LeaderImpact Podcast
LeaderImpact Podcast
Ep. 88 - Rob Chung - Finding Purpose Through Listening
Rob Chung shares his journey from Christian school graduate to corporate retail leader, revealing how purposeful listening and genuine care became the foundation of his leadership approach. He discusses pivotal moments that shaped his impact on colleagues and executives alike, demonstrating how faith can meaningfully integrate with business leadership.
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Welcome to the Leader Impact Podcast. We are a community of leaders with a network in over 350 cities around the world, dedicated to optimizing our personal, professional and spiritual lives to have impact. This show is where we have a chance to listen and engage with leaders who are living this out. We love talking with leaders, so if you have any questions, comments or suggestions to make this show even better, please let us know. I'm your host, lisa Peters, and our guest today is Rob Chung.
Speaker 2:Born and raised in Toronto, ontario, rob was blessed with a close family who loved the Lord and instilled in him values and principles which have guided him through his life. He graduated from York University with a degree in political science, then entered a career in corporate retail with companies such as Bata and Canadian Tire, with roles varying in marketing, purchasing and public relations. In tandem with his business career, he always had a passion to invest into the lives of others and see them grow in their spiritual walk. Being involved with various ministries at his church, such as the Alpha, outreach and Developing Discipleship Programs, eventually led him to Leader Impact. This is where Rob feels he can use his talents to mentor business leaders to find purpose and meaning and inevitably influence their world for Christ. Welcome to the show, rob.
Speaker 1:Thank you for having me, Lisa. It's great to be here.
Speaker 2:It is great to meet you. I don't believe we've ever met before at any point.
Speaker 1:No, just a couple emails back and forth, but it's great to put the name in the face.
Speaker 2:Yes, well, I'm excited to hear your story, more about your professional story. I gave a little bit of it in the bio, but what I'm really looking for is sort of those pivotal moments, you know that, really those snapshots that change your life, change the direction, or whatever you got.
Speaker 1:Do you have any? Let me think I think I have a few. I think I have a couple. Um, yeah, I have. I'm giving this some thought and it's really good that I can share this with so many out there and, um, hopefully, influence some people for the better.
Speaker 1:And, uh, I've had, uh, an interesting journey and, as you um, as you so described in my bio raised in a Christian home, I was born and raised in Toronto, so Toronto is my home and I live just north of Toronto and went to school here, went to a Christian school and went to all my life. So I have some lifelong friends from grades one to 13. And I went to this school and it was just a wonderful experience in a chunk of my life the formative years. And then I went to York University and it was an interesting area. It was an interesting environment to be in because it was the first time I had ever been in a secular environment a secular environment to say that I had friends now who weren't like myself, coming from a Christian home, christian school. They were coming from all kinds of belief systems and we were studying together, we were doing life together in those university years and it was there that I really had a passion to impact people in the world around me, and I really had. I don't know if it was a sensitivity or just a yearning to reach out to those individuals who were asking questions and learning for the meaning and purpose in life, but I think that's where it started for me. So, even before business, I was in the educational sector and it started to spark in me that you know what these people not only do they need a friend do, they need community, but they need purpose and they need meaning. And we serve a God who provides all of that. And how can I be a part of that story?
Speaker 1:So I graduated from York and I started with a company called the Bata Footwear Company, and that's very Canadian, so if we are speaking to a Canadian audience here, those from a generation past might understand and know that name. So I went into that company Green, I was out of university and I had a political science degree and I also had public relations under my belt and I started in the marketing department and I worked my way through that company and I found exactly the individuals that I encountered at York University in that office and they became good friends. They were colleagues, they were co-workers and we just had a great connection. And you know what, Lisa? I was able in the Bata company to start some small community groups within the office where and it wasn't leader impact, it wasn't alpha, but we were able to talk about life together and and and just just journey through different experiences in a corporate setting, but together. And eventually I went from a part-time position, I went from a part-time position, I went to a full-time position and, like I said, in marketing and merchandising, in-store setup, online development, all of those different parts of the company, and I eventually worked side by side by being Thomas Vada's advisor.
Speaker 1:He's the global, he was the global company architect of the whole company and I worked with him and his family. We traveled the world. I lived in Prague, czech Republic, for six weeks and studied the company there and you know, it was just amazing to see how the Lord had his hand on me and that position to not only influence colleagues and friends alike, but the owner of the company and having opportunities to have some really candid chats with him. So I would say one of the pivotal moments for me along the journey is coming from a small little Christian school to working alongside executives and, eventually, the leader of the company, the CEO himself and I was able to have real life conversations about life and God and what it all means to be a Christian and a Christ follower with those individuals and having the opportunities to do that. So that really changed the trajectory of where I was going.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love that. You know you first start with friends and community, because that's where it starts, is the trust, and then you know, working where you're at. When you went to, when you traveled to, countries like Prague and Czech Republic, did you, were you able to do anything there, or was it more of an in-out? It was very quick, sort of, or were there leadership teams there that you got to sit with?
Speaker 1:Oh, absolutely Almost every day. Yeah, there were leadership groups that I was able to sit with and network with and then form. We actually formed subcommittees out of those groups. So we were there to brainstorm how do we grow the business and in making connections with those individuals, we were also growing the business, so we were. It was like a a two pronged approach when we got into those meetings, but it was great and I still can contact those individuals today and we have a strong connection.
Speaker 2:Wow, Great Pivotal moment. Yeah, Coming from a Christian school to where you know York, where your account you're, you encounter everything you really do, really do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you really do. And you have to come. When I walked into that arena if I could call it an arena that that, that university of 40,000, I came from a school of 300. And now you're in a, you're in a form of 40,000. You really have to. You meet a lot of personalities and you really have to know how to pivot relationships very quickly and form them and take people at face value and just meet a lot of characters. So it was interesting but again, like I said, just so enriching for me personally.
Speaker 2:Great story, rob, thank you. Our next question is about your best principle of success, if you have one, and maybe a story that illustrates that.
Speaker 1:My best principle of success. I was on the job and I'm going to kind of couple this with also a small failure as well and I, yeah, and I because the success, the failure, led to the success, okay, and I realized I was working on a project and I was uh working with a team and I started to do some some work solo and I started to I wouldn't say I went rogue, but I'm the kind of guy that I like to uh to, to brainstorm, and I like to branch out and do things um and experiment a little. And I was I think I was I was maybe biting off too much, like too much, biting off more than I can chew, and I was taking all too much on my plate. And I recognized, you know I'm, I'm part of a team here. Why don't I utilize the resources with my other fellow teammates? And and it was a light bulb moment, it was a wait a minute. Have you ever had those moments, lisa? Wait a minute.
Speaker 1:We're doing this thing and I and I and I went out on a limb and I tried a few things and some things work, but a lot of things did not. And one of the reasons and I'm glad for that, because it taught me some life lessons and one of the reasons it did not work is because I did not collaborate with others and my out of that failing moment came a success moment, because then I was able to turn to other people and say hey, you know what? I need some help with this. Hey, can you shoulder? Can you shoulder this part of the journey, this leg of the journey with me? Can we do this together?
Speaker 1:And when I did that, I found that not only did my success in the project also enhance, but I also found that I was deepening relationships with other people because I was collaborating with them. Deepening relationships with other people because I was collaborating with them, not only in the business and the project we were doing, but I was getting to know them better and they were getting to know me better and we were playing off each other's strengths and characters and characteristics. So that was a turning point with me that work together as a team. Remember that you're not doing life alone, and you are here to encourage, help and strengthen other people, and they're here to do that to you as well. So try not to be an island and try not to be independent, and that was really one of the failing moments that turned into a success story and even to this day, I enjoy, thrive and encourage team building and teamwork.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's very hard when you are in a failure to know that this is the greatest place to learn.
Speaker 1:It was tough at the moment, but when I look back in hindsight, it was the best training ground for me, because it taught me some life lessons, and not only what to do, but what not to do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, this morning I was in a uh uh my leader impact group meeting and we're studying the difference maker by John Maxwell.
Speaker 2:This morning we were talking about change and you know, and at our age, you know, uh, I'm a 55 year old female and talking about my, and at our age, you know I'm a 55 year old female and talking about my my ability to want to change is less, and why, and the fear and everything you know it. It really just goes back to a lot of fear of I don't, I don't, I've already done. A lot of bad things have already happened and I know I learned, but I'm kind of done that and it's, it's an attitude, and that that's the book is. Just it's your attitude of change.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, yeah, absolutely Totally on, totally on point. And if I can just reference this tag on to what you said, lisa, our leader impact group is studying a book by John Acuff called Soundtracks. How can?
Speaker 2:we pause.
Speaker 1:Yeah, how can we pause and hit stop to the negative soundtracks and playlists that sometimes replay in our mind and how can we press play on the biblical truths that should solidify in our lives? You know that the Lord has a plan and a purpose for us, that he's always with us, will never forsake us, put on the mind of Christ, do not have fear, anxiety and worry and all of those playlists that we should have in life and should play over and over and over in our heads, but sometimes don't, because we revert back to our human nature, don't we?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was funny because when I did this when I lead these, I always am trying to look for a conversation and I went on to chat and I was asking questions like why do I fear change so much? And just a personal question and it said that I would, that people would rather flight than fight, they would rather run from change than actually sit in it and and take the fear on, or take the change on, or, oh pardon.
Speaker 1:You got to embrace it Eh.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:So, um, yeah, great, uh, and even when you talk about collaboration, it's just uh, versus telling them, don't tell people, ask them right. Collaborate with a team and you'll get more out of everyone out of yourself, out of your team? Yeah, so I know we talked about learning more from our mistakes and failures. Did you have another one you wanted to share? Or was that because I'd love to you know? Just talk about how you're. Oh, move on, is what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's one of the bigger ones. That's one of the bigger ones. That's one of the bigger ones that I um, I really learned, I um, I've had some moments where I have and they all go back to teamwork because I always try to find I always try to find strength with people, with other people. The lord is, is the guiding light, he's the north star, he is the compass of my life and and, and I always revert to him first. But he also puts people in our path to help us, doesn't he? Yes, always brings people and and and for the specific season that you might be in.
Speaker 1:So, when I have fallen flat and there have been some times that and not only just in business, but emotionally and you, just, you just feel like you're spent and you have nothing else to give. And I was, I remember, and I remember speaking to a friend and he said these exact words and it's probably what I meant I needed at that moment in my life. He said stop and just allow the Lord to surround you and just feel held by him. And I thought that was awesome, because we're so busy moving and we want to keep you know, we want to get things done. He said stop, just feel the Lord around you and just be held by him, and I thought that was so profound and so scripturally true.
Speaker 2:It sounds so easy, but you just said how we're so busy and we don't stop. We have to, and sometimes we need a friend it's who we're surrounding ourselves and we don't stop. We have to, and sometimes we need a friend it's who we're surrounding ourselves with to just say stop absolutely we're prone to wander, you know.
Speaker 1:But the verse says be still and know that I am god, but you can't be still, you can't know that he's gone until you're still first yeah you need to be still first. That's the equation, and then you can know he's god and he's in control. Good share, good, that Good. That's good preaching there, lisa.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so you're obviously with Leader Impact. You know we want people to grow personally, professionally, spiritually, to increase impact. So I'm wondering if you have a willing to share an example of how the spiritual makes a practical difference in your life as a leader. I feel like you've been sharing that all along, but I feel like you are a wealth of wisdom.
Speaker 1:You know well it's a growth process and if I ever feel like I've achieved, then that's my danger zone. If I ever feel I've arrived, then I better get out of that camp of that tent and keep moving because I'll never arrive. So, absolutely, my spiritual continually helps my professional and personal and I love the model of leader in fact because of that, because it's so true and it's so practical and it really does allow me to be a rounded individual. So when I'm in business and when I'm negotiating, or when I'm in business and when I'm negotiating, or when I'm in a meeting, or when I'm with colleagues and so forth, I am always asking the lord to guide me and to help his light shine through me so I'm able to be, like the bible says, salt and light to the dark world.
Speaker 1:And and when you got to take him at his word, you know, when you ask um for him to come near and, like I said, my friend said, just stop and allow the Lord to surround you. That means in front, behind, to the left, to the right and everything in between. When you ask for that, he does, he does step into those moments. So, continually using the spiritual sphere and I'm using a little bit of the leader impact model here to infiltrate and inject into that professional. And asking the Lord to guide you where I'll be at a meeting you need to make a decision, we need to get a project done, we need to make a deadline or we need to just collaborate as a team. Then ask the Lord to be in those moments and you know what he's a practical God.
Speaker 2:He will step into those moments and help you where you need it the most. It's not always the way you want it?
Speaker 1:No, it isn't, is it?
Speaker 2:Right, and that's the hard part.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You made a comment about when you have arrived. You know you need to get out. If you know you have arrived somewhere, it's like I need to, I need to do more. I want you to acknowledge, or I want you to just to comment on, because sometimes women, we, we never feel enough, and I'm sure guys feel that too. But right, we, we hit, we got the job, we got the promotion. It's not enough. We, we arrived, but it's not enough and we keep striving and I think sometimes we don't know when to stop.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:When have you arrived?
Speaker 1:It's a good question, lisa. Have you ever had those moments where you feel like, am I there, lord? Am I there and do I need to keep moving? Lord, am I there and do I need to keep moving?
Speaker 2:And I think, I feel, I think I'll call it growth, like I think I'm just always growing, I'm going to go with that that I just. You may have arrived somewhere, and I think there's always growth in that, Right it's. I think wherever you are is where you're supposed to be. I believe that. I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be right now.
Speaker 1:Absolutely yeah.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, I don't have an answer. Do I have an answer?
Speaker 1:No, no, that's a great answer, no. And he guides you to those places that you need to be for different seasons of your life. Because I've seen doors close in my life and at the time I wondered here's the human rub? So, lord, you brought me to this. Why'd you close it? Like I was doing well, I was thriving, like we were making great connections, we were making strides in this area, and suddenly the doors closed. It could have been through COVID, it could have been through loss, it could have been even like.
Speaker 1:I've gone through consolidations of companies and you know where. You know positions are moved in other areas and you're out in left field and you're like, okay, now I have to pivot. What do I do? And you realize, when you go back to God's word, you realize that, yeah, everything does have a season and you're not always kept in the same place and that's for a reason because he needs to grow you somewhere else and and I always, I always think of being uprooted as a opportunity to kind of bloom somewhere else and to flourish and to blossom. You know, you have.
Speaker 1:I love gardening and I love landscaping and when you're outside, you uproot a plant a perennial, let's say and you move it into another space. You cultivate that soil and you enrich it so that new home is perfect for it to thrive. You give it sunlight, you give it sufficient water and moisture, but you give it an environment where it can thrive. And once you do that and once you're open to seeing it grow, it will. And that's where you need to have an open heart. It's easier said than done, but you really need to have an open heart. You know when you're moved and you experience change.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's always easier when you close the door versus it being closed on you.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, Because you don't see that door when it's closed and you don't close it. You don't see it coming and it takes you by surprise.
Speaker 2:And I mean I'm going to say I'm going to allow myself a 24 hour pity party on the door on the closing of the door, and then we have to pull ourselves out but just acknowledge that it sucks when a door closes and you didn't expect it. But it's not Right. Look at the opportunity, yeah. Awesome, that's not Right. Look at the opportunity, yeah.
Speaker 1:Awesome, that's great.
Speaker 2:So at Leader Impact, we are dedicated to leaders having a lasting impact. So, as you continue through your own journey, have you considered what you want your faith legacy to be when you leave this world?
Speaker 1:I think I would like my faith legacy to be that I stopped and I listened to others and I truly cared. I think that that is what matters. When you listen to the voice of God, when you listen to his heart and when you see the story of Jesus in action, you recognize that it was about meeting people where they are showing them you truly care and then allowing the Holy Spirit to do the work. But I would like my legacy to be you know, rob was a guy who really cared, he stopped and he listened.
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, just listening to your story, from graduating a Christian school to York University, where you stopped, you listened, you built connections, you became friends, trust. Moving on to Bata, to Canadian Tire, I think you are that guy. So you're well on your way to leaving a great legacy.
Speaker 1:Thank you, lisa. Well, this is an encouraging discussion and I love giving back. You know it's even when I'm doing this I'm giving back. You know I love giving back and pouring into the lives of others and seeing people find purpose and meaning. Once upon a time I found that, and I love seeing other people's eyes open to that, whether it be through Alpha. You know who was Jesus and why did he die, and how can I be sure of my faith and leader impact? You know I how can I be, uh, impactful in my sphere of influence and how can I, um, have an impact and a lasting impression on those around me? I think it's just so inspiring. It's one of the reasons I think we're put on this planet.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, inspire others, leave an impact yes, um, when I said this morning about, uh, this, we had this conversation on change and I'm googling chat and it talked about resisting change and how we can get over that, and it talked about giving in your life, you know, give to your community. And it also talked about sharing your story. So I just want to thank you for just jumping on with me today and sharing your story. I never know what's coming. I didn't know you before I picked up my paper and I mean I heard that I should talk to Rob. But it's just, you know, I show up here every week to learn and to hear stories so that I can learn a little bit more. This is part of my growth. So I hope others have enjoyed the last half hour with you, rob, thanks for joining us.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much, lisa, and thank you for taking this time and really engaging in a really, really inspiring and encouraging conversation. I'm so privileged to do this.
Speaker 2:Awesome. Now, if anyone wants to contact you, find out more about you, do they find you through Leader Impact or LinkedIn, or how can they reach you?
Speaker 1:through Leader Impact or LinkedIn or how can they reach you? Yeah, they can. Actually. They can find me on Leader Impact and they can email me. They can text me and I'm an open book, so I'd love for individuals to contact me any way they can, and let's do life together.
Speaker 2:Awesome. Thank you, Rob, for joining us today.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much, lisa, you're welcome.
Speaker 2:All right. If you're part of Leader Impact, you can always discuss or share this podcast with your group. And if you're not yet part of Leader Impact and would like to find out more and grow your leadership, find our podcast page on our website at leaderimpactca and check out our free leadership assessment. You can also check out groups available in Canada at leaderimpactca or, if you're listening from anywhere else in the world, check out leaderimpactcom or get in touch with us by email. Info at leaderimpactca and we will connect you. And if you like this podcast, please leave us a comment, give us a rating or review. This will help other global leaders find our podcast. Thank you for engaging with us and remember impact starts with you.
