30 pieces of silver

30 Pieces of Silver

What have I learned over the past 35 years in business, living and working in more than a dozen countries from Japan to India to
Russia, to South Africa to New Zealand ... being self employed, consulting, establishing a new business, and senior regional
management roles in multinational corporations?

Well, maybe no gold nuggets. But 30 quotes, paraphrased quotes, or original thoughts that at least could maybe qualify as silver.
So here is my “30 Pieces of Silver” - and the good news is no-one gets betrayed, and the even better news is Apple Maps doesn’t
show any “Potter’s Field” in Bangkok. In fact Apple Maps doesn’t appear to show Bangkok at all - no, wait, there it is just north
of Johannesburg - it seems you can either get there by going around the Caspian Sea or taking the Golden Gate Bridge across
the Bering Strait.

The views expressed are personal, no animals or children were harmed or exploited putting this together that I’m aware of, and
you may not agree with everything - it may be silver to me but perhaps you’re not as easily lead.
30 Pieces of Silver | David Christensen | david@royalsiam.asia https://www.royalsiam.asia/
30

I

No plan of battle survives ﬁrst contact with the enemy -
von Moltke

von Moltke was right, and its true of more than just warfare. It’s critical to plan, but your plans
must allow for ﬂexibility and adaptability because there will always be surprises.

30

II

I have so much to do today I must spend the ﬁrst two
hours in prayer - Martin Luther

Martin Luther was also right, regardless of your type or level of religious persuasion. I take this to
mean that the more busy you are, the more important it is to resist the temptation to rush into
things headlong but to stand back, consider, plan, prioritize. I can’t emphasize the work prioritize
enough.

30

III

Inevitably people will let you down. Plan for it, expect it,
don’t get bent out of shape as a result and maybe lower
your expectations a little so it’s not such a surprise!

A friend many years ago gave me this advice, when I was upset and disappointed by someone’s
failure to do what they promised. We both laughed when he told me he had ﬁrst learned this saying
from me ... but I had forgotten, and failed to follow my own advice. Expecting and allowing for
people to simply be human can save a lot of frustration when the inevitable let-down occurs

30

IV

You must plan and manage your own career

You are being totally naive to believe that an employer has your best interests at heart. Employers
invariably have their own best interests at heart, and if these align with yours that’s a bonus ... and
this may be the case at a certain time, and not the case at others. I have always believed if you
have a good employer you should seek to satisfy your career aspirations within that company as the
ﬁrst option. Always remember your employer’s level of commitment to you is probably in writing
somewhere ... and it amounts to maybe 2 or 3 months’ notice or, if you read your contract carefully,
2 or 3 months’ severance pay and for no reason you have any control over, you could be called to an
unexpected urgent meeting at 5pm one day where you will be told this is your last day in the oﬃce,
and there will be a bland email to your colleagues the following day to say how much a contribution
you made to the company and wishing you well in your new endeavors (if you’re lucky) ... or if you
aren’t in luck you’ll be characterized as a problem the new management needed to get rid of, or you
will be shot in the back on your way down the stairs. And if you think ‘that would never happen to
me’ you could be in for a very nasty surprise one day.
30

V

Listen to advice but make you own decisions

A wise person will listen carefully to advice from a variety of perspectives, and it pays always to be
courteous and thank a person for their views. But no-one knows the circumstances, or your
aspirations, or many other things better than you do. In the ﬁnal analysis advice is cheap to the
giver - they don’t have to live by their advice, but you do if you decide to accept. There are few who
would begrudge an individual the freedom of choice, especially when communicated in a way that
acknowledges this, thanks them, says it was carefully considered from all angles, but your decision
was to do something else

30

VI

In many businesses nobody really knows how the whole
thing works and most management decisions or
interference makes no difference

A survey recently indicated that more than half of all management decisions in a business
made no difference to the eventual outcome. I believe it is more significant even that that ... there
are many management decisions that destroy value as well as those that may make no
difference. In large and complex businesses the variables are often too many to really
understand a true operating model, too difficult to isolate, or too difficult to alter and as a result
the company operates largely as a ‘black box’ that is impervious to much decision-making. The
result of this is perhaps we make too many decisions, and a healthy proportion of making a
decision to do nothing could bring about greater benefit than feeling under an obligation to ‘do
something’

30

VII

You will make mistakes and so will others. Making
mistakes is part of life. But repeating mistakes is very
diﬀerent

Mistakes are inevitable and hindsight is always perfect - but if you acted in what you thought was
the best way with the information you had at the time, and if your motivation was correct, you
shouldn’t best yourself up about this - nor should you unduly chastise a subordinate. In some
cases, you ask members of your team to get the best outcome in a task ... and how do you or they
know if from time to time a boundary is crossed? A wise person learns from the mistake and takes
steps not to repeat it knowingly. I have always adopted the view that mistakes are an accepted part
of life/work however repeated mistakes of a similar nature show a person who may not be learning
and the same problem occurring repeatedly is a sign of a person who is in the wrong job.

30

VIII

Decide early where your lines and limits are. If you are
going to have principles, prepare to have them tested and
principles can be costly

I was once told that in business, principles were not worth having unless you were committed to
stand by them; and they were equally not worth having if standing by them did not have the
potential to be costly to you. Better work it out before being placed under the microscope - decide
what you will stand for and what you will not and as Shakespeare wrote ‘to thine own self be true’.
The worst position to take is to have no position, or one that shifts - because that will quickly gain
you a reputation as a hypocrite.

30

IX

Someone will always step up to the plate when dirty
tricks are called for

Regrettably there seems to be an unlimited supply of people who will trade money, career, praise, or
whatever takes their fancy to cross the line ethically, ﬁnancially, or in any other way. When 30
pieces of silver (and a promotion) are involved, some people would happily sell their Grandma and
others toss in Grandpa for free, just to be seen as someone who gets stuﬀ done

30

X

No-one in the HR Department is your friend

The HR Department has a job to do and that is to look after the best interests of the company, and
and not those of you as an individual. Expect HR to use anything you have told them whether in
conﬁdence or not against you, if necessary.

30

XI

Business is a team sport and even though one team
member may score the goal, the team gets the credit

You need to impress upon your team that each and every role adds value and contributes to the
overall success and performance of the team. You also need to impress on your ‘stars’ that they are
also part of the team and dependent upon the rest of the team. A renegade striker who wants to revel
in the personal glory of a solo performance scoring goals is likely to give you more trouble than they
are worth ... let them go and disrupt a competitor.

30

XII

A company’s actions always say more than words

Nothing destroys credibility and engenders more cynicism than a company with written
commitments about the correct way to behave which are commonly ignored when they are
inconvenient. It is better not to have a statement of values, or similar, than to have one which is
followed only when the company wants to.

30

XIII

People are known by the company they keep. Companies
are known for the people they keep.

If you really want to know and understand what a company stands for or what its true values are,
look at those leaders who have been with the company for some time and have been promoted from
within. Their behavior will speak more eloquently about what the company believes in than
anything else. If you think you are likely to change this, you are mistaken

30

XIV

A ‘catalyst of change’ will eventually become a thorn in
the side

If you are ever recruited because the company wants to change its culture and needs people with
new, refreshing, and diﬀerent views - then enter such arrangements with your eyes wide open.
Because no matter how much people say they want change, change is uncomfortable and will
typically be resisted. So then you will have to overcome resistance in order to meet your objectives of
change ... but the resistance is coming from the ‘establishment’ within the company. 9 times out of
10, you will go from being the breath of fresh air the company needs to a troublemaker who can’t get
on with people - seldom does a company have such foresight and commitment to change that the
resistors - often senior and experienced people - are the ones who get to hear the riot act

30

XV

The biggest mistake a strong leader can make is to
surround himself with similar people

Regrettably it’s also the most common. “Type A” leaders - the ones with attributes like energy,
vision, drive, capability, ambition, (and their houseguests of impatience, arrogance, intolerance,
hubris and so on) often find it difficult to see value in those who don’t exhibit the same
characteristics, and so over time tend to surround themselves with ‘clones’ of themselves. This leads
to imbalance and is something a wise leader will seek to avoid. Relatively few senior leaders have
the self-confidence as well as insight to see this as an important issue

30

XVI

The second biggest mistake a strong leader can make is
to weed out those that don’t agree with him/her

In the days of the Roman Empire when a conquering Caesar would return to Rome and head a
procession in which the people praised him, it was the role of his most trusted bodyguards - the
Praetorian Guard, to accompany the chariot and whisper ‘remember Caesar, thou art mortal’ lest
he start to believe the adulation of the people. Far too many CEO’s would see such words as
negative, or disloyal and the giver would be quickly unwelcome. The result is an individual leading
an organization who becomes completely cut oﬀ from any real communication that doesn’t get
sifted by someone who is pre-selected only to transmit in a certain way. It’s a big danger and a
common mistake, but a good leader needs to be getting advice and information from all perspectives,
not just the ones he wants to hear.

30

XVII

The CEO doesn’t determine how well a company will
perform, but prescribes the limits

A company is seldom able to outperform its CEO. It may underperform the CEO, but typically he
or she will set the boundaries for the entire company.

30

XVIII

I have yet to see the beneﬁts of a merger or acquisition
fully match up to the original hype

The reason for this is two-fold. Firstly, it is typically those with a vested interest (something to gain)
who are proponents - whether they be investment bankers, strategy consultants, or management
looking for bigger jobs and more money. Secondly, the initial hype normally states the best case in a
range of possible outcomes, but it is also normally constructed in the controlled environment of a
perfect theoretical matrix, and does not fully account for the realities on the ground

30

XIX

Plans are constructed in a rational environment but
execution takes place in an irrational landscape

Planning by its nature normally expects a rational world and rational outcomes. But the real
world doesn’t work that way - sometimes people behave in ways that appear to be totally
irrational - fear of change, vested interests, desire to protect particular people, deeply rooted
beliefs which are being challenged, pure dumb stupidity, fear of being exposed for any number of
reasons and so on can all make for what appear to be bizarre and irrational behaviors which
cannot be anticipated. You must learn to expect and cope with these responses

30

XX

When two companies get into the same bed, one will end
up on top

There is no such thing as a merger of equals. In time, one culture will dominate. Joint Ventures
of any kind - whether formal or informal - will evolve over time to beneﬁt one party to a greater
extent than the other.

30

XXI

Never proceed with a business relationship leaving
signiﬁcant issues to be resolved later

In negotiating any form of business relationship between two parties it is tempting - especially if
there is external pressure - to wrap things up and if there are some unresolved issues, go ahead
anyway and in the spirit of goodwill sort them out later. Do so at your peril - because the
unresolved issues could be a major problem in the future, and you ﬁnd yourself too committed to
go back, but unable to go forward on an issue - or something similar.

30

XXII

It’s relatively simple to get agreement on strategy, but
another thing to get agreement on priorities

Different companies - or divisions within the one company - can often find it much easier to agree
in principle than in fact, when it comes to aligning priorities. If you are responsible for such a
collaboration, reserve your victory celebration for the time that you have irrevocable commitments
on the implementation time frame, not just the agreement in principle - otherwise you may find one
party has the appetite for immediate execution and the other has good reasons (e.g. other priorities,
resource constraints, systems limitations) for implementation to be 12 months or more in the future

30

XXIII

Icarus was right. Fly too close to the sun, your wings
melt and down you go

Your work occurs within the eclipse shadow cast by your immediate superior, and this
association - whether warranted or not - may present both challenges and opportunities. When
a CEO leaves for any reason, his/her direct reports are likely to be in the direct ﬁring line for
the new CEO. Conversely when a superior is promoted or given another position, there’s a
good chance their gravitational pull may beneﬁt you as well. Always ask yourself if being one
of ‘X’s’ team is advantaging you or not.

30

XXIV
Many new CEO’s over-promise the beneﬁts they can
bring compared with the previous regime, and so feel
duty bound to make an example of a proportion of the
previous senior management whether they deserve it or
not
Almost always these decisions are made without considering the depth of corporate knowledge that
is squandered when it could be most valuable. Although it is seldom called as such, this behavior
indicates an individual willing to put personal issues such as pride ahead of the company’s
interests. The result of this often includes loss of corporate intelligence, continuity, and often highly
capable people. The end result is the erosion of value and it often takes months or years to recover
from this initial ‘own goal’ scored by a new CEO. Boards and especially Board Chairpersons must
take a more active role to prevent this sort of thing happening under the guise of a new CEO
insisting on having the freedom to captain their own vessel.
30

XXV

Many new CEO’s bring with them some trusted
lieutenants from their former role

In Nazi Germany in the 1940’s these individuals would be called ‘kapos’, - concentration camp
prisoners who work for the guards against their former countrymen and fellow prisoners. And
they typically behave in a similar manner because they are a protected species. Watch your back
24/7 and be very careful to act correctly in their presence, don’t say what you might think about
them if it’s negative, and face the fact that the aﬀectionate hug you get from a kapo is more than
likely just an attempt to ﬁnd the best place to slip a stiletto between your ribs

30

XXVI

It takes a particular type of person to survive and
prosper in a large company for any length of time.
Performance and ability are minor parts of the equation

Just as intelligence tests can be described as a way to rank people according to their ability to
answer intelligence tests, so too long term success in a corporate situation may have very little to
do with performance or capability, and more to do with the ability to adapt to the corporate
culture and survive the changes of manager you are exposed to.
Often, one measure of this ability to survive and prosper is the capability to manage upwards, in
a way that is wanted by an individual’s leader. Depending on the style of leader, this often
means a demonstration of loyalty, support, or agreement that has more to do with political
correctness than the best course of action

30

XXVII

Most things are cyclic or a pendulum swing - move too
far in one direction and you can’t go back the other
way. Often the best approach is to manage equilibrium
Many strategies, or approaches taken by companies across many areas have an element of
‘fashionable trend’ to them ... and just as something may be in vogue for a period, it can often
then fade as another idea replaces it. And as so often happens the search for a Holy Grail of the
one right answer leads a company to implement something that in time proves to be as imperfect
as the thing it replaced. The centralized vs. decentralized debate is a typical example and some
companies over a period of decades have lurched from one end of the continuum to the other
several times. Each time this happens there are costs - both real and opportunity costs - which
may have been avoided if there was a more pragmatic approach taken that managing in a
‘balance/equilibrium/unresolved state of ﬂux’ may be a more productive and beneﬁcial modus
operandi than always seeking a perfect solution, and then having to dismantle and start over
every few years
30

XXVIII

We are standing at the beginning of revolutionary,
dislocative change especially in distribution - far more
extensive than most people acknowledge

The rise of global online shopping, which has been fueled by the emergence of viable payment
options for the mass market, access to internet-capable devices and eﬃcient global fulﬁllment
infrastructure has only just begun to impact both B2B and B2C commerce globally. I believe
there is much more to come in terms of change. The current situation is a little like the holiday-
makers who, having heard news reports of an earthquake, have gone to the water’s edge and
nothing seems amiss ... in fact the tide has gone out a long way and the sea is calm, so the
reports of a possible tsunami are wildly exaggerated!

30

XXIX

The result of the emergence of global online distribution is likely to
change the way in which business assets are valued in the future

It is possible we could reach a point where the value a business has built up in assets that are
leveraged for their business model (distribution channels, brand awareness, store locations, to
name a few) may prove to be something that impedes a business from adjusting to the new
market realities

30

XXX

Businesses caught in this position of inversion where their assets
have become liabilities may have no place to go

Placed in a position where the former assets are now liabilities, few companies would have the
financial capability to ‘bite the bullet’ and write down/write off this situation with a single
crystallization and restructure - e.g. Amway announces they will today stop MLM selling, pay
off their distributors, and reposition to sell their products directly via the internet. In all
likelihood, businesses placed in this situation will have little choice but to simply ‘stay the course’
and follow the “Dr Strangelove” strategy ... at least enjoy the ride as you sit astride the first
nuclear bomb to be dropped. Yee-ha - ride ‘em cowboy!

30

XXX

30

David Christensen

A veteran of the Asia Pacific business scene, David
Christensen is an Australian (with New Zealand roots),
currently based in Bangkok, Thailand where he is CEO of
premium skincare and anti aging products manufacturer
Royal Siam Natural Health and Beauty, and provides
strategic consulting advice to a select group of companies.

Having lived and worked in 14 countries as wide afield as
Russia, India, and Japan, David has a background in
advertising with Saatchi & Saatchi and DDB, extensive
international business strategy consulting experience as a
Partner with Gravitas Partnership in Hong Kong, and senior
regional line management roles across Asia Pacific with
American Express, Carlson Wagonlit, and AXA Asia Pacific.

His LinkedIn profile can be seen at this link LinkedIn and
you can contact him by email at david@royalsiam.asia

30

30 Pieces of Silver

30

The slide show is over

30

But if you like the music

I’ll let it run

30

It’s called Cafe Flore

Artist Dr Rockitt

30

I’ve got a few different versions

30

Would you like to try out
a Jedi Knight
mind trick?

30

OK, here it goes

30

Log in to your bank account

Go to the section that allows you to set up new recurring
payments

30

Establish a new payment for $49.95 on a monthly basis until
further notice

Here is the account number

SWIFT Code KASITHB
256-2-129389-45

30

Now forget you’ve done this

30

I’m still working on perfecting this

30

30 pieces of silver

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