The velvet glove

I admit that on my way to meet Brigadier-General Goh Kee Nguan, I was expecting a bone-crunching handshake and a gimlet eye. But his warm smile disarmed me before I could say the word ‘gimlet'. The Brigadier-General in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) is not your copybook army man. His strong humanitarian convictions are clear from the outset.

He has had a multinational education. He graduated from the Royal Military College of Duntroon in Australia, then completed a degree in computer programming from the University of New South Wales before going on to earn a Masters in strategic studies from the US Army War College.

BG Nguan has commanded Singapore's largest-ever humanitarian relief operation, Operation Flying Eagle. His 1,500-man contingent of soldiers, sailors and aviation men conducted tsunami relief operations in Banda Aceh, Medan and Meulaboh in Indonesia between 2004 and 2005. He was 44 at the time.

Singapore was one of the first countries to send personnel, aircraft, ships, vehicles and relief supplies to the sites devastated by the earthquake and the tsunami in Sumatra in 2004.

Operation Flying Eagle also carried supply and support missions to other tsunami-affected areas such as Thailand and Sri Lanka.

As he recalls those experiences, his face clouds over. "The degree of devastation that we saw was beyond what we could ever have imagined. It was hard for us to visualise the extent of the damage until we were physically on the ground where we could see and smell the impact of the disaster. Besides the physical damage, the impact on the people of Aceh was also beyond words. Rather than simply providing humanitarian assistance, we realised that it was important to use our resources to provide relevant and timely helpto the victims."

It was his display of leadership during the operation that resulted in his being chosen as the chief executive officer of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee. "I remember the day we won the Olympic bid in February 2008," he says. "We all were exultant! At that time I was in the army in charge of training and managingthe allocation of resources fromthe military. My only thought was: should I allocate the resources from the army to assist in this project?I knew that this year would be very busy for us. When I got word thatI was made the head of the committee,I just thought, ‘Wow!'"

But his interest in the Games is not simply about celebrating the logistics. "Besides sporting excellence, the Games will also place an emphasis on culture and education." Friday met him when he visited Dubai recently.

I, ME, MYSELF

I am always on the move to get things done and to achieve. Not just for myself, but for the people who will benefit from my actions. I strive to get the most value from my time.

I have been very fortunate to have gone into a military career which has given me tremendous opportunities and exposure to the international arena. It has given me the opportunity to learn from people and has taught me how to discipline myself and move ahead in my career. It has imparted knowledge to me and made me a little wiser.

I value the time that I have spent in the army and the opportunities that arose during my time there. It has been very fulfilling. Equally, moving out of the army onto the Olympic project has been a fantastic experience.

We had a very limited period to prepare - two and a half years as compared with seven years to develop the project. I would compare it to developing a new product.

I have not seen any military action.In Singapore we pride ourselves on having a strong military force.

We consider our force a success even though there has been no war. I believe that that's what we have the defence force for - to make sure that we have a stable nation and region. I have seen humanitarian action through the missions I've been on.

I am not a disciplinarian, but I do believe that you need to have a system. If somebody breaks the rules, there should be a concomitant punishment. There will be other mitigating factors, but I think it is important that you let the other person know that he has done something wrong, and that you do not endorse it.

I, ME, MYSELF

Me and my teachers

My teachers - whether at home, at school and college or at work - have been the major influences in my life. First and foremost of these have been my parents and my siblings.

I have a loving and supporting family who influenced me in many positive ways. During school I had some dynamic teachers who opened my mind up to possibilities. Apart from academics, they exposed me to outdoor activities such as camping, trekking, and so on. That's how I developed a love for the outdoors. They also brought out the adventurous side in me. In the military I had great commanders who have demonstrated to me the traits that an army officer should have. A good leader should motivate his/her soldiers. I now coach fellow officers in operations planning. We have a very systematic method of grooming and preparing our officers.

Me and the army

In Singapore, everyone has to do national service. As I don't come from a rich family I was looking for an opportunity to study further.

The army provided me the opportunity to study overseas. I wanted to experience different cultures so I took up a scholarshipand studied at the Royal Military College of Duntroon in Australia. That is how my life in the army began.

Me and my leadership style

My approach is driven by what I refer to as the three Fs - fair, firm and friendly. I learnt this as a young cadet in Australia. I learnt to be friendly and to give your subordinates a fair deal. I think you have to be firm at the same time because as a military commander you need to take decisions. I am quite firm about what is right and wrong. But I don't always have to use a stick to make sure that rules are followed. I believe that if you motivate people in the right manner, you can move people very willingly with their own initiative. I feel that this approach has a stronger impact on people when compared with force.

Me and my strengths

One of my strengths is the way I work with people of different backgrounds and of different capabilities. I am able to bring out the best in each individual. I enjoy moulding them into a team and working towards a common goal.

I have the ability to be dispassionate enough to identify issues, even when I may not agree with a point. Raising key points in a discussion without being sidetracked by extraneous issues is an asset.

On that note, I would have to mention my weaknesses as well. Some people say I smile too much! I am also not as passionate in some ways as some other people might be on certain issues. I am also not very decisive at times.

My wife is very clear when it comes to her likes and dislikes. I am more easy going. Often I don't have a strong feeling either way. That is good sometimes, but it becomes a weakness at other times.

Me and time management

I find that time is something I am always hoping to have more of. Sometimes you feel as though there is never enough available. I have an academic interest in time - what it means to you depends on what stageof life you are in. When you are young you don't think about it all, but as you grow older you start to realiseits importance.

Me and my family

My father is a very quiet person and he doesn't say much. He has always been the breadwinner of the family, and his only aim was to see that we were all well provided for. He may not be very demonstrative, but he shows his love in a quiet way. I remember one day when I came back from Australia (where I was studying at that time), he asked me how I was doing at college. Till then, we had not had a conversation of that nature and that's when I realised how deeply interested my father was in what I was doing. He had always been very strict while we were growing up but he was also a steady force behind the family without asking for anything in return.

My mother has been the main provider for our needs. She is always there. She made sure we were taken care of. I remember telling her that I may not do well in my A-levels, and she said, "Never mind; just do your best". That took the pressure off me.

As for my wife, I must admit that she is smarter than me. She takes decisions instinctively, and is always by my side. We have a son who is 14 now and a great joy for us.

I, ME, MYSELF

Do you subscribe to the theory that fear isa necessary part of discipline?Not necessarily. I feel it's much more effective if you do something because you are passionate about it, rather than doing it out of fear.

There will always be fear somewhere, and it's still important. But passion in this instance isstronger than fear.

As a military man, do you miss not seeing action?

I don't think you can miss what you do not know. What I have seen are the humanitarian operations.

We were trained to face any situation, so we were still ready for action. The purpose of the military in war is to try to enforce peace. That's the reason why I always encourage my colleagues to go on peace-keeping missions if they get a chance. Some of my friends were sent to Afghanistan on such operations.

Are you approaching the Singapore Youth Olympic Games in a similar way to amilitary operation?

I would say so. We - the committee members - are all chipping in to make sure that we do our bit.

We have finished the planning phase and I think we are on schedule. We will have everything ready by the time the athletes arrive in August.

It requires military-like precision to put our plan into action. Our global sponsors are working with the government agencies in Singapore. It continues to be a tremendous learning experience working with them.

What do the Youth Olympic Gamesmean to you?

With the event being held in Singapore, I think we are getting the youth involved in physical sports. It will act as a tremendous legacy for future generations. We are working towards bringing greater meaning to the Youth Olympic Games; we are working at making sure that athletes have a very good environment and excellent facilities to perform in.

I hope that their performances will enable the youth to experience the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect. I feel that with this experience behind them, the youth of today will be inspired to grow up to be good role models. We want them to understand that they are the future leaders of the world.

How involved are the youth in the Games?

These Games are not only for people who want to compete - anybody can join in. We have extended the gameto include 5,000 participating athletes. The Singaporean youth are receiving an Olympic education - learning Olympic values, living those values and playing more sports.

I am proud of my son who is participating as a cheer volunteer.All the schools in Singapore are involved. They get to learn about the different cultures by interacting with different people.

When athletes come to compete, our schools will be there to cheer for them. The youth in our country will gain great exposure as will every participating country.

I think the friendships that they forge during this event will be bonds lasting a lifetime.

What is the ultimate experience for you?

To live a life that is meaningful. To me, being meaningful is to be able to experience and learn constantly. I don't mean learning purely in an academic sense, but learning from experiences and from people. You are never too old to learn, and I stand testimony to that.