Winning with Honour

"This book is a labour of deep commitment to contribute to the sustenance of human existence in our society and on this planet. It deals with the pressing need for honouring our word and honouring the values that transcend time. Reminders from such a wonderful book are timely as moral relativity is becoming more apparent today. An excellent read for leaders at all levels from individuals, families, and organisations, to the community, society, and state."

"Winning with Honour is the second book by Siong Guan and Joanne H Lim after The Leader, the Teacher & You. Honour to the authors could be described as the virtue of virtues. It embraces responsibility, duty, trust, integrity, compassion, courtesy, and many more good values. The authors argue that Honour can be lived in one's life and the way one deals with others, and can be acted out at a personal level and national level."

"Winning with Honour is a book for both educators and families because it shows how the practice of Honour weaves teachers, students, parents, and children into an organic whole that supports each other and builds each other up. As a result, the authors call on each sector of society to see significance in each other by honouring each other, the way we are made, and the universal laws under which we operate. Furthermore, they show how honouring the different seasons in our lives can help us weather the storms of life more effectively."

"This is another hugely impressive and highly original book by Siong Guan and Joanne H Lim. It deals with values and virtues as the key to a rewarding life — whether in relationships, in business or in the life of the nation. Winning with Honour celebrates winning but at the same time challenges the modern, consumerist ideal of success. The book will challenge everyone regarding the meaning and purpose of our lives. It deserves to be widely read."

"This is a deeply wonderful book, best read with a pencil. There is scarcely a page on which one will not take notes and later return to the wisdom contained. It draws attention to Singapore 'punching above its weight' and an explanation as to why — a well-defined concept of Honour. The case for this and future work is made with excellent analysis and supporting anecdote. The book is not only a worthy successor to its predecessor, in many ways it surpasses it. Read it. Digest it. Base your important decisions on it."

"Siong Guan and Joanne H Lim have written another remarkable book. It is suffused with wisdom. I agree with the central thesis of the book that the success of an individual, company, institution, and country depends on trust, and trust is founded on Honour."

"This second book by Siong Guan and Joanne H Lim is about the virtue of Honour in one's life. No one can address this question better than Siong Guan. With his varied experience and legacy of the Public Service, industry, business, and corporate affairs, he brings to life what drove him; Honour became the creed of his life.

At a young age, with no past experience and none of the 'policymaking' experiences of others, he had many insights about the problems facing our young nation and he was moved to find solutions, but always with Honour as the guiding spirit.

He was a remarkable product of our history, with insights into our problems and appreciating at each stage the growing pains we faced. Thus he became an institution in our midst. But always taking upon himself to get things done and getting them completed. Anyone wanting to learn his values and experiences, will find much in the book to learn from."

"How did Singapore ascend the global economic ladder to be a model for emerging economies? In Winning with Honour, Siong Guan and Joanne H Lim put forth that Lee Kuan Yew's visionary leadership also saw through the weaving of a fabric of Honour into the good governance instituted. Honour and honouring have made Singapore exceptional and need to be sustained for a bright future. This book is a primer in conducting our everyday lives in Honour and with Honour that we may, putting others before ourselves, emerge winners in the race of life."

"Winning with Honour speaks deeply to those who care about the survival, success, and significance of individuals, families, communities, and nations. The authors argue persuasively that Honour is the secret to why nations and businesses thrive, and why some leaders continue to attract more trust and respect than others, over the ages. The wisdom contained in these pages reflects the need for an examined life and the importance of incorporating Honour in our daily being. Winning with Honour is a book that honours the good of our past, our present, and our future. I encourage you to read it and share it."

"Winning with Honour explores the meaning of Honour and its importance for building strong individuals, families, communities, organisations, and nations. Seen from the story of Singapore's independence, we learn how Honour was crucial in establishing transparent and accountable institutions, building strong and credible businesses, and nurturing a harmonious society. Siong Guan and Joanne H Lim impart useful advice for individuals seeking to learn and practice a culture of Honour in their relationships, leading to happy and fulfilling lives."

"Successful countries — and companies — must have people who understand they are part of something bigger than they are. Winning with Honour captures the virtues and values that have allowed Singapore to become a whole that is far greater than the sum of the parts. Honour forms a foundation that provides for today's success and tomorrow's potential in Singapore; in all great, time-tested companies; and in life."

"This is a timely book written as Singapore enters another period of transition in a difficult local and global environment. A year after the death of Lee Kuan Yew, it is opportune to reflect on the key aspects of his philosophy that allowed Singapore to develop from a poor outcast from Malaysia into probably the world's most successful city state. Sensibly, the authors have not tried to analyse all the various components of success. They recognise that the future is going to require different skills but have picked the umbrella quality of Honour to enable a wide discourse on the individual and collective attributes that are most likely to ensure that the next generation continues to innovate, develop, and succeed."

"This is in many ways an exceptional book. It provides an insider's view of Singapore, the success story as well as the challenges the city state faces in a rapidly changing world. It is up to date on management issues, but at the same time rooted in profound knowledge of history. It contains pragmatic assessments of economy and society. Above all, it is a spiritual book satisfying the need of the reader to look beyond the fleeting material success and to focus on ever-lasting values, of which Honour is certainly the most important one."

"To reach the top is relatively easy. To stay at the top, that is the real challenge, and this is true for nations, companies, and also for individuals. In Winning with Honour, the two authors focus on this most delicate question and offer the concept of Honour as a basis for reputation, trust, reliability, well-being, and success. Particularly in this time of constant change, this study is a must-read for responsible leaders in politics, business, and society as a whole to prepare for the future."

"Siong Guan Lim has played a significant role in the Singapore 'miracle' — now the wealthiest nation in the world per capita. As an insider, his analysis is that undergirding Singapore's material and economic success has been its culture of Honour. Honouring one's word, the rule of law, intellectual property, integrity, and transparency. This culture of Honour is the reason investors have trusted Singapore with their investments. He argues however that this needs to be renewed by each generation of Singaporeans for Honour to continue to be Singapore's 'brand'. This highly readable book is not just an anatomy of Singapore but of why nations rise and fall."

"People should have a mindset of honouring their past, present, and future without any arrogance or any complacency in order to move forward. Each person and each country must make every effort to become reliable and trustworthy. This book analyses Singapore's past and present, and discusses what is required for Singapore's continued success and survival into the future. The authors are and will continue to be shining 'Red Dots'."

"It is easy for us to bemoan how messed up our world is! We can lambaste political self-interests, corporate greed, or human shortsightedness as much as we want, but it is a completely different proposition for us to do the right things and do them right at same time. Once again, Siong Guan with Joanne H Lim teaches us how! Reflecting the lessons of great leaders and not least, his own, Siong Guan paints a practical vision of what a better tomorrow looks like. This prophet cries, 'Honour!'"

"Siong Guan and Joanne H Lim's new book, Winning with Honour, proposes that Honour has a key role to play as an enabler of constructive, respectful debate in our muti-racial, multi-religious, increasingly plural, and potentially contentious Singaporean polity.

As a committed supporter of a multi-ethnic and multi-faith as well as a more fully democratic polity, I cannot agree more. Honour, as defined by Mr Lim and Joanne, goes beyond mere tolerance of banner differences, beyond even the necessary mutual respect that has to be the bedrock of sound multi-cultural policies. It also introduces the key element of caring for the other as a fellow citizen irrespective of differences, and thus injects compassion, dare I say love into the equation. This is at once both radical but profoundly liberating if we are to create the space to have frank public debate on important issues and evolve fully into one of the most diverse democracies in the world."

Lim Siong Guan was appointed Group President of GIC in September 2007. The GIC manages the financial reserves of the Singapore government.

He was Chairman of the Singapore Economic Development Board from October 2006 to June 2009. The Board is the Singapore government's lead agency for planning and executing strategies to enhance Singapore's position as a global business centre. Much of its work is attracting international corporations to set up manufacturing and services activities in Singapore as critical links in the global supply chain. He has been an Adjunct Professor in the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore since 2005, instructing on leadership and change management, as well as a Senior Fellow of the Civil Service College since 2006.

Siong Guan was the Head of the Singapore Civil Service from September 1999 to March 2005. He has been the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence (1981–1994), the Prime Minister's Office (1994–1998), the Ministry of Education (1997–1999) and the Ministry of Finance (1999–2006). In every appointment he introduced innovative policies and practices which enhanced the drive, capacity, capability and performance of the organization.

He has chaired the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (2004–2006), the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (2004–2006) and, the Central Provident Fund Board (1986–1994) and has been a board member of many companies including Temasek, the other sovereign wealth fund manager of Singapore.

Siong Guan has co-authored with Joanne H Lim the book The Leader, The Teacher & You — Leadership Through the Third Generation, a book on leadership and governance. He is a member of the SwissRe Advisory Panel and of the International Board of the stars Foundation, a Swiss foundation that promotes leadership development for leaders of the next generation. He chairs the Board of Directors of Honour (Singapore), a charity that seeks to promote the culture of honour and honouring in Singapore.

Joanne H LIM is the Founder and Creative Director of The Right Perspective^SG, a consultancy specialising in writing, branding, presentations, strategic communications, and collateral design for individuals, businesses, and institutions. The Right Perspective^SG works closely with its clients to enable their success by creating the right perspective in the minds of their stakeholders through sharp strategy, measured messaging, innovative initiatives, and detailed design.

Following high school, where she authored her school's creed, “Live with Passion, Serve with Compassion,” Joanne was awarded a full scholarship to pursue an undergraduate degree at Princeton University, from which she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the Woodrow Wilson School of International and Public Policy, and a certificate in East Asian Studies. During her time at Princeton, Joanne was awarded the President's Prize and was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Society for outstanding academic excellence.

After graduating from Princeton, Joanne worked at PSA International Pte Ltd (PSA), one of the world's leading port operators, for six years. At PSA, Joanne worked closely with Senior Management on strategic projects, and honed her skills in external and internal communications, branding, strategic events management, as well as collateral design and production.

Following PSA, Joanne was awarded a merit scholarship to pursue a Masters in Wealth Management at the Singapore Management University, where she graduated among the top five of her class and was awarded the Portcullis Wealth Management Prize. After attaining her Masters, Joanne worked at Goldman Sachs and UBS AG, before joining the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB).

At EDB, Joanne worked extensively with leading companies in the areas of luxury fashion, luxury watches, fashion accessories, furniture, and toys. She solely helmed the logo design as well as the development of seven different types of promotional collateral for a national visual arts project, Gillman Barracks.

Sample Chapter(s)
Part 1: Honour: Small Thought, Big Idea (186 KB)