The evolution of a new kind of MBA

MBA's are increasingly rampant these days with a myriad of colleges offering these programmes. They are also increasingly generic.

If you don't want to something generic but want to be able to conduct business in an international context, the Fletcher's school has a new and awesome programme called the MIB. (Master's of International Business)

I have the pleasure and honour of knowing the exceptional students of this inaugural class. So here is the video featuring an interview of Dean's Stephen Bosworth by Newsweek regarding this new programme.



Regards

Chewing Gum

Do you know what Singapore is famous for?

The banning of something called the chewing gum. I think it is unbelievable because almost every single international classmate that I have spoken to have heard of that infamous ban of chewing gum in Singapore.

I cannot believe how many times I had to explain this ban. In truth, as a Singaporean I have almost forgotten the existence of this product known as the chewing gum. It was something that I guess I have learnt to live without. Chew or no chew, it really makes no difference.

What really interesting is, I don't think it my new found friends cared for the chewing gum industry. I think they really look at upon this with amusement, that such a mundane item would have gotten banned in the first place. It's not marijuana, or ecstasy. It's not even Subutex.

When I was asked, I really found it hard to explain how this decision to ban really came about. Then of course, that special moment happened and it all came back to me.

Vindication~!

There I was at the Super Stop and Shop carpark lot trying to unpack my groceries into my rented Zipcar on Saturday and suddenly I stepped on something which I have not stepped on in years. Yep. you got it. One sticky, irritating wad of gum on the sole of my shoe. That's the reason. What are the chances right? Well, it really didn't even take 3 weeks and I stuck the lottery.

Call me a brainwashed Singaporean who is sucked into the system but if don't mind, you can always take my shoe and help me wash/wipe/scrape that gum out the next time.

On Corporate Goverance

I think it is quite clear where I stand on good governance. I believe it is vital and important but I diverge on what ensures it.

We had an interesting talk on the Sarbanes Oxley's Act and corporate governance during the lunch time talk. Of course, I have heard this debate a number of times and the most frequently articulated comments on SOX is the cost of compliance associated which may be counter-productive. What I am interested however is on whether it is indeed effective.

To set the record straight, I have no doubts about its importance and its usefulness and place in corporate governance. However, to argue that it is going to be the panacea or silver bullet for corporate governance and preventing fraud, I would seriously doubt it. People have often commented on the speed that it was enacted without further deliberation. (It was overwhelmingly vote for and beats even vote against legalising marijuana in the US). I suspect that it does not address the systemic root of the problem.

There is no empirical evidence to suggest that it is even going to work. It is a theoretical and logic postulate. If we do see less fraud, it is probably because people are generally honest more so that the SOX working. It can also imply that people are generally not smart enough to beat the controls. These facts do not equate that people who have the intention to and the smarts to do it, cannot do it.

At the end of the day, ethics and the societal's moral fibre is the real root of the problem. Of course, that is a much bigger issue.

Controls would just be bring about a debate of balance between its cost and effectiveness.

So do I think it is good? I'm ambivalent. If I want to do business in the US or prove that the firm I run have "good corporate governance", I think it is a good and established recognised standard.

The Time to Think...

The past two weeks have been amazing.

I have been bombarded with so many new perspectives that it just simply excites my mind. The awesome accounting classes and the interesting lunchtime talks with the Fletcher faculty have just comfirmed why I've made a good decision.

In one session, it was mentioned that Eisenhower was asked when was the time that he enjoyed and impacted him the most. We were informed that it was that one year he spent at the Command and Staff College. Why? Simply because it was a time to think. A time of reflection.

I completely concur. I've never felt so ready to explore new thoughts and new ideas and to reflect on old perspectives that I have.

This is the time to think.

I have much to share and I will try to document the most interesting thoughts in this blog in the days to come.

It's an Art, not a Science.

What's is an art and not science? Well, it depends.

For my vocation as a military person, I've consistently heard that warfare is an art, not a science. The vagarities and the limitless variables and parameters in the conduct of warfare has made it an artform. The officer in command of the campaign would be able to creatively utilise his information superiority, his speed of manuever and even his environmment to overpower a technically superior foe, with greater firepower and larger numbers. Of course, the converse is also true. Hence, we have Sun Tzu's Art of War.

Of course then, I found out that the business world wanted to copy this state by alluding that business is war. Hence, the conduct of business is again an art form and not a science. Here at Fletcher, and in my first week of lessons, this concept is brought to a whole new playing field.

Is accounting an art or a science? Prof. Larry Weiss shows us that it is an art. Wow! Imagine that. You'd think with all that balancing and the mathematics, it should be clearly a science. We now know however that accounting is merely management's way of signalling and representing information to a phethora of users ranging from investors, bankers, competitors, suppliers, customers, employees, regulators and even Greenpeace. (Haha... that's another story).

Nice.

So the question is, "Is everything an art?" This is where Dean Uvin's explaination of the offering of Fletcher comes in. There is 3 levels. Firstly, you need to know the subject matter of things and how to do it. At this level, it could be very well an Art. Then there is an underlying layer of the skill sets and tools that we will learn. This level given the technicalities, it would be a science. Then of course, we need to know the ethics and the RIGHT thing to do. That's beyond art and science.

Wonderful. I'll get all 3 of it here.

Friday Blues...

Okay, I'm finally here in Massachusetts.

Everything has been great. The house we have is lovely, the people are friendly, the weather is fine and the classes and luncheon talks for the pre-session has been phenomenal.

All except one thing.

I really dislike walking to schools on Friday morning. I did it yesterday and I dread it. Why? The reason is simple. In the city of Medford (perhaps even the whole of MA?), the trash collection is on Friday mornings. So on Thursday nights, everyone brings out their week of trash to the sidewalk. Now just imagine that. A week of swill, rubbish and grime. That's gonna produce give the whole street one unimaginable maladourous experience. To top it up, Friday morning itself will see a swarm of dumpsters trawling the city streets emptying the traSh cans or bins.

To sum it up, it's not really pleasant. However, I found this whole episode interesting.

In Singapore, we have dumpsters everyday. Trash gets cleared and you never get such an experience. The question however is, is it efficient? What is a dump truck clear a neighbourhood and hardly has any haul to empty? Is that a wasted trip? It depends. For one, we must provide the service because it would seem highly unacceptable to Singaporeans. On the other hand, it is also reflective of the mentality of the people. Consistency. We need to keep clearing out the trash daily. We cannot allow things to just build up.

The logic here however is one that goes with efficiency. It works. It ain't broken. It doesn't need fixing.

Of course then, you'd get a Friday stinker. It's your choice. Consistency versus efficiency.

Yoni - Heroes of Entebbe by Max Hastings

I have promised some junior officers to recommend some books that speaks of exemplary leadership. One such book was the first book that I read as part of my professional reading programme in the service. Here a book review that I have written for it. It comes complete with personal reflections too.

Introduction

Israel is perhaps one of the most miraculous of all nations having survived the Holocust, re-established as a nation and surrounded by hostile Arab nations that threaten their sovereignty and sought for their destruction. They fought in wars like the Six Day War, Yom Kippur War and in wars of attrition by continued acts of terrorism even till today. All these achievements would not have been possible without the Zahal, or the army of Israel have been tried and tested in these times and stood firm in its ground.

The Zahal, a largely conscripted force not unlike the SAF have proved itself on the battlefield, preserving the independence of the Jewish people. Like any capable armed forces that achieved continued successes in the battlefields, it is not by mere chance but more because of the remarkable military leaders that serve in her army. This book written by Max Hastings, an acclaimed journalist and TV reporter, present a post-mortem biography of one of Israel’s greatest military leader of the modern times – Colonel Yonatan Netanyahu

Synopsis

“There are times when the fate of an entire people rests upon a handful of fighters and volunteers. They must secure the uprightness of our world in one hour.”
“This young man was among those who commanded an operation that was flawless. But to our deep sorrow, it entailed a sacrifice of incomparable pain: that of the first among the storming party, the first to fall. And by virtue of the few, the many were saved, and by virtue of one who fell, a nation bent under a heavy weight rose again to its full height.”

- Shimon Peres, Defense Minister delivering Yoni’s Eulogy

Colonel Yonatan Netanyahu, affectionately known as Yoni was only thirty years old when he perished in this last and final operation at Entebbe, an old airport in Uganda. It was a daring, hostage rescue operation conducted miles away from Israel that amazed the world, giving credence to the elite forces of the Israeli Army.

Apart from being the commander of this operation and the leading man of this operation, Yoni led an exemplary life that was very much an ideal of a military man and a patriot. Born in the family of Benzion Netanyahu, his father was a scholar of the Zionist movement that sought to gather all of the Jewish people to establish a Jewish state in the land of Israel. Young Yoni had the same vision and passion that was instilled within him like his father and grandfather, having soaked up the rich history of the Jewish people and the Jewish land.

As a young man shuttling between America and Israel, Yoni excelled in schools wherever he went and was a brilliant student in the eyes of all his teachers and peers alike. He returned to serve his compulsory conscription at his due age and again showed the same excellence as he did in his academic pursuits. He was selected as a paratroop, Israeli’s elite and crack unit otherwise known as sayeret.

He was selected to be trained as an officer and became in every aspect what that title represented. He was one who led by example, always maintaining a clear head and one who was highly motivated that it led to the high standards that he would set for his soldiers and units under his command and for himself. He was a quiet and introspective man that was often with his books in his spare time and would write extensively to his loved ones like his parents, his brothers, his girlfriend and later ex-wife Tutti and his second-love, Bruria.

Yoni’s greatest love however was the land of Israel, a fierce and fearless passion and love for the land of Israel, its every ridge and hills, deserts and plains. It was such a great love for Israel that Yoni had put aside his own dreams and pursuits of his degree at Harvard, to return to Israel to serve in the Zahal because of deep belief that it was vital that he contributed to the preservation of the Jewish State.

He had completed his conscription service and remained in Israel to work for a while and during the Six-Day War that began on the June 6, 1967, he was mobilized like the rest of the men to fight off the Arab aggressors. He took a bullet wound to his elbow during the war at the point when the war was ending and went to America with his girlfriend and soon to be wife Tutti to stay with his parents and pursue his studies at Harvard. However, he soon became unhappy and desired to return to Israel and was to sign up for regular service in the Zahal. He returned to one of the units of sayerat as a training officer and sometimes led reprisal operations on Fatahs, Arab guerillas that constantly plagued Israel with acts of terrorism and destruction.

Yoni was an extraordinary officer and was once commented by one of his superiors as those that come only once a lifetime. He was respected by all his men and senior officers for his relentless dedication to the Zahal, Israel’s defense and her survival and soon found himself rising through the ranks and assuming command of a paratroop battalion before the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War.

His performance in this war awarded him with a medal that Israeli army were not known to give freely, but he did not really cared for the medal. He was more perplexed at the prevailing situation that threatened Israel, even after the war. He no longer hold that mystical faith that the Zahal alone could ensure a future for Israel and yet at the same time he was distressed by the political situation in Israel and of the inconsistency of Israel’s Western allies. He was one who detested the fighting and yet would fight to the bitter end and had every belief that Israel’s army would prevail against her enemies.

He was assigned to take up a command of a tank battalion after Israel lost many of their valued tank commanders in the Yom Kippur War and even in this area, he proved himself an excellent commander. He was recommended to take over a brigade command but sought to return to his original dream of taking command of a crack paratroop unit. It was with this unit that Yoni served his last tour of duty and left behind his own personal unfulfilled dreams of completing his degree in Harvard when he perished at Entebbe.

Personal Reflections

I could not have been more glad that I have chosen this book as the first book that I would read for my professional reading. I have been awed, moved to the very core of my spirit by this account that was written of this man that I slowly grow to respected.

It instills in me the very purpose of why I have chosen to serve in the military in the first place. Born and bred in Singapore myself, I love this island state that we live in and from my youth, I have developed a love of this country because of the example that my father has set in his own life. However, I had never considered playing a role that I would now play in maintaining the sovereignty of this little nation.

Singapore, not too different from Israel, is a small country that is surrounded by many bigger and larger neighbours that could potentially threaten her existence. Constricted by the limited population size, we too employ the use of a conscripted army to defend our nation in addition to a small, but functional regular armed forces. Like Israel, we can hardly count on foreign intervention to safeguard our nation and our own people are necessary for the defence of this country.

However, Singapore unlike Israel has never faced the need to be called to arms. Although glad and thankful for the peace and stability that our nation have enjoyed over these years, it has however made us complacent despite being untried and untested. Singapore does not have the rich heritage and history of the Jewish people and as an immigrant country, it struggles to create a national identity which the government so often tries to create to ensure the Singaporeans themselves take ownership of their part in Singapore’s future.

Yoni’s was appalled at the youth of America, in their attitude towards the support of their country’s causes and yet maintained the awe of her technological advancement and organizational competence that Israel sorely lacked. I find myself in the same sense of dismay when I see the attitudes of young male Singaporeans with regards to their sense of duty. Even now as I serve in a regular force with the Navy, the commitment and drive that is required of a competent armed forces are sorely lacking in most people. What I find however is more of people propelling themselves out of the military in search of financial wealth rather than self-actualizing on their jobs. I question myself if monetary gains should be the core of the motivation behind the armed forces and wonder how the sense of duty can be cultivated among the servicemen and people of Singapore.

I dare not claim that I have a relentless fervour and passion for Singapore but at the very least, I believe in my duty and know the role that I play and how I am to work with all my comrades-in-arms to defend the country in the day when the need arises.

With Yoni’s example, I learn and understand that the preservation of this nation does not only lie in the military might that a country possess because it can prevent you from being taken but it alone does not stop people from trying. It supported by a myriad of factors that include diplomatic skills of the government, economic strength and an uncorrupted government. All of these, by the wisdom of our leaders have already been identified and so effectively implemented. I reckoned that one of Singapore’s hallmark for success is the concept of Total Defence that even though at times seem to be a farce but is truly not.

On a more personal note, I identified with Yoni’s quiet and introverted character. I took often feel burdened by my own failures and my quest to seek answers and balance in my own life. I am even more so determined not to follow Yoni’s example of a failed marriage. Yoni was often afflicted by a loneliness that struck him again and again because of how deeply his considered his life and the people and events around him. I too would often fall into nostalgia in my moment of introspect but thankfully my joy has been maintained by my love and fervour for Jesus Christ and His consistent love for me.

I found that Yoni wrote immensely in the form of letters and as it was a catharsis process for him, I found that the same applied for me. The letters not only allowed a window for the people whom Yoni loved deeply and care about to know his innermost thoughts, desires and dreams, it was also spoke to him when he materialized his inner conflicts as he resolved them in the process of writing. I have grown to appreciate the written records and journals that I have kept and of the letters that I have written to my friends, family and loved ones.

Last but not least, I have learnt innumerable lessons of leadership from reading the account of Yoni’s life. I have been inspired by Yoni’s relentless pursuit of excellence in himself and being truly professional in his work. His passion and loyalty to his country was without question the very core of his core values in which he led his life. It led to his professionalism, fighting spirit, discipline, ethics, fighting spirit and care for his soldiers, the same SAF Core Values that we desire. There are even observations that I have drawn from his life that he has not achieved. One of it is the need for a leader to impart and replicate after himself and that people follow and pick up the trail where he has left off. In the words of Peter Senge, the founder of the learning organisation, there is a need to develop people within the organization with a shared vision.

This book has inevitably led me to believe in the professional reading program that such a gem of a book has been recommended and picked for young officers to read. With this, I understand that the military seeks not only to build me in my professional knowledge but also in the building of my moral fibre and the moulding of my character to become a future leader of this nation.


Well, that was me at a young age of 21. Some things have become real for me while other reflections I am still struggling to keep. In any case, it was a wonderful to have re-read my book review and the reflections that I had in my youth.

Democracy and Governance

There is a good number of people who often view democracy and governance as an opposing dichotomy. Democracy speaks of freedom and the rights of the individuals. Governance however comes from the root word of 'to govern' or to preside and manage a group of people.

I however believe that they are both the same sides of the coin and in fact important pillars of a progressive society. In other words, democracy and governance must be balanced. The background behind what prompted this post is in essence the problem that we are witnessing in the world today. Rising oil and food prices, students shooting out in schools and all other problems of society.

I know that people might berate me for the lack of respect for democracy and believe strongly in the rights of the individual but the problem I find is that without a mechanism to aggregate those rights, you get anarchy. I am a firm believer of the Adam Smith's "invisible hand" and the free market. Because of the system of valuation and scales derived by a monetary system, a free market economy is an extremely neat decentralised control system for the allocation of scare resources. Not everything however can work in a "vote" system.

To aggregate society and in respecting the rights of the individual, we have given everyone a right to decide and we make selection by the common wisdom of the herd. It is however unfortunate that the herd instinct may not be the right instinct. We have witness bad policies of price controls and subsides in times when the free market economy needs a free hand to right itself and solve problems of scarcity. This is all because of the political will of the masses that are exerting extreme pressures on their leaders to meet their own self-interest for the short term. It is interesting and my opinion that Adolf Hilter was chosen by a democracy that was enraptured in nationalistic zeal.

I think we need to move to a new level where we balance democracy with good governance. We need strong leaders with good morals and ethics who have moral courage to defy the narrow interests of the individuals and consider the greater good of the community. This is sorely lacking in today's world. I am following the American Election with great curiosity and find that the continuous feedback loop of popular and opinion polls to be extremely disruptive. Presidential Candidates must move quickly and reverendly to the "heartbeat" of the people and at times pander after the select communities which they are addressing. By being so excessively sycophantic towards the masses, they makes statements, backtrack, side-step and basically do whatever it takes to win. Then of course when the dust settles and the decision is final, the people realise that they hardly knew the man they elected, because everything he said on the electoral race could hardly be counted upon and did not define how he would make choices for future challenges.

Is this the result from democracy that I desire? I guess not, and I'd take good governance anyday. In fact, I think people forget that the real purpose of the democracy is to ensure good governance. It is therefore the means to an end (good governance) and people should not take their eyes off the prize (because real good leaders would advance the rights and interest of the individuals anyway).

To the government and leaders, please never forget that.

To the fanatics of democracy, I think you're missing the point.