A 148-Day Learning

It is easy to be the boss in a Chinese firm. In this authoritarian civilization, everyone agrees with you and seeks your approval. What you uttered becomes gospel. People quote and obey you. It is the toughest thing to be the boss in a Chinese firm. You cannot be wrong. Ever.

Chinese have perfected this authoritarian art over about 2,500 years of practicing and try-and-error. They knew that the boss can be apprehensive at times and found ways to obtain diversity, have discussions, debate: all in somewhat a, gasp, diplomatic manner. History and classic wisdoms have both warned the difficulty of those skills — yet few middle level executives have any time to practice them.

Today’s typical Chinese firm has a cadre of menacing, abusive, tycoon, and domineering junior executives, those who manage a large organization and have slightly more than a decade of industrial experience, usually at the same firm. They are competent, smart, and driven. They fought hard and won most of their battles. They have been loyal, obedient, competent, and hard-working. What they give to their boss they want it doubly with their subordinates. They are authoritarian and like it. They crave for the big glory.

Only a superior or disruptive competitor will ruin the plan. If a new and foreign power shows up, years of hardworking will go to ruin. They are too senior to start over, the jungle is ruthless, they cannot afford the risk and must eradicate those new comers before they take roots.

Street smart, decisiveness, and guerilla-like nimbleness brought them the success today. Inspirational and diplomatic skills are critical to the next phase. But time has long passed for them to learn those softer skills. They do what every cornered beasts will: kill the new comers before they are proven superior or disruptive, even at the expense of the company. What’s the point of the company thriving without self sharing the glory?

Many wrote about different leadership styles; I found Hershey and Blanchad’s theory most straight-forward:

The “telling” style is for project lead and junior managers. Executives must migrate to other styles as they progress in their career. Heeding this will make a difference to those Chinese companies aspiring to be a global force, instead of a domestic player forever.