China Business Leadership - Understanding the Chinese Mind
Mission Statement:
Most of the foreign leaders who come to China and try to make things work FAIL since they believe they can simply take THE FORMULA they have learned in their home countries and apply it to China. The success formula which made them successful in the West DOES NOT WORK in China.
Western management concepts have a number of examples which are totally UNFAMILIAR in China. Why then do foreign leaders insist of relying on these tools? Why do Western managers intoduce these concepts without giving any reason for their actions - causing SUSPICION among Chinese employees?
Good intentions gone bad
Good will can turn out to be totally counter-productive. For instance, your attempt to delegate decision-making power in order to emplower and involve your Chinese subordinates may very well produce the following negative responses:
"He is a weak leader, he can not make decisions by himself"
"He is too lazy to do this by himself and wants me to do it"
"Is there a hidden agenda here to make me fail in my job? Maybe he wants someone to take my place."
Confucian view of delegation
The Confucian view of the delegation of decision-making is clear: When the king is the king, the minister is minister, the father is father and the son is son, then there will be ORDER in society.
All too often businessess fail in China and every day companies are packing and leaving China, bitter and frustrated - and often some millions or hundreds of millions poorer.
Team work in China
You need to profile your talent needs, work with opportunists, compromise on confidentiality, bend certain rules, accept risks, encounter fraud and forgeries, make decisions in total darkness, protect yourself from all angles, face corruption and questioning of the sustainability of your China business model, work with companies under the protection of the State, go into areas where no proven track record or advice is applicable.
You need to start with your global business strategies and the importance of China on your strategy map. You then need to both show a willingness to learn and understand business opportunities, and to instill requirements for management expertise in appreciating Chinese cultural sensitivities. You need access to on-the-ground experience and practical know-how.
China Leadership
We will take you through Western thinking and Chinese leaderhship concepts that are known to the Chinese people and integrate them into a formula that works in China - especially when you deal with Chinese clients, lead multinational teams or joint ventures, or have government issues in China.
We will explain cultural struggles inside company management, show you areas where you must modify your behaviour. We will guide you on a path that individual leaders must follow to be successful in China.
Explore China Leadership together with Fintra, see our training programmes: