#5 Creating 'Heaven' in Leadership: The Climate of Success Inspired by Sun Tzu

Leadership matters

From the CEO down to the team-leaders, everyone must regularly ask: “How is the climate in my organization like? Is it warm, cohesive, and cheerful? Or is it cold, fragmented, and gloomy?”

Knowing the level of team-spirit or degree ofcamaraderie among the organization’s members is important because it prompts the respective leaders to improve where necessary. If our people are gung-ho and filled with zest to trounce our competitors, our chances of victory are obviously higher. If our troops are dispirited and disorganized, we shall lose. 

On a few occasions, I found some reticent “pupils” at my seminars. Some even were afraid to laugh as they would first turn to look at their colleagues or leaders, as if seeking approval. Later, I found out they worked for autocratic bosses. Needless to say, their corporate climate would be cold, fragmented, and gloomy. With such leaders, there would be a lack of capable people, and so the company would not do well and may eventually close down.

Little things count

Even with limited budget to spend on people, the way their leaders treat them will help set the temperature throughout the organization. Astute leaders who show care and concern for their people, balancing discipline and fairness, will have their willingness to do more. Let me illustrate how simple but sincere acts of consideration towards employees can create “heaven” at the workplace.

In Japan, the employees of Yellow Hat Ltd and those of its franchisees are well-known for their attention to customers’ interests. This attitude started with their Founder, Kagiyama Hidesaburo who had a reputation of prioritizing his employees’

interests.

In 1961, when he first started the company, then called Royal Corporation, a wholesaler of car accessories, he did something rather unusual: “I began with making my small place clean. Since mine was a very small business, my salespeople would return from canvassing, feeling humiliated. Sometimes they would experience things that couldn’t be put into words. If they come back, and find the toilet dirty, they would feel more furious. It is miserable to even imagine a company of

dissipated spirit. I then decided at least to clean the toilet.”

Many people had sniggered when they heard about this boss’ personal concern for his people led him to clean toilets for them. It had however set the “heaven” for his small shop in Tokyo to grow into a public-listed company with 740 stores throughout Japan with 3,780 employees.

Those years when I was Director of Operations for KFC Singapore, I had at times mopped the toilets of those restaurants I visited and found them short of staff. Doing it was a small gesture on my part but it had a significant effect on the restaurant managers’ morale. They were surprised I hadn’t complained or even reprimanded them over the dirty toilets but instead tried to help them.

Family climate

Since a family is also an organization, this fundamental factor is also applicable. It is a choice to create a conducive climate for our family or turn it into hell.

Just consider a family where the father, not only working to support his family but also striving to lead by good example, e.g. refrains from smoking, does not womanizing, drinking to excess, gambling or using vulgar language. The wife keeps a clean and tidy home and cooks proper meals for her family. Children are taught good values and encouraged to speak and laugh freely.

Contrast the above with a broken family of anabusive unfaithful husband, a slothful wife, and undisciplined children. Both

scenarios will give a clear vision of heaven and hell.