Free Public Lecture: Leadership and Power by Dr. Richard Ng

 29 Aug 2025:

In conjunction with 67th Merdeka Celebration. A public lecture on "Leadership and Power" was organised by Ipoh Rising Star, a branch club of Lions Club of Perak Silver State and sponsored by The Loyal Academy, a smart partner of UTMSPACE.

The project aim is to provide Professional Development Training to Professionals, NGO leaders, and businessmen so that they are equipped with the knowledge and skills required to manage their subordinates more effectively.

The lecture was conducted by Loyal Academy Academic Director, Dr. Richard Ng via Google Meet from 9pm to 10pm. A total of 17 people attended the lecture. The lecture was also broadcast via TikTok Live and viewed by 830 viewers.

All participants will receive the Certificate of Attendance issued by The Loyal Academy.

The following is the Lecture Summary as compiled by Gemini AI:

Public Lecture on Leadership and Power:

Dr. Richard Ng commenced a public lecture on leadership and power, emphasizing its relevance for individuals in business, NGOs, and various professions. He explained that leadership is not merely about vision and influence, noting that some appointed leaders may lack these qualities. Dr. Richard Ng discussed the relationship between leadership and power, asserting that power determines how leaders achieve compliance, commitment, and manage resistance. He concluded that leadership without power is ineffective, and leaders must be empowered and trusted by their superiors.

Power and Leadership Ethics:

Richard Ng emphasized that understanding power helps leaders use it ethically and effectively to achieve sustainable goals. They noted that leadership effectiveness is dependent on how power is exercised, highlighting the distinction between formal power, which is appointed and comes with a title, and informal power, which is derived from passion, influence, skill, and experience.

Sources of Power:

Richard Ng elaborated on five bases of power, as proposed by French and Raven. They identified legitimate power, derived from an appointment or election, reward power, based on the ability to give incentives or recognition, coercive power, which relies on fear or threats, expert power, stemming from knowledge and skill, and referent power, based on personal traits, charisma, and admiration.

Additional Power Sources: 

Dr. Richard Ng identified additional sources of power beyond the five bases. They discussed informational power, which comes from possessing valuable knowledge, connection power, derived from influential networks, and resource power, which involves control over budgets and other essential resources.

Power Versus Leadership: 

Dr. Richard Ng explained that managers typically rely on formal power, including legitimate, reward, and coercive powers. Leonard Chan added that in volunteer organizations like the Lions Club, persuasive power is more effective because members are volunteers and cannot be ordered. Dr. Richard Ng further noted that effective leaders often rely more on personal power, such as expertise, skill, and referent power, to achieve sustainable leadership.

Empowerment and Shared Power 

Dr. Richard Ng stressed the importance of empowering people rather than controlling them, especially in NGOs and with younger generations, as this fosters commitment and allows individuals to be innovative. They suggested that leaders should adopt a participative approach, actively engaging with their teams rather than observing from a distance.

Leadership Styles and Power Use: 

Dr. Richard Ng described several leadership styles. They defined transformational leadership as the ability to inspire and encourage innovation, aiming to improve upon previous achievements and transform the organization. Dr. Richard Ng also discussed transactional leadership, which is task-oriented and rewards performance, and servant leadership, characterized by leaders who work alongside their teams and build trust and loyalty. They cautioned against authoritarian leadership, which relies heavily on coercive power and is generally ineffective.

Effective Leadership Tactics: 

Dr. Richard Ng explained that effective leaders utilize soft tactics, such as persuasion and inspiration, over hard tactics like coercion and pressure. They also differentiated between positive and negative uses of power, advocating for empowering teams, motivating employees, building trust, and driving change, while cautioning against micromanagement, abuse of authority, intimidation, and favoritism.

Ethics and Responsibility in Leadership: 

Dr. Richard Ng emphasized the importance of ethical and responsible conduct in leadership, regardless of the level of power. They highlighted that ethical behavior involves making decisions that bring the greatest good to the greatest number of people, referencing the Kantian moral principle. 

Dr. Richard Ng concluded by reiterating that leadership and power are inseparable, and leaders face the challenge of using power ethically to empower others and foster commitment rather than mere compliance.