Why Unique Leadership Wins: Lessons from Singapore for Founders and Execs
NAMITA PUROHIT 
It’s ancient wisdom shaping a modern marvel, and it works: Singapore’s prosperity radiates.
On my way back from Seattle to India, I took an unexpected detour through Singapore, a pitstop I hadn’t planned but happened because I saw some unbelievable ticket prices.
I felt a quiet spiritual joy knowing my return journey in three months would trace the Pacific, just as my earlier trip from Mumbai to Seattle had crossed the Atlantic—my second time circumnavigating this Earth, Bhumi Devi, whom we revere for her gifts and the holding embrace she offers us. Modern technology makes such wonders possible, and I’m grateful for it.
After weeks of deadlines and the working at a highly focused and fast pace sprint, landing in this vibrant city felt like a cool breeze on a stifling day. I just loved being on the open Big Bus on top and enjoying the beautiful sights and the clear breeze and the sun on my skin. The towering skyline, the fragrant gardens, the rhythm of a culture so different from mine—it was an instant decompression. My client who lives in Singapore had given me a list of places I should hop off and see in this hop-on hop off bus tour. But I was so relaxed on the bus and enjoying the sights and the calm so much that I didn't feel like getting down at all. It was magical, almost like a trance. Though I did force myself to get down at a few places as I wanted to know more about them.
A new place, new faces, and a fresh pulse jolted my creative juices awake. I try to do this often, take a break explore a new place with an ancient culture as I am transitioning from one sprint in business to another(however this one was totally spontaneous). It helps me take stock of the previous sprint and help my creativity for the new sprint ahead.
It’s why I’m so excited for our upcoming EASE Enlighten retreat in Turkey, August 24-30, 2025 with my friend Ayça İşbilir, a chance for leaders like you to join us, step away, and recalibrate your soul and direction amongst the backdrop of the ancient culture of Turkey. Sometimes, it takes a shift in scenery to hear your inner compass, and Singapore proved it. What I discovered there wasn’t just a reset - it was about fueling my creative juices, connecting with my inner guidance, conversations with people stimulating my thoughts and so much more. I was wondering through it all- what if this was a guided retreat with free time with myself and a lot of time with exceptional coaches who are there to hold the space for me, guide me, help me connect deeper with my inner guidance and truly align with myself. Ayça İşbilir and I will create this experience for you at the EASEnlighten Turkey Retreat Aug 24-30 and I invite you to the experience.
Culture as a Bridge to Connection: National Orchid Garden
Wandering through the National Orchid Garden, I was captivated by Singapore’s quiet genius. Hundreds of orchid varieties thrive there, some named after world leaders—a bloom for Modi, a hybrid for Xi. It’s more than horticulture; it’s a handshake across continents. Standing among those flowers, I could almost feel the conversations they’ve sparked.
Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s founding father and a key architect of its modern identity, inaugurated the garden. Lee Kuan Yew aimed to elevate Singapore’s reputation as a green, innovative nation, using the garden as a symbol of its ability to blend nature and modernity—a tool for “orchid diplomacy” and national pride. Mastery also helps a leader, organization and nation standout. Their honing into their research for orchids helps them be masters in this field for the world. It helps them build leadership and opens doors. There is a reason why leaders hone into Mastery- read my blog here to know why?
The National Orchid Garden, part of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, was officially opened on October 20, 1995, building on decades of orchid cultivation that began in the 1920s with the Gardens’ hybridization program. It houses over 1,000 species and 2,000 hybrids, totaling more than 60,000 plants, making it the world’s largest tropical orchid display.
Why orchids? The national flower of Singapore is the Vanda Miss Joaquim, a hybrid orchid, chosen for its resilience and ability to bloom year-round, symbolizing Singapore's unique and hybrid culture. While some might see the investment as extravagant, it’s a deliberate choice to craft a distinct identity, setting Singapore apart as a “Garden City” and creating a sense of pride and global recognition.
Some might call it wasteful—pouring resources into flowers when roads or towers could rise instead—but that misses the point. This garden, with its orchid diplomacy and vibrant blooms, roots Singapore’s global image in something uniquely its own, a blossoming identity that speaks louder than steel. From its blooms, an art has spun - orchid motifs now grace fabrics, crockery, kitchen napkins, wall art, bags, and more, fueling a creative economy, amplifying soft power, and weaving cultural threads that connect and charm the world in quiet diplomacy.
Insights for Leaders
You and your organization have your own own “orchids”—the values or traditions that define you. Don’t tuck them away. Embrace them like Singapore does—let them build bridges with your team, your clients, your world. Culture isn’t static; it’s a living force that drives influence and unity. Want to learn more- here is a blog I wrote on Embracing Authenticity- The Underrated Key to growth and success
Ancient Cultural Roots as the Bedrock of Progress
Later, strolling around Marina Bay, I listened to a guide explain the feng shui woven into its design with glass windows reflecting the water increasing the abundance and flow of wealth. The Fountain of Wealth was another Feng Shui inspired structure in Suntec city area was designed to bring an abundance of wealth into the region, the deliberate flow of energy. In the design plan of Suntec City, where the structure of the buildings is meant to resemble the human hand, the five tower blocks represent the fingers and thumb of a left hand emerging from the ground. The Fountain of Wealth is intended to form a gold ring in the center of the palm of the hand.
It’s ancient wisdom shaping a modern marvel, and it works: Singapore’s prosperity radiates. They don’t apologize for leaning on the past or Feng Shui being scientifically unproven, they know it works, they own their culture and they use it to fuel the future.
When I ask some of my clients and students on what attracted them to me - they always talk about the mix of east-west wisdom that I bring to my coaching, it helps them stay true to their cultural roots. I did get a lot of criticism as I started out in my journey, but the longer I stay true to my path, it helps the work and transformations for the clients stand out based on east-west wisdom and more people find a connection point.
Insights for Leaders
Now as you are building your organization think about what grounds your leadership - what gives you roots? Your organization’s roots, its founding story, its quirks and its beliefs aren’t baggage. They’re bedrock. Lean into them to guide your vision and inspire your team. When you build from what’s authentic, progress feels less forced and more inevitable. It helps you stand out and be memorable for your uniqueness.
Discipline as the Keeper of Purpose and Culture
Singapore’s strict rules—like the chewing gum ban or steep fines—caught my attention next. At first, I chuckled at the idea of outlawing gum, but then I saw the bigger picture: these aren’t just laws; they’re guardians of a way of life. Clean streets and clear expectations reflect a culture they refuse to let slip. It’s discipline with a purpose. I thought back to the retreat, where daily structure—quiet mornings, focused discussions—kept us present.
Insights for Leaders
In your world, discipline does the same. What “laws” protect your organization’s soul? Maybe it’s a commitment to quality or a no-compromise stance on ethics. Enforce them not to control, but to preserve what makes you unique. That’s how you keep purpose alive, even under pressure.
Solutions Born from Context
Then there’s the car permit—a $90,000 Certificate of Entitlement for just 10 years—or the 25% stamp duty on flats. These aren’t crowd-pleasers; they’re bold choices to ease congestion and prioritize public transport. They could have thought of supporting the auto industry and the revenue that comes from the sale of cars and gasoline, how they are focused on doing what is right for long term growth. Traffic snarls do not help the economy.
Singapore doesn’t chase global trends; they craft answers that fit their reality—time, place, and culture. Watching the city hum efficiently with the MRTs and the buses, I felt an admiration. It echoed a lesson: solutions work best when they’re true to you, not borrowed from someone else’s playbook.
Insights for Leaders
So, what’s your reality? Your organization faces unique challenges - don’t solve them with someone else’s script. Dig into your context and let it shape your path. When you embrace what sets you apart, your solutions carry a power that imitation can’t touch.
Your Own Small Nation
By now, you might be thinking: “Singapore’s tiny—it’s easier for them.” Maybe. But as I reflected on my stopover, I realized size isn’t the point. Singapore thrives because it knows itself , what it wants, its roots, its limits, its dreams and builds from there.
Your organization is your own “small nation,” whether it’s a team of ten or a global enterprise. That’s what I took back from Singapore, your uniqueness isn’t a luxury—it’s your compass and it gives you a resilient foundation which borrowed ideas cannot.
Insights for Leaders
Leaders, VPs, execs—pause and ask: What makes you distinct? How can you harness that to drive your work forward? Singapore doesn’t mimic the world; it shapes its own story. You can too. Step away, recalibrate, and listen to your inner guidance. Then build something that’s undeniably yours. That’s the lesson I carried from Singapore to India—and now to you.
The Visionary Leader Who Made It Happen
None of this would have been possible without Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s founding father and first Prime Minister, who led the nation from 1959 to 1990 with a fierce clarity of purpose. Born in 1923 to a modest family, he turned a resource-scarce island, once dismissed as a colonial backwater into a global powerhouse through sheer will, discipline, and an unshakable belief in its potential.
He didn’t just build skyscrapers or gardens; he built a mindset, blending pragmatism with pride in Singapore’s unique identity. His legacy seen in every orchid bloom, every orderly street, every thriving business is a testament to what happens when a leader embraces what sets their “nation” apart and channels it into action.
For us, as founders, CXOs, VPs, execs, and leaders, Lee Kuan Yew’s story is a challenge: to step away, as we will in Turkey, and ask—how can we, too, harness our distinctiveness to transform our own worlds?
Join Us in Turkey to Recalibrate and Lead with Your USP
For us, as founders, CXOs, VPs, execs, and leaders, Lee Kuan Yew’s story is a challenge: to harness our distinctiveness and transform our own worlds. That’s exactly what Ayça İşbilir and I are inviting you to do at the EASEnlighten Turkey Retreat, August 24-30, 2025.
Join us to experience this for yourself—immerse in the ancient culture of Turkey, heal and relax through Ayurveda, chakra work, energy work, Access Bars, meditative trance states, and active coaching, all designed to help you recalibrate, draw inspiration, and set a direction that’s uniquely yours. Step away from the sprint, reconnect with your inner compass, and lead with the clarity and authenticity that drives true impact.
Click here to book a call and reserve your spot today and let’s shape your leadership legacy together. Early bird offers expire on April 15th.
Categories: : Leadership