Recipient of the ‘NS Man of the Year’ Award Shares His Take on Leadership

MAJ (NS) Rozaiman Rosidi, 37 years of age, started his National Service in 2005 in the Singapore Armed Forces before he was posted to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). In SCDF, MAJ (NS) Rozaiman completed a 9-month Basic Officers’ Course (BOC), and was subsequently posted to the Special Rescue Battalion (SRB) as a Platoon Commander

“As I matured from being a recruit to a commander, the camaraderie, knowledge and experiences gained were invaluable, and it shaped who I am today,” MAJ (NS) Rozaiman reflected.

After posting out of the Immediate Response Company in 2013 and having completed seven high keys for his Rescue Battalion (RBN) unit in 2019, MAJ (NS) Rozaiman, now a Company Commander of the Operations Support Company (OSC), said that being able to grow professionally together with his team made him feel so proud to serve as an NSman.

Under MAJ (NS) Rozaiman’s leadership, his OSC achieved the highest score in logistics management among the RBN units for three consecutive years!

“As a leader, I strongly believe in achieving three things — Empowerment, trust, and effective communication,” MAJ (NS) Rozaiman said when asked about his take on leadership.

^{MAJ (NS) Rozaiman (seated in the middle) with 21B RBn Ops Support Company at the completion of their 7th high key in 2019. The photo is taken before the COVID-19 pandemic.}

Empowerment

“I believe that by empowering my men with tasks be it big or small, they will in turn take ownership of their work and responsibilities. The art of empowerment also requires you to recognise their achievements by complimenting them. Conversely for any of their shortfalls, it would be a lesson learnt for all to take note and to be resolved to emerge stronger from it.”

Trust

“I trust my team. At the same time, I strive to gain my team’s trust in me. Therefore, I made it a point to get to know every one of them and also in giving opportunity for them to get to know me. I believe that when they trust me, they are better able to appreciate my thoughts and decisions, so that when faced with challenges, they know that they are not alone for I am right beside them guiding them through thick and thin.”

Effective Communication

“I tend to emphasise on open communication such as giving and receiving feedback when working with my team. I seize the opportunities to solicit their feedback on how we can improve. I make it a point to explain to my team about the larger objectives, the constraints and expected challenges, so that they can better appreciate their respective roles and what lies ahead to get things done effectively. This is what I termed as effective communication.”

In his day to day work, MAJ (NS) Rozaiman is a civil servant and he is also actively involved as a committee member for the HomeTeam NS Clubhouse’s (Khatib) development.