The greatest leader you've never known

The young island nation of Singapore bade farewell to one of its founding fathers today - former deputy Prime Minister Dr. Goh Keng Swee.  Even if you’ve never heard of him, he has received the highest international and local honors for government service.  This personal tribute sheds much-needed light on this humble giant who walked among us, and on his incredible story of leadership, integrity and deep humanity.

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Dear Dr Goh,

Our paths never crossed.  But your death 10 days ago stirred me, and your state funeral service today moved me. 

I wept.  I thanked.  And I dreamed.

I wept for the untold contributions that only surfaced upon your passing.  How you fought and out-thought colonialists & communists to forge an independent Singapore – we’d still be poor and living in villages and swampland without you.  How your 91-year-old legacy as a man of ideas AND action created our nation’s most enduring institutions – the manufacturing-led economic policy that lifted us from third world to first in just 4 decades; the establishment of our armed forces and its ancillary defense science industries;  our monetary institutions and fiscal policies; the education system that molded our best and brightest; and the symphony orchestra and zoo that we are now proud to call world-class.  I knew you had done a lot for our country.  I had no idea just how much.

I wept for the private stories of your humanity and character that could’ve shaped the hearts and minds of our young much sooner, but for our Asian predilection for humility and your natural aversion to self-promotion.  Your brusqueness and less-than-ideal oratorical skills that masked a man of deep compassion and dedication to nation-building.  Your devotion to family – wife, son, grandchildren and even grand-niece, the latter two delivering such moving eulogies today.  Your conviction and immense sense of duty, which made many a civil servant look to you as mentor.

And I wept with awe at finally finding both my leadership soul mate and role model.  The alignment of your heart and mind, the balance between your personal frugality and generosity of spirit, the bias toward both thinking and doing, the curiosity and thirst you harbored as an eternal student of life.  I promise to read your tomes, so that I may learn more of your brilliance.

I thanked you for your ability to envision what others couldn’t.  Because of this, our young nation seemed prescient in its decision-making prowess and has carved an enviable forward-thinking position on the world stage.

I thanked you for your risk-taking spirit.  It’s been said that you’re our first and greatest entrepreneur.  The visions and systems you have actualized are a formidable testament.  Your experiments seemed foolhardy at the time, but they were always grounded in your intense capacity for critical analysis and adopting a ‘beginner’s mind’.

I thanked you for knowing how to ‘manage your boss’.  As Lee Kuan Yew’s right-hand man, you empowered him with the right knowledge at the right time so that he could make the best decisions for our greater good.  You understood the importance of being a good ‘No. 2′ man, just as a spouse understands the importance of silently supporting their significant other.  You knew when to hold or fold your arguments, and when to challenge Mr Lee’s viewpoints.  And above all, you knew how to complement each others’ strengths and stand shoulder to shoulder when it mattered.

And finally, I dreamed.

I dreamed of a day when all Singaporeans might know and embody your spirit of leadership, selflessness and sheer courage.  A time when your legacy would be a key ingredient of our social studies curriculum, our daily conversation, our common folklore.  A period in our country’s evolution when soul and mind will converge, to emulate the best elements of your character.

I dreamed of the moment when my own vision of honoring and nourishing a new wave of leaders will materialize.  When the baby steps into my life’s work will blossom into an ecosystem of support, self-discovery and transformation for tomorrow’s trailblazers.  When my leadership products and services will stand and soar on the shoulders of giants like you, Dr Goh, and so many others who are the wind beneath my unfurling wings.

And I dreamed of a future that returns to the past, drawing from the rich history of selfless world leaders like you who led us from global war and poverty to stability and prosperity.

May your legacy bloom again in our young hearts and spirits.  And may your efforts to build a better world not be in vain.

R.I.P. Dr Goh.

Your earnest student,

Maya

Tagged as: administration, Creativity, entrepreneurship, founding father, goh keng swee, integrity, Leadership, policymaking, politician, singapore, strategist, visionary