I recently helped a friend declutter 500 books and was told by several charity organisations that they prefer
not to receive books in view of low demand.
According to results data from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, shared by the Ministry of
Education (MOE) in 2023, the proportion of students who reported "enjoying reading a lot" fell to 51 per cent,
compared with 55 per cent in 2016 and 60 per cent in 2011.
The ministry said that "the decline in reading enjoyment may in part be driven by the rapid proliferation of
other forms of entertainment and content formats (for example, social media) over the last decade".
As a parent, I have always felt that the best head start that I could give my kids was to nurture a love for
reading in them. I would go a step further and say that if we aspire for our kids to be leaders, they need to be
The late founding prime minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, was an avid reader.
His memoirs describe his love for reading. He was known to consume two to three books a week in the fields
of politics, economics and current events. In addition, he would read five to six newspapers daily to stay
abreast of what was happening in the world.
In an interview with The Economist in 2012, he said: "I read widely and voraciously, and I think that helped
me to understand the world, to understand different cultures, to understand different systems of government,
and to understand how economies work."
The blueprint of Singapore's success as a country was built by a leader who stayed curious about the world
and enjoyed reading voraciously.
In an interview with The Straits Times in 2013, he said: "Reading is a key part of my life... I think that's one of
the reasons I've been able to make decisions that have helped Singapore to grow and prosper."
Mr Lee would not be the leader he was had he not been a reader.
Different life perspectives
An Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) study published in 2020 found that
Singapore students are good at general issues such as climate, malnutrition and global health, but only about
half of them could "establish a connection between prices of textiles and working conditions in the countries
The Singapore figure was below the OECD average of 58 per cent. At the time, MOE said it would continue to encourage students to read widely, so that they gain a better understanding of global issues and deeper appreciation of different perspectives and cultures.
Reading widely allows our kids to engage with diverse perspectives and experiences.
Mr Lee was able to lead Singapore to prosperity because he was able to learn from the mistakes that other
countries made and steer the country in the right direction.
He was aware that the path for Singapore would be treacherous, with many twists and turns. But with
determination, grit and a clear sense of direction, the Republic would prosper eventually.
The act of reading allows kids to visualise going through obstacles and overcoming them. It reinforces for
readers that difficulties are part of life and that a good life is not without problems, but one where one
overcomes the challenges that come up.
A laboratory for leadership
In my almost 30-year business career, many of my lessons in leadership have come from topics that I have
read up on and had a chance to process in my mind, before putting the lessons into practice.
In many ways, reading has been my personal laboratory for leadership.
It is no wonder that at Harvard Business School, Master of Business Administration students will read at least
500 business cases, spanning thousands of pages of written notes, before graduation.
As an adjunct professor at Nanyang Business School for over 20 years, I have seen how effective the reading
of business cases can be to train students to analyse, evaluate and hone their general management instinct.
My mum was the one who cultivated the love of reading in me. As a primary school teacher, she was also in
charge of her school's library.
I was a difficult and distracted child who was more interested in play than sitting down to read.
At my mum's library, she would stock Tintin comics to entice the kids in her neighbourhood school to start
their reading journeys. At the time, our public libraries did not have the extensive comic collections that they
I would spend bucolic Saturday afternoons reading the Tintin comics as she caught up on her marking and
schoolwork. This was how I got hooked on reading.
Taking a leaf from my own upbringing, my wife and I would often take our kids to the library when they were
younger, allowing them to read anything and everything they could lay their hands on.
To supplement what's at the library, we still purchase many of our books. Our home is full of books and one
of my sons says that it is one of the best things about being home.
In addition, over the years, we have consciously made breakfast synonymous with reading the daily
newspaper. When the kids were younger, I would serve their breakfast alongside the paper. Food for the
stomach, served up with a side of news and current events for the mind.
During family conversations in those days, I would deliberately steer the conversation towards topics selected
from the newspaper to nudge the boys to read the paper.
Today, the newspaper is a shared experience for us in the household.
At a time when family ties are under strain due to different views or generational gaps, we often discuss
topical issues from the paper and bounce views off one another. This has proven to be a great way to bond
as a family and have lively conversations.
For us, reading is enjoyment, it strengthens family ties and it shapes us as leaders.
That's why we read. Shouldn't you?
Mr Abel Ang is an adjunct professor at Nanyang Business School.
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