舞動人生 迎向挑戰(英漢對照)

舞動人生 迎向挑戰(英漢對照)

江丕文 Phee Boon Kang 02/06 02:55  

Looking back philosophically at my career achievements over the past twenty-five years, I believe that success comes to those who have built the habit of life-long learning. This habit is actually a continuous intellectual pursuit. In my case, it has meant that I have embraced high mobility by taking on a variety of work and public service assignments and at the same time have pursued a generalized pattern of reading and study. I have had decades of eye-opening global nomadic travel, and, no matter where I have lived and worked, I have always stressed the importance of maintaining good physical metabolism through sensible choices of rigorous exercise. There is a lot of truth in the saying, “strong body, strong mind.” But physical strength and endurance are not sufficient; these need to be matched by a continuing spiritual quest.

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In viewing the values and ethics that a true leader should exhibit, I believe that leadership is all about “integrity.” The tiniest bit of dishonesty can be easily detected by peers and subordinates. A real leader is also a “peddler of hope,” even in the most desperate of situations. A leader with vision knows the purpose and destination, and is personally trustworthy. A genuine leader also instills trust in other people, and this leads directly to better productivity and teamwork. When a leader provides choices and is open for suggestions, it ensures that people are engaged and happy workers.

Here is a concrete example of what I mean. One of my most unforgettable experiences occurred during a bank assignment in the Philippines. I turned around the lagging business by undergoing a process of restructuring, cutting off parts that were losing money and concurrently setting up additional branch offices. In consumer banking – like most retail businesses – learning how to manage details, processes, and how to analyze numbers and understand the implications of the numbers is of great significance. Consumer banking can be regarded as a piece of machinery; it has to be properly built and maintained to attain a level of stability, thereby transforming it into a moneymaking machine. Being attentive to details is a key.

My success in the turnaround demonstrated that leadership requires sensitivity to employees and integrity in all actions. If one is inconsistent, it sends out negative and confusing signals and this has great negative impact on morale. In my case, this accomplishment led to a promotion and relocation to Japan. It was an example of how a real life crisis can turn into an unexpected opportunity.

To expand on Kenichi Ohmae's tips on managing enterprises, I think that for any individual in any circumstance – whether leading an organization or leading one's own life – one needs to learn how to “Cha, Cha, Cha, Cha.” One has to learn to take chances, meet challenges, endorse changes, and most important of all, be a champion (my suggestion) — a passionate leader who can make things happen.

（Senior Vice President & Area Manager & Chairman, American Express International (Taiwan) Inc.）

以哲學的觀點來回顧我過去25年來的經歷，我相信成功是降臨於有持續學習習慣的人。這個習慣實際上是一種連續性地智慧的尋求。依我的例子來說，我是藉由高機動性地接受各式各樣的工作任務和參與公益服務來達到，並同時也追求廣泛的閱讀與學習。數十年來我旅居世界各地以增廣見聞，但無論我住在哪裡或是在哪裡工作，我總是重視透過規律地做不同類型的運動，來鍛鍊並維持良好的健康及體能。人們常說說:「強健的心靈，寓於強健的身體」，這的確有它的實質意義。但是只靠體力與毅力是不夠的，這些要點必須和持續追求心靈上的成長相配合。

在審視一個真正的領導者所應具備的價值以及道德標準時，我認為一個領導者最該具備的是誠信。不誠信的行為即使是再細微，也依然會輕易地被部屬察覺。一個真正的領導者同時也是「希望的傳播者」，即使是在最絕望的情形之下。在最艱困的時期，一個有前瞻的領導者會知道公司的願景及目標，而且是真正值得被信賴的。一個領導者也會將「信任」灌輸給員工，來提升生產力以及團隊合作精神。當一個領導者必須讓員工感受到自己有“選擇”的權利並接受員工的建言，這可以確保員工是積極參與又快樂的工作者。

在此，我要述說一個我在菲律賓的某銀行任職時發生的一個很難忘的經驗為實際例證。那時我進行了多項必要的重整步驟，包括裁撤虧損的部門、設立新的分行業務，而使嚴重衰退的業績重新起飛。在消費金融領域中，和其他消費產業一樣，學習如何管理細節及流程，如何分析數字，以及了解這些數字背後的涵義是很重要的事情。消費金融可以被比喻是一部機器，它必須被適當的建造及維護，才能獲得一定程度的穩定性，進而成為能夠獲利的機器。主要的關鍵在於重視各項細節。

我在菲律賓的成功經驗，突顯一個領導者必須處處關心員工並以誠信處事。言行不一會造成負面的印象及模糊的訊息，進而嚴重的打擊士氣。在這個例子當中，我的成績讓我得到了升遷轉調日本的機會。這正是一個將危機化為良機的最佳實際例證。

就日本管理大師大前研一對於企業的建議來說，每個人在任何情況下，不論是在領導一個組織或是管理私人生活，都該學習如何跳“Cha, Cha, Cha” 。也就是，每個人必須學習如何掌握機會(Chance)，迎向挑戰(Challenge)，接受改變(Changes)，而我個人想再加上一個“Cha” 來舞動人生，就是要積極成為一個提倡者(Champion)—這些是我認為一個能夠熱誠地實踐理想的領導者的基本條件。

（作者是美國運通資深副總裁暨區域總經理，台灣美國運通公司董事長）