How DHL went from nosedive to sky high by lifting its people

From left to right: Kulwant Singh Bardh, Head of Strategic Partnerships, Nanyang Executive Education, Nanyang Business School; Avi Liran, Chief Delighting Officer of Delivering Delight; and Chris Ong, Managing Director of DHL Express Singapore. (Photo credit: NBS NTU Business School)

During the global financial crisis of 2008-2009, DHL faced significant turbulence. The US business was bleeding. The competition was fierce. Tough choices were made. Billions in assets were parted with. Most would have curled into a corporate fatal position and stayed there.

The Curry Puff Effect: How Small Acts of Appreciation Lifted DHL to the Top

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Under the leadership of Chris Ong, DHL Express Singapore achieved what many believed was out of reach. Employee engagement soared from 60% in 2009 during the global financial crisis to a jaw-dropping 98% in 2024. DHL Express became the only company to be named the number one Best Workplace in Singapore five times.

The wellbeing virtuous cycle

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A groundbreaking meta-research involving over 161,000 employees has quantified profound findings: Organisations that genuinely care about employeesโ€™ wellbeing at home gain substantial business advantages.

The “What Goes Around” Playbook

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Kindness is more than a virtue or a warm fuzzy feeling. It is an asset, a currency that appreciates over time, turning goodwill into unexpected opportunities. The best investments do not always sit on a balance sheet.

Lead Like a Girl – Turning Pain Into Purpose

Dalia Feldheim knows this firsthand, and her story will inspire you to turn adversity into the very soil where resilience takes root. You will find that growth is not just possible, it is inevitable when you choose to reclaim your power so you can build a rocket for your personal transformation powered by resilience, peace, and wisdom.

Kindness at the crosswalk

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A kind word, a thoughtful gesture, or a simple smile can transform a moment and brighten a day. Science confirms that kindness is one of the best choices for a meaningful and fulfilling life.

๐—Ÿ๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—น ๐—จ๐—ฝ ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜† ๐—ฆ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฐ๐—ธ? ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—–๐—ต๐—ผ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ ๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฌ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐˜€! ๐ŸŽฎโœจ

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โ€œ๐Œ๐š๐ง๐ฒ ๐ซ๐ž๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ ๐œ๐ก๐š๐ง๐ ๐ž. ๐…๐ž๐ฐ ๐ซ๐ž๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ ๐š๐ง ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ ๐ซ๐š๐๐ž. ๐‡๐ž๐ฅ๐ฉ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž๐ฆ ๐ž๐ฏ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐ž!โ€
People donโ€™t fear transformation. They fear the struggle before it. Show them WIIFT (What Is It For Them), and theyโ€™ll step forward willingly. Because in the grand game of life, weโ€™re all just waiting for that next evolution.