Wearing nice clothes or seeking further education was not what I wanted. Creating a committed work force in service of its purpose requires that people are inspired. I'm a puppet leader,' founder Ren Zhengfei says This is the fifth in an eight-part series looking at how Huawei has found itself at the epicentre of the US-China tech war Ren Zhengfei has. He is continuously focused on the future and hardly ever ruminates about the past. Arjun Kharpal: Do you feel that your military-style speeches empower the employees here? But even if it did happen, it would be at least 30 years from now. Arjun Kharpal: Mr. Ren, you started Huawei over 30 years ago with 5,000 US dollars. I believe they may not have the evidence or the facts to prove her guilt. Mr. Ren: I think the biggest technological advances will be seen in AI experimentation and applications. Last but not least, Ren zhengfei has experiences of serving the army. European countries want to think over all their options a bit. On April 12, at the "16+1 Summit" in Croatia, Premier Li repeatedly told all our employees not to install backdoors on networks. You are less known internationally. Even if we were ordered to, Huawei would still not install backdoors. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It's now just a scientific fantasy, and wouldn't necessarily ever happen. We just wanted to produce some small things that could easily be sold. This meant we were left behind for many years in this area. Get your Culture in Good Shape, Not Lost in Translation: Making the Data Make Sense. The Opportunities and Challenges of Global Teams. To give the new changes time to take effect, he delayed a formal discussion of the new strategy until his third year, by which time both revenue and ranking were higher and attitudes had become more favorable. We should not worry that it will hinder social progress. He lives with his daughter Cathy Meng who is also the CFO of Huawei. These experiences taught me to endure hardships. Arjun Kharpal: I want to talk a bit about your management style. Famous is the story where Zhengfei in Huaweis fifth year of existence, suddenly rushed out of the kitchen when cooking for Huawei employees abroad his hobby is cooking and announced, Huawei will be a top three player in the global communications market 20 years from now!. The contrasts were stark. So AI should be a force for good. So our products needed to be standardized. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Ren: First of all, we want to delegate the decision-making power to our experts. Huawei is to a large extent no stranger to this system. Second, thanks to the Western management approaches we brought in, our operational costs were also kept low. And its founder Ren zhengfei is thought be be one of the best leader in the business world. Zhengfei has a strong interest and passion for learning about historic events. That's how we started out. Why European Companies Should Double Down on AI Now, The Role Of Mobile Learning In The Future Of Remote Work, Connecting the Unconnected in the Automotive Industry Four Ecosystems that are Reshaping Automotive Industry Collaborations, Robot Travel Agency: A Warm and Technological Welcome, Riversoft Makes the Connection: From Travel Services to Medical Data Via NLP, Whats Next for TravelTech? Elon Musk, for example, has continuously warned about the impacts on jobs and actually, artificial intelligence getting more intelligent than humans. Required fields are marked *. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. It will greatly increase productivity. This ability derives from his pro-active attitude. If we couldn't make ends meet, we wouldn't be able to survive. In the early years of Huawei, this toughness was symbolised by his focus on fighting and surviving as a primary strategy for his people. One opposing force is the idea of attack versus compromise or also referred to as the simultaneous tendency to cooperate versus compete. So it would be impossible for us to provide customer information to any third party. The law governs what's in between the transaction. If they attack a country, that country will fight back. Ren has adopted the controlling only style which has made him successful leader. So you said she doesn't want to leave anymore. Every generation produces its own great character, and each exerts impact for hundreds of years. True to this Chinese saying, Zhengfei has indeed proven that he had the influence and insights needed to design the most effective strategies to ensure that Huawei has grown into a world leading company. Mr. Ren Zhengfei has been capable of pioneering the development of technology while growing in the world. For that, they need organizational intelligence (OQ), or the ability to get the organization to do what they want it to do. If so, what did she say to you? Essential in his idea to compete, however, is that it should be done with respect for its opponents. We will also increase our sales revenue, which is now more than 100 billion US dollars, to around 250 billion US dollars. This selective messaging was not popular, but it was highly effective. One of the consistent qualities that have been attributed to Ren Zhengfei is his ability to inspire others. We will rush towards and focus all of our efforts on this technology. After, completing his school, He attended the university named Chongqing and then Ren Zhengfei, joined Peoples Liberation Army research institute as, he wishes to work as a military technologist, reportedly in the PLA's Information Technology research unit. But there are still more than 180,000 employees working at Huawei. Founder of Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies Ren Zhengfei has called on the company's staff to "dare to lead the world" in software as the company seeks growth beyond the hardware. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. We are supportive of this. As we noted earlier, often references to past historic events are used to shape actions and beliefs towards the future. Arjun Kharpal: Have you spoken to her recently? Ren Zhengfei leads Huawei Technologies, one of the world's largest manufacturer of telecommunication hardware and mobile phones. Huawei, one of the biggest company focusing on making communication tools like cellphones, is famous all over the world. Many scientists also proposed that genetic technology should be gradually integrated with electronic technology to create "new people". Interesting in this journey so far is that each phase is characterised by a specific focus and strategy. Leading Huawei: Seven Leadership Lessons of Ren Zhengfei. At that time, Zhengfei clearly used a competitive mindset as the driving force to grow as a company. During one of these visits, in 1997, he visited the Bell labs in the USA. To give you a simple example. Join us in Amsterdam for the 2023 European Compliance & Ethics Institute! We don't talk about anything else, because we know that our communication is being monitored. Huawei was not mentioned in any of the negotiation meeting minutes published by the US and China. What did you learn at the time that helped you start Huawei and guide your philosophy? For example, if AI is applied to tractors, they will be able to work 24 hours a day. I think he was super great. We set prices based on our costs, which were relatively low. In a way obsessed by doing good for the customer, Zhengfei is relentless in communicating this purpose by means of stories to his employees and convincing them that they all should be dedicated to pursue the mission of the company: To connect people via communication.. Since China has become the second largest economy in the world, this relationship has taken new forms in the shape of several business initiatives. What is the problem with translation software that has faster computing? Terry Leahy steadily worked his way up to become the CEO of UK-based Tesco, one of the worlds largest supermarket companies. But if investors are scared that they won't get their money back, they won't dare to invest in the US. That's my only ideal. They also need to follow local laws and regulations and pay local taxes. So AI will make the world better, not worse. Arjun Kharpal: In terms of the way he's negotiated with China, some people would say that actually he's managed to get concessions for the US. As a leader, Ren Zhengfei insists on self-criticism and careful consideration. and pay only $8.00 each. It has grown the market, enabling many other companies to survive. After I was discharged from the army, I ran into a big trouble at work. What do you make of his views? We just focus on a single point. Everyone at GE knew what to expect from Neutron Jack Welch. During China's Cultural Revolution, I designed a small instrument using my math skills, and actually received recognition from the government for this device. Bringing this emotion-laden message was meant to motivate his own people and eventually to make his R&D people believe that they could one day be better than the researchers at the Bell labs. He believed that the combination of his skill to organise a company and the IT background of his executives and employees would create wonders. The criticism was scathing, including from McKinsey and other top consulting firms. His passion to be the best technology company they can be in service of the customer ensures that he has deserved the reputation of being eager to keep learning and stay informed all the time. Underlying these beliefs is clearly an idea of sharing responsibility but also sharing the rewards that are earned because of these collective successes. Copyright 2023 Harvard Business School Publishing. The story goes that Zhengfei was so moved by the work done in those labs that he cried. This company philosophy was inspired by the heroic tales of the Glorious Revolution that took place in England in 1688. As mentioned earlier, the first two decades of Huaweis existence were dominated by the force of attack in order to survive and gradually become a better service provider. In particular, the emergence of AI has accelerated social progress. Right now, the support of the Chinese government may not necessarily help our sales, but when the US government criticizes us, it tells the world how great Huawei is. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox. He made this persuasively clear by literally saying that it is necessary To cut off your feet to wear the shoe (xue zue shi lu). Ren has unique qualities which make him different from other, leaders. Its own great character, and would n't be able to survive you learn at the time that you. Is clearly an idea of sharing responsibility but also sharing the rewards that earned... Her guilt the past from now Shape, not Lost in Translation: Making the Data make Sense as driving. 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