When it comes to building a personal brand, we all need heroes. They can be dead or alive. Famous celebrities or unsung heroes. Someone we see every day or a person we have never met. But the one thing they have in common is that they inspire us. They encourage us to imagine a better tomorrow. More than that, they constantly remind us to believe in and follow our dreams. They push us to get back up when we fall down. And we often see ourselves in them.
I have my heroes too, and the three people I admire most are Lee Kuan Yew, Albert Einstein and George Soros.
It’s amazing to think how Singapore went from a third-world country to first-world in just one generation. All because of the vision of a single man: Lee Kuan Yew. One can learn much from the life of Singapore’s founding father, and it’s his leadership style that yields the most lessons for me.
Lee Kuan Yew was disciplined, and devoted his life to a greater cause than himself, which was making Singapore a completely independent nation. I always admired Lee Kuan Yew’s results-driven approach. He constantly asked, “Is it working?” of his own actions and policies. If so, how could it be even better? If he wasn’t getting the desired results, Lee Kuan Yew wasn’t afraid to scrap it and try something new. He kept persevering until he achieved the results he wanted. His resolve was constantly tested but he never wavered, even if that meant making unpopular decisions. Once he set his mind on something, nothing could stop him. He even continued to study Mandarin until the age of 90 (he passed away at 91).
When people think of Albert Einstein, the word “genius” springs to most people’s mind. For me, it’s “student”. I learned how to learn from him. He constantly questioned everything around him and always imagined how the world could be. Einstein never followed the herd and wasn’t afraid of going against the grain. One of his quotes that sticks with me is, “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it… He who doesn’t… pays it.”
Finally, there’s George Soros, one of the wealthiest individuals in the world. Was he born with a silver spoon in his mouth? Far from it. At the end of World War 2, Soros moved to England. Only 17 years old and penniless at the time, he made enough to survive as a waiter and railway porter while attending school. Even after Soros graduated from university, he struggled as a door-to-door salesperson but now he’s arguably the most successful hedge fund manager of all time. Looking at his journey, I’m inspired by the way he manages risks through doing his homework, rigorously studying the market and constantly testing his theories with smaller investments first. Soros is also a master of his mindset, never letting emotions play a part in his trading decisions.
With the goal of becoming the ‘Pension Fund For the World’ one day, I know the journey ahead will be challenging. But I won’t be alone. Lee Kuan Yew, Albert Einstein and George Soros will always be there, reminding me to chase the rainbow.
Authored by Kenneth Kam
Produced by Callio Media