“A Better Future for My Child”: A Mother Reflects on Finding Direction Through CEO Master Club
Leam Chanleamy’s testimony about the Outstanding Young Leader programme offers Cambodian parents and business owners a powerful reminder: preparing children for the future begins with helping them see their own path.
For a parent, few responsibilities feel greater than guiding a child toward a better future. Yet love and determination do not always answer the hardest question: Are we helping our children understand where they are going—or simply asking them to follow?
For Mrs. Lam Chanleamy, whose child participated in CEO Master Club’s Outstanding Young Leader (OYL) programme, that question became central to her reflection on the training.
“CEO Master Club has helped give my child a better future,” she said.
Her testimony describes a shift from uncertainty and constant worry toward greater awareness, confidence, and the freedom to enjoy life’s journey together.
When Both Parent and Child Struggle to See the Way
Mrs. Chanleamy illustrated her experience through the image of a parent holding a child’s hand while walking without a clear destination.
Without direction, she explained, both can struggle. Sometimes the child moves ahead; sometimes the parent takes the lead. Obstacles bring anxiety because neither fully understands the path.
“When we have no goal, we do not know the way or where we are going,” she reflected, in remarks translated from Khmer.
Her account captures a concern that may resonate with parents who work tirelessly to provide opportunities for their children but remain uncertain about how to prepare them for independent decisions.
Providing support is essential. Helping a child develop the awareness to use that support wisely presents a different challenge.
From Constant Guidance to Growing Confidence
Reflecting on the training, Mrs. Chanleamy described how greater understanding changed her experience as a mother.
When a parent begins to see more clearly, she explained, it becomes easier to guide a child. But when the child also develops that understanding, the relationship gains something more: confidence that the child can recognise challenges and respond with greater independence.
She described the strain of feeling that she must continually pull her child forward. As her child became more aware, she felt able to relax some of that pressure.
The change, in her telling, was meaningful for both of them. Her child could better understand the journey, while she could approach it with less fear.
“When we understand, and our children understand too, I think our journey through life can bring much more happiness and peace,” she said.
A Lesson for Cambodia’s Business Owners
For Cambodian entrepreneurs raising families while managing businesses, Mrs. Chanleamy’s reflection reaches beyond the classroom.
Building a business requires decisions about direction, people, and the future. Parenting carries its own equally demanding questions: How much guidance is enough? When should a parent step back? What will help a child make sound choices when no one is there to lead?
Her testimony invites business owners to consider personal and family development alongside commercial success. A growing enterprise is an important achievement; helping the next generation develop confidence and purpose is another enduring investment.
It also offers a reason to learn more about CEO Master Club of CEO Institute—both its OYL programme and its wider membership and business training opportunities. For owners considering their own development, her experience raises a useful question: What could change when the people responsible for guiding others become more aware themselves?
Making Room for a Happier Journey
One of Mrs. Chanleamy’s most moving observations concerned the space that understanding creates.
When parent and child can both see the way more clearly, she explained, their time together can become less consumed by worry. There is more room to create happiness along the journey.
Her conclusion was candid: being a parent, by itself, does not mean having all the knowledge needed to guide a child. Parents also have more to learn.
For families considering OYL, her testimony offers a personal perspective on the value of that shared learning. The hope is deeply human: a child better prepared to move forward, and a parent more confident walking beside them.
Learn more about the Outstanding Young Leader programme
Location: Diamond Twin Tower, Floor 7M, Koh Pich, Phnom Penh
Enquiries and registration: Outstanding Young Leader on Telegram
Telephone: 098 539 297 | 096 9453 795 | 099 660 272
Business owners interested in CEO Master Club of CEO Institute’s membership and business training can also enquire about available opportunities.
