At the Leadership Achievement Awards 2025 in Jakarta, Emmanuel Daniel, founder of  TAB Global, shared a powerful message about leadership through a personal story that resonated beyond the stage. He recounted preparing to bungee jump into Victoria Falls, highlighting the importance of trust in data, people and the courage to leap when it matters most.

“When I stood on that bridge in Zambia — tethered to a bungee cord, staring down into the gorge at Victoria Falls — I faced a moment of clarity. You don’t conquer fear by avoiding it. You conquer it by trusting: your data, your equipment, and most importantly, yourself,” Daniel said.

This mindset is crucial in banking today. We operate in an environment where everything is under pressure — margins, regulations, customer expectations, and even the very role of banks. But in this complexity, we must return to the basics: trust the data, because data breathes. It tells stories. It shows whether we’re overleveraged, whether we’re efficient, and whether we’re building something sustainable.

“In banking, numbers are never just numbers. When your asset-to-liability ratio is 70% instead of 90%, it’s not just stronger performance — it’s better judgement. When your cost-to-income ratio falls below 50%, it’s not just a benchmark — it’s a sign of real leadership,” he said.

Yet,  leadership always begins with people. Your most important equipment isn’t your tech stack or your AI model — it’s your team. Trust them. Empower them. And you’ll build something greater than yourself.

“As I said on stage: saying ‘no’ becomes a habit. It starts small, then grows. And before long, the spirit gives up. But the leaders we honoured at the summit — the ones who walk the edge and leap when others hesitate — are the ones reshaping this industry. Not because they were reckless, but because they made the courageous decision to try.

“So ask yourself: what is your bridge? And will you take the leap?”