Business with Heart: Green Dot (Part 2)

Green Dot is a plant-based restaurant chain in Singapore. Below are excerpts of my 2024 interview with its CEO, Fu Yong Hong. The first interview from 2017 is here.

On what’s important to him as a leader

If you are with my company, it’s my responsibility and joy to see you become a better person. I feel that this is something that drives me personally. Because I feel that the first thing is always personal and inner health. The second thing is your family or relationships must be happy. The third thing is business, meaning earning money through helping people.

The last is giving back. “Give back” and “donate” is different. When you donate, you may give something you don’t want. But giving back is giving what you value and is precious to you. And that is your time and effort to groom them. One of the things we did which was effective was the book club where I get my middle management to discuss good books I choose such as on financial planning. During the annual review, they told me that the books really helped them

Another thing that is very good for us every year, is our annual event. Last year we did something very meaningful. We contacted the family of our staff from overseas and asked them to record a message for them. Our event is to recognise and thank them, and I always try to bring in the family element.

I don’t really organise team bonding after hours or weekends. I feel that after hours is time for you to go home and spend time with your family.

On working hours

We are an SME. We need to work hard because every year we need to increase salary and sales. If you don’t increase sales, if the salary increasing one day we’ll just say bye-bye to the company. So we have to still work hard. But of course I always tell my staff that it is not about working long hours to achieve the result. If you can achieve the result with less hours, I’m happy for you. For office staff, we don’t really touch them after work, or during their weekends or holiday.

Three qualities he seeks to grow in his managers

I think one is resilience in meeting a problem. When you face problem, how was your reaction? Do you get emotional after you see problems or do you take it like a learning option here? I think that’s the first thing.

Second is empathy and with a key interest to help people grow. Because when you’re a leader, actually your main job is help people grow.

And the last thing is your communication skills.

More on helping people grow

There’s a board on the wall here, with our vision. It means customer and the team, mentally and physically, healthy, family happy, and live with kind intention and groom the next generation with love.

I hope that they become people like that. I tell them that money is important, but of course your internal happiness more important.

“The most important thing we put in our food is love” – Aunty Mabel, a mother figure at Green Dot, with staff member

On leaders being the change

A lot of leaders are very driven. They also go for a lot of classes to learn. I also went to a lot of classes. Then one day I wanted to send one of my staff to one of the classes that I used to go. Because I used to argue with her every day. Then one day she told me :”Boss, you go for so many classes. You never improve. Why you want to send me to the class?” So I felt very sad. Then of course along the years, I picked myself up until one day, we reconcile. We became better on working terms and closer, and she finally also went for the course that I believe that she should go for.

I feel that most importantly, a leader needs to show the change that they promote. Being a role model is very, very, very important and the biggest change is not always learning new things. The biggest change is learning about what is toxic about yourself and pulling the toxic thing out. The biggest change is learning how to be a good husband, how to be a good father, how to be a good son. Then they respect you. That’s what I’m focused on. Honestly, as a leader, we have to be so capable because we hire people more capable of me to do the best in terms of character.

That’s why what I do is I show them how I live my life. I tell them stories.

Vadivu: How can leaders discover their toxic traits?

Yong Hong: Look at the recurring cycles in their life. For example, you argue with wife, argue with your doctor…do you always argue? That means the problem could be with you. Always look for recurring problems in your life and pull them out. “Pull out” means you change that. But no need to change a hundred percent, you can change 5%. Gradually you’ll improve. Because if you overcome all this, they respect you even more.

I think the best way to champion mental health is to lead by example. Lead a life they want to follow and show them how to use wisdom to have a really happy life. It’s not just about money. I tell them, “If you want money, money is the byproduct of excellence in the things we do. Make sure we do well. But it is just one part of your wealth.”

On good character

Vadivu: What is the most important virtue of good character?

Yong Hong: Of course there are many things that flash across my mind.. Compassion, resilience, humility…

Vadivu: What about in your heart? Many virtues may cross your mind. What is in your heart emerges naturally.

Yong Hong: Love. Only when one is willing to love himself can you love others. It sounds cliche but if you’ve been through this understanding, you’ll love yourself then you will love others . Honestly, my whole change in myself came from starting to love myself. Because before, I worked very long hours, seven days. I told myself that taking a break was a weakness. Then that’s why I had very bad relationships.

Although I worked very hard, and saw some results for my business, I was unhappy until I told myself that I must change myself. So first thing I did was to find a personal trainer. Then I block out time to train. I went to learn music, guitar and singing. So I blocked out this timing to love myself again because that gives me joy. I learned new things, went for spiritual classes to find out the recurring cycles.

I realised why I worked so hard. One day when I was in my second or third year, I went to the market with my mom. Then we met a neighbour. Neighbour said, “Hey auntie,your son has his own business.” Then you know Asian mothers, very humble. So she’s replied, “oh, no lah. He’s helping his friend to run the business.” So at that stage, I didnd’t know what my mom meant, and I also didn’t say much. I didn’t feel anything. So after that I went to a spiritual class. I realised this thing pricked me. I thought that my mother didn’t acknowledge me. So I worked so hard to get her attention. I worked so hard to prove her wrong. Then when I graduated, I invited my mother to come. Then I told her the story and I cried and she also hugged me and she said “No matter what you do, I’m very proud of you.” So I don’t work for proving. So I don’t work to prove anything to her anymore.

That was the tipping point. I’ve been through this. I know how to help myself and people to find the root cause.

Below is a tribute by Yong Hong’s staff on facebook.

Images credit: Green Dot