I spoke for a long time with a business leader in China about leadership. It made me realise that as a Westerner if I hear the words “Leadership” and “China” in one sentence my mind immediately computes “Mao” and to some extent turns off. Yours might too.
So it was interesting to go further. He talked about the Confucian roots of everyday leadership in China: of the credibility of the word “wisdom” in the context of leadership; of the commitment to forests rather than trees, so that systems deliver; of the culture of cultivating yourself before you lead. He said that Chinese culture is very old and is now perhaps being reborn.
And he talked about what the Chinese perceive Western leadership to be about: the drive to perform ever better individually; the dismissing of words like “wisdom” as wet; the drive to specialise and to compartmentalise.
As ever, the temptation to be defensive and make easy retorts needs resisting lest something important passes us by.
1 response so far ↓
1 Jason Shick // Sep 20, 2009 at 05:07
It is hard for me to not immediately thing of “Mao” as well. Every year that goes by I feel I mellow out and get better at not being defensive immediately when I feel the urge. You are right when you say it can allow important things (ideas, facts, opportunities) to pass us by.
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