Fearless Innovation

Chapter 2No Leadership = No Strategy = No Innovation

When I think about the most innovative places in the world, Singapore inevitably comes to mind. When Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was elected to office in 1959, Singapore was still reeling from the aftereffects of the Second World War. Infrastructure was scant, the GDP was low, and the island city-state’s future was none too bright. Yew set out on a five-year plan based around industrialization, urban renewal, public housing, and educational reform.¹ He saw how the country was changing, its citizens fed up and searching for a sense of prosperity that alluded them, and realized a comprehensive, progressive strategy was needed to confront the most pressing issues of the day. In August of 1965, Singapore gained full independence.

Fast forward sixty years, and Singapore is now one of the ten richest countries in the world.² It is internationally recognized for its support of innovation and entrepreneurship and it has positioned itself to become the first “Smart Nation,” with a focus on seamless technology, new business opportunities in the digital economy, and international partnerships.³ Where they once manufactured and exported fishing hooks and mosquito-repelling incense, they’re now doing so with aerospace, biotech, and semiconductor products.⁴ They also host the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) headquarters of many major companies, including Apple, Cisco, Microsoft, and BMW.⁵ As of 2017, the total foreign direct ...