The second generation of Lestari Ihsan, Adrean Kwong originally started working as a construction site supervisor – helping his father transform from a small housing development project to building more than 2,000 residential houses in Selangor.
However, things did not go as he planned. His father had a stroke in 2020 which instantly put him as the next responsible person to continue the legacy.
“It was a natural progression for me to join my father’s company as a construction site supervisor after I finished my studies. I planned to take over the company slowly by learning every position and stage of development. But, to take over the company as fast as this was never in my plan,” Adrean tells WargaBiz.
With zero background in managing a business, Adrean took over the company in 2020 and has not looked back. The sudden incident forced him to learn how a good company should run – from HR, sales, account, project and everything.
The Second Generation of Lestari Ihsan: Doing things differently
Being the second generation of the company who has lots of fresh ideas, the first task he did was to restructure the whole management. A risky task – either he succeeds or breaks it.
He says the previous leadership doesn’t have clear cross-communication between departments – resulting in miscommunication happening easily. Improvements have also extended to the work culture.
But while some things have stayed the same such as the company’s vision and leadership ethics, Adrean also says a lot has also changed. He brings a whole new team with him and a new work culture.
Adrean has always thought big and strived to do things differently. “It wasn’t easy to convince my father to approve of my management and leadership style. We bantered a lot,” he laughs.
As a young man, he has a lot of fresh ideas to bring to the table. Doing things differently includes embracing the changes and cultural practices. “Although it was hard, my father now understands why I did differently – we are making progress,” he says.
Building back stronger
Like most companies, Lestari Ihsan faced a slowdown during the pandemic too. “To be honest, when COVID-19 first hit, I thought our business was not going to be survived. With the restriction on projects, we had no work and everyone was struggling,” Adrean shares.
It was challenging not for Adrean but the whole team. During the pandemic, the staff received only half of their salaries. As a leader, he didn’t take any salary. Adrean addressed it as the biggest financial obstacle for him.
“I had no choice but to ask for help. It was a bittersweet memory because that was the moment I knew the truth and who to rely on. I didn’t let my father know about it because I don’t want him to be upset. Well, I’ve been through that phase, and I won’t forget it.”
A new direction for Lestari Ihsan
Adrean however enjoys all the stress and challenges of stirring the company. He is proud of his baby project, Laman Kelubi that he handles from the start. Adrean notes that he learns a lot from the project.
Since its foundation, Lestari Ihsan has focused solely on residential housing projects. Now, he tries to diversify the offering by starting a renovation company under the parent company.
“Since we have all the connections and we know contractors, so I think it’s a great step to add value to our brand,” he says.
Continuing the legacy
In 5 or 10 years, Adrean hopes the company will get listed and marked as one of his biggest breakthroughs. “Many people come to me and say I’m lucky because I was born with a silver spoon. But, they don’t know what I had to go through to be here today,” he laughs.
“I hope with all the achievements, they will finally see my value and my hardship in continuing the legacy,” he ends.
Lestari Ihsan Sdn Bhd
RK29, Villa 3, Anggerik Villa, Off Jalan, Jalan Semenyih, 43000 Kajang, Selangor
https://lestariihsan.my/
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