Inspiring and Empowering Future Leaders at Shell

For Michelle Liang, guiding and mentoring fresh graduates who join Shell helps her better understand how she can become an all-rounded leader and also develop aspiring young leaders for the company. As one of the Leadership Team members in her current team, the Planning and Performance Manager jumped at the chance to be the mentor of these young graduates as she has once been there.

“I can relate to how it all started. You can be quite lost and you’ll need help in terms of networking. I also wanted to see if they are receiving all the necessary coaching and if they are looked after in terms of their assignments, or if their potentials are being stretched. It is also reverse mentoring for me as I learn from them on the latest gadgets, social apps, etc – keeps me young at heart too!” she shares.

She adds that she finds the graduates at Shell to be enthusiastic and passionate about the opportunities that come their way. She feels that by assisting these newcomers, she is also developing and preparing herself to be a better leader in the future.

“I think the team leader must be able to understand the challenges that the team members are facing, and be able to have a good appreciation of that. I also believe you need to know how to ask the right questions, for example open-ended questions to open up the conversation and understand the issues deeper,” she says.

Michelle recently completed a training to become a qualified Graduate Assessor, which means she will be one of the assessors who will be conducting recruitment interviews for the graduates applying to Shell. Ultimately, she finds that alongside Shell’s many opportunities, and its diversified environment, the graduates will find good challenges and pushed out of their comfort zones.

When asked about her tips for aspiring future leaders at Shell, she says: “Young graduates should remain open minded to acquire skillsets on the job itself, have that commercial curiosity about the business, and learn how you can contribute to its growth.”