【英语生活】怎样成为一名成功的企业领袖

Executive Adviser Report: How Companies In Developing Markets Can Cultivate The Leaders They Lack

Rapid, unpredictable changes in market conditions, boundless opportunities, fierce competition -- that's what emerging markets are like. Unfortunately they're also short on executives with the leadership skills needed to succeed in this kind of environment.

As a result, many companies in these markets don't come close to fulfilling their potential, or they fail outright. So, how can companies in emerging markets develop the leaders they so urgently need?

To study the problem, the China Europe International Business School's Leadership Behavioral Laboratory, in collaboration with the Center for Creative Leadership, interviewed 100 successful midlevel and senior executives from various industries in China. We asked each of the executives recount three critical events in their careers that contributed to their development as managers.

Their answers revealed several keys to leadership development in emerging markets:

SET AN EXAMPLE

Senior managers' words, deeds, temperament, charisma and standards are powerful role models for their subordinates. In a market where companies are struggling to assert themselves amid rapidly changing conditions, it is doubly important that managers have stable leadership to look to for guidance and inspiration. More than one-third of the managers we interviewed mentioned the great influence that executives they admired had exerted on their careers. Senior executives can't just issue orders; they need to exemplify the company's values in everything they do.

NEVER STOP TEACHING

Many executives stressed the importance of continuously learning about their business and about business in general throughout their careers. In emerging markets, where companies and entire industries are growing and evolving at an accelerated pace, open-ended learning is crucial.

For many companies, learning typically involves sending potential leaders to classes at business schools, where they learn management theory and practices. Such training is, no doubt valuable. But it shouldn't be the only form of management training, or even the focus. Rather than spending huge amounts on external leadership consultants, companies should focus on strengthening their own coaching practices.

What would that look like? For one thing, fellow managers who have experience and expertise and are well versed in a company's corporate culture can help junior managers find practical, effective solutions for the challenges they are facing at work. This shouldn't be left to chance -- a mentoring program should be set up to ensure that all junior managers are receiving proper guidance.

Companies should also systematically rotate talented employees among various jobs and divisions of the company to broaden their knowledge of the business.

Junior managers also should be included in critical task forces so they garner firsthand experience in the process of managing big issues. The managers we interviewed repeatedly mentioned the importance of their involvement in projects like developing new products, opening up new markets, implementing new business plans and setting up new branches. Restructurings, mergers, share offerings and public-relations crises are also excellent learning opportunities. Experiences like these teach managers not just to adapt to change but rather to embrace it.

ALLOW JUNIOR MANAGERS TO FAIL

In the interviews, many managers said failures, setbacks and tough experiences early in their careers had a significant influence on their personal and professional development. Managers who have experienced setbacks and failures tend to have stronger willpower, a more positive outlook on life and greater sympathy for others. Rather than pampering young managers by protecting them from the turbulence of emerging markets, senior managers should put them in positions where they need to take responsibility for projects and make decisions that could go wrong.

Junior managers also shouldn't be sheltered from the personal conflicts and disagreements that are inevitable in any business setting but especially in the rapidly changing environment of an emerging market. Prospective leaders need to learn how to work through conflicts with superiors, subordinates, peers, clients, the government and people from different cultures.

MAKE SURE THEY LEARN FROM THEIR FAILURES AND SUCCESSES

When things do go wrong, make sure there are mentors or coaches ready to help junior managers confront and draw lessons from their mistakes. That can be the difference between talented employees becoming discouraged or feeling that they have grown from the experience.

Successful leaders, of course, learn from every experience. But the introspection that allows for such continuous learning doesn't come naturally to everyone. Companies should include in their training programs sessions designed to help managers develop systematic habits of introspection. Managers should have regular group meetings where they not only reflect on the lessons of their own experiences but also learn from the experiences of others.

TRANSFORM CRISIS INTO OPPORTUNITY

Even in the best times, immature markets are tough on many companies and their employees. One way to turn this situation to your advantage is to involve junior managers in dealing with difficult situations -- invaluable experience for the tough times down the road. Include them, for instance, in the planning and execution of layoffs and restructurings of the business. Many of the managers we interviewed said confronting a crisis had been one of the most important elements in their development. Also, whenever possible, companies should look for opportunities to hire promising young talent let go by other businesses.

市场瞬息万变，机遇无穷无尽，竞争极其激烈──这就是新兴市场的特点。要想在这种环境中获得成功，企业管理者必须具备一定的领导力，而不幸的是新兴市场恰恰缺乏这样的领导者。

结果就是，新兴市场的许多企业无法发挥出应有的潜力，甚至直接败走麦城。那么，新兴市场的企业该如何培养出它们急需的领导者呢？

为研究这一课题，中欧国际工商学院(China Europe International Business School)“领导行为实验中心”(Leadership Behavioral Laboratory)与美国“创新领导力中心”(Center for Creative Leadership)合作，访谈了来自中国各行各业100位成功的中高层管理者，向他们询问在职业生涯发展道路上，有哪三件重要的事情促使其成长为一名卓有成效的管理者。

他们的回答揭示出新兴市场领导力培养的几个关键要素：

1. 以身作则，做出表率。

高层管理者的言行、性格、个人魅力以及所设立的标准都会对下属产生强大的示范效应。在新兴市场，企业需要努力适应日新月异的市场变化，管理者们也需要向一个强大稳定的企业领袖寻求指导和灵感，这一点尤其重要。三分之一以上的受访者提到，他们所敬仰的领导者对其职业生涯发展产生重大影响。企业高管不能只是发号施令，而是要在所做的每一件事情中，为公司的价值观做出表率。

2. 永不停息的教育。

许多高管都强调，贯穿于职业生涯的持续学习非常重要，不仅包括对自身业务的学习，也有对整体商业运作的学习。新兴市场的企业和各个行业都以一个加速度在成长和发展，因此要把终生学习摆在重中之重的位置。

对很多企业来说，学习一般指的是把具有领导潜质的人送去商学院深造，在那里学习管理学理论和实践。毫无疑问，这类培训是很有价值的，但不应成为培养领导者的唯一形式，或是唯一关注的焦点。与其把大量金钱花在企业外部的领导力培训课程上，不如加强企业自身的领导者培养机制。

这种培养机制应该是什么样子的呢？比如说，那些有经验、有专长、并对公司文化有深入理解的企业管理者，可以帮助较年轻的管理者找到一些实际有效的解决方案，协助其克服工作上面临的现实挑战。这一互动不应该是撞大运型的，而要建立一种“传帮带”制度，确保每一个年轻管理者都能得到恰当的指导。

企业还应该建立一种系统有效的轮岗制度，让有才华的员工在公司多个部门和岗位上工作锻炼，扩大他们对公司业务的了解。

企业还要把年轻管理者纳入到从事重要项目的团队之中，让他们在处理重大问题的过程中逐步积累第一手的经验和体会。接受我们访谈的管理者们经常提到一点，即参与重要项目对其产生的深远影响，如新产品开发、新市场开拓、新商业计划的实施以及新分支机构的设立等。企业重组、并购、上市和公关危机处理也是培养领导者的极好机会，这类经历不但能教会管理者适应各种变化，还能培养他们从危机中找到机遇的能力。

3. 允许年轻管理者经历失败。

许多管理者在访谈中说，他们职业生涯早期所经历的失败、挫折和艰难险阻对其个人发展和职业发展都产生了巨大影响。经历过挫折失败的管理者往往意志力更顽强，对生活的看法更乐观，也更具同情心。资深管理者不应一味呵护年轻管理者免受新兴市场的动荡影响，而应给予他们锻炼机会，负责具体的项目，做出自己的决策，并承担决策失误的后果。

同样，年轻管理者也应该经历一些与他人之间的个人冲突和意见不一，因为这在任何商业环境中都不可避免，尤其是在快速变化的新兴市场环境中。未来的领导者需要学会在冲突中开展工作，无论是与上级、下级、同事、客户、政府，还是与来自不同文化背景的人。

4. 确保从成功和失败中汲取经验教训。

如果年轻管理者遭遇到挫折，应确保有人来引导和教育他们面对自己的错误，从中吸取经验教训。有才华的员工可能因失败而自暴自弃，也可能从失败中获得成长，因此，他们需要正面的引导。

当然，一个成功的领导者能从各种经历中学到东西，但这种持续学习、不断进步的内省能力并非每个人与生俱来的。企业应该在培训课程中加入这类内容，帮助管理者系统培养反思的能力和习惯。管理者要定期召开小组会议，不但总结自己的经验教训，同时也从别人的经历中学到东西。

5. 变危机为机遇。

即使在最好的年景里，不成熟的市场也会给许多企业及其员工带来各种挑战。我们要充份利用这些机会，让年轻管理者参与到难题的解决过程中来──这将给他们带来宝贵的经验，有助于在今后遇到更大困难时有所准备。比如说，可以让他们参与公司裁员和重组计划的制定和执行。我们访谈的许多管理者说，处理危机是他们获得成长的最重要的因素之一。此外，企业应尽可能地寻找机会，招纳那些被其他公司忽略掉的具有领导潜质的年轻人才。