Principle: Relentless excellence beats default grandeur.
Lee Kuan Yew transformed a dirty, backwater island at the edge of Malaysia to a prosperous, world-class city-state and global financial hub.
Singapore’s airport has been ranked #1 in the world 12 years running.
It’s ranked 5th least corrupt in a list of 180 countries.
Life expectancy is among the highest in the world, the crime rate among the lowest.
The island itself is 25% bigger than it used to be by taking sand from other countries and adding it to the perimeter.
It is ahead of the US, Japan and Germany in GDP at $130k per capita (up from $500 when Yew took over in 1965 and without any natural resources to export).
Singapore ranks 4th on the list of Global Financial Centers Index after New York, London and Hong Kong.
Here’s what Henry Kissenger said about Lee Kuan Yew:
His vision was of a state that would not simply survive, but prevail by excelling. Superior intelligence, discipline, and ingenuity would substitute for resources.
Tactics
Look, you’re not Nike. You don’t have the resources of a Unliver or Levi.
What you do have is the ability to hone your craft to the point where quality, customer experience and superiority is undeniable.
There’s a tiny little itch in your head about one, tiny aspect of the product you’re selling. It’s the compromise you made on quality in order to make your first sale.
It’s been there since day one, and you haven’t yet solved for it. It’s the reason you have 100 5-star reviews instead of 1000.
It’s time to solve that problem.
There are always people willing to pay a higher price for a premium product or experience. They’re often better clients, too.
Take your tiny little island, and make it world-class.
Habits
Clean and organize. Get everything in order. Every employee should know exactly what’s expected of them, and how to do their job smoothly. If there’s a consistent problem, create a process for it. Solve for everything.
Shine and polish your little pearl every day, and it will sparkle with the big boys.
God speed,
Mike
Today’s inspiration: Lee Kwan Yew - How to Take Over the World Pod