Malaysia is renowned for its vibrant and diverse culture, influenced by its rich history and the fusion of various ethnicities. The nation’s diverse heritage—including Malay, Chinese, Indian, and indigenous cultures—and unique government landscape shape its societal norms, economic policies, and professional practices. On July 10, 2024, Anne-Marie Paiement, PhD, regional manager of Asia Pacific, and Nicole Dickie, senior consultant, visited Optimal Consulting, a Hogan authorized distributor in Malaysia. This was a great opportunity to learn more about and discuss trends we observe in Hogan assessment data from Malaysian leaders.
Core values such as respect for authority, communal harmony, and a strong emphasis on tradition deeply influence leadership styles and organizational behavior in Malaysia. In Malaysian culture, respect for authority and hierarchical structures is paramount. This respect extends into the workplace, where leaders are often seen as figures of authority and wisdom. Harmony and consensus are highly valued, with leaders expected to maintain balance and foster a collaborative environment.
Read more to discover what values Malaysian leaders pursue, how they pursue them, and which potential derailers may slow down their careers.
What Do Malaysian Leaders Want?
From a market perspective, Malaysia has profoundly transformed its economy over the past 60 years, becoming a leading exporter with a robust manufacturing and service sector. These cultural and economic backdrops influence the way leaders in Malaysia approach their roles and interact with their teams. Wan Leng Ho, CEO of Optimal Consulting, shared her in-depth perspective: “Malaysia’s multicultural society, characterized by diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, likely influences its leaders to value a variety of perspectives and approaches.”
Hogan’s Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory (MVPI) reveals that Malaysian leaders tend to score high on the Power, Commerce, and Altruistic scales. Power indicates a desire for influence and authority. These leaders may prefer working in and creating organizational cultures that are results oriented, aggressive, and competitive.
Additionally, Malaysian executive leaders score especially high on Commerce, which highlights their focus on achieving business success and economic growth. These top leaders likely need a results- and business-oriented outlook to ensure their organizations thrive in an evolving economy.
However, this outlook is complemented by high scores in Altruistic, which suggest a strong inclination toward helping others and contributing to the well-being of their teams. These executives may feel responsible for contributing to the holistic development of their teams. “Malaysian diversity is complemented by government policies, such as Vision 2020 and the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030, which emphasize both economic growth and social welfare. These long-term economic plans may explain the combination of high Commerce and Altruistic scores observed in Malaysian leaders,” Ho observed.
Malaysian executive leaders also score higher on the Science scale compared to the global average of executive leaders. This suggests a robust appreciation for data-driven decision-making and a preference for solutions grounded in empirical evidence rather than intuition or common sense.
How Will Leaders in Malaysia Get What They Want?
The Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI) assesses how individuals relate to others when they are at their best. Malaysian leaders typically score moderately low on the Adjustment scale and moderately high on the Inquisitive scale. Lower Adjustment scores indicate that Malaysian leaders have a sense of urgency, anticipate problems before they occur, and tend to be open to constructive feedback. However, they may struggle with managing sustained stress and change, potentially affecting their resilience in dynamic environments.
Conversely, higher scores on Inquisitive suggest an interest in big-picture thinking and strong curiosity, fostering innovation and exploration. Malaysian leaders are likely attentive and responsive to external factors, as well as open to new ideas as they manage rapidly changing market conditions.
Compared to global executive leaders’ averages, Malaysian executive leaders score lower on both Adjustment and Ambition but higher on Inquisitive and Learning Approach. This profile reflects a preference for gathering knowledge, solving problems in new ways, and engaging in ongoing learning—all while setting realistic goals, driving team consensus, and constantly striving to improve performance.
Ho explained that Malaysia has a history of rapid development and industrialization, which has fostered a leadership culture valuing strategic thinking and problem-solving. The lower Ambition scores compared to global averages may be influenced by cultural norms prioritizing collective success over individual achievement. As an emerging economy, Malaysian leaders must remain alert to challenges while seeking innovative solutions, resulting in a combination of lower Adjustment and higher Inquisitive scores. The emphasis on gathering knowledge and solving problems in new ways, as evidenced by high Inquisitive and Learning Approach, appears to be a strategic response to compete effectively in the global market.
These characteristics collectively paint a picture of Malaysian leadership adapting to a fast-paced, globally competitive business environment, while still retaining some culturally influenced traits. “As Malaysia becomes increasingly integrated into the global economy, its leaders are likely adapting their styles to incorporate both local values and international business practices,” Ho said. “This blend of cultural diversity, government-driven economic and social goals, and the pressure of globalization creates a unique environment that shapes the characteristics and approaches of Malaysian leadership.”
What Will Get in Malaysian Leaders’ Way?
The Hogan Development Survey (HDS) identifies potential derailers, which are overused strengths that may impede career success if not managed effectively. Malaysian executive leaders exhibit higher scores on the group of derailers that Hogan calls the Moving Away cluster, compared to the global average executive leader profile. Leaders who move away tend to withdraw from people, tasks, and decisions during times of stress. Derailment within this cluster involves increasing distance to cope with insecurity. By stifling trust, the behaviors associated with this cluster can have negative implications for team performance and psychological safety.
According to Ho, the personality characteristics of Malaysian leaders are shaped by a complex interplay of cultural, historical, economic, and political factors. Cultural norms valuing harmony and conflict avoidance may contribute to higher scores on the Moving Away cluster, with leaders withdrawing during stress to maintain social equilibrium. This tendency is further reinforced by Malaysia’s complex political history and multiethnic society, potentially leading to cautious decision-making and a learned behavior of moving away in sensitive situations.
Across the entire HDS, Skeptical is the highest-scoring derailer for Malaysian executives. Being skeptical helps Malaysian executive leaders think critically, prevent groupthink, and favor ethical decisions. However, under stress, skeptical leaders can become distrustful, overly critical, and negative, appearing brooding or defensive.
Malaysian leaders also score higher on the Moving Against cluster, particularly on the Imaginative scale. At their best, Malaysian leaders can drive innovation and solve problems in novel ways. However, in times of stress and pressure, that strength may become a weakness, leading to challenges in focusing on practical, day-to-day operations or lacking follow-through on those creative ideas.
In an emerging economy within a competitive global market, Malaysian leaders’ skepticism serves as a tool for critical thinking and risk management, reflected in high Skeptical scores that also indicate a business culture valuing due diligence. The high scores on the Imaginative scale likely stem from the need for innovation in a rapidly evolving economic landscape, Ho explained. Traditional hierarchical organizational structures may exacerbate the tendency to withdraw during stress, as leaders might feel solely responsible for problem-solving. Ultimately, this moving away tendency could be viewed as a coping mechanism developed in response to high-pressure business environments, highlighting the multifaceted nature of stress management in Malaysian leadership.
What Can We Learn from Malaysian Leaders’ Personality Data?
The leadership trends observed in Malaysian leaders offer valuable insights into Malaysia’s unique expectations toward leaders and preferred leadership behaviors. High scores on MVPI Power, Commerce, and Altruistic reflect a blend of authoritative ambition, a commitment to others, and a drive for business success. The higher emphasis on MVPI Science underscores the value placed on data and evidence-based decision-making.
The combination of lower HPI Adjustment and Ambition scores with higher Inquisitive and Learning Approach scores shows that Malaysian executive leaders prefer gaining knowledge, working in teams, and responding well to pressure and problems. However, their higher scores in HDS Imaginative and Skeptical suggest potential challenges in certain situations. They may struggle with staying optimistic and trusting others during periods of organizational change or uncertainty. They may also find it difficult to remain practical when implementing new strategies or solutions.
These personality trends provide a nuanced perspective on the expectations Malaysian executive leaders have for their roles and how they navigate their professional landscapes. By aligning leadership strategies with these insights, organizations can foster more effective and culturally attuned leadership practices in Malaysia.
This article was written by Anne-Marie Paiement, PhD, regional manager, Asia Pacific; Nicole Dickie, MA, senior consultant, Asia Pacific; and Krista Pederson. MA, managing director, Asia Pacific—all members of the international distributors team at Hogan Assessments.