It is all about their perseverance and resilience and how they have defied all expectations. The issue before us is the source of their energy to persevere and their courage to stay the course when it all appears to be hopeless. In the business of central banking we are increasingly being confronted by such extreme conditions. Building resilience is therefore key. I have described central banking as being an unfinished business because there are always new challenges on the horizon, endless demands emerging from an ever changing and more complex environment and great expectations that the Central Bank will provide the solutions to resolve the financial and economic problems that confront us. The Central Bank is also at the forefront in the management of any financial and economic crisis – a phenomenon that continues to plague the world with increasing frequency. The Central Bank can be described as a high impact organisation. Its decisions or indecisions, its action or inaction will have major and far reaching repercussions and consequences on the economic well being of the public at large and the entire spectrum of businesses. The responsibility and accountability is therefore immense. Our business is about bringing value and benefits to our citizens. In an environment of greater transparency and enhanced communication there is also greater awareness of the prevailing circumstances. This has produced higher expectations for the delivery of results. Energy is derived from this very sense of meaning of what responsibility brings.
Zeti Akhtar Aziz: Central banking – using leadership energy to build resilience Speech by Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz, Governor of the Central Bank of Malaysia (Bank Negara Malaysia), at the Iclif Leadership Energy Asia Summit 2015, Kuala Lumpur, 1 December 2015. *  *  *  Welcome to this year’s Leadership Energy Summit Asia organised by our Iclif Leadership and Governance Centre. This is our third summit in the series on leadership energy. The focus on leadership energy reflects its importance in today’s leadership. The contemporary environment we are living in has become increasingly more challenging – characterised by highly destabilising and tumultuous events. Not only are we living in a world that has become highly unpredictable and unstable but a world that is being more frequently subject to extreme conditions in which we are tested to the limit. How do we survive against the odds manifested in this environment? It is all about having the ability to endure and prevail. It is also about being able to succeed and thrive in such an environment. It is about being resilient. Resilience is key to surviving in this environment. Today we are privileged to hear and be inspired from the experience of personalities who not only survived against such great odds but who have also achieved great success. Let me take this opportunity to express our gratitude to our distinguished speakers who have come from different parts of the world to share their knowledge and experience on this subject.