Everyone loves an underdog success story. How can we get more of such stories? Tharman went to ask the school principal how their kids were able to beat the likes of NUS High which is full of Science and Math whizzes who are also much older. He wanted to know the special sauce and how to reproduce them elsewhere.
I believe other than being one of the smartest if not the brightest minister in cabinet, a key reason why Tharman is appreciated is because his heart in in the right place. Wasn't he also the one who popularize the term Compassionate Meritocracy? I can tell you that is rare. My daughter in NUS, her team just failed the compassionate meritocracy test. All these straight As students only understand fighting fair in the narrowest possible sense. Very much like the animal kingdom, if you are seen as a runt (you are not), you are finished. Nobody would slow the train for you to hop on. They will just leave you behind to die.
Humans would choose to be animal than human like. You know what happen to the militaries that leave their injured and dead behind.
If only we have more of the likes of Tharman in the current government, the sustainabillity of our red dot
ReplyDeleteoops ... will be assured
ReplyDeleteIf Mr Tharman were to be Singapore's Prime Minister instead of a Deputy Prime Minister, would things have been better for Singaporeans?
ReplyDeleteWould you prefer a Compassionate Leader or a Ruthless Leader?
I don't think most people are thinking of him as a better PM than LHL but would greatly appreciate some of his thinking and especially how he reaches out to people, how he says things in public in the PM and the rest of his ministers.
DeleteHe is not the only minister or MP whose heart is in the right place.
To me leadership is about effectiveness. Compassionate or ruthless are just forms. LKY was compassionate but many didn't see that in the man because he always appeared stern in public.
PengYou, you make a valid point - leadership is about effectiveness, not being compassionate or ruthless .
DeleteWe need the other ministers including LHL to think more like Tharman, and less arrogant and high handed in their way of dealing with matters of the heart.