Fannie Lim Shares Her Thoughts On Her Journey to Leadership
Thoughts on her journey, growing up and vision ahead.
By Fannie Lim
Taking up the leadership at Daughters Of Tomorrow (DOT) was a calling.
In my lifetime, I’ve worked in quite a few jobs – from a mundane role of cataloguing books in a small bookshop to making bubble tea, from coffee barista to serving in wedding banquets, from data entry clerk to a food court cleaner… I have quite an illustrious temporary jobs’ resume. Sometime later, I was also a stay-home mother for 6 years, while taking on a couple of odd jobs in between.
Today I hold the title Executive Director in DOT and I’m deeply humbled as I reflect on my journey. People say that it’s not about the destination but the journey. I say it’s both and a little bit more… it’s also about the company we keep during each stage of our journey. While my journey was not what I expected (and I will likely be surprised by where I’ll end up someday); one thing is certain: I have had good company the whole time.
How it began
I grew up the youngest of four daughters and proudly attended an all girls’ primary, then secondary school. Today, I work in an organization alongside many women (and a few good men), empowering women that often remind me of my own amazing mother. I’ve seen such beauty and resilience in them. Oftentimes these traits are overshadowed by their own self-limiting perceptions, and at times by society, due to the great adversity they face in making ends meet.
In some ways, you can say it’s as though the stars aligned for me. Even then, there’s some level of anxiety as I take on this mantle because I see this to be more than just another job. Here I would like to thank Carrie Tan, Founder of DOT, for entrusting this mission to me. I’m sincerely grateful to be mentored by her. Many times, she believed in me more than I did in myself. She’s the epitome of a woman that empowers women, and I’m truly honoured to have been one of the women she enabled through her courageous and heartfelt leadership.
Looking Ahead
DOT has just celebrated our sixth birthday. And my vision for the next six months, six years, sixty years (if I live to that point)… is for DOT to empower every woman with the belief that she can create a better tomorrow for herself. That belief will multiply many-fold, effecting a mindset shift that will propel her and her children to a future filled with HOPE. Because tomorrow IS becoming better.. due to her belief today.
I look forward to your company on this personal journey, together with the DOT team and community as we enter a new chapter. I intend to fill the pages of this chapter with many more stories of women and families with finding renewed hope while forging new paths ahead.
Here’s to a fulfilling journey of empowering women and enabling families, together!