The Pope comes to townThe biggest story this week was Pope Francis’ visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Known for its dynamic and diverse community, the Southeast Asian region as a whole makes for the fifth largest economy in the world and the region is expected to grow even further. Despite its accomplishments, the region still falls short in terms of gender equality in key leadership roles, the general workforce and the global environment.

Some years ago, I replaced my 36-inch television – grudgingly. I only had it for a little over 24 months. The Helpline diagnosed it to be a problem with the motherboard, which would cost more to fix than buying a brand new television with better sound, a sharper picture, et cetera et cetera. Recently, my Bluetooth speaker went blip. Same advice – go for the latest model. It seems ridiculous to discard an entire product because one part is broken.

Many of us are fortunate to live in a world of wealth and health as never before experienced in history. Previous generations have paved the way for rapid economic development, and we now have the luxury of focusing on our well-being. Nations are measuring their citizens’ happiness index, corporations are managing their employee engagement, and individuals are seeking self-fulfillment. However, the world also faces unprecedented levels of volatility and unpredictability.

Are you one of those who take pride in your work and consistently deliver quality work on time? You put in long hours. Pay attention to detail. You’re a great team player and supporter. You’re fantastic in a crisis. Your boss depends on you as you pick up the pieces others dropped. In fact, you think your boss can’t live without you.You are a master fixer. The photocopier is out of paper. You load the paper. The format of the powerpoint slides have gone haywire. You reformat the slides.

Everyone is there except Dave - late again because he is sending his kids to school. Do you:A: Give Dave some flexibility and ask him to work later: orB: Tell him he has to stick to the rules or you will tell HR.You chose B because you had no choice when your kids were younger. They took the bus.STOP!At home you are a caring mother and you volunteer at an orphanage. Where did that compassion go?You tell yourself, you are doing your job. You, and Dave, have responsibilities.You are miserable.

Most of Malaysia’s largest corporations are actually controlled by an elite group of government-linked investment companies or GLICs that own major stakes in numerous large listed corporations commonly referred to as government-linked companies or GLCs. Out of the ten largest listed companies on Bursa Malaysia, eight are GLCs with a combined market capitalisation of about RM 452 billion.

Every business, in whatever part of the world you are in, is affected by the ever-accelerating globalisation, driven by demographics and technology. For leaders, this means you need to be able to build bridges. Bridges between people with different cultures and religions, bridges between different business models and indeed bridges between increasingly diverse employees.