钟彬娴在清华学子时代论坛上的演讲.docx

钟彬娴在清华学子时代论坛上的演讲.docx

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钟彬娴在清华学子时代论坛上的演讲

钟彬娴在清华学子时代论坛上的演讲

andreajung

tsinghuauniversity-（beijing）oct.23rd

goodafternooneveryone.ican'ttellyouhowhonorediamtobeherewithyoutotalkaboutmythoughtsonleadershipandtosharemyexperiencesasoneofonlyahandfulofwomentodayrunningamajorglobalcorporation.

asilookoutatallofyou....someatthebeginningstagesofyourcareers....somewellalongtheroadtoyourfuture....whereveryouareonyourownpersonalpathicanpromiseyouaworldofopportunityandexcitement.anythingyouchoosetodoiswithinyourreach.howfaryougowilldependonhowhighyousetyourdreamsandhowhardyouworktoachievethem.butwhateverpathyoutake,thefoundationprovidedbyagoodeducationwillmakesuccesscomethatmucheasier,ipromiseyou.

ihavesharedmyexperiencesonleadershipwithmanydifferentgroupsofpeopleallovertheworld.butbeinghereinthecountrywheremyparentsandgrandparentswereborn-acountrytowhichicontinuetofeelstrongemotionalandintellectualties--isanenormousprivilegeandadreamcometrue.

iconsidermyselfarelativelyrecentmemberofanewgenerationofbusinessleadersfacedwithadizzyingpaceofchangeandaglobaleconomicandpoliticalenvironmentthatareredefinedbythedayinthistumultuous21stcentury.

iwasofferedthejobasceoofavonfouryearsago,andithascertainlybeenanexperienceofalifetimeformeeversince.we'vehadaspectacularsuccess,modernizingeverythingaboutthecompanyfromtoptobottom.

withsalesthatthisyearwilltop$6.7billionusdandastockpricewhichisatanall-timehigh,we'vecertainlyhadsomeincredibleresults.avonhasbeennamedoneoffortunemagazine'smostadmiredcompaniesandwe'vemadebusinessweek'slistoftheworld'smostvaluablebrandsforthreeyearsinarow.

youmaynotrealizethis,butavondoesbusinessin143countriesandwesellourproductsthroughmorethanfourmillionindependentsalesrepresentativesthroughournow-famousdirectsellingdistributionmodel.

ofallthecountrieswhereavondoesbusiness,chinaiswithoutdoubtourfastestgrowingmarket.avonenteredchinain1990,andwewerethefirstinternationaldirectsellingcompanytoopenourdoorshere.overtheyearswehaveadaptedoursellingtechniquestotheuniqueneedsofthechineseconsumer.today,wesellourproductsinavarietyofdifferentways,withbroaddistributionthrough5,000independentbeautyboutiques,ownedandoperatedbyentrepreneurswhoarebuildingsuccessfulavonbusinesses.

themajority-morethanthree-quarters--ofthesebeautyboutiqueownersarewomen,inkeepingwithavon'sfoundingprinciplesofprovidingbusinessandfinancialopportunitiesforwomen.thisisreallythecoreofourbusinessvisionanditisconsistentfrommarkettomarketallovertheworld.

today,avonisproudlyknownas"thecompanyforwomen"ineverycountryinwhichwedobusiness.andourabilitytoprovidewomenwithbothqualityproductsandasignificantearningsopportunityhasbecomeanimportantcompetitiveadvantage.

goingforward,ourstrategyforavonrecognizeschinaasthenumberonemarketintheworldforfutureexpansion,reflectingourstrongcommitmenttobringnewbusinessopportunitiestoentrepreneurialwomenineverycornerofthisgreatcountry.

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asilookbacktoallthatwehaveaccomplishedoverthepastdecadeandparticularlyoverthepastfouryears,ithasbeenarealperiodofbreakoutsuccessforourcompany....breathtaking,butalsoexhausting.therollercoasterridehasopenedmyeyestomanythings....abouttheincreasinglycomplexdemandsofrunningabusinesstoday,aboutmyowncompetenciesandtheneedtoconstantlychallengeandrenewmyowncommitmenttobeingabetterleader.

ihadnoideaatthemomentibecameceothatiwouldexperiencesuchgreatfortuneandsuchgreatchallengebothatthesametime....andhowenormouslymylifewouldchangeasaresult.noideawhatprivilege,yetwhatresponsibilitycomeswithbeingthefirstwomantoleadthecompany,tobeconstantlyscrutinizedasoneoflessthanahandfulofwomenceostoday-whatitwouldbeliketobalancemychineseculturalbackground-whattheresponsibilitiesoftheofficewouldentailinthisunparalleledenvironment.andwhatitwouldmeantobeabusinessleaderthatcoulddistinguishhimorherselfintoday'sworldwherethegameischangingbytheminute.

asireflectonmyrapidrisetothetopasoneofthefewwomenrunningamajorglobalcorporation,ihavefoundmyselfthinkingagreatdealaboutmychineseheritageandhowenormouslyfortunateiamtohavebeengiventhisverypreciousgift.

iwasraisedinatraditionalchinesefamilywhereachievementwasnotdemanded,butexpected.myfather,borninhongkong,wasasuccessfularchitect.mymother,borninshanghai,wasthefirstfemalechemicalengineerinhergraduatingclassattheuniversityoftorontoincanada.theyarrivedinamericanotspeakingawordofenglishbutthroughhardwork,bothwereabletofulfilltheirfullpotential,andtheirsuccesshassetawonderfulexampleforme.

myparentswerealways,andcontinuetobetoday,thesinglebiggestinfluenceinmylife.theyraisedmybrotherandiwitharespectforthevaluesandtraditionsofourchineseheritage,yetalsowithanunwaveringcommitmenttobringusupwithalltheopportunitiesforhighereducationandadesiretoprepareustoadapttoamericansocietyandtosucceedinthisworldofgreatchange.

mybrotherandiweregivenalltheopportunitiesofouramericanfriends-thesameschools,thesametennislessons,thesamepianoteachers....butwehadthewonderfuladvantageinmymindofaculturalheritagethatwewerealwaystaughttobeproudof.momanddadalwayswantedustobeproudofbeingchinese-mybrotherandismiletodaywhenwereminisceongrowingupinourhouse.wegrewupbelievingthatbeingchinesewasthegreatestadvantageinlife;inourhouse,everythingimportantinlifecamefromchina,wasinventedinchina,owedalltothechinese.

wewentonelementaryschoolfieldtripstopulpplants,wheretheytaughtushowpaperwasmade.paperwasinventedinchina,momsaid,afterwerelayedtheprocessinawe.ourfavoriteneighborswereitalianandinvitedusoverforspaghetti.whenwecamehomeandraved,dadwouldremindusthatmarcopolobroughtpastahomefromchina.notitalian....chinese....andsoitwent.andhowwonderfultheyweretoinstillinusthesenseofprideinourheritagethatwehaveneverforgotten.

whenifirstbecameceo,afamousamericantelevisionjournalistinterviewedmydadandaskedhimifhealwaysknewiwouldbesuccessfulinbusiness.no,hesaid,quitetothecontrary,heworriedforyearsthatraisingmetobearespectfulchinesedaughterwouldhindermyabilitytocompeteinaworldwithwhatheconsideredtheaggressive,cutthroattraitsoftypicalamericaceo's.infact,hepassedonalettertomethatikeep,translatedfromchinesetoenglish,inmydeskdrawer.theletterreads:

"remember,therearedistinctivequalitiesthatsetapartthesuccessfulchinese....strivetoexcelinallyoudo;beasuperbparentwillingtocurtailyourownpleasureforthesakeofbetternurturingyourchildren;begenerous,fair,tolerant,eagertolearnfromothercultureswhilesharingyourown.butbeyondtheseattributes,remembertohaveanabsenceofarroganceandboastfulness;haveunfailingcourtesy,forbearance,sensitivityofothers'feelingsandaboveall,theabilitytodiffuseyourangerandgrievance,notbysurppressingthembutbytransformingthemintohelpful,positiveemotions.inanageandenvironmentofpretension,youhaveapreciouschineseculturalheritagewhichweareproudtopassdowntoyou....."

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andso,withmyparentsdefinitionofdistinguishedleadershipinmydraweratalltimes,ihavepushedforwardtoredefineaggressiveasassertive,yethopefullyneverabrasive,toinsurethati'mtoughenoughtomaketheharddecisions,butneverunfairly,alwaystreatingpeoplewell...remindingmyselfatalltimestohavethehumilityandsensitivitywhichisexpectedinthechineseculture,adaptedtotheneedsofthepressingbusinessenvironmentwhichrequiresahealthydoseofoutwardlyexpressedconfidenceandcourage.

inaway,myownexperiencesreflectthoseofmanywomeninthebusinessarenawhostruggletoretainthebestofwhotheyarewhilecarvingoutasuccessfulmanagementcareer.duringmyvisithere,ihavemetandtalkedwithsomanywomen,andiamtrulyheartenedthatthedoorsofopportunityarebeginningtoopenforwomenineveryfield.butialsoknowthatrealchangeisaslowprocess,soiamhopefulthatmyownexperiencesasawomanandasaleaderwillprovideavaluableperspective.

asthecompanyforwomen,avon'scommitmenttoprovidingdevelopmentalopportunitiesforwomenissecondtonone.asyoumightexpect,avonhasasolidrepresentationofwomeninseniormanagement.infact,thiswasoneofthereasonsijoinedthecompanyadecadeago,workingmywayuptheranksthroughareasofincreasingresponsibility.

butinterestingly,ithasonlybeeninrecentyearsthat"thecompanyforwomen"hasalsoemergedasthecompanyforwomeninseniorleadershippositions.untilthelastdecade,womenwerenotwellrepresentedintheexecutivesuite.withfewexceptions,middlemanagementwasaboutasfarastheycouldgo.herewasacompanywithvirtually100%womencustomersandsalesrepresentatives,yetcapablewomensimplycouldnotgettothetop.

thisnotonlyprovedunfair,italsoprovedtobeapoorbusinessdecision.thelackofwomeninmanagementcametohurtavon.between1975and1985,morethantwelveandahalf