[…] If one day I had to personally step back into the role of Head of Academic Department — even though I might not be the most academically qualified person — or act as CHRO for the teaching team, what kind of teachers would I hope to shape?

Not only skilled teachers.

But teachers with a certain kind of character.

Because after years of running an education organization, one thing has become very clear to me. The real culture of a school is not defined by policies or manuals.

It is defined by the character of the people who walk into the classroom every day.

Students learn from what teachers teach.

But they also learn from who teachers are.

They observe how teachers speak.
How they react to mistakes.
How they treat people.

Very often they absorb these lessons without anyone explicitly teaching them.

That realization led me to reflect on a simple framework that could guide teachers in our organization. Something practical, human, and rooted in timeless ideas about self-discipline, responsibility, humility, and service to others.

When I asked myself what principles I would hope to influence among teachers from 2026 onward, the answer became clearer.

Not rules to control teachers.

But a character code that helps educators grow both professionally and personally.

I. Self-Cultivation Before Teaching Others

A teacher first trains their own character before guiding students.

Principles

Lead by personal example.
Students observe who you are more than what you say.

Maintain discipline in time, preparation, and conduct.
Punctuality, readiness, and consistency are the minimum respect for students.

Continuously improve knowledge and teaching ability.
A teacher who stops learning cannot inspire learning.

Speak with sincerity and act with integrity.
Words and actions must align.

Correct yourself before correcting others.


[…]

[…]

The older I become, the more I realize:

Scale tests the soul.
Money tests integrity.
Authority tests humility.
Success tests restraint.

Modern leadership books focus on performance metrics.
Ancient texts focus on moral architecture.

Without moral architecture, performance collapses under pressure.

[…]

Dear friends, colleagues, and fellow professionals,

This is the first post I am writing under the category Learning at Work. It was not easy to choose this name. I went back and forth many times. But when I looked back at my own journey, one word kept appearing: learning.

[…]

I started my first company at eighteen or nineteen, failed more times than I expected, and then began building again in my twenties. A decade later, I see the journey differently. Not as a story of achievement, but as a process of becoming more grounded, more responsible, and more aware of my own limitations.

If there is one thing I am certain about, it is this:

I am still learning.

And perhaps that is the real work.