Chen's management mantra

Felix S.T. Chen likes to teach management philosophies to his staff by telling stories. The following are three from his latest book China Heart: My Responsibility and Dream.

The north wind and the sun

The story is attributed to Aesop, the ancient Greek writer famous for his fables. It is about a competition between the north wind and the sun to decide which is stronger. The challenge is to make a man take off his coat. The harder the north wind blows, the tighter the man wraps himself. But when the sun shines with warmth, he takes off his coat. Managers should work like the sun, encouraging and trusting their employees, to create sunny days in the office so that business will prosper.

Riding or leading a horse

If a man leads a horse by the bridle, the horse will be tame, but never run fast. If he rides the horse and only controls its direction, the horse will gallop and dash ahead. Managers should give employees enough room for creativity and emphasize communication with their staff so that they can give full play to their potential.

Cuttlefish and conch

The cuttlefish and conch have similar ancestors. But the shell of the cuttlefish evolved to become internal. Without the limitation of a shell, a cuttlefish can grow to over 10 m in length. But a conch has to carry a heavy shell wherever it goes and its size is limited by the shell's size. Managers should be able to tolerate staff who are different from them or are even more talented. They should try to improve the overall competitiveness of the whole team.

(China Daily 03/03/2008 page12)