Five insights and lessons we can apply to our own rise.
Editors, Suk Lee and Bob Song excerpted Jack Ma’s own words in this thought-provoking, inspirational, and practical book by presenting a concise snapshot of Ma’s insights, philosophies, and practices on a wide variety of topics including personal dreams, community goals, and humanitarian aspirations. It is well-grounded and authentic because it is taken directly from Ma’s words. I have categorized 5 key insights that we can use for personal growth. Jack Ma is the co-founder and former executive chairman of Alibaba Group, a multinational technology conglomerate.
1. Tell the truth
Don’t lie. Be authentic. The loss of credibility is too high a price for deception. Always tell the truth. Be transparent. This is easy to do when you are focused on the future you are building that matches your dreams, aspirations, and passion. Focus on innovation and build quality, team, and culture.
2. Never Give Up
It’s the inspiration told by so many. Ma says errors are natural and normal and failures are essential lessons-rich experiences. Keep a growth mindset. Keep on moving. Expect setbacks and advance with dreams and innovation in mind. Don’t envy competition. Make your company and your work the best. This will happen naturally when you unify your work with your passions, dreams, and hopes.
3. Earn the trust
Build a culture of trust. Do what you say you would. Walk the walk. Deliver value to customers so that they can get richer rather. Don’t fall for extracting profit from the customers first. Instead, first, grow their profit. This will grow your confidence and earn you trust.
4. Find the balance
Inspired by Tai Chi’s principles, Ma says find your balance. Don’t lose control. Don’t get angry and waste energy. In companies, and within your teams, allow different points of view and it would be ideal to have a 50/50 split of half the team feeling strongly about their ideas and the other feeling strongly about theirs. Then facilitate the discussion so that all can hash out the right solution. See that women and men are balanced too. Women bring insights and talents that men lack and expand the diversity of ideas to have a balanced perspective.
5. Be a teacher
Many have said, we learn best by teaching. Jack Ma was an English teacher before starting his Internet ventures. Just as teachers inspire students to set high goals, set high goals for yourself and your team. Establish a culture and climate of trust, purpose, and positive intentions. When you get praise, test if you are worthy of it. Are you really that good? When you get critique, test if you are that bad. Take appropriate actions to learn and grow, and share with others so that they to can grow.
Ma’s circumstances and values forged his path to riches. He advises to be charitable and benevolent and give anonymously, quietly. He champions climate and earth healing causes and yet is mindful of challenges in scaling businesses.
Ma’s inspirational messages are similar to those of Napoleon Hill, who famously preached that whatever our mind can conceive and believe it can achieve. Ma too inspires us to believe in our passions, dreams, and ambitions and never quit. He advises a growth mindset of learning from every obstacle and keeping on moving on. Ma’s distinct insight is that we must focus on adding value to the customers’ ability to grow their own profit before extracting profit ourselves.
Once again, like every great successful role model, Ma’s story is unique to his life. Gaining insight into his values can help us sharpen our own beliefs and tools to empower us to persist in dark times.