Copying to blending – another lesson from Chinese leaders

Jon Geldart provides another lesson from Chinese leadership.

The chairmen we spoke to in almost evey case were clear about what they felt they could draw from their understanding of studying non Chinese management experience. Most of the leaders were avid readers of management books and journals. However they did not seek just to copy what they read about. Also through their own contacts with the West, and non Chinese leadership, they found the approaches absorbing and interesting but not copyable. They want to listen carefully to western approaches and understand them in order to blend them appropriately into the Chinese Way. This ‘blending’ and mixing western and Chinese management approaches is an interesting modes operadi to take the ‘best of the best’ to meet the ever changing dynamics of the Chinese marketplace. They saw the merits of technical expertise, approaches and models but would not be using them. Rather the application of learning was to absorb and filter then overlay with ‘The Chinese Way’ to have real and tangible effect in their businesses.