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She calls on organisations to rethink how they build talent, from knowing when to buy, build, borrow, bot, or bounce to creating the conditions for people to grow into future leadership roles.
The best lessons are not always found in a classroom. Yen Do (pictured above) believes people learn best through real work, particularly when they are given diverse assignments, trusted to stretch beyond their comfort zone,s and supported when challenges arise. Her approach is grounded in the 70-20-10 model and a belief that leaders have a responsibility to create the environment where growth can happen.
Yen is SVP, Human Resources at Toll Group, where she partners with senior leaders on people strategy, organisational effectiveness, culture, and workforce transformation. Her own leadership philosophy has also been shaped by mentors who taught her that leadership is not about having all the answers, but about creating clarity, removing barriers, and empowering others to succeed.
At Learning & Development Asia 2026 – Singapore, she will explore how organisations can tackle mid-management talent shortages by looking beyond hiring alone. Her approach considers whether organisations should buy, build, borrow, bot, or bounce talent depending on the role, while continuing to develop people through capability building, mobility, mentoring, and digital enablement.
Ahead of the session, Yen speaks with Emily Chong-Gupta about the leadership lessons that have shaped her approach, how real-world experiences can accelerate development, and what it takes to build a sustainable talent pipeline.
Q Which L&D principle has most influenced how you help others or yourself learn best?
70-20-10.
As a person who learnt mostly from experience myself, I believe people learn best when development happens through real work, supported by coaching, training and reflection. It doesn’t have to be the “years of work”, but the amount of work and the diversity of projects and assignments that an individual is given. In order to set people up for success, in every rotation/assignment we put our people through, we need to consciously remove the barriers that is beyond their control or influence authority.
We can’t simply throw an individual into a big ocean and ask them to swim like an athlete. Learning accelerates when people are given opportunities, trusted to stretch beyond their comfort zone, and supported when challenges arise. The role of a leader is to create the environment where growth can happen.
Q Who has been a mentor or coach to you personally, and what is a timeless lesson they taught you?
I have learnt from several mentors throughout my career, each for different area, and the most enduring lesson is that leadership is not about having all the answers. It is about helping others succeed.
Great leaders create clarity, remove barriers, and empower people to make decisions and grow.
That lesson continues to shape how I lead and coach others today.
Q What is an unexpected or interesting skill you have picked up that colleagues may not know about?
An unexpected skill I've developed is building alignment across diverse perspectives.
Early in my career, I believed that the best ideas would naturally get executed. Over time, I learned that successful transformation is less about having the right answer and more about bringing people along the journey. I've developed the ability to understand different priorities, find common ground, and remove barriers that stand in the way of progress.
Looking back, I didn't set out to learn this skill — it came from working through complex business challenges, leading changes through different levels, and helping teams succeed across functions, cultures, and geographies. Today, I see it as one of the most important leadership capabilities because great outcomes happen when people are aligned behind a shared purpose.
Q In fewer than 10 words, what is your number one motto for helping people and teams grow?
Find opportunities, remove barriers, build courage, grow future leaders.
Q A quick preview of your session at Learning & Development Asia: What is the one key takeaway you hope attendees will gain?
I hope attendees leave with the belief that solving mid-management talent shortages requires more than buying (hiring). There needs to be a strategy where buy/build/borrow/bot/bounce need to be identified for different types of roles.
Still, organisations need leaders who intentionally develop talent, create opportunities for growth, and remove barriers that slow people down.
When we combine capability building, mobility, mentoring, and digital enablement, we can move from filling vacancies to building a sustainable talent pipeline.
I want to attend the conference: If you're keen to attend this closed-door conference, kindly register your interest here. For speaking opportunities, please write in to Emily Chong-Gupta. We look forward to welcoming you!
I want to sponsor: Engage in meaningful dialogue through dedicated speaking slots, roundtable discussions, and at your booths! If your organisation provides any talent solutions and products that you'd like to showcase, you’ll fit right into this event. To learn how you can sponsor, please reach out to a member of our team now!
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