The return of Uncomfortable Growth
As Uncomfortable Growth® Uncut returns for a brand-new season, Rowena Millward opens the first episode with a deeply honest and thought-provoking conversation with Cheuk Chiang, global CEO of Bastion.
Together, they explore the uncomfortable moments, personal reflections, and leadership lessons that have shaped Cheuk’s journey from a seven-year-old working in his family’s Chinese restaurant to leading global businesses across the marketing industry.
Growing up in Melbourne during the 1970s, Cheuk faced racism, bullying, and the pressures of helping run a family business from an early age.
From dealing with aggressive customers to navigating life as the child of immigrants in a rapidly changing Australia, these experiences built the resilience, adaptability, and emotional intelligence that would later define his leadership approach.
Navigating ambition and isolation
As Cheuk progressed through increasingly senior leadership roles, including at Omnicom Media Group, he candidly reflects on how ambition, pressure, and corporate expectations slowly changed him.
He shares how he became more serious, more controlling, and disconnected from the collaborative leadership style that had previously brought him success.
It was only during the isolation of nearly 300 days in COVID quarantine that he was forced into a level of self-reflection that ultimately reshaped both his perspective and his leadership.
In this powerful season opener, Cheuk speaks openly about ego, vulnerability, identity, resilience, and the ongoing evolution of leadership.
He discusses the importance of emotional intelligence, creating confidence in others, and learning to let go of control in order to empower teams to thrive.
In conversation with Cheuk Chiang, global CEO of Bastion
Lessons in vulnerability and ego
My three favourite quotes from Cheuk’s story are:
“It’s okay to be vulnerable.”
“It’s so important to give the leaders that you work with the freedom to actually lead.”
“Don’t let your ego get in the way.”
This episode is an honest reminder that growth is rarely linear and that some of the most transformative leadership lessons come from the moments that challenge us the most.
Join Rowena and Cheuk for the first episode of the new season of Uncomfortable Growth® Uncut, an insightful conversation about leadership, humanity, reinvention, and the lifelong journey of self-awareness.
The purpose behind the podcast
The world doesn’t need more stories of success, it needs honest conversations about hard challenges, vulnerability, and proof that trials can ultimately become triumphs.
That’s why the Uncomfortable Growth® Uncut podcast was born. It’s a reminder that struggle and success are intrinsically linked, that growth is rarely easy, and that the moments we feel most uncomfortable are where our greatest breakthroughs lie.