business-leader-Jack-Ma

ChineseEntrepreneurintheInternetAge--StoryofMaYunandAlibabaIntroductionInnetworkage,thepatternandrateofeconomicgrowthexperiencetremendouschangesandstartingfromtheUS,internetentrepreneurshavebecomenewaristocraciesoftheWealth-Bulletin.However,commercialmiraclesofinternetindustrynotonlytakeplaceinSiliconValley.Andontheancienteastland,ayounginternetentrepreneurhaswrittenanewbusinesslegendwithhisvision,courageandleadership.MaYun,borninpovertybutfullofforesightandambition,hasledhisteamtogeneratebillionsofannualprofitsanddemonstratedacredibleexampleofhowasmallstart-upcompanycaneventuallymakeitbigintheglobaleconomythroughtheinternet.ThisarticlemainlyaimsatexploringtheleadershipofMaYunanddrawinglessonsfromit.BackgroundMawasborninSeptember10,1964upinHangzhou,China.Hewas12yearsoldwhenhebecameinterestedinlearningEnglish.ThebackdropoftheChineseCulturalRevolutionandMa’seagernesstolearnwhatgoesonbeyondtheconfinesofhisneighborhoodconvincedhimofhisownexcitingfuture.ItdoesnotmeanthatheabhorredhislifeinHangzhou.Thechangeinthinkingdidnothappenovernight.Itwasnotastoryofamandecidingtotakethequickerroutebysimplypackinghisbagsandleavingforthebigcity.Matookhissweettimelearningonhisown,practicinghisEnglish,anddevotingvolunteerworkasatourguideforahotelatWestLake,atouristareainHangzhou.ForMa,theworkmeantaforty-minutebikingtripeveryworkday.Hepatientlykeptthisroutineforeightyears.In1979,MametanAustralianfamily.ThefriendshipandregularcorrespondenceledtoMa’smonth-longstayinAustraliain1985.WhathesawandexperiencedinAustraliaconfirmedwhatwasslowlytakingplaceinhismind:thereisindeedabiggerworldoutthere,aworldthathecanexploreandbeckontohisownliking.However,hewasstillstrugglingwithhiseducationandcareer.HeflunkedhisentranceexaminationsatHangzhouTeachersUniversity,notoncebuttwice.Aftergraduation,heendedupinateachingjobthatpaidhimRMB100toRMB120(about$12-$15)amonth.Hestayedwiththisjobforfiveyears.Yet,evenwithteachingexperience,itwasstilldifficulttofindajob.HeevenappliedforasecretarialjobatKentuckyFriedChickenbuthewasrejected.In1995,hebecamepartofabusinessdelegation(asaninterpreter)toSeattleandatthattime,hediscoveredtheinternet.Inhisownwords,“WesearchedthewordbeeronYahooanddiscoveredthattherewasnodataaboutChina.WedecidedtolaunchawebsiteandregisteredthenameChinaPages”.Withborrowed$2,000andknowingnothingaboutcomputers,heestablishedthecompany,whichlatercompetedwithChinaTelecom(CT).TheywerelaterofferedajointventurebyCT,butthedealdidnotlastlong.Byhisownadmission,“itwaslikeanelephantandanant”.MaeventuallyquitfromtheventureandwenttoBeijingtopromotee-commercethroughagovernmentgroup.Hisappetitefore-commercehasgrownbythetimehegathered18friendsinhisapartmentin1999.Fromthatmeeting,$60,000wasraisedtostartAlibaba,thenamepickedbyMabecauseofitspopularity.ValuesandLeadershipPhilosophyManyarestillwonderingaboutthekindofpowerMapossesses.Itseemsrighttocategorizehimassomekindoftechieguruorabrilliantbusinessmanwithakeeninstinctforprofitbutheis,onthesurface,justaregularguywhobelievesinsimpleprinciples.Values1.Customerfirst.Theinterestsofthecommunityofusersandpayingmembersmustbetheirtoppriority.2.Teamwork.Maexpectshisemployeestocollaborateasateam.Heencouragesinputfromhisemployeesinthedecision-makingprocess,andcommittotheteam’sobjectives.3.Embracingchange.Histeamoperatesinafast-evolvingindustry.Maaskshisemployeestomaintainflexibility,continuetoinnovateandadapttonewbusinessconditionsandpractice.4.Integrity.Integrityisattheheartofourbusinessastrustisanessentialelementofamarketplace.Maexpectshisemployeestoupholdthehigheststandardsofintegrityandtodeliverontheircommitments.5.Passion.Hisemployeesareencouragedtoactwithpassioninbothservingcustomersanddevelopingnewservicesandproducts.6.Commitment.HisemployeeshaveadedicatedfocusandcommitmenttounderstandinganddeliveringontheneedofChineseandglobalsmallbusinesses.LeadershipPhilosophy1.TechnologyisnotAlibaba’scorecompetency.Mahasrepeatedlysharedthat“TechnologyisnotAlibaba’scorecompetency;rather,itisthecompany’sculture”.Mahasalwaysbeencandidabouthowheisnotreallya“techie”guy.Thedotcomculturehasbecomesopervasivethatmanypeople,particularlythoseintheITbusiness,wouldnotevendareadmittonotbeingtechno-savvy.Ma,ontheotherhand,seemsevenproudtoadmitthathedoesnotknowmuchabouttechnology,evenadmittingthathe“can’twritecodeandthemosthecandoissendandreceiveemails”.Thisopennesspaintsapictureofaboldleaderwhoknowsandenjoyshisstuffbutdoesnotlosesleepoveritifsomethinggoesawfullywrong.2.Customerscomefirst,employeesnext.Maemphasizesthatifheweretorankthecompany’spriorities,shareholderscomenextonlytotheirmostimportantclients:customersandemployees.AccordingtoMa,Shareholdersarethefirstoneswhoscamperoutthedoorwithjusttheslightestindicationofstockpricesgoingdown.Ontheotherhand,customersarethesourcesofthecompany’srevenues;hence,itistothemthatthecompanyowesunparalleledloyalty.Inaddition,heseesemployeesaspeoplewhocourageouslystayevenifthegoingsgetrough.3.Smallisbeautiful.Thisprinciplemayseemironicforabusinessmanwhoownsoneofthelargeste-commercebusinessesintheworld.However,