Partner’s Perspective: When Efficiency Isn’t Enough

We often pride ourselves on efficiency — doing more with less, fine-tuning processes, and shaving minutes off our workflows. But efficiency has its limits. This realisation struck hard during a conversation at the Moving Forward 2025 conference, where Dato’ Sri Idris Jala reminded us of a crucial truth: sometimes, only the impossible will push us to transform.

Impossible goals break the boundaries of “business as usual.” They make it clear that incremental tweaks won’t cut it. When we set a goal so big that our current way of working cannot achieve it, we are forced to rethink, reimagine, and reinvent. Efficiency stops being the goal. Transformation becomes the mandate — for SMEs and large organisations alike.

To make this leap, we need more than vision. We need our true north — an objective understanding of where we stand. For us, that often means dissecting our segmented P&L, identifying the real drivers of success, and confronting hard truths about what holds us back.

And beyond vision and clarity lies the toughest part: the discipline of action. Weekly check-ins, relentless monitoring, and quick escalation of issues. No waiting for quarterly reviews. No waiting for problems to fester. This discipline is especially critical for SMEs, where agility and timely action can make the difference between progress and stagnation. Discipline is what keeps transformation alive.

If you’re navigating similar challenges, I highly recommend the podcast “The Game of Impossible” by the father-son duo Dato’ Sri Idris Jala and Leon Jala. Their lessons on transformational leadership inspired this reflection — a reminder that the impossible is not a barrier but a catalyst for growth.