What he must aim to do is to make sure that in the GE after the coming one – when he would have five more years to establish his position – he delivers for the party.
Indeed, this was what both Mr Goh and Mr Lee did, with better-than-expected results in their subsequent GEs.
Now that the handover timetable has been more or less fixed, Mr Wong has to go full throttle at strengthening his emotional bond with the people.
This is the job of the leader, and it is especially pressing for him because of the short runway he has had and the looming GE.
The challenge for him is not just about addressing issues that Singaporeans are vexed about such as the cost of living.
As the new PM heading the fourth generation (4G) team, he will be scrutinised and judged on how he comes across as the man who will lead Singapore amid all the challenges of the world, what sort of leader he is and whether he has what it takes to instil confidence among Singaporeans.
Because he will have such a short time before the GE to do this, he has to make an impact quickly, certainly within the 12 months.
The message must be: It is not business as usual.
He must exercise strong and firm leadership, which is what Singaporeans expect of their leaders.