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If Lim Kuang Sia, Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd's managing director, had to attribute all his success to one trait, it would be vision.

"Without vision, you've got no direction and without direction, how can you be successful?" he sums up succinctly.

Anyone who wants to succeed must have a vision of their goals and it is especially important for chief executive officers to have a clear vision on where the company is headed.

But there is also the importance of rising to the challenge.

In Lim's case the challenge came in 1979 from his brother, who owned a store specialising in fishing equipment.

His brother's challenge to produce the same products led Lim to the idea of manufacturing rubber cutless bearings.

With that he established Kossan Rubber that year, a company that now sits on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia and recorded RM173.86 million in revenue for the first half of 2005.

But along the road to success, Lim has learned a number of other important keys to becoming a successful entrepreneur.

One is to work hard, something Lim learnt during his days growing up in a fishing village in Pulau Ketam. "I don't believe there are any shortcuts in life. You really need to be committed to your business and learn," he said.

"A business should always seek transformation from innovativeness and creativeness in order to remain competitive.

"But this doesn't just apply to businesses. Even the entrepreneur has to stay flexible to be an able leader."

In fact, Lim says being the head of a company does not mean the education process ends. The business world will always change and get more complicated and it is essential for CEOs to be equipped with the necessary knowledge and not just knowledge in their respective fields.

As managing director, Lim has to split his time managing his team and directing them to achieve his vision. He carries out the latter by creating an environment where everyone has a common goal. He spends time coaching and supporting employees.

In a problem familiar to all CEO's, Lim finds that there is a shortage of skilled, managerial labour in the country and as a result when he finds talent, he does his best to retain it. The best way for him is through creating a culture of mutual respect.

"Both employer and employee must have a win-win situation and performance must rewarded," he emphasises.

Lim is firm in his organisation not allowing room for internal politics and emphasises to his employees that no one, including himself, is indispensable in the company.

Then there's honesty. Very often, Lim reflects, dishonest and unethical leaders lead businesses that end up being failures.

Honesty, to him, is an asset that can't be measured by money and creates a win-win situation between the business and the customer. Honesty and proper ethical practices also bring about a good reputation to the company.

This then becomes greatly beneficial when it comes to attracting talent. "You have to put yourself in other people's shoes and see what is important to them."

Company growth is definitely important because it will translate to opportunities for staff.

This model of attracting and retaining talent has worked well for him and helped Kossan Rubber record growth throughout the financial crisis of mid-1997.

That period is still fresh in Lim's memory and above all, he says it was the business model that got the company through those years.

Elaborating, he says a business should always prepare for the worst case scenario as it often unfolds at the least expected moment. "We always plan things accordingly and have allowances to lower risks," Lim says.

So there's vision, honesty, hard work and a culture of mutual respect. But if there is one thing that he values above all else, it is education. Even after all his success and experience, Lim continues to seek more knowledge.

So it comes as no surprise then that he contributes a generous amount of money to primary and secondary schools every year.

"A country's status is determined by the number of people educated, so it is important," he states.

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