Governance for the greater good: Lessons from Lee Kuan Yew
A moral blueprint for leadership: True governance has never been about power.
It has always been about sacrifice—and today, we suffer because too many of our leaders have chosen privilege over principle.
Rage against the betrayal of the greater good
This article was first written in the shadow of COVID-19—when the world stood still, when fear entered every household and when leadership was placed under a merciless spotlight. It revealed not heroes, but the haunting truth of systemic failure.
Today, that failure has evolved into something far more sinister: corruption so brazen it has compromised our global credibility, a Congress that never truly represented its people and an economy now in a tailspin—all orchestrated by the greed and entitlement of a select political elite.
We now find ourselves under a President overshadowed by a major scandal rather than defined by duty, a Congress that has distanced itself from its constitutional purpose and a government where policymaking positions are too often awarded through loyalty and personal affiliation instead of merit and competence.
The consequence is a nation weakened not by error alone—but by a profound breach of public trust.
Why do leaders fail?
Leaders fail primarily because of their own moral erosion. They break promises. They weaponize trust. They overpromise and grossly underdeliver. Worse, they normalize deception—and call it governance.
This is not mere failure. This is dereliction of duty masquerading as leadership.
Citizens are told to listen, to wait, to believe. Yet time and again, reality proves a painful truth: what leaders do matters infinitely more than what they say.
The pandemic unmasked a generation of leaders who were incompetent, irresponsible, entitled and grotesquely insensitive—both in public office and in business. But instead of learning from that moment in history, many doubled down on arrogance, power and self-interest.
We were not led. We were managed poorly. We were not guided. We were abandoned.
The disease beneath the disease
At the root of our national crisis is not simply poor policy—but the absence of principle. The erosion of strategy. The collapse of compassion. The depletion of courage.
Leadership, at its core, is good governance anchored on values. Yet today, our national direction is dictated by:
• A president whose sense of entitlement outweighs his sense of responsibility;
• A Congress disconnected from the lives and voices of its constituents; and
• A bureaucracy populated by friends, allies and political rewards—not professionals.
This is not governance. This is patronage in a tailored suit.
And when those entrusted with power become more invested in preserving privilege than protecting people, the nation pays the price.
If I were president, I would do what Lee Kuan Yew did
Lee Kuan Yew did not rule to charm. He ruled to rebuild, reform and rescue. He was relentless in one principle: Every decision must serve the greater good.
Here is what a serious leader would do today:
1. Declare war on corruption
Corruption would no longer be treated as a tolerated vice or political inconvenience—it would become an act of economic sabotage against the nation.
Those who plunder public funds would face not just disgrace, but prosecution, forfeiture of assets and long prison terms that serve as unmistakable deterrence. No sacred cows. No political debts. No immunity for allies. Power would no longer shield thieves—it would expose them.
2. Remove the incompetent, regardless of friendship
Public office would no longer be a reward system for loyalty. Every policymaker would face performance audits. Failure would mean replacement.
3. Rebuild Congress as a true voice of the people
Representation would mean actual consultation, not scripted hearings and performative debates.
4. Institutionalize the “greater good” doctrine
No policy would pass unless it served long-term national interest—not personal, political or corporate agendas.
5. Impose discipline over popularity
Leadership would no longer be a popularity contest but a moral obligation to do what is right—even when painful.
6. Professionalize governance
Evidence-based policies. Technocrats instead of loyalists. Strategy instead of slogans.
7. Build systems that outlive power
Because true leaders create institutions—not dynasties.
A reckoning must come
Leadership is not a throne. It is a burden. Not a reward, but a responsibility.
And when those entrusted with the future choose greed over the greater good, history must not forgive them—but expose them.
This is not a cry for perfection. It is a demand for decency. A call for courage. A return to principle.
For in the end, the true measure of leadership is not how long one stayed in power—but how courageously one served when the nation needed them most.
(Enrique M. Soriano is a former World Bank/IFC governance advisor and a senior accredited director at the Singapore Institute of Directors, where he volunteers as a mentor to aspiring director candidates. Soriano has authored hundreds of published articles on family and corporate governance and is a sought-after mentor to organizations across Asia.)
