According to Forbes, Manfred Kets de Vries writes 2,000-word essays daily starting at 5:30 a.m., having published 100 pieces since April without algorithm optimization or financial compensation. The INSEAD professor’s motivation stems from personal tragedy – over 100 family members killed during World War II, with his maternal grandparents and mother recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations for sheltering Jews. Kets de Vries specifically points to Finland’s education transformation beginning in 1968 and Singapore’s selective teacher recruitment from the top third of each cohort as successful models, while noting that political calculations prevent reform in larger democracies like France where he currently resides. His work connects leadership pathology research with the urgent need for education systems that build critical thinking from childhood, particularly in an era of rising extremism and disinformation.
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The Economic Imperative Behind Education Reform
When Kets de Vries highlights Finland and Singapore’s education successes, he’s pointing to what economists call human capital development – the single most reliable predictor of long-term economic growth. The Finnish education system’s transformation didn’t just produce better test scores; it created a workforce capable of driving innovation in a knowledge economy. Countries that treat teaching as a prestige profession, like Singapore where the National Institute of Education receives 16,000 applications for 2,000 positions, are making strategic investments in their economic future. The political resistance Kets de Vries describes – Malaysia’s former Prime Minister citing “half a million votes” – represents a fundamental market failure where short-term political calculations override long-term economic interests.
Leadership Pathology as Systemic Market Risk
Kets de Vries’ research on “pathological leadership patterns” reveals a disturbing correlation between economic anxiety and susceptibility to manipulative leadership. When he observes that modern leaders must perform like “TV anchors,” he’s describing a market where style consistently outperforms substance. The economic consequences are measurable: countries that elect leaders who exploit rather than solve economic anxieties experience higher policy volatility, reduced foreign investment, and diminished institutional credibility. His warning about populations feeling “economically abandoned” creating vulnerability to destructive leadership should concern every investor and business leader, as political instability directly translates to market instability.
Critical Thinking as Competitive Economic Advantage
The professor’s emphasis on critical thinking education isn’t just philosophical – it’s increasingly becoming a source of competitive advantage in global markets. Nations that successfully implement comprehensive education reforms, like Finland’s journey from mediocre to exceptional, create populations better equipped to navigate complex information environments. In an age of AI-generated content and sophisticated disinformation campaigns, the ability to distinguish manipulation from truth becomes an economic asset. Companies operating in countries with stronger education systems benefit from more discerning consumers, more innovative employees, and more stable regulatory environments.
The Neuroscience Behind Reflective Leadership
Kets de Vries’ advocacy for journaling aligns with emerging research on expressive writing’s cognitive benefits. When he tells executives to spend 15 minutes daily writing about experiences, he’s prescribing what neuroscience confirms: reflective practice enhances emotional regulation and decision-making capacity. The documented improvements in both physical and mental health outcomes from expressive writing suggest that organizations encouraging reflective practices may see reduced healthcare costs and improved leadership effectiveness. In high-stakes business environments, the ability to process complexity without becoming overwhelmed provides measurable competitive advantage.
Generational Investment Versus Political Expediency
The tension Kets de Vries identifies between education reform and political viability represents one of the most significant governance challenges of our time. Smaller nations like Singapore can implement rigorous teacher selection processes precisely because they face fewer political constraints, creating virtuous cycles where educational excellence drives economic success. Meanwhile, larger democracies struggle with reform not because solutions are unknown, but because the political cost of implementing them exceeds short-term electoral calculations. This creates a dangerous divergence between what societies need for long-term prosperity and what political systems can deliver within election cycles.
The Human Capital Crisis in Teaching
Kets de Vries’ observation that “we don’t always have the best and brightest in education” points to a fundamental market distortion with profound economic consequences. When Singapore recruits teachers from the top third of each cohort, they’re treating education as the high-skill profession it truly is. Contrast this with systems where teaching fails to attract top talent, and you see the human capital foundation of entire economies being compromised. The professor’s work suggests that until societies value educators comparably to other knowledge professionals, we’ll continue underinvesting in our most important economic resource: human potential.
