[W Forum] The Power of Togetherness

Hyun Kyung Lee, Executive Director at SK Construction

It is the season of graduation and admission. There is a graduation speech that I will never forget. In New Zealand, to be appointed as a lawyer, one must graduate from law school and complete the Judicial Training Institute, which is not an easy process. The head of the Judicial Training Institute gave a message to the trainees who had completed this difficult process and were about to be appointed as lawyers. In short, the message was, "To succeed as a lawyer, you must create supporters, that is, helpers." These helpers include not only colleagues or senior lawyers you work with but sometimes parents, spouses, friends, and even teachers or parents at your child's school, or neighbors.

At the time, those words felt ordinary, but as time passed, I found myself agreeing with them more deeply. Now, well past fifty and still working enthusiastically, looking back, I realize I had many helpers around me. I am truly grateful. My elderly mother came all the way to New Zealand to support and help my daughter, who decided to start studying law at a late age. My three sons took turns doing house chores to help their always busy mother. That’s not all. At the construction company where I currently work, there was a supervisor who recognized my passion and trusted me unconditionally no matter what I tried, and there were team members who trusted and followed me even through difficult times, which made it possible to achieve results. If I had been alone, could I have come this far? I would have surely given up somewhere along the way.

In life, there are times when you receive help, but there are also times when you must give help. As the only female executive at my current company, I am interested in nurturing female juniors and have mentored several leaders. I saw the eyes of mentees sparkle as they shared their stories and similar experiences after struggling alone to solve problems at work that they found difficult to talk about. Sometimes becoming sunlight, sometimes water, being able to give life to someone who was drying up brings me deep gratitude.

Israel has two large lakes: the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. It is said that these two lakes share the same source. Snow melts from Mount Hermon in the north and flows into both the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. However, upon closer inspection, the two lakes are very different. The Sea of Galilee is surrounded by lush trees, and its clear water is home to many fish. In contrast, the Dead Sea has no trees around it, its water is so salty that no fish live there, and it is just mudflats.

What causes such a stark difference? The Sea of Galilee allows the inflowing water to flow downstream through the Jordan River, whereas the Dead Sea cannot let the inflowing water flow out elsewhere. The Dead Sea, which only receives water but does not release it, accumulates salt that kills life instead of becoming abundant. The Sea of Galilee, which lets water flow out, is full of vitality both inside and around the lake.

Our lives are similar. People who only receive and are stingy about sharing become isolated and have no one around them. In the workplace, those who take credit for achievements made with the help of colleagues and subordinates never end well. On the other hand, I have seen people who willingly spend their time and effort to help others, even when not required, reap several times the rewards in the end. Giving help and receiving help, combining strengths and living together?that is the beauty of our lives. In that sense, I would like to rephrase the Judicial Training Institute head’s graduation speech as follows:

"To succeed in your career, you must create helpers. And to succeed in life, you must become a helper to someone."

Hyun Kyung Lee, Executive Director, SK Construction