The cadre system was started in 1957 by Toh Chin Chye, in an effort to prevent the popular leftist faction of the PAP, which dominated the party during its infant years, at the grassroots level and many of its committees and composed much of its early membership, from ever taking control of the CEC again.

[1][6] The core of the PAP, the members of the first generation CEC began much of their chemistry as a basement group in Lee Kuan Yew's house.

S. Rajaratnam described the CEC's tight-knit dynamics as a small jazz band, where "each musician plays the same melody, but is with considerable latitude in the precise manner in which he backs up the others".

Lee Kuan Yew was the core and firm centre of the CEC, providing "forceful leadership", in the words of political scientist Tilman.

Generally, the team would work out a consensus in the Prime Minister's Office; contentious issues were often resolved by Lee's one-on-one discussions with individual CEC members.