This is the full conversation between Nicky Gumbel and Heidy Quah from this year’s online Leadership Conference. Listen as Nicky talks to Heidy Quah about becoming an advocate for refugees at age 18, where her courage comes from & her advice for aspiring young difference makers.

This is the full conversation between Nicky Gumbel and Heidy Quah from this year’s online Leadership Conference. It seems as though Heidy has accomplished enough for a lifetime, but all by the age of 26. After founding Refuge for the Refugee at age 18, Heidy has been a part of impacting hundreds of thousands of refugees. Heidy also specializes in taking on highly complex human trafficking cases, as well as advising corporations on their anti-slavery and human trafficking policies. In this conversation, she sits down with Nicky to discuss her leadership journey, where her courage comes from, her advice for aspiring young difference makers & more.

Heidy grew up in a Buddhist home, and almost “accidentally” invited Jesus into her life in her teenage years (you’ll have to hear the story from her). Since then, Heidy says there was “a really strong stirring that [her] life had been marked [by God].” What followed acceptance of Jesus was exactly that – a life lived in conviction and profound obedience unto the displaced and disenfranchised. Heidy & her teams have made such an impact on the refugee population that she was even recognized by the Queen, being awarded the Queen’s Young Leaders Award in 2017. But the territory and the impact never comes without friction and pushback.

Heidy honestly shares in this interview about the anxiety she feels due to the reprisal experienced standing on the frontlines advocating for refugees. “It’s often a daily decision to wake up and say ‘I’ll be obedient despite knowing the backlash …’” Heidy shares with Nicky. With the anxiety and dangers in full view, Heidy continues to talk about how she needs to be obedient to the call God has on her life; “obedience” being the word that surfaces most often in this interview.

For leaders of all ages, Heidy serves to be an example of what a life wrung out for Christ and those close to His heart looks like. Especially if you are a young leader, we hope you enjoy this conversation, and are reminded that positive impact is possible no matter your age.

Show Notes

Refuge for the Refugees

Biography

Heidy Quah is a 26-year-old human rights activist who founded Refuge For The Refugees [RFTR], a one-stop centre that looks into advocating for the rights of refugees in Malaysia. Almost a decade into working with underserved populations, Heidy specializes in taking on highly complex human trafficking cases, as well as advising corporations on their anti-slavery and human trafficking policies. Heidy is currently an Associate Professor at Taylors Lakeside University, and a supervisor to a PHD candidate in Australia Catholic University. Heidy’s work over the past decade has seen her recognized regionally and globally, winning two notable awards – The Queen’s Young Leaders Award and the South East Asia Women Of The Future Award, marking some of the best practices in the region.

This is the full conversation between Nicky Gumbel and Francis Collins from this year’s online Leadership Conference. Listen as Nicky talks to Dr. Francis Collins on leading in the fight against COVID, reconciling faith with science, and why he’s hopeful for our future.

This is the full conversation between Nicky Gumbel and Francis Collins from this year’s online Leadership Conference. Francis Collins is a leader and intellect of magnitude. In the past, Francis led a team of over 2000 scientists in 6 different countries in the incredible feat of accurately sequencing the 3 billion nucleotide base pairs in the human genome. Today, he works as the director of the National Institutes of Health, helping Dr. Anthony Fauci move the USA through the COVID-19 crisis.

At the core of all that Francis does today is a vibrant, life-giving relationship with Jesus – though that wasn’t always the case. In his early life, Francis would have described himself at different points as an agnostic or atheist. Growing up in an intellectual home, from Francis’ perspective there didn’t seem to be much room for faith, religion and God. It wasn’t until Francis was in his 20’s at the bedside of a dying senior woman that he began to ask himself what he truly believed about the ultimate questions in life. After two years of researching and discovering the Christian God, Francis gave his life over to Jesus.

Since then, Francis has been an advocate for the complementary nature of science and faith. To Francis, the two are not mutually exclusive but they work together to build out an awesome picture of God. “In my experience, science and faith coexist on a daily basis” says Francis reflecting on over 4 decades as a Christian scientist. He encourages people to read both God’s words in the Bible (faith), and to study God’s work in creation (science). In this interview, Nicky and Francis discuss the above as well as the undertaking of the Human Genome Project, Francis’ reflections on the pandemic and why he remains hopeful for the future moving through the COVID-19 crisis.

We hope you enjoy this conversation with one of the world’s most brilliant thinkers and scientific contributors.

Show Notes

The Human Genome Project

The Language of God by Francis Collins

BioLogos Foundation

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

Biography

Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. was appointed the 16th Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate. He was sworn in on August 17, 2009. In this role, Dr. Collins oversees the work of the largest supporter of biomedical research in the world, spanning the spectrum from basic to clinical research. Dr. Collins is a physician-geneticist noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and his leadership of the international Human Genome Project, which culminated in April 2003 with the completion of a finished sequence of the human DNA instruction book. He served as director of the National Human Genome Research Institute at NIH from 1993-2008.

Dr. Collins is an elected member of both the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in November 2007, and received the National Medal of Science in 2009. In 2020, he was elected as a Foreign Member of the Royal Society (UK) and was also named the 50th winner of the Templeton Prize, which celebrates scientific and spiritual curiosity.

For today’s conversation, we are sharing a highly practical interview from the Leadership Conference archives. This is Nicky’s conversation with Rebecca Stewart where they discuss how to effectively interview someone, the right way to let a team member go, and the obligation to dissent.

For today’s conversation, we are sharing a highly practical interview from the Leadership Conference archives. This is Nicky’s conversation with Rebecca Stewart from 2019. Rebecca started her own headhunting company called Goldstar Partners in 2015. With her extensive experience in headhunting, as well as in management and executive roles, Rebecca is a great resource for any organization looking to assemble the best team possible.

Nicky begins the interview in a humanizing manner, asking Rebecca to share about her and her husband Alex’s difficult journey of conception. Doctors told Rebecca early on that “medically speaking, it would be impossible for [them] to have children.” A decade of barrenness ensued, and all the while, Rebecca and Alex held tightly to a prophetic word that “the doctors wouldn’t have the final say.” In 2019, in front of Royal Albert Hall, Rebecca testifies to the miracle that the Stewart’s are not just a couple but a family of 4. In her words, “God can do remarkable things in the years of waiting.”

The conversation takes a turn to the practical, as Nicky gets Rebecca to draw from all of her headhunting experience, asking her questions like: how do you spot great people? How do you interview them? How do you let go of people who aren’t the right fit? Rebecca steps into the weeds, offering practical insight to each question. Her responses cover themes such as the 4 C’s to consider when hiring someone, the usefulness of silence & informality in an interview setting, and what “leadership hats” need to be worn to let someone go in a dignified manner. If you’re the one in your organization who is responsible for hiring and firing, this is the section to bring out the notebook and take notes.

To close, Rebecca puts Nicky on the hot seat, asking him to share one important rule he instituted in the Alpha & HTB world. This rule Nicky calls “the obligation to dissent.” For any leader looking to create a culture where both feedback and loyalty are values, this rule just might do the trick.

We hope you enjoy Nicky’s conversation with Rebecca Stewart.

Show Notes

Goldstar Partners

Leadership Conference

Blink by Malcolm Gladwe

Biography

Rebecca served on the staff at the HTB Group for 14 years, as Head of Alpha UK, COO and Group CEO, prior to which she worked in banking, consulting and head-hunting. Rebecca now works with charitable foundations and is the Vice-Chair of Alpha International. She is married to Alex and they have two children.