Having the political will and resources to follow through on projects is one of the four key approaches driving Singapore’s strategies to overcome its constraints, Mr Lee noted.
Disciplined long-term planning has been institutionalised in Singapore’s land-use planning since the 1950s, he added.
Every 10 years, the government conducts a long-term plan review to plan 50 years into the future, and then translates this into a detailed masterplan for every part of Singapore for the next 10 to 15 years, said the National Development Minister.
Singapore also brings agencies and stakeholders together to execute and implement plans effectively – preparing the land, putting in infrastructure and addressing pain points as the projects roll out, he added.
Even while the government plans for the long term, it should stay nimble and agile, refreshing its plans to keep pace with new developments, said Mr Lee.
“This was particularly important during black swan events like the COVID-19 pandemic. We had to find land and adapt spaces for additional medical facilities, for dorms and other urgent users,” he added.
Three factors also enable Singapore to turn its vision into reality, said the minister.
Pushing boundaries in using technology, artificial intelligence and digital tools contributes to more efficient planning, designing and building, said Mr Lee.
The government must also engage the public and its stakeholders extensively, he added, noting that it conducts briefings, dialogues, town halls and more to develop plans with the public.
“We do this for many of our major plans,” said Mr Lee, adding that Alliances for Action – industry-led coalitions working with the government – also enable the government to partner Singaporeans to address a common challenge.
“Each member contributes their perspective and resources, and together … we achieve more than the sum of our individual efforts,” said the minister.
Singapore’s success has been anchored by its strong social compact, which “embodies a mutual understanding”, said Mr Lee.
“For generations, Singaporeans have looked beyond our own personal interests and made sacrifices,” he added.
“Aspirations can outstrip the reality of our size and our resources, yet a truly successful society is one where everyone succeeds together.”
For this to happen, Singapore must continue to foster a strong sense of collective responsibility and to constantly think of the next generation, said Mr Lee.
MANAGING TRADE-OFFS
At the summit, Mediacorp CEO Tham Loke Kheng also spoke about navigating trade-offs and how leaders manage competing priorities.
The current landscape is defined by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, which creates a leadership environment where trade-offs are unavoidable, she said.
The list of trade-offs is endless, and so are the skills that leaders need to deal with them, said Ms Tham.
This includes adaptive thinking, making decisions amid ambiguity, emotional intelligence and communicating strategically but authentically, she added.
“Sometimes being able to master all these at the same time really feels like a herculean challenge, at least to me,” she said.
This year’s CNA Summit zeroed in on “Trade-offs in Leadership”, exploring how today’s CEOs juggle the critical factors that determine whether an organisation thrives or falters.
Top industry voices, including DBS Group CEO Piyush Gupta, Citi Singapore Country Officer and Banking Head Tibor Pandi, Singlife Group CEO Pearlyn Phau; OPPO’s President for APAC Andy Shi and ST Telemedia President & Group CEO Stephen Miller will speak during the two panel discussions on Thursday.
