Mr Bernardo Fort-Brescia shared his leadership vision and passion that shaped the architectural designs of his works that are acknowledged for their memorable imagery and regional identity. He discussed “crossroad cities” and the forces that shape their architecture and content. He presented works from cities such as Miami, New York, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Las Vegas that are the crossroads of commerce, culture and entertainment.

Dr Tan shared his insights on leadership on two levels; firstly from the organisational perspective, richly illustrated with anecdotes and examples from a career spanning 30 years in the Civil Service; and secondly, from the national perspective, the new role of the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts in reinventing Singapore for a better tomorrow.

Action inspires. That is one of the main tenets governing the leadership practices of one of Singapore’s leading entrepreneurs today, Mr Ron Sim. He shared his belief that “everything is all about action”. And one should not just ask “why” all the time, but instead should shift the focus to “how”, an action word. And rewards should be the encouraging factor. One should not let “risks” impede one’s actions.

Mr Jackson Tai gave an economic overview of why there is an urgent need for Singaporeans to show leadership now. In the arena of leadership Mr Tai feels that though some are born leaders, others worked hard to be a leader. But natural or practised leaders possess seven common characteristics – leaders embrace intellectual leadership, creativity and innovation; leaders develop strong points of views; true leaders take calculated risks; leaders share goals; leaders have the ability to articulate vision, inspire passion and mobilise commitment; leaders have the ability to form a good team; leaders have sincerity, genuineness and honesty.

Ms Jennie Chua, a respected veteran hotelier, revealed the leadership it took to grow Raffles International from a local, one-hotel company to one that had many properties around the world. Her talk revealed the leadership traits that went into managing the complexities and intricacies of operating hotels worldwide. Among the traits that kept the high standards that come to be associated with the Raffles and Swissotel brands are a thorough knowledge of the brands and the markets they serve; in the operation of the hotels, to prioritise the most important elements, from implementing educational programmes for staff growth and learning, to boldly challenging and changing the traditional ways of hotel operations.

Mr Peter Seah offered his personal beliefs and perspectives on how he managed organisations and people. He expounded on the leadership qualities he developed in his years of working experience. He encouraged the audience to develop a leadership style of their own. A good leader would constantly learn and ask questions. And when they lead, they do it with love and compassion. In sharing their vision, strategies, thoughts and even problems, they would develop empathy and understanding with those they work with. According to Mr Seah it is important to manage talent. To be a good leader is to be decisive.