What a misstep on a remote farm in Myanmar taught me about leadership, listening, and last-mile sales The Morning That Felt Different It was the kind of morning I’ve come to know well in rural Myanmar’s dry zone—quiet, golden, and already heavy with heat. The overnight bus from Yangon had dropped me in Magway at 4 a.m. The streets were still asleep, save for the occasional trishaw gliding past. I rented a small motorbike, found a local tea shop that was just beginning to stir, and waited for the first light with a cup of sweet, thick Burmese tea. I’d done this countless times—early field visits that began in silence and dust, long before any office opened. But this visit felt different. I wasn’t here to just observe or support. I was here to quietly assess one of our most promising team leads. Meet “Spiky Head” Everyone on the team called him Spiky Head —a nickname earned as much for his wild, uncombed hair as for his sharp, unfiltered energy. He had outsold everyone in the regi...
The Day I Lost Face—and Felt Most Proud Dust, Deal and Field Notes – Issue #3 Lessons from the road in last-mile distribution and decentralized leadership in Myanmar This article explores how a moment of failure taught me the power of decentralized leadership in sales teams The Unexpected Oasis in the Dry Zone We were on the road to Kamma Township, in Tayet District, Magway Region—a place I’ve always found quietly beautiful. It sits in one of the driest zones in Myanmar. Dusty plains stretch far and wide, and when the sun hits the land just right, it feels like you’re standing on the edge of a desert. But when the waters retreat, when the rivers and creeks step back just a little, the soil tells another story. This part of Magway becomes an unlikely oasis. Rich in nutrients carried by the floods, the soil needs no chemical fertilizers. Farmers here grow some of the country’s best onions and sesame, and they trust the land. They know the timing of the water, the weight of the sun,...