前人种树，后人乘凉
With the Singapore National Day approaching, an ancient wisdom came across my mind. 前人种树，后人乘凉 。 As a local Singaporean, we are fortunate to stay in a safe and generally stable country. This idiom also reminds me that progress is a combination of sprint and a relay race.
The infrastructure we build today shapes the economy of 2050.
The diversity we embrace today creates the innovation of tomorrow.
The ethics we hold today define the trust of the future.
Planting is hard. It requires digging through the dirt, facing the different situations and dealing with uncertainty. Yet, if we do not plant now, there will be no shade for the next generation of workers or our own retirement.
Back to the corporate side. In an era where the average CEO tenure hovers around 5 years, the ancient wisdom of 前人种树，后人乘凉 sounds dangerously naïve. There is a high expectation to deliver in a short term when the new CEO comes onboard. And on the other hand, he/she is also cautious of the long-term goals and legacy. The key is not to choose between the short-term survival and long-term legacy. The key is realizing that the long-term thinking is the best short-term defence if you frame it right.
Some practical, no-nonsense approaches:
Approach 1: The Horizon Portfolio
Audit the roadmap. How does the horizon look like? Which are the short-term and long-term projects?
(i) First Horizon (6- 24 months): Tangible ROI, efficiency gains, cost savings which would converge to the overall strategy. Quick wins to keep the motivation up.
(ii) Second Horizon (2-5years): Competitive arena, infrastructure, R&D/ Innovation lab
Approach 2: Build the "Engine Room" and be the architect.
The corporate world often rewards individual heroics. The person who saves the day. But sustainable career growth rewards architecture; the person who builds the systems that make heroics unnecessary. The best leaders do not just deliver results. They make results repeatable. They do not just solve problems. They build systems that prevent problems from happening in the first place.
Most of the time, it is easier said than done, existing system and legacy may not work for the next era. Hence, the ability to take the hard way of fixing the root cause of problems quicker is essential, even when it may not be perceived to be the right thing to do. Guts needed.
Coupled with the agile mindset and approach, where agile adoption is a way of de-risking big bets by delivering value incrementally, getting feedback continuously and adjusting course before one waste months on the wrong thing.
Approach 3: Rethink, Deploy the right Talent
Building talent today looks different from what it was 5 years ago. Now, knowledge is a commodity. Everyone has Chat GPT, Claude etc. The winning talent is one who connects the dots and unlearn the fastest. What makes you special? How does each team member lift one other to be a better individual? Would a "learning sandbox" in the workplace creates a culture of innovation and creativity. Will people join us because they know they will evolve faster here?
So, is the original proverb silly? No, if it means building durable assets that generate immediate efficiency while guaranteeing future relevance.
🌳 The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today.🌱
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