated industries like finance, investment, and consulting, being street-smart, reading the room, and staying acutely conscious of your environment are key strengths.

As a young female professional in such industries, you may feel like a minority or sense a strong male presence. However, it’s important to normalize the perception of gender differences. It shouldn’t be about your gender but about your ability to contribute meaningfully to the matter at hand. Ultimately, individual contributions matter more than gender.