I sometimes wonder if kindness is Australian because this is yet another story of a boomerang ๐ช where the simple act of kindness brings positive karma.
A lecturer at Ngee Ann Polytechnic invited my friend Leslie Choudhury to give a guest lecture on customer service. No fee, just goodwill. His schedule was open, so he agreed. Giving back, doing a favour, no expectations, just an hour of talking to business students who, statistically speaking, were probably half asleep. ๐ค
Except they were not. The session was electrifying โก. More than four hundred students, lecturers, and school heads were engaged, laughing, and throwing so many questions that the session had to be cut short.
Just as he was about to leave, one of the students made her way through the crowd. Her name was Karin and she asked for his card. She wanted an internship. ๐ฉโ๐
Most students wait for graduation. Karin skipped the waiting part. Leslie told her to call on Monday. She did. By then, his office manager needed help, and just like that, Karin had an internship with Leslie.
Months later, she walked into Leslie’s office. It was the second-to-last day of her internship. This time, Karin had another request. Her uncle owned a resort, and she believed Leslie could help him. The meeting was scheduled for Saturday morning. Much earlier than Leslie preferred, but he agreed. โฐ
Leslie expected a small, quiet resort. Maybe a charming little place with a few palm trees ๐ด๐ด๐ด. Instead, he walked into a massive operation. The resort, known as Sun Island Resort in Shanghai, was a four-hundred-million-dollar venture with villas, hotels ๐จ, a golf course ๐๏ธโโ๏ธ , and a water park.
The meeting felt like a full boardroom interrogation, with a panel of executives firing off questions. Then, just as suddenly as it started, they all stood up and left.
One man remained, smiling. That was the chairman, Tan Hong Khoon. Instead of discussing business, he suggested lunch. Leslie assumed fine dining as soon as he saw the chairmanโs car ๐, a shiny Mercedes 500. A Michelin-starred โญโญโญ๐ทmeal seemed inevitable.
Instead, Tan Hong Khoon pulled into a small coffee shop and ordered prata. Over crispy prata ๐ซ, he shared his thoughts. He liked Leslie’s approach and wanted him to fly โ๏ธ to Shanghai on Monday to assess the business.
By Wednesday, Leslie was in Shanghai. This turned into a consulting role, leading fifteen hundred employees and working with forty-four managers, most of whom spoke a different language.
It all started with a YES. A favor for a friend. A favor for a student. One act of generosity that opened doors in ways no one could have predicted.
Kindness has a way of returning, often in ways that surprise us. Sometimes with a side of good prata.
