钟彬娴在清华学子时代论坛上的演讲.docx

1、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AndreaJungTsinghuauniversity-(beijing)oct.23rdgoodafternooneveryone.IcanttellyouhowhonoredIamtobeherewithyoutotalkaboutmythoughtsonleadershipandtosharemyexperiencesasoneofonlyahandfulofwomentodayrunningamajorglobalcorporation.AsIlookoutatallofyou.someatthebeginningsta

2、gesofyourcareers.somewellalongtheroadtoyourfuture.whereveryouareonyourownpersonalpathIcanpromiseyouaworldofopportunityandexcitement.Anythingyouchoosetodoiswithinyourreach.howfaryougowilldependonhowhighyousetyourdreamsandhowhardyouworktoachievethem.butwhateverpathyoutake,thefoundationprovidedbyagoode

3、ducationwillmakesuccesscomethatmucheasier,Ipromiseyou.Ihavesharedmyexperiencesonleadershipwithmanydifferentgroupsofpeopleallovertheworld.butbeinghereinthecountrywheremyparentsandgrandparentswereborn-acountrytowhichIcontinuetofeelstrongemotionalandintellectualties-isanenormousprivilegeandadreamcometr

4、ue.Iconsidermyselfarelativelyrecentmemberofanewgenerationofbusinessleadersfacedwithadizzyingpaceofchangeandaglobaleconomicandpoliticalenvironmentthatareredefinedbythedayinthistumultuous21stcentury.IwasofferedthejobasceoofAvonfouryearsago,andithascertainlybeenanexperienceofalifetimeformeeversince.wev

5、ehadaspectacularsuccess,modernizingeverythingaboutthecompanyfromtoptobottom.withsalesthatthisyearwilltop$6.7billionusDandastockpricewhichisatanall-timehigh,wevecertainlyhadsomeincredibleresults.AvonhasbeennamedoneofFortunemagazinesmostadmiredcompaniesandwevemadebusinessweekslistoftheworldsmostvaluab

6、lebrandsforthreeyearsinarow.Youmaynotrealizethis,butAvondoesbusinessin143countriesandwesellourproductsthroughmorethanfourmillionindependentsalesrepresentativesthroughournow-famousdirectsellingdistributionmodel.ofallthecountrieswhereAvondoesbusiness,chinaiswithoutdoubtourfastestgrowingmarket.Avonente

7、redchinain1990,andwewerethefirstinternationaldirectsellingcompanytoopenourdoorshere.overtheyearswehaveadaptedoursellingtechniquestotheuniqueneedsofthechineseconsumer.Today,wesellourproductsinavarietyofdifferentways,withbroaddistributionthrough5,000independentbeautyboutiques,ownedandoperatedbyentrepr

8、eneurswhoarebuildingsuccessfulAvonbusinesses.Themajority-morethanthree-quarters-ofthesebeautyboutiqueownersarewomen,inkeepingwithAvonsfoundingprinciplesofprovidingbusinessandfinancialopportunitiesforwomen.Thisisreallythecoreofourbusinessvisionanditisconsistentfrommarkettomarketallovertheworld.Today,

9、AvonisproudlyknownasThecompanyforwomenineverycountryinwhichwedobusiness.Andourabilitytoprovidewomenwithbothqualityproductsandasignificantearningsopportunityhasbecomeanimportantcompetitiveadvantage.Itisoneofthereasonsourbusinessinchinahasgrownsorapidlyrightfromthestart.overthepastfouryearswehaveexper

10、iencedrobustsalesgrowthof30%annually.In20XX,weexpecttoachievetotalsalesof$150millionto$200millionu.s.dollars.wehavebecomethenumberonebrandofskincareforchinesewomen,andwerealsooneoftheirtopthreefavoritemakeupbrands.ourfacilitiesinclude74branchesin27provinces,plusa$41millionstate-of-the-artglobalmanuf

11、acturingfacilityinguangzhou.goingforward,ourstrategyforAvonrecognizeschinaasthenumberonemarketintheworldforfutureexpansion,reflectingourstrongcommitmenttobringnewbusinessopportunitiestoentrepreneurialwomenineverycornerofthisgreatcountry.(pause)AsIlookbacktoallthatwehaveaccomplishedoverthepastdecadea

12、ndparticularlyoverthepastfouryears,ithasbeenarealperiodofbreakoutsuccessforourcompany.breathtaking,butalsoexhausting.Therollercoasterridehasopenedmyeyestomanythings.abouttheincreasinglycomplexdemandsofrunningabusinesstoday,aboutmyowncompetenciesandtheneedtoconstantlychallengeandrenewmyowncommitmentt

13、obeingabetterleader.IhadnoideaatthemomentIbecameceothatIwouldexperiencesuchgreatfortuneandsuchgreatchallengebothatthesametime.andhowenormouslymylifewouldchangeasaresult.noideawhatprivilege,yetwhatresponsibilitycomeswithbeingthefirstwomantoleadthecompany,tobeconstantlyscrutinizedasoneoflessthanahandf

14、ulofwomenceostoday-whatitwouldbeliketobalancemychineseculturalbackground-whattheresponsibilitiesoftheofficewouldentailinthisunparalleledenvironment.Andwhatitwouldmeantobeabusinessleaderthatcoulddistinguishhimorherselfintodaysworldwherethegameischangingbytheminute.AsIreflectonmyrapidrisetothetopasone

15、ofthefewwomenrunningamajorglobalcorporation,IhavefoundmyselfthinkingagreatdealaboutmychineseheritageandhowenormouslyfortunateIamtohavebeengiventhisverypreciousgift.Iwasraisedinatraditionalchinesefamilywhereachievementwasnotdemanded,butexpected.myfather,borninhongKong,wasasuccessfularchitect.mymother

16、,borninshanghai,wasthefirstfemalechemicalengineerinhergraduatingclassattheuniversityofTorontoincanada.TheyarrivedinAmericanotspeakingawordofenglishbutthroughhardwork,bothwereabletofulfilltheirfullpotential,andtheirsuccesshassetawonderfulexampleforme.myparentswerealways,andcontinuetobetoday,thesingle

17、biggestinfluenceinmylife.TheyraisedmybrotherandIwitharespectforthevaluesandtraditionsofourchineseheritage,yetalsowithanunwaveringcommitmenttobringusupwithalltheopportunitiesforhighereducationandadesiretoprepareustoadapttoAmericansocietyandtosucceedinthisworldofgreatchange.mybrotherandIweregivenallth

18、eopportunitiesofourAmericanfriends-thesameschools,thesametennislessons,thesamepianoteachers.butwehadthewonderfuladvantageinmymindofaculturalheritagethatwewerealwaystaughttobeproudof.momandDadalwayswantedustobeproudofbeingchinese-mybrotherandIsmiletodaywhenwereminisceongrowingupinourhouse.wegrewupbel

19、ievingthatbeingchinesewasthegreatestadvantageinlife;inourhouse,everythingimportantinlifecamefromchina,wasinventedinchina,owedalltothechinese.wewentonelementaryschoolfieldtripstopulpplants,wheretheytaughtushowpaperwasmade.paperwasinventedinchina,momsaid,afterwerelayedtheprocessinawe.ourfavoriteneighb

20、orswereItalianandinvitedusoverforspaghetti.whenwecamehomeandraved,Dadwouldremindusthatmarcopolobroughtpastahomefromchina.notItalian.chinese.andsoitwent.Andhowwonderfultheyweretoinstillinusthesenseofprideinourheritagethatwehaveneverforgotten.whenIfirstbecameceo,afamousAmericantelevisionjournalistinte

21、rviewedmydadandaskedhimifhealwaysknewIwouldbesuccessfulinbusiness.no,hesaid,quitetothecontrary,heworriedforyearsthatraisingmetobearespectfulchinesedaughterwouldhindermyabilitytocompeteinaworldwithwhatheconsideredtheaggressive,cutthroattraitsoftypicalAmericaceos.Infact,hepassedonalettertomethatIkeep,

22、translatedfromchinesetoenglish,inmydeskdrawer.Theletterreads:Remember,therearedistinctivequalitiesthatsetapartthesuccessfulchinese.strivetoexcelinallyoudo;beasuperbparentwillingtocurtailyourownpleasureforthesakeofbetternurturingyourchildren;begenerous,fair,tolerant,eagertolearnfromothercultureswhile

23、sharingyourown.butbeyondtheseattributes,remembertohaveanabsenceofarroganceandboastfulness;haveunfailingcourtesy,forbearance,sensitivityofothersfeelingsandaboveall,theabilitytodiffuseyourangerandgrievance,notbysurppressingthembutbytransformingthemintohelpful,positiveemotions.Inanageandenvironmentofpr

24、etension,youhaveapreciouschineseculturalheritagewhichweareproudtopassdowntoyou.(pause)Andso,withmyparentsdefinitionofdistinguishedleadershipinmydraweratalltimes,Ihavepushedforwardtoredefineaggressiveasassertive,yethopefullyneverabrasive,toinsurethatImtoughenoughtomaketheharddecisions,butneverunfairl

25、y,alwaystreatingpeoplewell.remindingmyselfatalltimestohavethehumilityandsensitivitywhichisexpectedinthechineseculture,adaptedtotheneedsofthepressingbusinessenvironmentwhichrequiresahealthydoseofoutwardlyexpressedconfidenceandcourage.Inaway,myownexperiencesreflectthoseofmanywomeninthebusinessarenawho

26、struggletoretainthebestofwhotheyarewhilecarvingoutasuccessfulmanagementcareer.Duringmyvisithere,Ihavemetandtalkedwithsomanywomen,andIamtrulyheartenedthatthedoorsofopportunityarebeginningtoopenforwomenineveryfield.butIalsoknowthatrealchangeisaslowprocess,soIamhopefulthatmyownexperiencesasawomanandasa

27、leaderwillprovideavaluableperspective.Asthecompanyforwomen,Avonscommitmenttoprovidingdevelopmentalopportunitiesforwomenissecondtonone.Asyoumightexpect,Avonhasasolidrepresentationofwomeninseniormanagement.Infact,thiswasoneofthereasonsIjoinedthecompanyadecadeago,workingmywayuptheranksthroughareasofinc

28、reasingresponsibility.butinterestingly,ithasonlybeeninrecentyearsthatthecompanyforwomenhasalsoemergedasthecompanyforwomeninseniorleadershippositions.untilthelastdecade,womenwerenotwellrepresentedintheexecutivesuite.withfewexceptions,middlemanagementwasaboutasfarastheycouldgo.herewasacompanywithvirtu

29、ally100%womencustomersandsalesrepresentatives,yetcapablewomensimplycouldnotgettothetop.Thisnotonlyprovedunfair,italsoprovedtobeapoorbusinessdecision.ThelackofwomeninmanagementcametohurtAvon.between1975and1985,morethantwelveandahalfmillionwomenenteredtheunitedstatesworkforce.Theseworkingwomenhadtobes

30、ervedinnewways.but,atthattime,Avonsleadershipteamwasstillmadeupentirelyofmen.womensvoiceswerentheardasweplannedourmarketingstrategyandasaresult,salesinourlargestmarketsuffered.Fortunately,Avonlearnedtochange.menandwomennowworktogetherasequalbusinesspartners.Theylearnfromeachotherandrespecteachother.

31、westillofferourmaleexecutivesanoutstandingcareeropportunity,butnowwomenhaveanequalchancetosucceed.Today,sixoutofelevenofAvonsboardofdirectorsarewomen.mynumbertwoexecutiveisawoman.Almosthalfofourmanagementstaffaroundtheworldarewomen.Andimportantly,wehaveputinplacespecialprogramstodevelopthenextgenera

32、tionofwomenwhoarebeingtrainedandpreparedtobecomegeneralmanagersinmarketsallovertheworld.IamequallyexcitedaboutourprogresswiththedevelopmentofthenextgenerationofAvonswomenleadersinchina.womennowaccountfor78%ofourtotalworkforcehere.evenmoreimpressive,75%ofourmanagersandsupervisorsarewomen,and30%ofourmostseniorexecutivearewomen.(pause)withAvonsreputationforpromotingwomenandmyowncareersuccess,Iamoftenaskedforadviceonhowpeoplecanpreparethemselvestobetheleadersoftomorrow.Infact,overmycareer,I