The Inclusive Rebel: Why Culture and Diversity Fuel Innovation 

In conversation with Ts. Roslinda Abu Bakar-Kellsey, Country Director – Malaysia, Emeritus Enterprise, who brings her perspective on how culture and diversity fuel innovation and why inclusive leadership is becoming non-negotiable for Malaysian organizations. 

“Our workforce is a mosaic of cultures, generations, and skills. Leaders who can channel that diversity into innovation will be the ones to future-proof their companies,”

says Ts. Roslinda Abu Bakar-Kellsey. 

In a world racing toward automation and standardization, there’s one thing that refuses to be streamlined: humanity. It’s not just our quirks or our accents or what we have for lunch—it’s how our varied backgrounds, worldviews, and life stories bring something fresh to the table, spark new ideas, and ultimately fuel innovation. 

For Malaysia—a tapestry of Malay, Chinese, Indian, Indigenous, and international influences—diversity isn’t just a social ideal. It’s an engine of competitiveness waiting to be unlocked. 

Embracing the Rebel Within 

What does it mean to be an Inclusive Rebel? 

It means not simply tolerating difference but welcoming it. It’s saying, “why not?” when others say, “we’ve always done it this way.” It’s reminding ourselves that if we limit who gets heard, we limit what gets imagined. 

In Malaysia’s workplaces—whether in multinational firms, tech start-ups, or government agencies—routine norms have often leaned homogeneous: same education paths, similar cultural references, and shared stakeholder expectations. But this is changing. Young leaders in Malaysia are asking for teams that look, think, and behave differently—because they know that creativity and resilience multiply when perspectives collide. 

Culture + Diversity = Innovation 

Here’s how culture and diversity become innovation catalysts: 

1. Broader Problem Solving
   When you bring together people from different backgrounds, you get more frames through which to see problems. What one person sees as “just how we do it,” another may see as an opportunity. 
2. Better Resilience
   Diverse teams have more mental agility. Challenges hit unexpected angles and having multiple perspectives often means earlier detection of blind spots. 
3. Stronger Creativity
   Creating ideas isn’t linear. You borrow a metaphor from growing up in Melaka, a design idea from a peer in Singapore, and digital-centricity you’d seen in China—and suddenly something new is possible.  
4. Inclusive Cultures Attract & Retain Talent
   Employees—particularly in Malaysia’s growing talent market—want more than a paycheck. They want psychological safety, recognition, and the ability to bring their whole selves to work. Companies that build inclusive cultures don’t just hire diverse people—they keep them and extract the value. 
5. Global Readiness
   Malaysia is no longer just competing locally. With ASEAN, with global supply chains, with remote work—it matters that our leadership and our culture are ready for different norms, different clients, and different expectations. 

The Malaysian Imperative 

Malaysia’s economy is at a pivotal moment. Policies like Malaysia Digital, MADANI Economy, Shared Prosperity Vision, and increasing foreign investment in tech mean market boundaries are blurring. To thrive, Malaysian organizations need leaders who don’t simply adapt but who proactively shape culture. 

Leaders who can: 

• understand and harness the cultural plurality in their teams. 

• frame inclusion as a strategic asset, not just a compliance checkbox. 

• navigate cross-cultural integration with empathy. 

• design systems—HR, recruitment, performance management—that avoid bias and elevate merit. 

• embed continuous learning so people from diverse backgrounds can grow together. 

What the Inclusive Rebel Looks Like in Practice 

• Listening Deeply — Start with listening: not just surveys, but conversations across cultural, generational, and functional lines. What’s unseen? What’s unsaid? 

• Challenging the Routine — Question norms: Why always use the same recruiting filter? Why is leadership measured only by quantifiable KPIs? Why are some voices missing at decision tables? 

• Cultivating Cultures of Curiosity — Encourage experimentation. Allow people to try, fail safely, bring in ideas from outside the sector. 

• Leading by Example — Inclusive rebels are visible. Leaders who show vulnerability, admit uncertainty, and show curiosity in others break down barriers more powerfully than policies. 

How Emeritus Enterprise Helps Build Inclusive Rebels 

At Emeritus Enterprise, we believe that diversity of background isn’t enough unless it powers innovation. Here’s how we bring that to life: 

• Global Cohorts & Faculty: Learning with peers from across APAC and facilitators from diverse intellectual and cultural backgrounds enables leaders to see beyond their local paradigms. 

• Program Design with Cultural Sensitivity: Our leadership programs integrate modules around inclusive leadership, cross-cultural awareness, bias mitigation—not just as “nice to haves,” but as core to strategic leadership. 

• Practical Case Studies & Cross-Border Learning: We pull from real-life stories in Malaysia, ASEAN, and globally, so lessons aren’t abstract—they’re actionable in your context. 
• Lifelong Learning Platforms: Emeritus Insights, webinars, and micro-courses allow leaders to continuously reflect, adapt, and grow—not just once, but throughout their journeys. 

A Call to the Inclusive Rebel in You 

You don’t need to wait for someone else to mandate diversity. You can start small but meaningfully: 

• Seek out people whose viewpoints are different from yours—and listen without judgment. 

• Question the routines that exclude rather than include. 

• Mentor someone who doesn’t look like you or think like you. 

• Push HR or your team to review who gets voice, who gets visibility, who is promoted—and ask: does it reflect the diversity of the people doing the work? 

Innovation isn’t about fitting in. It’s about standing out, together. 

At Emeritus Enterprise, we work with leaders who don’t just accept the future—they shape it.

If you want to lead not just with skill but with heart and with diversity, let’s talk.

Let’s build cultures where every voice adds value—and innovation follows naturally.