Fatherhood doesn't come with a manual. Dads figure it out as they go, learning through sleepless nights, difficult conversations, and the countless small moments that often matter more than the big ones.

For Father’s Day 2026, we asked a group of busy dads across business, entertainment, fashion, media, and culture a simple question: What have you learned from fatherhood?

Their answers range from reflections on patience to lessons about trust, sacrifice, and staying present. Together, they offer a snapshot of what fatherhood looks like today, through the eyes of the men living it.

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“Fatherhood is being the steady anchor they can always lean on, and the quiet force that helps them fly.” 

- Tony Fernandes, Co-founder of AirAsia and CEO of Capital A Berhad

“Fatherhood has taught me patience. I’m usually quite impatient when it comes to work, but ever since my daughter came into my life, I’ve become a different person.”

- Jack Tan, Actor

"Fatherhood, to me, is trust and support: even when I don’t fully understand or agree with my grown children’s choices, I strive to be better than my own father by trusting them to find their way and supporting them whenever they need me." 

- Bernard Chandran, Fashion Designer

“I’ve learned that the sacrifice of a wife and mother is so sacred to heaven that it has no equal. Being the person who stood by her side while giving birth until today makes me feel so little.”

- Noh Salleh, Musician

“Look in the mirror often. The man you see is the man your son will become. Pray for a better version. Be present, be intentional and be a loving father.”

- Daryll Tan, Co-Founder of OpenMinds Group

“Putting your kids in martial arts prevents them from getting bullied and from BEING bullies.”

- Dr. Jason Leong, Stand-up Comedian

“Life pulls you in every direction, so I make a point to be present for the small everyday moments—these are the ones that grow into something special.”

- Muhammad Bahir, Film Producer

“Children don’t think you’re right simply because you’re their father. They watch how you face failure, how you treat others, and how you choose to stand when life knocks you down.”

- Dick Chua, Film Director and Creator of Rise Warrior

“Fatherhood taught me that most of what we call instinct is really just borrowed trade secrets from the fathers before us.”

- Adly Syairi Ramly, Subculture Documentarian