SUSTAINABLE

Human Intelligence

NAKHODA is the Malay word for Captain.

Our name honours the ancient seafarers of the Malay Archipelago who navigated the seas, facilitating global trade and diplomacy between early civilisations long before maps were invented.

Their success was not just a feat of mastery in shipbuilding and navigation; it was a triumph of Courage, Knowledge and Collective Action.

The NAKHODA ACTION LAB mission is to work with organisations to unlock this same intelligence today. We deliver immersive experiences where your teams discover their own Courage, build practical Knowledge, and harness the power of Collective Action.

A large conference room with many attendees seated and listening to a speaker on stage. The stage has a big screen displaying a quote about education and an individual speaking into a microphone. The room is decorated with ornate lighting fixtures and framed artwork.

Experiences that Shift Mindsets

NAKHODA corporate training programmes are curated to be EXPERIENCES that leave a LASTING IMPACT so that change is not externally motivated but INTERNALLY INSPIRED.

Focused

Our work is centered around creating Captains throughout an organisation such that the function of leadership is DISTRIBUTED.

We do this by curating programmes in 3 key areas: 

Leadership, Collaboration & Sustainability.

SIGNATURE 2-DAY PROGRAMMES

  • Culturing Collaboration

    Culturing Collaboration & Breaking Silos

    Productive Collaboration is among the most powerful yet underrated and unused tools for productivity and positivity in the workplace.

    The key Question:
    Is Collaboration really being practiced across your organisation or are you just collaborative within silos.

    This programme focuses on breaking down structural and psychological Silos, creating a productive Culture of Collaboration and Institutional Building across your organisation.

    It offers a quick, high-impact path to increasing productivity and positivity in the workplace without re-orgs, new recruitment and minimal investment.

    More about this programme
  • An image of Greenspacing.

    Sustainability Mindset & ESG Essentials

    Sustainability is a Mindset, not a Checklist!

    Unfortunately for many organisations this is not the case as Sustainability becomes a compliance requirement as opposed to a mindset for long term business value.

    This programme delivers an Emotional Experience to help participants truly understand WHY Sustainability is the key concept of our time and inspires them to be advocates within their organisations.

    It provides employees a common understanding and starting point, enabling them to see the bigger picture of sustainability and how they fit into the conversation—at both an individual and company level.

    More about this programme
  • An image of The Float House

    Taking Lead

    Taking Lead is not about becoming the CEO or a boss; it’s about having the Courage and Conviction to step up and take action when needed.

    Too often we wait for a leader to surface (or be assigned by HR) negating our own capability to fill that role.

    Taking Lead is about creating NAKHODAS (captains) throughout an organisation, so that when the need to lead occurs, there will always be someone who steps up.

    It's about empowering and realising the potential that is already within your organisation and giving it a reason and opportunity to come to the fore.

    More about this programme

Don't Just Take Our Word For It.

What our participants say…

  • “Thank you for such an enlightening session. I really enjoyed the simulation and had a lot of fun learning about human behavior and reflecting on myself. I have a better awareness of how I am a part of a larger ecosystem and what I do matters and will affect others.”

  • “Excellent content, activities and delivery. Applicable for developing our life goals and in-line with the company’s vision”

  • “This workshop provides us a very good opportunity to get to know co-workers better. I love the activity in the ‘game’. It gives me a better understanding of myself in making decisions and being a collaborator. The process of negotiation was a lot of fun, it revealed our real personality and way of thinking. It’s a very good workshop indeed”

  • “Really good presentation, well done! It’s an eye-opener to solving the challenges that we face in our workplace”

  • “The workshop is very beneficial for the participants and also for the department. At first as a junior clerk here, I felt humbled to participate, but the presenter taught us not to follow ranks and speak up which made me very comfortable.”

  • “Was Great! Fun game and it was really good to spend time in reflection and discover more on ourselves as individuals and teams”

NAKHODA Programmes has been Experienced by Participants from:

Corporate

MAYBANK
AFFIN Group
McCormick Asia

Government or Linked

Various Ministries
MARA
University Malaya

SME’s

Olive House
Durioo+
KHIND

Large group of diverse people gathered on stage for a conference or event with a screen behind them displaying the words 'Leaders in Culture' and a circular arrow symbol. The group includes men and women, some wearing formal attire and hijabs, posing
A diverse group of people standing in a circle around a large grid marked with yellow tape on the floor in a conference room, participating in a team-building activity.
Group of people standing in a large circle in a conference room, participating in a team-building activity or workshop.
Group of people sitting on a carpeted floor in a large conference room, facing a man standing and speaking at the front.
A group of people gathered in a classroom or meeting room listening to a speaker standing near a whiteboard. The room has bulletin boards with photos and posters, a clock on the wall, and fluorescent ceiling lights.
Group of eight diverse professionals in a meeting room, with some standing and one woman sitting, engaging in conversation and working on a laptop and documents on the table.

Team NAKHODA

  • Prof Sayf Ismail the founder of the NAKHODA ACTION LAB

    Sayf

    NAKHODA &
    SENIOR TRAINER

    With more than 20 years in Corporate & Academia, Sayf strongly believes that Corporate Executive Education needs to be more palatable and practical in nature. What is mostly on offer now it either ‘useful but dry’ or ‘fun but not useful’.

    This has led to the NAKHODA ACTION LAB, a focused corporate education body delivering Experiences that support the ongoing development of organisations and it’s people.

    Sayf’s colourful career spans working across various sectors starting in tech, to marketing, sports, diplomacy, corporate development and then academia.

    He is now the Nakhoda at Nakhoda Action Lab, a serial entrepreneur and an Adjunct Professor at Universiti Malaya, Malaysia’s #1 ranked and oldest University.

  • A woman with long brown hair, wearing a black and white top, looking at the camera with a slight smile against a plain light background.

    Tunku Nina

    EXECUTIVE COACH &
    SENIOR TRAINER

    Slightly more senior than Sayf, Nina has more than 30 years experience as a trainer and has worked with thousands of participants from all walks of life throughout her career.

    She is highly revered in the Leadership and Personal Development space and is a pioneer for Experiential Training in the region.

    Nina has had leadership roles in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. She currently focuses on development of new content and delivery methods that leave lasting impact.

    Nina is continuously sought to deliver trainings and coaches top C-level executives from some of the largest corporations in Malaysia and the region.

  • A man with short black and gray hair, a beard, and mustache, standing outdoors against a white wall and red brick wall, crossing his arms, wearing a patterned short-sleeve shirt and a silver watch.

    Buqhory Muslem

    SENIOR TRAINER

    His name alone already Inspires!
    Buqhory or Buq as he is commonly known has 20 years of training and coaching participants in personal development and self-leadership.

    A seasoned trainer in his own right, his main strength is his ability to connect and see perspectives from a participants point of view. This has come from being a trainer in open enrollment public programmes and working with thousands of participants in his career.

    Buqhory is passionate in community development and actively spends his time serving the community in various roles with NGOs and Think Tanks.

    His subtle yet insightful style makes him highly effective in making sure that key learnings of NAKHODA programmes are delivered to participants.

  • Black and white close-up portrait of a smiling man with short hair, facial hair, and a collared shirt.

    Gordon Sutton

    SENIOR TRAINER &
    EXECUTIVE COACH

    A war hero, engineer and seasoned trainer, Gordon brings a unique perspective to the NAKHODA team.

    Hailing from Old England but having spent more than 30 years in South East Asia, he adds a different cultural dimension into the training room.

    Gordon’s distinctive style is the authenticity and energy that he brings into the room as well as a many cringe worthy jokes, so much so that participants are sometimes confused whether they are in a training or a stand-up comedy act.

    An ‘Experience’ on his own, Gordon always drives the key learnings home and delivers mind shifting experiences with the NAKHODA team.

  • A young man with glasses wearing a black shirt with colorful patterns, standing against a white background.

    Daniel Lazim

    TRAINER IN TRAINING


    Daniel is a Junior Trainer and represents the next wave of trainers that are being groomed in the NAKHODA philosophy.

    He is a PhD candidate and Research Assistant at Universiti Malaya focusing on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions modeling and sustainable policy design.

    His research simulates carbon mitigation pathways for university campuses as city-scale testbeds. He is also involved in various sustainability projects, including Malaysia’s ESG Roadmap and UM’s Living Lab Carbon Neutrality initiative.

    Daniel’s work bridges environmental modeling, data systems, and climate policy to advance carbon neutrality and low-carbon transitions in higher education institutions.

Let’s Talk!

If you are interested in how NAKHODA can support the development of your organisation, drop us an email and we’re happy to have a chat.

Even if it ends as a chat… it’s still an experience.

About

A logo featuring a stylized sailboat with blue sails and waves, and the word 'NAKHODA' below in black text.

NAKHODA ACTION LAB

Our mission is to design and deliver short yet powerful interventions that can create significant shifts in organisational and personal behaviour.

Contact

To get in touch with us, either fill in the form above or drop us an email at: lead@nakhoda.me

Content in this website and within all the NAKHODA programmes are the copyright of the NAKHODA ACTION LAB, Malaysia