As Trump unleashes mayhem, keep calm and carry on; reading more might help

NOT too long ago, I met a well-respected senior figure who, as he talked about this and that and the general state of the world, said that it was important to have ideas. What he meant, I reckon, was that business leaders in particular needed to have ideas or at least have people around them who could provide valuable insights and suggestions. Ideas are the fundamental step in taking a business forward. 

More recently, I was reminded of his comment when I interviewed DBS CEO Piyush Gupta, who has since stepped down from the role. His tenure at the bank was a remarkable one, where he pioneered many initiatives and instituted new ways of doing things.

One of the things we discussed was the source of his various ideas. His answer? “People ask me, ‘Where do your ideas come from?’ One is reading and the other is talking to people. If you’re willing to read, you can make associations and connect the dots. So my biggest advice to young Singaporeans is to pay more attention to reading.”