At a time when Singapore is pivoting toward innovation, complexity management, and human-centric leadership, Dr. Andreas Raharso is equipping leaders with the cognitive tools they need to lead that transformation.
As Program Director of Next Practice at NUS Business School and founder of Organizational Analytics, Andreas brings 25 years of insight into the way real breakthroughs happen—not through repetition, but by escaping the patterns that hold us back.
In this SG60 Showcase, Andreas shares his approach to leadership transformation through “Next Practice” and “Micro Moments”—powerful methodologies designed to move leaders beyond outdated best practices and into real-time decision clarity.
From authoring Escape from System 1 to shaping executive education at NUS, Andreas is building the mindset infrastructure for Singapore’s next phase of growth.
Highlights
Upgrading Leadership Thinking for a Next-Gen Nation
Q: How does your work align with Singapore’s future priorities?
A: My upcoming book, Micro Moments: How Your Mind Sabotages You Every Day (co-authored with Carrie Tan), lands at a pivotal moment for Singapore. As we push forward in digital leadership, sustainability, and transformation, the real differentiator is leadership cognition—how leaders think and decide in the moment.
My previous book, Escape from System 1—published by Marshall Cavendish Education in 2022—provides a scientifically grounded model for developing breakthrough thinking and adaptive decision-making. These frameworks directly support Singapore’s strategic aims: to innovate systematically, not reactively, and to cultivate leaders who thrive in ambiguity and complexity.
Creating First-of-Their-Kind Programs in Singapore
Q: Can you share a program that’s shaped Singapore’s leadership development?
A: At NUS Business School, I developed and launched the world’s first Next Practice module in 2018 and followed it with Singapore’s first Next Practice consultancy program in 2020. These programs shift leaders away from replicating past successes and guide them into creating entirely new mental models.
We’re no longer in the “best practice” economy. We’re in the era of anticipatory thinking—which is why I also created the first-ever People Strategy module in 2017 and earlier, the world’s first People Analytics module at INSEAD in 2015.
I’ve helped leading Singaporean and regional firms gain first-mover advantage through these frameworks.
From Micro Moments to Systemic Innovation
Q: What unique perspective do you bring to Singapore’s next chapter of growth?
A: My work combines Next Practice thinking with a model called Micro Moments—those split-second moments of clarity that separate average decision-making from transformative insight.
Singapore has always led with discipline and efficiency. But our next leap forward requires anticipatory innovation—knowing not just how to respond but how to invent. Micro Moments is a mental capability, and Next Practice is the system that makes it repeatable.
The question isn’t whether Singapore will adopt these approaches. The question is: Will we master them well enough to export them?
Escaping System 1—Why Most Thinking Needs a Reboot
Q: What sets your work apart from traditional leadership training?
A: Most leadership programs teach what worked yesterday. I teach leaders how to create what works tomorrow.
“System 1” thinking—our fast, default brain—is efficient but often biased. My Escape from System 1 approach isn’t just content; it’s a reprogramming of how people think, decide, and innovate.
This isn’t incremental learning. It’s foundational. My work helps organizations build cognitive capabilities that give them a permanent strategic advantage.
Evolving Thinking as a Practice
Q: How do you stay current and push the boundaries of your field?
A: Others track trends. I track thought patterns. I don’t just update content—I evolve the mental models that drive innovation.
Everything I teach, I apply to myself. That’s the compound learning loop. By continuously escaping my own System 1 habits, I become more effective at helping others escape theirs. That’s how I stay ahead—not by following the industry, but by redefining what it can become.
Final Thoughts: Mindset as National Strategy
From his classroom at NUS to corporate boardrooms across Singapore, Dr. Andreas Raharso is not just changing what leaders know—he’s changing how they think. His bold reframing of innovation and leadership isn’t just aligned with Singapore’s future—it’s actively shaping it.
This article is part of the SG60 Showcase series—highlighting voices and visionaries building Singapore’s future. Stay tuned for more.
Highlights
Read the Chinese article here.
