Leung had already made a name for himself in the political circles in his early thirties. At age 34, he became the Secretary General of the Basic Law Consultative Committee; at age 42, Deputy Director of the HKSAR Preparatory Committee; and at age 45, the HKSAR Executive Council Convener. When asked if he would be the next chief executive, Leung responded that he only wanted to do great things instead of becoming a high official. On November 27, 2011, Leung announced his election manifesto themed "Starting from the heart, seeking changes in stability" and participated in the election for the fourth-term Chief Executive of the HKSAR.

It's noteworthy that on December 11, 1996, Tung Chee Hwa was elected the first-term Chief Executive of the HKSAR. Leung Chun-ying was the general counting overseer at the time. He personally handed over the voting results to Qian Qichen, the then Preparatory Committee Director of the HKSAR and China's Vice Premier. 15 years later, the counting overseer became the chief executive. Coincidence as it was, even Leung's competitors had to admit that his success was not built in a day.