Every office has that one young overachiever who finishes his own work, helps others, and still asks for feedback. At CPF, that was HK. He began as a programmer, bright, hardworking, and a fast learner.
Eventually, HK was promoted to the position of team leader and was in charge of the local area network. One of his projects was to evaluate a remote dial-in router for authorized staff to dial in from home securely. It was a new network device in the pre-Internet era, and HK took that assignment with passion and agency.
Then came the night his wife went into labor. After long hours at the hospital, their baby arrived. At five in the morning, HK returned home, joyful but exhausted. He could not call his boss at that hour.
Wanting to inform him that he would be staying home, he opened his laptop, connected to the office network by dialing into that device, and sent an email. In that moment of fatigue, he overlooked one crucial detail: he had just logged in remotely, without authorization, using the very system he had been evaluating.
The Report
The next day, his colleagues noticed the early-morning message. Most smiled, happy for the new father. Yet one colleague, probably uneasy with HK’s rapid rise, noticed that the message had been sent from outside the CPF network. She reported it as an unauthorized connection, following the procedure.
By afternoon, HK received the notice that a formal inquiry had been opened. HK now understood the magnitude of what he faced. In government service, a security breach carries immense gravity. It raises questions of trust, accountability, and professional integrity. His performance record, his reputation, and his family’s financial security with a newborn were at stake.
The Hearing
His boss, Mr. Wu, the then Deputy CEO, who chaired the session, faced his own pressure. He had to uphold CPF’s commitment to data protection while staying true to fairness. The safe decision was strict enforcement. Yet he paused, asked one question.
“Why did you do it?”
HK met his eyes and spoke the truth. “Sir, I was working on a tight deadline and wanted to inform the boss I would be away for the next 2 days before our morning meeting. Since I was in charge of testing, I thought of using the device to just send the email. In doing so, I crossed the line.”
The room went silent. HK could almost hear time hold its breath. Then the Deputy CEO said,
“Do not do it again. You may go.”
That moment changed everything.
The Lesson
This was Epieikeia¹, the virtue of equity. Aristotle called it the correction of law, where law fails to account for context. It is not leniency. It is principled flexibility guided by wisdom and humanity that considers intention, context, and potential.
Mr. Wu saw HK’s intent, character, and remorse. HK had made a mistake under intense pressure at home and work, but had always shown integrity and ownership. HK was also one of his best talents.
Firing him might have destroyed the career of a promising young man. Mentoring him retained his talent, motivated him, and helped shape a future leader.
Epieikeia is not permissiveness. It does not apply to repeated violations, deliberate deception, or avoidance of responsibility. It rests on genuine remorse, a record of integrity, and a will to learn. The Deputy CEO’s decision worked because HK met all these conditions. Had he made excuses or dismissed the seriousness of the breach, the outcome would have been entirely different.
For leaders, three questions help decide when to apply Epieikeia:
- Intent: Was this action driven by malice or by accident?
- Character: Does this person’s record show trustworthiness and ownership?
- Consequence: What will punishment or grace create in the long run?
Mr. Wu’s decision worked because HK met all these conditions. If HK had made excuses, lacked remorse, or been a marginal performer, the decision would have been justifiably stricter.
Full Circle
Over time, HK rose through the ranks. Today, he serves as Deputy Chief Executive of CPF, leading with the same wisdom and grace that once saved his career. He openly shares this story with the people he mentors.
Every year, Ng Hock Keong (HK) takes Mr. Wu out for a meal, a quiet ritual of gratitude to the leader who saw his potential when others might have seen only a policy violation. Mr. Wu remains a lifelong mentor.
Ng Hong Keong’s teams trust him because he leads with the same combination of wisdom and grace that once protected him.
They innovate and take ownership because they know he sees both the person and the principle. When honest mistakes happen, he protects the learning and the person, just as Mr. Wu once did for him.
Looking back, HK often reflects that without his boss’s wisdom, his journey in CPF might have ended that day. CPF would have lost a sharp mind who now contributes at the highest level. One thoughtful act of Epieikeia preserved not only a career but a legacy of humane leadership that continues to shape the organization’s culture today.
True leadership flourishes where wisdom meets grace. That space is Epieikeia.
¹ Aristotle defines Epieikeia in Nicomachean Ethics (Book V, Chapter 10) as “a correction of law where it is defective owing to its universality,” describing it as a higher form of justice that weighs circumstances, intent, and fairness.
