Singapore’s founding father Lee Kuan Yew famously said that day: “I don’t know anyone who became a leader because he attended a leadership course.”
Lee Kuan Yew was famous for his iron fist, which he used to lay the foundation of today’s Singapore. He was revered for his leadership, and in one of his most memorable leadership quotes, he said leadership is not developed in leadership courses. They are formed in daily crises and are made stronger by the circumstances. He firmly stated in his book “The Wisdom of Lee Kuan Yew”: “I don’t know of anyone who has become a leader as a result of taking a leadership course.”This is indeed a witty observation, but the meaning is deeper than his observation.
Who is Lee Kuan Yew?
Born in Singapore during the British colonial period, Lee spent his youth in the shadow of World War II. Li was one of the Chinese rounded up by the Japanese purges. According to his own words, he was worried about being caught by the gendarmerie, so he reported the crime with his friends and underwent inspection.After the war, Lee went to Cambridge University in England to study law. He excelled in his studies and upon his return to Singapore, he established his own law firm there.At that time, Singapore was under British colonial rule and was led by a chief minister. In 1954, Lee founded the People’s Action Party. In 1959, Lee Kuan Yew led the People’s Action Party to victory in the election for the first time and became the first Prime Minister of Singapore. Seeking sovereignty from the British Empire, Lee Kuan Yew led Singapore to merge with Malaya, Sarawak and Sabah to form Malaysia in 1963. Later, racial conflicts and ideological differences led to Singapore’s expulsion from Malaysia and its independence in 1965.This was his biggest test because overnight, Singapore became an independent country. But it was completely unprepared for statehood. It’s a small island with no natural resources, no real army, high unemployment, a severe housing shortage, and racial tensions among the Chinese, Malays, and Indians. Foreign experts openly predict that Singapore will collapse within months.Li was pushed into crisis, but he didn’t give up and started working. Over the next few decades, he led Singapore through sweeping change. In order to repair the economy, he personally traveled around the world to convince foreign companies to build factories in Singapore. In order to ensure national security, he formulated a compulsory military service system and established an army from scratch. To address the housing crisis, his administration built massive public housing complexes that forced different racial groups to live together, breaking apartheid and preventing riots. To keep the government honest, he instituted strict anti-corruption laws that applied to everyone, including his own ministers.Lee Kuan Yew subsequently led his party to victory in seven elections and stepped down in 1990, becoming the world’s longest-serving prime minister.“At the end of the day, what did I gain? A successful Singapore. What did I give up? My life,” he said.
