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Background:
Issue 3: Process of Leadership Renewal
Author: Saravanan Rathakrishnan
• Leadership renewal is imperative for the continuity of any organisation. However, more often than not, it causes more problems than benefits to the organisations.
• This is because leadership transitions premise on sensitive human interactions and must be done carefully, in a measured, tailored manner.
• The best example of smooth leadership transitions can be found within our own local political situations. Since Singapore’ s independence, there have been two successful government leadership transitions with the 3rd transition underway at the moment.
• Thus, using Singapore’ s example, we can try to draw some lessons that can be applied to Tamil community organisations, so as to ensure that the objectives of these organisations can be fulfilled in the long run with their continuity being ensured as well.
Topic of Interest: How can we, as youths, further improve the succession planning of key Tamil community organisations?
Taking a leaf out of our political leadership
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30
25
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15
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5
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Number of years served as Prime Minister before transition
PM Lee Kuan Yew
PM Goh Chok Tong
PM Lee Hsien Leong
Fig 1: Duration before each leadership transition. Note: PM Lee Hsien Loong has not done a leadership transition yet
Source: http:// eresources. nlb. gov. sg / infopedia / articles / SIP _ 139 _ 2 005-01-19. html
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Leadership transition from the 3 rd to 4 th generation
Source: http:// www. straitsti mes. com / politics / 4t h-generationleaders-get-keyposts-in-cabinetreshuffle
Common trends
1. DPMs did not head specific ministries but act as coordinating ministers
2. Mr Khaw Boon Wan acts as 3 rd coordinating minister
3. Placed younger ones into key positions
1. 20 full ministers in the Cabinet
2. Half of whom are below 55 years old
Historically, speed of success has been correlative of how high a particular politician will rise. All those who rose to the top were identified early on and were given key roles.
Since the 1970s, out of the 40 cabinet ministers, those who rose to the top mostly became full ministers typically within 3 years and were also given further responsibilities.
At each leadership transition, there was a clear leader and that person was chosen to become the PM.
Source: http:// www. straitstimes. com / politics / singapolitics / pap-top-task-is-leadership-renewal
Lessons
Leadership Succession • Avoids vertical integration and fields the best candidates resisting the temptation of rewarding only party loyalty.( Petir 30 th Anniversary issue. Singapore: Central Executive Committee, PAP, 1984) � prevents succession through non-meritocratic means
Mechanism • PAP talent spots people and adopts Civil Service recruitment process of tea sessions, interviews and psychology tests to select its candidates.
• Integrates the talents horizontally i. e. succession through meritocratic means
Leadership transition • Retired senior leaders like PMs do not leave the Cabinet completely, they remain to lend expertise as well as mitigate power struggles during leadership transition.
Source:( http:// www. theonlinecitizen. com / 2009 / 09 / lee-kuan-yews-legacy-on-leadership-succession /)
Issue 3: Process of Leadership Renewal
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