The document discusses effective leadership styles and skills needed for success in Asia, with a focus on differences between Western and Asian approaches. It emphasizes the importance of having a compelling vision, crafting an effective leadership image, and building leadership skills in direct reports in order to lead successfully in China and Asia. The document provides advice and strategies for vision creation, image building, and developing leadership abilities in other employees.

1. Part 1
Creating a Leadership Edge

2. 2
Leadership in China and Asia
• Why is leadership important to understand,
particularly in Asia?
• What are the difference in leadership styles?
• If it is becoming a global world why not just use
global leadership techniques?
• What makes an effective leader – world class?
• What are the predominant leadership style in
Asia/China?
• Why is leadership so critical and what is expected
from Western leaders?
Cat can be black or white, so long as

3. 3
Leadership in China and Asia
Pacific
• How do you move beyond managing – to leading?
• Is image and reputation important?
• How do you make your people effective leaders?
• What are good and bad leaders?
• What are the most common leadership challenges in
China and Asia
• What is the role of “vision’ in Asia and China?
Cat can be black or white, so long as

4. 4
Leadership Challenges in China /
Asia?
Cat can be black or white, so long as

5. 5
Lets look at Global / World Class
Leadership (The Global
Perspective)
Leadership styles
• Directive
• Participative
• Empowering
• Charismatic
• Celebrity
Flowers look different to different eyes
D. Quinn Mills – Harvard Business School

6. 6
Nine Attributes of Great Leaders
There are nine key qualities that research shows
people seek in successful leader:
• Passion
• Decisiveness
• Conviction
• Integrity
• Adaptability
• Emotional Toughness
• Emotional Resonance
• Self-knowledge
• Humility
when you paint a dragon, dot its eyes
D. Quinn Mills – Harvard Business School

7. 7
I. Guanxi 关系
II. Reciprocity 互惠
III. Mianzi 面子
IV. LiJie 禮節
V. Keqi 客氣
VI. Inner and Outer Circles 內 , 外圈子
Key Concepts to Master For
Leading In Chinese Environment

8. 8
Organization Characteristics-
Chinese Organizations
• Centralized decision-making
• Low structuring of activities
• Collectivism--group behavior
• Strong family managerial roles and
ownership (outside of China)
• Focus on what is practical
• No clear job description and work
procedure.
• Occasional role conflict.
Better to do without books than just

9. 9
Chinese Leadership Philosophy
• Future view with present focus.
• Self-confidence.
• Long working hours
• patience and endurance
• More relationship oriented as opposed to
performance-oriented
• Expect obedience, reliability and
trustworthiness
Good medicine is bitter to the taste

10. 10
Asian Leadership Styles
• Visionary
• Ability to Execute
• Inspire, yet effective use of fear
• Achievement oriented
• Pro – Risk
• Learn and Upgrade
• Moral Character (outside of China)
• Personal Ambition
• Reliance on Guanxi
Swallows know not the lofty ambitions

11. 11
What Are The Differences In
Styles Between West and Asia?

12. 12
What Do You Need To Be
Successful As A Leader In Asia
Ivory does not come out of a dog’s
• Technical expertise
• Management experience
• Ability to manage difficulty
• Ability to work with a smaller, less
experienced support team
• Confront unique problems and challenges
• Multi-cultural leadership experience.

13. 13
Key Attitudes Necessary to
Success in China
• Building relationships
• Willingness to absorb culture
• Willing to learn
• Humility
• Firmness
• Patience
• Moving fast
Without climbing maintain, cannot see

14. 14
Shifting from “Managing to
Leading”
Leaders and managers……
Managers administer, ……………………….......
Managers ask how and when, …………………
Managers focus on systems, …………………..
Managers do things right, ………………………
Managers maintain, ……………………………..
Managers rely on control, ………………………
Managers have a short-term perspective,…….
Managers accept the status-quo, ………………
Managers have an eye on the bottom line, …..
Managers imitate, …………………………………
Managers emulate the classic good soldier, ..
Managers copy, ……………………………………
…….Warren Bennis
leaders innovate
leaders ask what and why
leaders focus on people
leaders do the right things
leaders develop
leaders inspire trust
leaders have a longer-term perspective
leaders challenge the status-quo
leaders have an eye on the horizon
leaders originate
leaders are their own person
leaders show originality
If the horse dies, then you have to walk

15. 15
Leaders are inspiring visionaries,
concerned about substance;
Managers are planners,
concerned with process
……Abraham Zaleznik
Managing and Leading
If the horse dies, then you have to walk

16. 16
What Needs To Be Done – First
and Foremost VISION
• Do you have a compelling vision for Asia
and China?

17. 17
Leadership and vision
What Does a Vision Mean?
• No matter how one defines leadership, it typically involves an
element of vision. A vision provides direction to the influence
process.. A vision, for effectiveness, should:
– Appear as a simple, yet vibrant, image in the mind of the leader
– Describe a future state, credible and preferable to the present state
– Act as a bridge between the current state and a future optimum state
– Appear desirable enough to energize followers
– Succeed in speaking to followers at an emotional or spiritual level
(logical appeals by themselves seldom muster a following)
Sparrow may be small but it has all the

18. 18
What Does a Vision Mean
Spilt water cannot be retrieved
Examine from three perspectives:
1) Service / Business offerings
and markets served
2) Organization and People
3) Customers and Stakeholders
Vision Creation Steps
1) Current situation
2) Future Desired State
3) Vision statement

19. 19
Your Image As A Leader – Why
Important?
• Staff, partners, clients are always assessing you
• They will be quick to come to conclusion
• First impressions last forever – in Asia they are
superficial
• Consciously ‘crafting your image is what you want
–”what kind of leader do I want to be”?
Do not wait until you’re thirsty to dig a

20. 20
What Image Do You Want?
(exercise)

21. 21
How to build your image?
(your plan)

22. 22
Building the Leadership Skills of
Your Players
Challenges
• Over reliance on “the leader” in Asia
• Makes it hard to step up
• People tend to defer to the senior or second
in charge
• Managers don’t want to be see to challenge
authority
• Leadership is not stressed in China…….lots
of managers
A tree has its roots, a stream its source

23. 23
Building the Leadership Skills of
Your Players
The plan
• Set the leadership imperative—they are all
currently leaders
• Give me leadership tasks i.e. leading
meetings projects
• Allow them to shine – give them exposure
i.e company conferences
• Build leadership skills – training
A tree has its roots, a stream its source

24. 24
Smart Communication is the Key in Building
Your Build Your Leadership Effectiveness
• Communicate:
– Frequently
– Always keeping image in mind
– With stature and purpose
– With different modalities
– Know your audiences and responses
– Have someone in charge of your communication
• Remind
• Schedule
• Check