17 September 2008
I am writing you from China where I am conducting workshops on Leadership and Change for emerging leaders at the Civil Aviation Management Institute. It is incredible to see the transformation underway. It is a different city than when I was here 14 years ago. The whole north side of the city of 14 million people appears to have been remade. New buildings and towers everywhere. It shows what is possible when there is a compelling reason to change…preparation for the Olympics. But this transformation appears to be going on in all the major regions. On this trip I have been to Tianjin, Xi’an and Chengdu and it is the same picture. Construction cranes everywhere you look. This is an area on the move. It is exciting and vibrant as people are taking increasing control over their daily lives and choices. One of the topics I am addressing is how to cope with the new stress. Just one generation ago life was planned centrally. Life was predictable and slower paced. The government was accountable. But with the great change underway, individuals are now accountable for their life. They must pay rent or a mortgage. They must figure out how to buy the new fashions and travel. Their rewards are linked to their efforts as new waves of possibilities arrive. I watched a young man washing a car with more speed, focus, determination and energy than I have ever seen. The Pizza Hut has a well dressed greeter at the door making it a nice dining experience. My guide in Xi’an is bursting with entrepreneurial energy. Everywhere I turn life is experiencing dramatic change. From one day to the next their cities look different. An article last night said that by 2014 China is expected to buy 23% of the world’s luxury goods. This causes new concerns as stated in an editorial, “is the charitable side of Chinese character ready for this new explosion of wealth?”
The challenge for us with this writing of E-BITS is “how do we create the same sense of vibrancy, opportunity and passion required to compete in this quickly changing world of ours?”
Be well and keep adding value,
DaWei from China