The Lenovo Way: Managing a Diverse Global Company for Optimal Performance
Gina Qiao, Yolanda Conyers
Language: English
Pages: 272
ISBN: 0071837248
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
BUILD YOUR COMPANY INTO A GLOBAL GIANT--THE LENOVO WAY
A powerful book that shows the step-by-step evolution of a new kind of global technology powerhouse, The Lenovo Way is indispensable reading for leaders and managers who deal with strategy, innovation, branding, and HR at any kind of company. It also tells the remarkable story of how two women from very different backgrounds rose to become leaders in Lenovo's journey to the top.
The Lenovo Way shows business leaders how to gain market share and develop new business models. The strategies driving Lenovo’s ascent to the leading position in the PC industry have been in motion for years, and this book shows how Lenovo, with roots in both East and West, did it. Based on unprecedented access to former and present CEOs and other top managers, The Lenovo Way tells the fascinating story of the rise of this remarkable global brand. It also provides invaluable business lessons for how to use Lenovo’s success strategies to advance your own company's success.
Building for a decade on its history-making acquisition of IBM's PC business in 2005, today Lenovo is #1 in global PC sales, and it is rapidly gaining in sales of tablets and smartphones. Lenovo is challenging the world's biggest and most powerful brands through innovations and new acquisitions to become an even bigger force in smartphones, servers, and cloud computing, and its CEO has been listed as one of the best in the world. Using the story of Lenovo as a case study illustrating best global practices, The Lenovo Way explains how to:
- Gain market share by protecting core strengths while seizing new opportunities
- Create a diverse and effective culture that transcends all borders
- Lead your company successfully through the chaos of change
- Make innovation part of your organizational DNA
Providing key insights into the topics most critical to leaders of global businesses, the authors explore all the major turning points: from building an iconic brand to streamlining supply chains, while making the transition from a core business of PCs to a new business model.
In order to excel in today's marketplace, managers need to create a blueprint for a whole new level of globalization. You must position your company to continue doing what it does best, yet be poised not just to navigate but also to capitalize on change and take advantage of turmoil. Look to the company that has been able to turn a diverse workforce into a global business phenomenon. This is your time to learn how to do it The Lenovo Way.
PRAISE FOR THE LENOVO WAY:
"In this book, the authors pull back the covers and give incredible insights into this fascinating organization of the future, sharing a blueprint that others can adapt in order to be a truly global organization." -- DAVE ULRICH, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan; author of HR Transformation and The Why of Work
"If you want to grow your business and turn global opportunity into reality, read The Lenovo Way. From the new generation of female leadership, this book shares important business lessons for a global world." -- CAROL EVANS, President, Working Mother Media
"Through groundbreaking and innovative leadership, Lenovo has proven that 'soft' values can lead to huge profits. The Lenovo Way shows how they did it--and how you can too." -- MARSHALL GOLDSMITH, author of the New York Times bestseller What Got You Here Won't Get You There
"In The Lenovo Way, authors Gina Qiao and Yolanda Conyers have mapped a course to success for future global leaders." -- DEBORAH GILLIS, President and CEO, Catalyst
"The Lenovo Way is a must read for leaders who are seeking to apply global leadership attributes in a dynamic global marketplace. Read it!" -- RONALD C. PARKER, President and CEO, the Executive Leadership Council & Foundation; former SVP of HR and Chief Global Diversity Officer, PepsiCo
"Through vivid storytelling and filled with practical takeaways, The Lenovo Way shows, step by step, how this nimble company has become such a global player--and how their innovative team is on the cutting edge of best business practices." -- DAVE DUFFIELD, Co-founder and Chairman of the Board, Workday
"The Lenovo Way shows leaders and managers of any kind of business how prioritizing diversity truly leads to growth and success." -- JOHN HALEY, CEO, Towers Watson
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stumped, and the girl, who was simply doing her job and following the company rules, refused to let her past reception. She wondered why it should be so hard to walk into the offices of a company that Lenovo had just acquired. As she waited in the reception area, feeling humiliated, someone she’d had meetings with in Hong Kong recognized her and helped to sign her in. Only later did she find out that several other Lenovo executives, even YY and Mary Ma, who was our CFO, had received the same
headquarters and top executives from all corners of the world. Of course, making the decision was much easier than the execution. Gina, along with leaders like YY and other leaders, hit the books like a good student, taking lessons, diligently memorizing words and phrases, and methodically building up her vocabulary week by week, month by month. She even hired a teacher and set herself vocabulary targets. But, as she quickly discovered, learning in a classroom or through books did not prepare her
individuality, how change is considered positive, and that you have to work hard to achieve the American Dream. For China, we talked about the great dynasties of the past, Confucianism, the strict and highly competitive educational system, the hierarchy Global World, Global Thinking 109 of society, and the concept of “face” or mianzi, in which you never do anything to embarrass or humiliate another. As the presentation went on, we could see the pride in the faces of our Eastern and Western
interactions with each other since the acquisition. It was so well received by our 110 The Lenovo Way leadership team that we made it available to the rest of the organization, especially the members of those global teams whose day-to-day business interactions required them to navigate across cultures. To this day, we use many of the cross-cultural tools and resources for our new hires, and when necessary we customize them for the particular countries they are operating in, whether they’re in
with all the senior leaders. They all got behind it, and it was easy to get alignment because all the 134 The Lenovo Way leaders believed in the new vision, and the strategy had come from all of them. In a sense, this was true, because our Protect and Attack strategy—the overriding corporate strategy— included a distillation of all the leaders’ ideas. But with each one taking ownership of the strategy that he believed came from him, it became much easier to spread the message through all
