A Leadership Reflection on Legacy, Mentorship, and Building from the Soul Outward
From Complaints to Construction: The Inner Shift That Changes Nations
There was a time when I found myself frequently complaining about Malaysia. I expressed frustration over the inefficiencies, the infrastructure gaps, and the relentless brain drain. The gravitational pull of Singapore often attracted our best talent across the causeway. I questioned the value of building anything locally when excellence seemed destined to be exported elsewhere.
However, something shifted when I turned thirty. A well-known phrase came to mind. One often quoted but rarely internalised: “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” It struck a different chord this time. The message was no longer about national pride. It was about personal responsibility. It was about identity.
That was the turning point. I stopped waiting for the nation to change and began committing to build the kind of nation I wished to live in. I came to understand that a nation is not an abstract structure managed by policymakers. It is a living reality shaped by the people who take responsibility for it.
This was the beginning of Stellar. Yet, it did not begin with a grand vision or a well-funded plan. It began with a simple act of noticing. And, unexpectedly, it began in a domain I had once said I would never enter: preschool education.
Preschools, Pain, and the Paradox of Impact
In those earlier days, I worked primarily with secondary school students. I found myself constantly dealing with disciplinary issues. Many of the students were struggling emotionally and academically. When I reached out to their parents, many of them responded with surprise and concern. Most of these parents were working across the border in Singapore, unaware of their children’s daily struggles. Others were caught in fragile marriages or had delegated parenting responsibilities to grandparents. What was evident in every case was this: the root problem was not behavioural. It was foundational.
I began to observe a troubling pattern. The deeper I looked, the more I understood that these issues could not be fixed at the level of discipline or exam performance. They could only be transformed by addressing the root. By intervening earlier, during the formative years of a child’s life.
That realisation changed everything.
I entered preschool education not out of ambition, but out of necessity. What began reluctantly became a calling. Over time, what started as a single preschool grew into what is now Stellar Education Group, which today includes:
- An investment of RM64.48 million
- More than 4,000 lives impacted
- Programmes spanning preschool to secondary school, including edutourism and leadership development
- Over 40 internally developed leaders
- More than 60 external schools impacted through our leadership framework
But the real shift did not come from growth in numbers. It came from confronting the fact that we were not ready for what we had built. At one point, despite the visible progress, we began to break internally. Not due to financial constraints, but due to a gap in leadership.
That was the moment when the idea of scaling was redefined. It became clear that without strong leaders, no amount of funding or structure could carry us forward.
Systems Do Not Scale Without Soul. And Legacy Begins With Leaders.
I once believed that the key to sustainability was the right system. I spent time building standard operating procedures, streamlining workflows, and ensuring compliance.
But systems without soul are brittle.
During one of our growth phases, we found ourselves at a breaking point. The institution had grown. The operations had become more complex. Yet, our ability to lead from the inside had not kept pace. We had administrators but lacked mentors. We had structure but lacked conviction.
That experience forced us to reevaluate our leadership philosophy.
We shifted from mass-producing students to intentionally planting leaders. We sought individuals who were faithful, available, involved, teachable, and humble. These became the foundation of what we now call the SPARK–SHAPE–STRENGTHEN–SEND leadership pipeline.
In this process, we discovered that mentoring is not the same as managing. Leadership is not about control. It is about alignment. It is about identifying the right frequency in each person and helping them tune into their calling.
One of the most meaningful stories from this journey involved a team member who faced personal matters. Health-related complications and circumstances eventually forced her to stop working. In a typical organisation, she might have been quietly phased out. But we chose a different path. We created flexible arrangements, offered the support she needed, and most importantly, chose to walk with her instead of away from her.
That choice created a ripple effect. One of her students had reached a point of deep discouragement. His mother, once part of my professional circle, was overwhelmed. But this educator stayed. She poured herself into this student with quiet faithfulness.
Today, that boy is walking a different path. Not because we had better facilities, but because someone believed in him.
Mentorship as Infrastructure: The Radio Frequency Principle
Over time, I began to see mentorship as something far more delicate than management. It reminded me of tuning a radio.
Sometimes, the issue is not that people are unwilling. It is that they are simply not tuned to the right frequency. A mentor’s role is not to impose volume, but to fine-tune clarity. This requires skill, patience, and the ability to discern what kind of noise may be interfering.
In some cases, people are not underperforming. They are simply distracted, burnt out, or discouraged. In such moments, what they need most is not correction. They need presence. They need someone to sit with them, to listen, and to acknowledge their humanity.
Ironically, the people closest to us are often the hardest to mentor. I observed this in my own family. I once advised my wife to be patient during a disagreement with her mother. Later, I found myself in a similar situation with my own mother. She reminded me of the very advice I had given her.
That experience taught me a difficult truth. Sometimes, we are not the best person to lead those closest to us. In some cases, we are the interference.
Wisdom is knowing when to lead and when to step aside.
The Value You Cannot Monetize
Recently, I found myself in a meeting with a group of developers and businessmen. The topic was church-building. At first glance, it seemed like a topic of little relevance to education. But the conversation quickly moved beyond the physical structure.
While I am not deeply religious in the traditional sense, I see enormous value in what a well-led church can offer. It serves generations. It welcomes the vulnerable. It supports the elderly. It creates a community based not on profit, but on purpose.
This conversation reinforced something I have come to believe. Not everything valuable can be monetised. And not everything that lacks economic value is without impact.
Sometimes, the greatest legacies are built through the quiet, unseen sacrifices that never appear on a balance sheet.
That is also why I proposed we build the church as part of a mixed development project. Not to create exclusivity, but inclusivity. A space where all are welcome. A space that serves the city, not just a select group.
When community meets clarity, even infrastructure can become a vessel of grace.
The Next 100,000 Lives
Our journey does not end here. We are now entering a new phase.
Our goal is to impact:
- 100,000 lives
- 30,000 families
- 3,000 new leaders
- 67 additional schools
All of this is being built toward a replicable model. A system that is founder-led at the start, then becomes system-led. One that eventually grows, operates, and transforms without the founder’s constant involvement.
Because if success still requires my daily presence, then I have not yet built legacy.
And the only way to build something that lasts a thousand years is to build it as if it might end tomorrow.
The Reverse That Redefines It All
If your presence is required for success, then what you have built is still fragile.
Leadership is not about being needed. It is about building something that grows beyond you.
That is why we do not build schools merely to fill classrooms. We build people who will build nations.
That kind of building begins with noticing. With staying. With believing. With mentoring.
And with the courage to stop complaining and start becoming the kind of leader the nation needs.
Build like it might die tomorrow.
Lead like it will carry your name for one thousand years.
Because in the end, our greatest infrastructure is not what we construct. It is who we cultivate.