For many years now, Sun Zi's Art of War has won great interest among business leaders. The book of warfare advocates that growth should be attained by seeking to overcome competitors or enemies with deception, aggression, antagonism and colonization. However, this often results in a win-lose situation.
Instead, win-win collaborative business endeavors pose a better option for today's organizations, even amongst competitors. And this can be achieved by studying the methods of Admiral Zheng He from the Ming Court.
Hailed as a trailblazer of modern open-door policies, his management and leadership skills were put to the microscope at the Zheng He's Art of Collaboration Forum which attracted some 300 participants from the alumni and public. The event was held in conjunction with the launch of the book "Zheng He's Art of Collaboration" authored by Professor Hum Sin Hoon, Vice Dean of Undergraduate Studies Program, NUS Business School.
Power-packed Perspective
The seminar kicked off with a short sharing session by guest speakers Dr Mike Teng, President of MBA Alumni - NUS, Managing Director of Corporate Turnaround Centre Pte Ltd, and best-selling author with 23 books under his belt; and Dr David Tan, former Nanyang University Professor, President of International Zheng He Society and Director of Cheng Ho Cultural Museum.
When Professor Hum took the stage, the packed auditorium listened with rapt attention as he posed the Art of Collaboration as an alternative to Sun Zi's Art of War, recommending collaboration as the way forward. He cited modern-day examples such as the joint venture among Hewlett-Packard, Electrolux, Sony and Braun, and how China is re-embracing Zheng He's open-door model.
The session ended with a lively Q&A session before light refreshments were served amid further interactions and discussions between speakers and various groups. Every participant also went home with a goody bag containing a signed copy of the book.
Learning Points
From Professor Hum Sin Hoon:
- Build your capabilities
This is the first step to achieving collaboration. By building your company's human and technological capital, you operate from a position of strength, increase credibility and attract others to participate in collaborative efforts. -
Establish careful, strategic and operational coordination
Zheng He's massive fleet and crew worked collectively to facilitate trade and collaboration in countries they visited. Coordination brings people together in achieving a common end, including dealing with external obstacles and harnessing internal capabilities. - Be an active communicator
Zheng He consciously articulated his intent for collaboration in every country he visited, and generated goodwill via gifts without expecting similar returns. Concurrently, he sought win-win situations by building and facilitating trade relations with these countries, and developed a peaceful diplomatic environment to sustain the relationships. He also cultivated trust by being a man of integrity. -
Ensure continuity
Though it takes patience and time, focus on building long-term collaboration. In Zheng He's case, he maintained relationships that his predecessors created. In all his seven grand voyages, he faithfully visited and revisited a total of 30 different cities and countries.
From Dr Mike Teng:
- Lead by example
Zheng He braved uncharted waters and risked his life together with his crew. CEOs stand to lose credibility if they continue to be overpaid while employees bear the brunt of wage cuts and retrenchment. -
Be generous
Zheng He did not conquer any territory he visited, and monuments are resurrected everywhere in his honor. Similarly, generate goodwill and be generous to your customers; you will be rewarded.
From Dr David Tan:
- Look to Confucian wisdom
The values of benevolence, humanity and virtue can be applied to politics and businesses for positive growth. -
Project "soft power"
Even with Zheng He's powerful naval fleet, he practised diplomatic trade and good neighborliness to promote a benign image of Ming China and Chinese culture. US President Barack Obama has also emphasized the policy of trade and humanistic assistance to better serve the country's interest.
Participants Speak
Wong Ah Long (MBA 1972):"It's proven that collaboration is the best way forward. Instead of a win-lose situation, we are talking about an all-win situation. From the actions of Zheng He, we can derive management practices that we can apply today. Collaboration is especially important for Singapore as we are a small country. We need to be a hub and bring different countries like China and India to work together."
Lee Junior (BBA 2000):
"I think the Art of Collaboration is a phenomenon, and it really talks about how to leverage social capital to move forward both in business and in life. I think it's a fantastic movement."
Esther Ho, Manager, National Healthcare Group,
"I have not heard of the Art of Collaboration before, so this was a very interesting session for me. I believe in what Professor Hum said about building capabilities and growing from a position of strength so as to give generously and collaborate effectively. This is especially applicable in integrated healthcare today."