[Vnbiz] Staying to be a leader - The leader in a changing environment

Sat Apr 28 22:48:39 PDT 2007

Chao CACC,

I haven't had the chance to read the book that Thuy Lien mentioned.  Without
reading such book, I'm afraid I don't have a sound understanding about
the context of our discussion.  I, however, would like to share with
you some of my thoughts.
Before I start, pls allow me to have one disclaimer.  As a new member, I
don't know the style of debate/discussion yet, ie I'm not sure whether it'd
be proper to send this to everyone.  So, pls ignore my message if it does
not interest you.

If I'm not mistaken, the link below provides references for the book.

http://www.nicholasbrealey.com/uk/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=62&idproduct=156

I don't mean to be cynical, but "rethinking" seems to be a "fashionable"
word in Europe (UK) nowadays.  I'm not very fond of the book title even when
I don't read it yet.  Rethinking leadership or rethinking competition sound
fine.  Rethinking the past, the present are ok too. But how can anyone
"rethink" the future?  Simply because it doesnt happen yet.

It seems to me that the contributors to this book approached changes (or
adaptation) from a business/corporate context, ie how BUSINESS LEADERS adapt
to a changing economic enviroinment in order to stay competitive, efficient,
and successful (let me stress that this is only my guess).  So, when we
expand the topic to cover issues of cultural change, or personal/individual
change, or social change (eg change in governance style or the way
government runs a country), we'll need more guidance and substance for the
discussion.  In other words, I think it's important to set a context for any
discussion.  Such context would provide orientation for concrete arguments
and debates.  Otherwise, we could be easily trapped in the game of "thay boi
xem voi".

Although I agree with most of Anh Hoanh's arguments, I'm not quite sure if
it's entirely precise to say that the Vietnamese are relatively
change-resistant.  Look at the issue of migrant labour - thousands and
thousands of Vietnamese are leaving their home villages to cities or even
foreign countries to seek opportunities.  I believe they are making HUGE
change to their lives/life style, for better or for worse.  So, here it
comes the question of our approach to change.  I agree with anh Hoanh that
we should know our roots, but I would also like to add the importance of
values.  I believe setting up/maintaining a system of values is crucial in
guiding us through all the changes.  One should know what one wants when
making the changes.  If I remember correctly, Idian wisdom offers an
advice to "embrace changes without letting go of your values".

In another message, another member discussed the principle of "rule by law"
and "rule by man".  I'm not going to make everyone bored by engaging in this
topic.  I'm not sure if I'm knowledgable enough to talk about it
either.  What I know is rule of law is a core concept in Western governance
system.  And because it's associated with/fundamental to the Western system,
it does not exist in Vietnam yet (of course, lots of efforts are spent in
adopting this model for Vietnam).  If interested, the below site can be
helpful in providing some basic ideas.

http://www.users.bigpond.com/smartboard/btof/index18.htm

I agree that emotion can share a fair bit in decision making.  Regardless of
Americans, Vietnamese, or Europeans, we are all human being, and so we are
creatures of emotion.  That's why you find some many wirtings in the West
about emotional quotation, or emotional intelligence and its balance against
IQ.  However, I'd be reluctant to say that at micro level (or institutional,
corporate level), an institution/a company can be run by the rule of man if
it wants to stay successful.  There's certainly a distinction between making
a business decision merely based on the leaders' personal
pleasure/preference and the institution/company's benefits.

I hope I'm not over talkertive or making you more confused.

Have a good weekend to all!

On 4/24/07, Tran Dinh Hoanh <tdhoanh at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> [ Vietnam Business Forum ]
>
>
>
> Dear sisters Thuy Lien & Tram, brother Thien & CACC,
>
> Thuy Lien's questions are so crucial not only for the individual but for
> our nation as a whole.  We all remember that in the 19th century Nguyen
> Truong To tried in vain to convince the Nguyen kings to renovate the
> country.  Thus, the French walked in.  Today, the phrase Doi Moi Tu Duy
> (Renovate our thinking) is still a major concern for the country.  We
> Vietnamese are relatively change-resistant.  Some of the phrases like "giu
> vung lap truong" (Stay firm on your position) and bao ve van hoa (protection
> our culture) have been abused over the years to mean anti-change.
>
> Against that cultural background, Thuy Lien's questions about our ability
> to realize the changes in our own thinking are crucial.  How do we know that
> we are pro-change or anti-change?  The people who don't want to change
> ALWAYS have a million "legitimate" reasons not to change.  I say
> "legitimate" because these people believe that their reasons are
> legitimate.  And they have no clue that they are inhibiting the progress of
> the nation, just like the people who are insane do not know that they are
> insane.   So, Thuy Lien's question "How can we know whether renovation has
> happened in our mind or not?" is actually the proverbial philosophical
> question "How do I know myself?"
>
> Adding to that, the older we are the more change becomes difficult for
> us.  We have been so comfortable in a certain of life for so long and our
> ability to learn slows down with age.  By middle age, when we become the
> main strength of our society, we become resistant to change.
>
> While brother Thien talks about the need to change when something we do
> has become ineffective.  That is so true.  But if we have the tendency to
> against changing, probably we don't even see that what we are doing is
> ineffective.  Say, a company in which employees wear brown uniform has been
> doing well for twenty years.  But for the last several years the
> company does worse every day.   The leadership blames the economy or the law
> morale of the current group of employees, but the issue may be in the color
> of the uniform (which the company has been using for 20 years).  The culture
> has changed and the people now seems to like green and hate the brown.
>
> In addition, in a changing economy, we cannot afford to wait to see if the
> way we are doing is ineffective.  That would be too late.  We have to keep
> changing to be more effective everyday, even if what we are doing is already
> effective.
>
> Moreover, in a changing economy, we can create changes ourselves.  Look at
> all the It companies with new products coming out every day.  They create
> the new products and the consumer demand for such new products where no
> market exist before.
>
> So changing is not just a REACTION to what has been obsolete, but a
> PROACTIVE way of thinking, of constantly searching for something else more
> effective, more beautiful, more exciting.   That is the attitude of an
> explorer, going about to explore the jungle to search for new species,
> exploring the space to search for new planets, exploring life to search for
> new possibilities.
>
> But how do we have such a pro-change attitude as an individual and as a
> culture?
>
> Here is my own experience to share with everyone.
>
> 1.  Know more about various cultures.  Say, you are a catholic, try to go
> to Buddhist temple once in a while.  You are a southerner, try to understand
> the way the northerner thinks.  Try to understand other ethnic cultures and
> practices.  Try to understand other countries.   The more of other cultures
> you know, the more flexible you will be in your mind.
>
> 2.  Hanging out with people of different profession, different
> lifestyles.  If you are a lawyer, hang out with a bunch of artists or
> teachers or soccer players once in a while.  Hang out with the expats often.
>
> 3.  Work with the younger generation whenever you can, because when they
> are younger they know many things you don't know (like IT stuffs and all
> kinds of international music and cultural phenomena), and think with an
> attitude that is different from your generation, and they are so quick (both
> physically and mentally) that make you feel like a turtle.  And we will be
> better simply by trying to catch up with their speed.
>
> (Conversely, if you hang out with the people of the older generation, you
> may be able to see the depth of things much better).
>
> 4.  Always encourage people who try to come up with something new. Say,
> "Wow, that is a  good try.  I love to see it when you are done" and don't
> say think like "Why wasting time for it?  Who would want that?"
>
> 5. In whatever you do, tell yourself "Even if I am the best in this field,
> there is still something I can do to improve my method.  I just have to
> figure it out.  I have to improve myself every day."
>
> 6.  Do something new once in a while, like try a new kind of food, visit
> to a new place, wear a new shirt (that is not normally your style).
>
> 7.  Know your roots well.  Changes are new branches, that can only live if
> the roots are good and strong.  So you need to understand your own culture
> well, and can blend your own culture to the new culture of the world very
> well.
>
> 8.  Drop the dead leaves.  Old ideas and attitudes, sometimes they are the
> roots, sometimes they are dead leaves.  Dead leaves should be dropped and
> buried.  So you need to have to wisdom and courage to bury the dead
> leaves.    Don't hold on to them and babble nonsense.
>
> But how do we know what are the roots and what are the dead leaves?  This
> is really difficult.
> Many people just can't tell the different.  I suggestion is that we know
> our past and tradition very well and know our present very well.  If you
> have very good knowledge of both the present and the past, we will be able
> to say what is the root and what is a dead leaf.  The problem is when you
> only know the past without the present, or only the present without the
> past.
>
> 9.  Know the way the world is going:  Internet, globalization, meetings
> of nations, cultures and traditions.  Read about these.
>
> When you have the mental attitude that is so flexible, so open, so willing
> to absorb new things, then you are ready for all changes whatever they may
> be.  And you see the way the world is going, you would be able to anticipate
> the future and to innovate yourself in in advance for it.
>
> Innovation is not just a method of working.  Innovation, first and
> foremost, is an attitude of the mind.
>
> Thanks for the incredible question, sister Thuy Lien.
>
> Have a great day, everyone.
>
> Hoanh
>
>
> On 4/20/07, Tran Dinh Hoanh <tdhoanh at gmail.com > wrote:
> >
> > Dear CACC,
> >
> > Several days ago, sis. Thuy Lien posted a gereeting message and in it
> > she posed some very profound questions that I think we need to thining about
> > them very sisrously.
> >
> > I would like to post some parts of her message here and highlight and
> > number her questions to give them proper emphasis.  These are extremely
> > challenging qeustions.  Thank you, sister.  (My God, I am so amazed at the
> > quality of the college generation of our forum).  Here is the excerpt of
> > Thuy Lien's message:
> >
> > "In the recent day,I've read a book whose tittle is "rethinking the
> > future".I'm impressed in the conception that everything's changing fast and
> > faster.And so,every type of the traditional thinking that we're familiar
> > with in 20 th century isn't right anymore.I feel a real uncertain in my
> > life which is very different from the past which is just 5 years
> > ago.That's a world we're living.The more changes there are,the more
> > flexible we are.That's the truth we all know.But,
> >
> > *1.   How can we adapt with situation if  even our thinking haven't
> > innovate yet?*
> >
> > *2.   And, how can we know whether the innovation happened in my mind or
> > not?*
> >
> >    I'm interested in the leadership.Maybe,never before the word
> > "leadership" has been discussed so many times like today.I find a good
> > alert that the Vietnamese traditional thinking  has been changed.Go back
> > the past, for example 5 years ago,we were embrassed when standing up to
> > present ourselves for the monitor of our class.Frankly,that's happening
> > in my university.What I want to mention is
> >
> > *3.  I wonder if the role of the leader in any orgazination in
> > change-environtment has any difference from one of the past. *
> >
> > We mentioned a lot about changes which's happening surely and even
> > happening so fast.
> >
> > *4.  The book that I mentioned discussed an idea that the role of a
> > modern leader is to make a change-waiting environment(I'm not sure about my
> > use of word). But, how to build up it? *
> >
> > *5  Besides, how can we predict when the change is needed? *Changes are
> > usually difficult with any one because it means many visible uncertain
> > despite of many invisible advantages which a few people can realize. "
> >
> > Those are very deep deep deep questions.  Let us chip in to answer
> > them.
> >
> > Have a great day1
> >
> > Hoanh
> >
>
> --
> Tran Dinh Hoanh, LLB, JD
> Attorney of Law
> Washington DC
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