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In Memoriam: Mr Lee Kuan Yew
Mr. Lee Kuan Yew; the Father of modern Singapore, Loving husband, Empowered Citizen and the Epitome of Ageing Actively.
Mr Lee Kuan Yew was Prime Minister of Singapore for 25 years from 1965 – 1990 post-independence, having turned 41 in 1965, we look at some of his quotes about life, health, governance to understand how Singapore’s preeminent active ager balanced his health, family and a tough job.
On Career
Being a team leader can be difficult, notwithstanding challenges from managing expectations from bosses, ideological conflicts between the old and young team members and ensuring that you deliver on results and expectations.
Mr Lee understood the principles of how to cajole, inspire and most importantly, motivate a team (in this case a cabinet of first time politicians) to row in the same direction in governing a nation. He draws strength from the insight that every team member wants to do his or her best for the organisation. Mr Lee offers understanding that there is always the gap between being realistic and being idealistic; and that it is worthwhile for a team to progress towards the ideal and in turn, improve reality.
“Each generation brings with it a fresh burst of enthusiasm, energy, vitality. Each generation is fired by its vision of the ideal society in an ideal world. The ideal can never be achieved but because men have ideals, those societies progress.” (1988)
As a leader, Mr Lee is transparent about his end game and is firm about his objectives. Fellow leaders and managers would do well to practice this with your teams. By being clear about expectations and the organisation’s goals and sharing what you would do to make the team succeed, you can also earn the respect of your peers and members.
“Whoever governs Singapore must have that iron in him. Or give it up. This is not a game of cards. This is your life and mine. I’ve spent a whole lifetime building this and as long as I’m in charge, nobody is going to knock it down.” (Rally speech at Raffles Place, 1980)
Teams evolve and adapt to stimuli. In current-day organisations, many managers rely on the company to take care of employees and their needs for salary, working space and equipment. Be a leader and take the reins of inspiring your team to bigger heights by selling and sharing co-ownership of big goals with them. This can help members to focus on the prize at the end of the race and eliminate distractions from the daily grind.
“You’ve got to do one of two things when you’ve got to keep people happy: either, give them something that will satisfy them, better food, better clothes, better homes; or if you can’t do that, then give them the vision of greatness to come”. (Australian Institute of Management, 22 March, 1965)
On Family and Love
Mr Lee’s love story with his wife, Kwa Geok Choo demonstrates passion, commitment and how two persons can become better together. This story has been shared many times since her passing in 2010. We can all do with a reminder of how to love and cherish our partners in life.
As a couple, across all the numerous trials and tribulations they’ve faced; such as having to handle a long distance relationship due to studies, getting married secretly (in those days, quite a feat for an Asian couple), onwards to his tenure as Prime Minister or even during his time in a semi-retirement capacity, this note shared with his youngest son, explains the need and reasons to handle both the highs and lows together.
“We have never allowed the other to feel abandoned and alone in any moment of crisis. Quite the contrary, we have faced all major crises in our lives together, sharing our fears and hopes, and our subsequent grief and exultation. These moments of crisis have bonded us closer together.” (Note to Lee Hsien Yang, 1981)
Mr Lee definitely knows the value of having a strong partner with him through life and is humble enough to share the glory with her.
“At the end of the day, what I cherish most are the human relationships. With the unfailing support of my wife and partner, I have lived life to the fullest.” (Mr Lee’s 80th birthday celebrations, 2003)
At their moment of parting, he shares how their choice to be partners across the years has shaped who they are as individuals. As a nation, we are grateful that their decisions and choices have shaped Singapore in its infancy and growing years.
“Without her, I would be a different man, with a different life… I should find solace in her 89 years of a life well lived. But at this moment of the final parting, my heart is heavy with sorrow and grief.” (October, 2010)
On Wellness and Leisure
We have read accounts of those who have worked with him through the years. Mr. Heng Swee Keat’s sharing of the red box and glimpse into the structure of Lee’s day-to-day is very informative. Given his focus on productivity, and being the generally pragmatic individual he is, it’s not surprising, Mr Lee has a packed working schedule.
However through the years, we can also see his opinions and tips on living a balanced life. He shares an insight about what drives interest in the human mind and why we should not fill our hours with non-thinking entertainment. He must have foretold the rise of the smartphone and the tablet as evidenced by the quote below.
“Life is not just eating, drinking, television and cinema… The human mind must be creative, must be self-generating; it cannot depend on just gadgets to amuse itself.” (Joo Seng Community Centre, 28 Feb, 1970)
Mr Lee also showed how determination when combined with self-realisation can be a driving force for a change in one’s lifestyle. Even way back, he had already understood the principles of the end goal of the current fitness programmes and diets, which is to eat less and do more.
“One day I was at the home of my colleague, Mr Rajaratnam, meeting foreign correspondents including some from the London Times and they took a picture of me and I had a big belly like that (puts his hands in front of his belly), a beer belly. I felt no, no, this will not do. So I started playing more golf, hit hundreds of balls on the practice tee.But this didn’t go down. There was only one way it could go down: consume less, burn up more.” (INSEAD, 2009)
Mr Lee demonstrates a healthy attitude regarding managing the opinions of others about what you do or say. Being able to keep a positive mindset and attitude can be the difference between focusing and achieving goals or allowing others to decide what your finishing line should be.
“I have never been over concerned or obsessed with opinion polls or popularity polls. I think a leader who is, is a weak leader. If you are concerned with whether your rating will go up or down, then you are not a leader. You are just catching the wind … you will go where the wind is blowing. And that’s not what I am in this for.” (1999, excerpt from The Singapore Story: Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew)
Despite some resistance towards the concept of ‘no retirement’ when it was first shared to the Singapore public, there are an increasing number of studies pointing out that we need to keep ourselves mentally engaged in order not to lose capability. Some benefits including preventing Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Whether the action is plain old-fashioned work, or picking up a language (Mr Lee could speak at least five languages fluently) or starting a new lifestyle business, the key take-away is to go beyond physical and mental engagement and retain a purpose in life.
“If the mindset is that when I reach retirement age 62, I’m old, I can’t work anymore, I don’t have to work, I just sit back, now is the time I’ll enjoy life, I think you’re making the biggest mistake of your life. After one month, or after two months, even if you go traveling with nothing to do, with no purpose in life, you will just degrade, you’ll go to seed.” (INSEAD, 2009)
On Death
This is an inevitable milestone for everyone. Death is usually a difficult topic to discuss. We find teaching our children about relationships and life partnerships easier because it’s less complicated to talk about a future. What happens with death is there is no more future to describe and look forward to. We find it hard to discuss and plan for perhaps by preparing a legal will, or a Power of Attorney and even an advanced medical directive (AMD), because we hope to avoid thinking about the milestone for as long as we can.
Even in dealing with death, Lee has a final sharing for all of us. That is, to go quickly, and with dignity and to honour those who might have gone before us – especially when it’s a life partner.
“There is an end to everything and I want mine to come as quickly and painlessly as possible, not with me incapacitated, half in coma in bed and with a tube going into my nostrils and down to my stomach.” (The Sunday Times, 13 August, 2013)
“For reasons of sentiment, I would like part of my ashes to be mixed up with Mama’s, and both her ashes and mine put side by side in the columbarium. We were joined in life and I would like our ashes to be joined after this life.” (The Sunday Times , October 2, 2011)
Rest In Peace Sir, you will be missed…
