A recent WhatsApp communication on our society group, a few cryptic comments on my Facebook wall, and several recent premature deaths among people in their mid-fifties have made me pause and reflect. At first glance, the incidents appear unrelated.

A camp was organised by our newly elected governing body to facilitate certain services for residents. It was a good initiative with a few inevitable hiccups. Many appreciated the effort, while some expressed disappointment. One resident urged the President of the Residents’ Welfare Association to personally address such irritants in the future. What caught my attention, however, was the response of another well-meaning resident who rushed to defend the President while assigning blame to the committee member who organised the event. In corporate and public life, leadership is often defined by the willingness to absorb criticism while sharing credit. In our increasingly polarised environment, criticism and defence seem to attach themselves not........

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