Does Aspire or Inspire Come First?

9:41 AM

Aspire or Inspire – Which Comes First?

Remember the age old question “Did the chicken or the egg come first?” We have the same dilemma when it comes to “aspire” and “inspire”. Does inspiration motivate one to become aspiring? Or is it the other way round – aspirations drive one to grow into inspiring people?

Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer. What we do know however is that each of the recently crowned Tech Leader Awards 2022 winners had bold aspirations and inspiring journeys. Even as we root for tech veterans like Mr Chong Kok Keong to successfully solve global supply chain disruption problems, we are encouraged to see future tech leaders like Mr Joel Yap challenging himself to take the path less travelled.

But perhaps, what really sets our Tech Leader Awards 2022 winners apart is their passion and perseverance. These qualities empower them to remain unfaltering in the face of difficulties. YouTrip’s co-founder, Ms Caecilia Chu, is one such example. When the pandemic hit and the travel industry came to a standstill, she gamely steered her ship into uncharted waters – and came out stronger on the other side.

As it seems, the saying, “when the going gets tough, the tough get going” is true, but so is “learning never gets old”. According to Mr Koh Chin Yong, it is one of the key essential ingredients that has guided his illustrious tech career.

We can’t agree more. The technology landscape continues to evolve at an increasing pace. It is therefore pertinent that we learn new skills, grow our network and explore new possibilities to stay on top of our game.

Towards that end, Mr Sam Liew, who took office as SCS President in March 2022, has outlined a comprehensive road map for strengthening SCS programmes and activities for students, youths, professionals and seniors. Besides more opportunities to engage with one another and a more vibrant and close-knit tech community, SCS members can look forward to partaking in community programmes and paying it forward.

And the good news – we are just starting.

Have fun reading!

TAN TENG CHEONG

Editor Fellow, SCS tan.teng.cheong@scs.org.sg

EDITOR

Tan Teng Cheong

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Chong Kok Keong Koh Chin Yong Vladyslav Koshelyev Joel Yap

EDITORIAL SUPPORT

Claudia Lim

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