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Yesterday’s conference reached a crescendo in the closing session as conductor and leadership expert Jason Lai drew parallels between orchestrating a symphony and leading in a dynamic, fast-paced business environment. It truly was an interactive session like no other, delivered through the lens of music. A s the travel retail industry evolves to meet the demands of a new generation of travellers, e ff ective leadership requires creativity, adaptability, and a shared vision. In the closing session of yesterday’s TFWA Asia Pacific Conference, conductor and leadership expert Jason Lai – Principal Conductor, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory – shared compelling insights into fostering collaboration, inspiring innovation, and navigating complexity. He explored how leadership can shape the future of travel retail by harmonising diverse perspectives to deliver impactful strategies. “Collaboration is key when working with any team – without an orchestra I’m just a person waving a baton, so I need my orchestra to function and perform,” Lai explained. “And when collaborating we have to have good interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships; both are vital if we are to succeed!” There are, indeed, parallels between orchestrating a symphony and leading in a dynamic, fast-paced business environment. “When I’m conducting, everything happens in the moment,” said Lai. “I can rehearse and rehearse until we are exhausted, but the key is to trust my team and give them a sense of safety without micromanaging and empower them to take collective risks in the concert. The only way to deliver powerful performances is to be prepared as best we can but expect the unexpected.” A key message of Lai’s address was to be open to change. “Nothing in life is certain, and I never close myself o ff to doing things di ff erently; if a member of my orchestra has a good or be tt er idea we will try it out and if it works well, we all go with it. Together we create the performance and as the conductor I have to then drive this. You can tell when an orchestra plays in harmony, it’s the most wonderful feeling in the world when we are all aligned with a common purpose.” Further exploring the themes of fostering collaboration, inspiring innovation, and navigating complexity, Lai noted that life is complex, and it’s ge tt ing more complex, so simplicity is not always possible. “The orchestra with its many diverse instruments, egos on stage, unexpected events in live performance, these are all things that we don’t necessarily want or need to control,” he shared. “What’s most important is to develop the talent in the orchestra and allowmy musicians their own voice within the context of the whole. This is the way I will get the best out of my team.” Commenting on his own travels, Lai highlighted examples of creativity and innovation he has seen in the travel retail environment that have clearly been driven by e ff ective leadership. “During Covid I remember doing some travel when possible and what struck me were all the shu tt ered shops in the airports,” Lai commented. “I wondered how on earth would retail recover from this? It’s been amazing how things have slowly returned, but my sense is that we are all doing things di ff erently now. Airlines, duty free shops, big brand names have all had to move with new technology, customers that are more selective. Leaders in these have had to make brave decisions that revolve around change, and it’s heartening to see bustling airports now with shops that are doing their best to entice customers. Renovated stores, be tt er o ff ers, customer ease to purchase.” TFWA Asia Pacific Conference reached a symphonic climax with a special performance by the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory orchestra. It was a fantastic finale and as Lai observed, the audience learned “more about what a conductor actually does; how they need their orchestras to create incredible performances; in order to lead well one needs to learn how to connect with others and with oneself; and to shine new light on leadership perspectives.” Jason Lai, Principal Conductor, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory: “Nothing in life is certain, and I never close myself o ff to doing things di ff erently; if a member of my orchestra has a good or be tt er idea we will try it out and if it works well, we all go with it. Together we create the performance and as the conductor I have to then drive this. You can tell when an orchestra plays in harmony, it’s the most wonderful feeling in the world when we are all aligned with a common purpose.” The symphony o f l eadersh i p : fos ter i ng co l l aborat i on and i nnovat i on i n t rave l re ta i l Tuesday 1 3 May 2025 12 T F W A D A I L Y