Member-only story
Effective leaders are not perfect
We now live in a complex interconnected world where it is impossible for anyone to know all the answers.
The COVID19 pandemic proved this. The sheer scale, number, and variety of inter-relationships between multiple systems (both domestic and international) have made it impossible to accurately predict outcomes. Without rules, algorithms, or natural laws to guide decisions, policy-making is largely a hit-or-miss endeavor.
Contrast this to the past when Lee Kuan Yew was Prime Minister. Back then, issues were complicated. Factors could often be separated and dealt with in a systematic and logical manner relying on a set of static rules or algorithms — things were essentially more predictable.
Today’s 4G leaders struggle to lead through no fault of their own. Without the ability to fully understand the environment Singaporeans live in, they can only make decisions based on their best guess. Sometimes they get it right, but more often than not they get it partly right. This is why leaders who build their influence on the promise that they know the answers will fail, as it is impossible to get it right all of the time.
