Driving social betterment in Singapore Parliament

Tin Pei Ling shares how she applied Kurt Lewin’s change model to her personal transformation, navigating the complexities of work-life balance as a mother, while championing women’s empowerment

As the youngest candidate from the ruling party, and a female, I faced considerable personal challenges. That was probably the darkest period of my life, with doubts, criticisms, and difficulties during and after the election. It was life-changing. 

Vince Chan continues his conversation with Pei Ling Tin, diving deeper into her journey of self-discovery and leadership. They explore how Kurt Lewin’s change model—with its stages of unfreezing, changing, and refreezing—played a crucial role in Pei Ling’s transformation from a psychology major to becoming one of the youngest members of the Singapore Parliament.

Drawing on her experiences from the Chicago Booth MBA program, Pei Ling shares how international exposure and rigorous education helped her build resilience in the face of social media attacks and challenges in Singapore politics. The episode also delves into the ongoing need to empower women, addressing the challenges of work-life balance for mothers and the role technology plays in creating a digital future for Singapore.

Listeners will gain insights into Pei Ling’s efforts to empower women and how the Lewin change model can be applied to personal growth and professional success in politics and beyond.

Full Transcript

[00:00:00] Vince Chan: 
Hi everyone, welcome to the show. 

We live in a world obsessed with making an impact—whether it’s driving sustainability, creating greater good for humanity, or making a difference for the future. 

I’ve always believed that if you aim to change the world for the better—something impactful, sustainable, and purposeful—the first person you need to change is yourself. 

Every meaningful change starts with you. 

The magic of true transformation begins when you step out of your comfort zone, put yourself out there, and disrupt your life to the point where the pain is real and visible. 

Now, pain comes in many forms. A common one is how resilient you are in handling both praise and criticism. 

When you’re on this journey of transformation, how do you tell the difference between constructive advice and well-meaning comments that come from fear, jealousy, or ignorance? 

How do you not get discouraged by the losses, distracted by failures, or hypnotized by power? 

Speaking of change, I’ve gone through my share of it—18 big shifts. One major turning point was in 2013, when at age 40, I turned down a promising government job to take a leap of faith. I published my first book and joined Chicago Booth for my second MBA. 

That’s where I met Pei Ling Tin. 

Our class had a great mix of personalities. Pei Ling was the youngest, while I was one of the more experienced, with over 15 years of business experience and an MBA from Yale already under my belt. 

Yet, we all came together for something special and monumental. We were the legacy class graduating in Singapore, right before Chicago Booth moved its campus to Hong Kong. 

Pei Ling and I led a six-person committee organizing all sorts of events for graduation. We spent time inside and outside the classroom, in both Singapore and Chicago. 

Over the last 10 years, I’ve witnessed her growth firsthand. Pei Ling embodies the core essence of change—everything I just mentioned earlier. Her story is a powerful reminder of what it means to own your change, face the pain, and come out stronger on the other side. 

In this episode, Pei Ling Tin will share her incredible journey—from psychology to politics. Why did she give up on pursuing clinical psychology? 

2011 was a life-changing year for her, but it was also the darkest period in her life. She faced personal and social media attacks, and dealt with biases related to her age and gender. How did she navigate through those challenges, make peace with them, and take control of her life? 

After the election, she became the chief change officer of her own story. 

Let’s dive in and find out.

[00:05:08] Vince Chan: 
Welcome Pei Ling. Thank you for joining me on this podcast. 

[00:05:12] Pei Ling Tin: 
Thank you, Vince. It’s really nice to reconnect. 

[00:05:14] Vince Chan: 
Before you got into politics, you were in psychology. Why did you give up on that? 

[00:05:23] Pei Ling Tin: 
I was elected as the youngest member of parliament for two terms, and now I’m in my third term. I majored in psychology at university, which was a bit out of the norm among my classmates. Most of them went into engineering or science. But I got really passionate about mental health and wanted to do something about it, so I chose psychology. 

For most of my time in university, my goal was to become a clinical psychologist. I sought out internships, organized forums, and stayed focused on this aspiration. But a few things changed that path. My father had a mild heart attack, and as an only child, I had to take over the family’s small coffee business. That took me away from my studies for a while. 

Even after my father recovered, he wasn’t the same, and had to retire earlier than expected. That meant I couldn’t continue pursuing a clinical psychology program, which is required to practice in Singapore. I had to rethink my path. After a year of hard thinking, I distilled it into two points: What do I want in a career, and how can I continue my passion for mental health? 

I realized I could continue to pursue mental health within the community as a volunteer, raising awareness and helping others through grassroots work. 

[00:07:35] Vince Chan: 
And then, how did you get into business consulting? 

[00:07:41] Pei Ling Tin: 
For my career, I wanted something dynamic and people-focused, with constant challenges. After graduation, I was fortunate to join Ernst & Young in advisory. That’s how I entered business consulting. 

It wasn’t something I initially thought I’d do, but I grew to enjoy it. It was a good first job, as it taught me fundamentals like project management and discipline. It also developed my ability to think in frameworks, which my boss used to say was about going “from zero to hero in no time.” It kept me on my toes and gave me breadth of experience. 

[00:08:41] Vince Chan: 
So, business consulting was a good start for you. But what happened when you decided to get into politics? 

[00:08:56] Pei Ling Tin: 
I had been in business consulting for a few years when I was asked if I’d be open to running in the general election. I was eventually fielded by the ruling party in 2011. It was a pivotal year for me—my first time as a candidate, and the political atmosphere was both electrifying and tough. 

As the youngest candidate from the ruling party, and a female, I faced considerable personal challenges. That was probably the darkest period of my life, with doubts, criticisms, and difficulties during and after the election. It was life-changing. 

[00:10:08] Vince Chan: 
The move into politics was a bold one for you. Since you studied psychology, let me flip the table—how did you feel about this big change? 

[00:10:28] Pei Ling Tin: 
It depends on how you see it. I had been a grassroots volunteer and a political party member since my second year at university, so I had some exposure to what being an MP in Singapore was like. I didn’t have a complete shock, but the actual experience was a big change. 

I was still young in my career and new to the constituency. Balancing professional development and my duties as an MP was tough. Eventually, I decided to quit my job at Ernst & Young and focus on my role as a parliamentarian, fully dedicating myself to the constituency and the people I represented. 

[00:13:23] Vince Chan: 
You mentioned the challenges you faced during the election, especially being the youngest and a woman. Looking back, how did you manage to make peace with these issues while taking care of your mental health? 

[00:13:49] Pei Ling Tin: 
The party’s decision to field me as a young female candidate in my twenties was a significant move, showing their willingness to create opportunities for people like me. But I faced preconceived notions and stereotypes about my gender and age. 

Age was the bigger challenge—people didn’t know what I had to offer. I was young, new, and some thought I was riding on the coattails of former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong. On social media, I faced thousands of critical comments, and some even fabricated stories about me. It was overwhelming, and every day I would go home and cry. 

But over time, I realized that building trust with the community through constant engagement and sincerity was the way to address these concerns. 

[00:21:54] Vince Chan: 
That’s a powerful message. Silence can be golden, as you mentioned. Through your actions, you showed your sincerity and built those bonds with your constituents. 

In the next episode, Pei Ling Tin will share why she chose to pursue an MBA despite her busy life as a politician. We’ll dive into her journey of balancing different roles, including being a mother to two kids, and her passion for tackling social and business challenges to help build a stronger society. 

It’s going to be another compelling conversation you won’t want to miss. Thanks for listening, and see you in the next episode.