TRANSCIPT

Leadership Coach Reacts: Singapore Minister Spills Our Political Secrets

JASON -

What’s up guys!

This is your leadership coach, Jason.

Today we're going to be breaking down one of the interviews of Minister Tharman, one of Singapore's leaders, at St. Gallen Symposium in the UK (United Kingdom) in 2015.

If you are a leader, this is a perfect example to watch and learn from.

And this video had over a million views.

So check it out.

MR THARMAN SHANMUGARATNAM -

People think of Singapore as an economic success.

That's what sort of, you know, catches attention very easily.

Per capita GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and so on.

But what was really interesting and unique about Singapore, was social strategy.

And most especially, the fact that we took advantage of diversity, different races, different religions, and melded a nation where people were proud of being who they were.

But we're Singaporean first.

JASON -

So what he was saying was that we came in a society where we have a lot of different religions, a lot of different races.

And one of the things about a leader is - how do you get all these diversity and differences, and how do you make it into a strength?

So that is one of the key things the leader needs to do.

Of all these differences, how do you see these differences where one plus one is 10.

Make those differences a strength.

And second thing when it comes to differences, people have very different ways of working and that's one of the greatest challenges of a leader.

How do I get these people in my team to work together?

One of the things you need to do is to align them to something that is common - a common alignment, a common strategy, where they can actually start to work with each other in a way that's most productive.

MR THARMAN SHANMUGARATNAM -

First and foremost...

INTERVIEWER -

But was it was it melded from top down?

And we can't get away from the figure of Lee Kuan Yew himself, you know.

It wasn't there at the beginning, he imposed it.

MR THARMAN SHANMUGARATNAM -

The natural workings of society would not have led to that happening, right?

Not just in Singapore, but anywhere in the world.

JASON -

I like the idea of him saying that there's a natural workings of society.

That means there's something in society, or in your team, that's already very natural for them.

So we need to up our game in terms of our leadership, to be able to actually counter that natural workings of society.

MR THARMAN SHANMUGARATNAM -

The natural workings of society would have just as easily, and more likely, have led to mistrust, discomfort, bigotry, and what we see in abundance in many countries in the world today.

JASON -

So what he's saying is that we need to actually step in to that natural workings of society.

Within your team, there's already a certain culture.

The culture most of the time is based on the neglect.

By who?

Actually, it's by you, the leader.

So I give you an example.

One of the people I coach - he wanted to get everybody's Zoom camera to be on, but he can't seem to find a way.

So when I was coaching him, I was helping him to understand that that's the natural way that they do things.

If it's inconvenient for me, I'll switch it off.

But what I was able to help him to understand as a leader, was that he had influence over that.

And we were able to actually change that mindset of that team or his team, and from then on, everybody was happy to switch on their videos.

It's not a dictatorship.

It's really about how, as a leader, you influence them positively and you can get that kind of outcome.

MR THARMAN SHANMUGARATNAM -

The most intrusive social policy in Singapore has turned out to be the most important.

And it has a level of intrusiveness that doesn't come comfortably to the liberal mind.

JASON -

So this thing about intrusive social policy.

Most leaders out there might not feel that something like them switching on their Zoom camera during Zoom, is something that they should intrude into.

They feel that maybe it's too simple.

It's something that maybe I shouldn't be talking about.

But we see that actually for Singapore, some of the things that we need to do to have a society that is vibrant and productive, is to intrude into some of the aspects of society that other countries might feel it's a bit strange.

MR THARMAN SHANMUGARATNAM -

And I'd say this is, you know, when it was first done, I don't think we knew how important it was going to be.

It was done because -

And it was intrusive, and it turns out to be our greatest strength.

Because once people live together, they're not just walking the corridors together everyday, taking the same elevator up and down.

Their kids go to the same Kindergarten, the kids go to the same Primary school.

Because all over the world, young kids go to school very near to where they live and they grow up together.

The lessons coming out of Baltimore, the lessons coming out of France's large cities, lessons coming out of all our societies show that neighborhoods matter.

Place matters.

Where you live matters.

It matters much more than economists thought.

It matters tremendously in the daily influences that shape your life and the traps you fall into.

JASON -

So this is the key point - daily influences.

I like to say that when it comes to changing the way your team functions, sometimes you can call it culture, sometimes you can call it your way of life, I like to say that drip impact is far more effective than flood impact.

What is a flood impact?

Once a year, you share about, you know, this is how we do things, or you share about your values, but that doesn't work.

It is the daily drip impact.

The opportunities that you can find where you can actually showcase that this is how we do things here, or that is not how we do things here.

Remember, drip impact is far more effective than flood impact.

INTERVIEWER -

Well I dare say, and this is where we get into a conversation about Singapore, that isn't, as you say, just about extraordinary growth rates and economic success, but it's about the way in which the body politic works.

To some of us sensitive flowers in the West, the authoritarianism that underpins that approach to managing a society, feels uncomfortable to us.

JASON -

Alright, so he talks about authoritarian way of doing things.

The best cultures out there have that leader who actually helps to lay out what exactly we do on different scenarios.

When we're talking to each other, when we make a mistake.

So that could sound quite intrusive.

But that is essential.

If you want to build a great culture, that is essential.

That figure, which is you the leader, needs to lay out certain things.

And some people might feel uncomfortable and some might even feel that you are authoritative or you have that authoritarian kind of vibe.

MR THARMAN SHANMUGARATNAM -

That's a caricature.

I mean even the economist, which is not exactly a cheerleader for Singapore, would say, as it just did on its editorial form of arbitrary when Mr Lee Kuan Yew passed away, that Singapore has free, fair, and regular elections.

We are a parliamentary democracy, not in exactly the same mold as Britain or the United States certainly.

Your parliamentary democracy, and an elected government, makes decisions which it feels are the best, in the best interests of the country today, and for the future.

And we are accountable for it.

JASON -

So that's leadership in essence.

What is leadership?

That you make decisions that are in the best interest of your team.

If you have that right, then this whole idea of you being authoritarian might not be a big issue anymore, right?

They might know that everything you do as a leader, you're doing because you have the best interest for your team.

So sometimes it might be even things like bonuses.

If they are thinking: "Hey, why are you not giving out bonuses?"

Because why?

"I need to take care of the company in the long run, so you will have employment in the long run.

So I'm not giving you bonuses a lot now, but in the future we have a future together as a company."

So people might not know why you do certain things, but as long as your heart is correct, that you have the best interest for the people, they will be able to actually stand by you and understand that this is something that I understand, let's move forward and let's go towards a brighter future.

MR THARMAN SHANMUGARATNAM -

But you do need to constrain something.

And do you end up a better society or don't you, that's the test.

Not whether the government is right.

Do you end up a society that people feel more comfortable in?

That's the real test.

JASON -

So this is one of the principles when it comes to human beings.

Human beings, when they act, they act a lot of times in their own interest.

That means what feels good or what is most beneficial for me.

I like to say water finds its level.

And for human beings, if you don't actually dictate certain things like this is the way we should do these things, and this is the way we shouldn't do these things, water finds this level means that there's no culture.

Everybody is coming up with their own version of culture and they will slowly tear apart things within your organization.

Not because they want to, but because of neglect from you as a leader.

[LEARNING POINT]
So when we come to this end of this video, what we're trying to do is that we're trying to understand that culture needs to be intentional.

It needs to be surgically intentional, starting with you as a leader.

You need to actually help people understand this is the right way of doing things.

If your team members, without you present, sees somebody else whose behavior is a bit wrong, in your books that person needs to be able to speak up and say that that is now how we do things here.

If you think about it, there's some teams within the same organization that are so much more grateful.

Everybody says "thank you".

Or if you think about another team that everything is about excellence - they go towards world-class excellence and everybody understands that.

If that is a six upon ten it is a no-go, it must be minimum and nine upon ten.

Why do these happen?

It is all intentional.

Daily intentional building of culture.

So if you're a leader and you don't see the behaviors that you want, the only person responsible is you.

You need to start being intentional about the signals you're giving, about each behavior, whether that is positive or whether that's negative.

And if you're able to do that on a daily or weekly basis, rather than a yearly basis, you're going to get a great culture at the end because you are intentional about it.

And they know what you're building and they will rally behind you because you have their best interest.

That's a wrap guys!

If you enjoyed my breakdown of Tharman as one of the Singapore leaders, give a like and write down in the comments, I want to understand what you enjoyed most about it.

Till next time, be the leader that people want to follow.

See ya!

(key words: leadership, leadershiplessons, leadershipcoachreacts, leadersofinfluence, culture, intrusiveness, dripimpact, intentionalbuilding)