What if the secret to leading a halal business to global success lay in a 5-minute daily habit? No boardroom meetings, no lengthy reports—just a simple method used by the CEO of a trillion-dollar company.
Great leaders don’t just lead—they set the tone for innovation, strategy, and company culture. Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, is one such leader whose principles have transformed his company from a small startup to one of the most valuable companies in the world. His unique leadership approach, work habits, and management tactics offer profound lessons for leaders of halal businesses.
Halal businesses operate in a rapidly growing global industry. From halal food production to certification bodies and Muslim-friendly tourism, leaders face challenges of growth, scalability, and staying attuned to customer demands. By adopting some of Jensen Huang’s leadership strategies, halal business leaders can future-proof their operations, increase efficiency, and create stronger customer loyalty.
Here are 5 key leadership secrets from Jensen Huang that halal business leaders should learn and implement.
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1. The “Top-5 Things” Email Ritual
Every Monday morning, Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, opens his inbox to read the “Top-5 Things” (T5T) emails from his team. Each email contains five key updates from employees at every level—not just senior executives but also from entry-level staff. These updates can include projects in progress, industry trends, customer feedback, and even new ideas from the field.
This practice ensures the CEO stays in touch with the “information from the edge”, as he calls it, avoiding the trap of only hearing “good news” filtered through layers of management. Instead of waiting for formal reports, he’s plugged directly into the heart of the organization, getting unfiltered, real-time insights.
For halal businesses, this method can be transformative. Owners and leaders of halal food chains, certification bodies, or tourism operators can adopt this practice to stay on top of industry trends, consumer demands, and competitor activity. Instead of relying solely on reports from managers, they can get a direct feed from employees working with suppliers, customers, and vendors. Imagine discovering that demand for halal plant-based protein is growing—not from an executive’s monthly report, but from a production line employee’s direct observation.
Takeaway: Encourage your team to send “T5T” emails regularly. Ask employees to share five key insights, trends, or challenges each week. You’ll be amazed by how much sharper your competitive edge becomes.
2. Flatten the Hierarchy to Accelerate Innovation
Most businesses are structured like traditional hierarchies. Managers report to directors, who report to senior executives, and critical information moves slowly up the chain. But at Nvidia, Jensen Huang flattened this structure with one simple practice: direct email access to the CEO for all employees.
This approach gives junior employees a direct line to the top. More importantly, it gives the CEO access to insights that traditional management might downplay or filter. It’s often the people at the “front line” who spot customer behavior changes, supplier issues, or new opportunities first.
For halal businesses, this could mean encouraging customer service representatives, delivery drivers, and field auditors to share real-time insights with senior leaders. These employees might notice a growing demand for halal-certified cosmetics or see potential in an untapped global export market. Without a flattened structure, this information would stay at the bottom of the org chart.
Takeaway: Create an open channel where front-line employees can send their “Top-5” updates directly to senior management. Reward useful insights and ensure employees feel safe sharing honest feedback.
3. Embrace “Weak Signals” Before They Become Big Trends
Jensen Huang believes in “intercepting weak signals.” He’s not just looking for strong signals—like major industry shifts—he’s hunting for the smaller, quieter signs of change that are often overlooked.
For halal businesses, weak signals might be early signs of shifting customer preferences or a new export regulation in a key market like Malaysia, Indonesia, or the Middle East. Imagine learning from an on-the-ground staff member that Muslim travelers in Japan are looking for more “halal-friendly” sushi options. Instead of waiting for this to become a strong industry trend, you can take action early and dominate the market.
Takeaway: Teach employees to spot and share “weak signals.” Conduct quarterly brainstorming sessions where everyone—not just senior staff—discusses small but interesting changes they’ve noticed in consumer preferences, regulatory frameworks, or supplier practices.
4. The “Always-On” Work Ethic—With Purpose
While workaholism is often seen as a negative trait, Jensen Huang’s “always-on” work style is driven by purpose, not perfectionism. He works at the speed of light, but not for the sake of being “busy.” Instead, he’s laser-focused on Nvidia’s mission to stay ahead of the competition.
For halal business leaders, this is a critical lesson. It’s not about working 18-hour days but about maintaining a clear focus on your company’s mission and values. Halal certification bodies, for example, might get caught up in compliance paperwork instead of focusing on improving the certification process itself. By working “with purpose,” leaders can realign their energy with their company’s vision.
Takeaway: Work smarter, not just harder. Identify three to five “mission-critical” priorities each week, and track whether your daily activities are contributing to those goals. Make sure your team’s daily actions align with your company’s higher mission.
5. Customer-Centric Leadership
One of Jensen Huang’s most memorable quotes is: “If you found a restaurant and they have excellent fried chicken, I want to know.” While it might sound trivial, it’s a profound insight into how his mind works. He’s constantly looking for opportunities to learn from customers and bring those insights into his strategy.
For halal businesses, this is a golden lesson. Consumers—not executives—drive the demand for halal products and services. If halal tourism travelers are requesting more Muslim-friendly hotel amenities, you don’t need a fancy business report to tell you to act. If customers mention that they’d love to see halal-certified chocolate snacks in airport lounges, listen and act on it.
The best way to capture these “customer whispers” is to create feedback loops at every customer touchpoint. This could be through email surveys, QR-code feedback forms, or simply asking call center staff to log recurring customer requests.
Takeaway: Build a system to listen for “customer whispers.” Collect and analyze feedback from every channel—call centers, customer reviews, social media comments, and frontline workers. Take these insights seriously and use them to design better products, services, and experiences.
The world’s most successful halal businesses don’t just succeed because of their products. They win because of their leadership, culture, and strategy. By adopting the leadership secrets from Nvidia’s CEO, halal business owners can position themselves for sustainable growth.
If you’re running a halal food company, certification body, or tourism business, consider these five principles. Implement T5T emails to get real-time insights, flatten your hierarchy to stay nimble, and train employees to spot “weak signals” before competitors do. Above all, stay laser-focused on your mission to serve halal consumers better than anyone else.
Success isn’t about luck—it’s about strategy, insight, and execution. Apply these principles, and your halal business may one day be recognized as one of the most valuable in the world.
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