Andrea Jung
Tsinghua University - (Beijing) Oct. 23rd
Good afternoon everyone. I can't tell you how honored I am to be here with you to talk about my thoughts on leadership and to share my experiences as one of only a handful of women today running a major global corporation.
As I look out at all of you .... some at the beginning stages of your careers....some well along the road to your future.... wherever you are on your own personal path I can promise you a world of opportunity and excitement. Anything you choose to do is within your reach. How far you go will depend on how high you set your dreams and how hard you work to achieve them. But whatever path you take, the foundation provided by a good education will make success come that much easier, I promise you.
I have shared my experiences on leadership with many different groups of people all over the world. But being here in the country where my parents and grandparents were born - a country to which I continue to feel strong emotional and intellectual ties -- is an enormous privilege and a dream come true.
I consider myself a relatively recent member of a new generation of business leaders faced with a dizzying pace of change and a global economic and political environment that are redefined by the day in this tumultuous 21st century.
I was offered the job as CEO of Avon four years ago, and it has certainly been an experience of a lifetime for me ever since. We've had a spectacular success, modernizing everything about the company from top to bottom.
With sales that this year will top $6.7 billion USD and a stock price which is at an all-time high, we've certainly had some incredible results. Avon has been named one of Fortune magazine's most admired companies and we've made Business Week's list of the world's most valuable brands for three years in a row.
You may not realize this, but Avon does business in 143 countries and we sell our products through more than four million independent sales representatives through our now-famous direct selling distribution model.
Of all the countries where Avon does business, China is without doubt our fastest growing market. Avon entered China in 1990, and we were the first international direct selling company to open our doors here. Over the years we have adapted our selling techniques to the unique needs of the Chinese consumer. Today, we sell our products in a variety of different ways, with broad distribution through 5,000 independent Beauty Boutiques, owned and operated by entrepreneurs who are building successful Avon businesses.
The majority -more than three-quarters-- of these Beauty Boutique owners are women, in keeping with Avon's founding principles of providing business and financial opportunities for women. This is really the core of our business vision and it is consistent from market to market all over the world.
Today, Avon is proudly known as "The Company for Women" in every country in which we do business. And our ability to provide women with both quality products and a significant earnings opportunity has become an important competitive advantage.
It is one of the reasons our business in China has grown so rapidly right from the start. Over the past four years we have experienced robust sales growth of 30% annually. In 2003, we expect to achieve total sales of $150 million to $200 million U.S. dollars. We have become the number one brand of skin care for Chinese women, and we're also one of their top three favorite makeup brands. Our facilities include 74 Branches in 27 Provinces, plus a $41 million state-of-the-art global manufacturing facility in Guangzhou.
Going forward, our strategy for Avon recognizes China as the number one market in the world for future expansion, reflecting our strong commitment to bring new business opportunities to entrepreneurial women in every corner of this great country.
(Pause)
As I look back to all that we have accomplished over the past decade and particularly over the past four years, it has been a real period of breakout success for our company .... breathtaking, but also exhausting. The roller coaster ride has opened my eyes to many things....about the increasingly complex demands of running a business today, about my own competencies and the need to constantly challenge and renew my own commitment to being a better leader.
I had no idea at the moment I became CEO that I would experience such great fortune and such great challenge both at the same time....and how enormously my life would change as a result. No idea what privilege, yet what responsibility comes with being the first woman to lead the company, to be constantly scrutinized as one of less than a handful of women CEOs today - what it would be like to balance my Chinese cultural background - what the responsibilities of the office would entail in this unparalleled environment. And what it would mean to be a business leader that could distinguish him or herself in today's world where the game is changing by the minute.
As I reflect on my rapid rise to the top as one of the few women running a major global corporation, I have found myself thinking a great deal about my Chinese heritage and how enormously fortunate I am to have been given this very precious gift.
I was raised in a traditional Chinese family where achievement was not demanded, but expected. My father, born in Hong Kong, was a successful architect. My mother, born in Shanghai, was the first female chemical engineer in her graduating class at the University of Toronto in Canada. They arrived in America not speaking a word of English but through hard work, both were able to fulfill their full potential, and their success has set a wonderful example for me.
My parents were always, and continue to be today, the single biggest influence in my life. They raised my brother and I with a respect for the values and traditions of our Chinese heritage, yet also with an unwavering commitment to bring us up with all the opportunities for higher education and a desire to prepare us to adapt to American society and to succeed in this world of great change.
My brother and I were given all the opportunities of our American friends - the same schools, the same tennis lessons, the same piano teachers....but we had the wonderful advantage in my mind of a cultural heritage that we were always taught to be proud of. Mom and Dad always wanted us to be proud of being Chinese - my brother and I smile today when we reminisce on growing up in our house. We grew up believing that being Chinese was the greatest advantage in life; in our house, everything important in life came from China, was invented in China, owed all to the Chinese.
We went on elementary school field trips to pulp plants, where they taught us how paper was made. Paper was invented in China, Mom said, after we relayed the process in awe. Our favorite neighbors were Italian and invited us over for spaghetti. When we came home and raved, Dad would remind us that Marco Polo brought pasta home from China. Not Italian....Chinese....and so it went. And how wonderful they were to instill in us the sense of pride in our heritage that we have never forgotten.
When I first became CEO, a famous American television journalist interviewed my dad and asked him if he always knew I would be successful in business. No, he said, quite to the contrary, he worried for years that raising me to be a respectful Chinese daughter would hinder my ability to compete in a world with what he considered the aggressive, cut throat traits of typical America CEO's. In fact, he passed on a letter to me that I keep, translated from Chinese to English, in my desk drawer. The letter reads:
"Remember, there are distinctive qualities that set apart the successful Chinese....strive to excel in all you do; be a superb parent willing to curtail your own pleasure for the sake of better nurturing your children; be generous, fair, tolerant, eager to learn from other cultures while sharing your own. But beyond these attributes, remember to have an absence of arrogance and boastfulness; have unfailing courtesy, forbearance, sensitivity of others' feelings and above all, the ability to diffuse your anger and grievance, not by surppressing them but by transforming them into helpful, positive emotions. In an age and environment of pretension, you have a precious Chinese cultural heritage which we are proud to pass down to you....."
(Pause)
And so, with my parents definition of distinguished leadership in my drawer at all times, I have pushed forward to redefine aggressive as assertive, yet hopefully never abrasive, to insure that I'm tough enough to make the hard decisions, but never unfairly, always treating people well...reminding myself at all times to have the humility and sensitivity which is expected in the Chinese culture, adapted to the needs of the pressing business environment which requires a healthy dose of outwardly expressed confidence and courage.
In a way, my own experiences reflect those of many women in the business arena who struggle to retain the best of who they are while carving out a successful management career. During my visit here, I have met and talked with so many women, and I am truly heartened that the doors of opportunity are beginning to open for women in every field. But I also know that real change is a slow process, so I am hopeful that my own experiences as a woman and as a leader will provide a valuable perspective.
As the company for women, Avon's commitment to providing developmental opportunities for women is second to none. As you might expect, Avon has a solid representation of women in senior management. In fact, this was one of the reasons I joined the company a decade ago, working my way up the ranks through areas of increasing responsibility.
But interestingly, it has only been in recent years that "the company for women" has also emerged as the company for women in senior leadership positions. Until the last decade, women were not well represented in the executive suite. With few exceptions, middle management was about as far as they could go. Here was a company with virtually 100% women customers and sales representatives, yet capable women simply could not get to the top.
This not only proved unfair, it also proved to be a poor business decision. The lack of women in management came to hurt Avon. Between 1975 and 1985, more than twelve and a half million women entered the United States work force. These working women had to be served in new ways. But, at that time, Avon's leadership team was still made up entirely of men. Women's voices weren't heard as we planned our marketing strategy and as a result, sales in our largest market suffered.
Fortunately, Avon learned to change. Men and women now work together as equal business partners. They learn from each other and respect each other. We still offer our male executives an outstanding career opportunity, but now women have an equal chance to succeed.
Today, six out of eleven of Avon's board of directors are women. My number two executive is a woman. Almost half of our management staff around the world are women. And importantly, we have put in place special programs to develop the next generation of women who are being trained and prepared to become General Managers in markets all over the world.
I am equally excited about our progress with the development of the next generation of Avon's women leaders in China. Women now account for 78% of our total workforce here. Even more impressive, 75% of our managers and supervisors are women, and 30% of our most senior executive are women.
(Pause)
With Avon's reputation for promoting women and my own career success, I am often asked for advice on how people can prepare themselves to be the leaders of tomorrow. In fact, over my career, I have come to believe that there are indeed some very special qualities that distinguish all leaders - and help them stand out in today's competitive arena.
First is Passion. You have to love the work you do. You have to be excited to come to work every day. They taught us the four principles of marketing when I went to school: product, price, place, promotion. But they didn't teach us the fifth, most critical principle which as far as I'm concerned is Passion, the key to being truly successful as a leader over the long run.
No matter what career path you choose, I believe you have to love what you do. My own personal experience proves this point. There was a time in my Avon career when I was passed over for a promotion to be the CEO. I had a job offer to be the head of another company, but a woman I respected gave me some good advice. She told me always to follow my heart, not my head. So I followed my heart and stayed at Avon. In the end, I got the promotion, but most important, I have always loved my work, and that has made all the difference.
The next distinguishing quality of leadership is Compassion - caring about people. In my four years as CEO at Avon, I've had to make some tough decisions and difficult calls -eliminating jobs and closing factories. Actions that affect good people. The horrible part of the job. But I believe we demonstrate compassion and treat people fairly, with respect and dignity during those tough decisions. And it is the responsibility for those of us wanting the privilege of being tomorrow's corporate leaders to honor the commitment to compassion and the protection of the human spirit, in spite of the pressures and demands of business today.
Along with compassion comes Humility. Many people are surprised to learn this is one of Avon's core values. None of us has all the answers. And all of us must listen to each other, because listening makes us stronger. One of the things I've learned about myself is that I tend to be impatient in solving problems. Instead of listening to the opinions of others, I try right away to find solutions. I have had to learn that other people can give me valuable input and that listening makes me a better leader.
To be a better listener, I now bring employees from all over the world - including China - to New York City four times a year to hear their suggestions for how to improve our business. I meet with them for a full day and spend most of my time listening. This is one of the most important things I do.
Balance is another essential leadership quality in today's complex world, and it's a quality that is especially critical for women who are juggling many and sometimes competing roles. As a working mother with two children -- my daughter Lauren is 14 and my some Jamie is 6 -- I constantly struggle with the issue of balance. People always ask me how I do it, and my answer is....it's never easy to balance work and family.
I'll give you an example. I belong to an executive committee of CEOs from the business world. Recently we were invited to Washington for a meeting with the President of the United States. This was very exciting to me. What an incredible opportunity. The only problem was, the meeting occurred at the same time as my daughter's first big trip away from home. It was a big moment for her and her friends - to go on a multiple day trip - and my daughter needed me to be there.
What should I do. There was never a doubt in my mind. The president wouldn't know if I was there or not. But my daughter would. So I went to the bus with her and I never looked back. It didn't affect Avon that I didn't go to the White House. But I also tell women that it is even all right if your job does sometimes come second to your personal priorities. Sometimes the job is more important.. But sometimes your family has to be more important.
There are two final qualities of distinguished leadership that I want to share with you today. These may be the most important qualities of all and how lucky we are that both are a fundamental part of our Chinese culture - something we all learn from our parents virtually from the day we are born.
First is Perseverance. I'm talking about simple hard work and a commitment to stay the course even when times are tough. In today's fast-pace business environment, unexpected challenges come at you from all directions, with no end in sight. Sometimes I read articles about myself and my career path and it makes it sound so easy. But believe me, it hasn't been easy for a single day. I work far harder now than I ever have in my life. I've had to embrace constant change, and every time I think I've finally mastered the situation a new challenge comes along I hadn't anticipated.
There will be many days when the challenges each of you confront will seem overwhelming. We all have those days; they go with the territory when you are trying to achieve something great.
Perseverance and hard work will see you through the tough times. My parents instilled these qualities in me and it has made all the difference. Sometimes I watch young Americans quit when things are difficult, and I always advise them to try again....and again....and again. Never give up until you achieve your goal. That's what distinguishes those who make it to the top from those who don't.
Hard work is essential.....but all the hard work in the world won't take you anywhere unless you know where it is you want to go.
That's why it's so important to have a dream. This is the final important quality of leadership. Everything great that has ever happened in this world began with a dream.
Avon has big dreams. In fact our company theme this year is "Dream Bigger." We want to be number one in beauty worldwide and number one in satisfying our customers and sales representatives. We want to be the best place to work. We want to be the leader in philanthropy. And we want to be one of the world's most successful companies.
I have a personal dream as well. My dream is to make a real difference for women all over the world and to help transform lives. Every time a woman opens an Avon Beauty Boutique, we are making her dream of business ownership come true. This is the dream of unlimited opportunity This is the dream of hope. It is also the dream of China - where everything is possible and success can be as great as the size of your imagination.
In many ways the dream of China is really the biggest dream of all -- and it's a dream we all share. And we're not alone. The dream of China has captured the world's imagination since the beginning of history. From Columbus to Marco Polo, explorers have traveled long and far to unlock China's mystery and discover its riches.
The dream of China is a gift given to each of us as part of our cultural heritage. As China emerges as one of the world's leading powers, this dream grows stronger and brighter every day. The world is looking on in awe. And nothing makes me prouder than to watch this growth and success. Nothing makes me prouder than to know that this is my culture. Like all of you, I am very proud to be Chinese, and very grateful that I have been given the gift of this wonderful heritage. It is a gift that serves as a source of strength and as a guiding compass every single day in my life and in my career.
(Pause)
In closing, I encourage all of you to take full advantage of the gifts you have been given.
You have the benefit of a precious cultural heritage, including a respect for the value of hard work. You know what is important and you work to achieve it. And your are tenacious in pursuing your goals.
As you pursue these goals, I encourage you to aspire high.
Dream big dreams. Dream bold dreams. Dream as far as your imagination will take you.
Whatever it is you dream of, there is no doubt in my mind you can do it. The world is open to you. So go out there and make all your dreams come true.
雅芳董事會主席兼首席行政長官鍾彬嫻
在清華學子時代論壇上的演講
（2003年10月23日 - 北京）
各位晚上好！我感到無比榮幸能來到這裡和大家探討對領導力的認識，並分享我作為目前管理著一個主要跨國企業的為數不多的女性所經過的歷程。
我現在注視著你們大家，你們中間有些人正處在職業生涯的起點，有些人已經在通向未來的道路上前進了，不管你在自己的道路上走了多遠，我向你們保證前面有無數的機會和令人興奮的東西等待著你。不管你想做什麼你都可以做到。你能走得多遠取決於你有多大的夢想和為了實現它們付出多大的努力。但無論你選擇哪條路，我保證，有良好的教育背景作為基礎，成功會來得容易得多。
我曾和來自全世界不同的人群分享過我的經歷。但是在這個我父母和祖父母出生的國度，這個我一直被強烈的情感和文化紐帶所維繫的國度，能同各位分享我的成功感受是我極大的榮幸，也圓了我的一個夢。
我認為自己屬於相對新一代的商業領導者，我們面對的是令人目眩的變化節奏以及被充滿動盪的21世紀重新定義的全球經濟和政治環境。
四年前我被任命為雅芳的執行長，開始了改變我一生的經歷。我們獲得的令人矚目的成功，全方位地將整個公司推向現代化。
今年的銷售將達67億美元，我們的股票達到了歷史新高，我們的確取得了驕人的業績。雅芳被財富雜誌評選為最令人敬佩的公司之一，並連續三年被商業周刊評為全球最有價值的品牌。
大家可能還不知道的是，雅芳已在143個國家開展業務，我們運用直銷模式，通過超過四百萬獨立銷售代表銷售我們的產品。
在雅芳開展業務的所有國家中，中國毫無疑問是發展最快的市場。雅芳1990年進入中國，是最早採用直銷模式在此地經營的跨國性企業。這些年來，雅芳不斷改變銷售方式來適應中國市場和消費者的特殊需求。今天我們的產品通過5000家獨立的產品專賣店進行銷售，這些專賣店的擁有者都是極具魄力的本地企業家，是她們推動了雅芳業務的成功。
這些產品專賣店的擁有者大部分（超過四分之三）是女性，體現了自雅芳成立之初就制定的為女性同胞提供業務和收入機會的一貫原則。這是我們遠景的核心部分，它在全世界所有業務市場上都是一致的。
今天，在所有銷售雅芳產品的國家，我們很自豪地被公認為"比女人更了解女人的公司"。為女性用戶提供高質量的產品和收入良好的創業機遇成為我們一個重要的競爭優勢。
這也是我們在中國的業務發展如此之快的原因之一。在過去的四年里，我們取得了銷售業績每年30％的強勢攀升。2003年我們預期的銷售總額將達1億5千萬到2億美元。我們已成為中國女性中的第一護膚品牌，也是她們最鍾愛的三個化妝品品牌之一。我們在27個省市開設了74個分公司，另外在廣州，雅芳還擁有一家投資額達4100美元的先進全球生產基地。
展望未來，雅芳的戰略是把中國作為全球第一的市場進行拓展，這一戰略也是我們為身處這個偉大國家的所有具企業家精神的女性同胞帶來新機遇這一強烈願望的體現。
(停頓)
當我回首過去十年尤其是最近四年中獲得的成就，的確是雅芳獲得突破性成功的階段，驚險刺激，同時也付出了很多辛勞。乘坐過山車似的感覺令我見識了很多有關當今對經營企業越發複雜的要求，關乎我自身能力和常常挑戰自己的需要，以及要做一個更好的領導人的不斷更新的自我期望。
在我剛成為CEO的時候從未想到過會有這么大的幸運同時又接受這么大的挑戰，以及它們會給我的生活帶來如此大的變化。我不知道作為領導這家公司的第一位女性意味著怎樣的特殊性和責任；或者是作為當今為數不多的女性CEO怎樣為我的華裔文化背景取得平衡、並時刻處於被審視之中；或者是在前所未有的環境下擔任這一職位所肩負的責任；還有在今天這個每時每刻都在變動中的世界裡做一名優秀的商業領袖所代表的意義。
作為極少數領導著主要全球性企業的女性中的一員，在我回想我的迅速成長過程，我發覺自己不斷地想到我的中國文化傳統這一寶貴的贈與所帶給我的極大幸運。
我在一個傳統的中國家庭里成長，家人不強求我成功，但期望我成功。我父親出生在香港，是一名成功的建築師。我母親生於上海，是當時加拿大多倫多大學研究生班裡培養出來的第一位女性化學工程師。他們剛到美國時一句英語都不會，但他們勤奮工作，都充分發揮了自己的潛力。他們的成功為我樹立了非常好的榜樣。
我的父母從過去到現在始終是我唯一和最大影響力的來源。在教育我和我弟弟時他們尊重我們的觀點和傳承的中國文化，但也不遺餘力地把握所有讓我們接受教育的機會，以及幫助我們適應美國社會並在這個變化不斷的世界裡獲得成功。
我和我弟弟同我們的美國同齡人獲得的機會是均等的：同一個學校、同樣的網球課、同一個鋼琴老師……但我們被中國傳統文化薰陶的思想是一個很大的優勢，我們為此感到驕傲。父母親一直教導我們要為自己是中國人感到自豪，今天我和我的弟弟回想在家的成長曆程還會由衷地微笑。我們始終相信作為中國人是生命中最大的優勢，在家裡所有重要的東西都是中國來的，在中國發明的，都是中國人的。
我們念國小時去紙漿廠參觀，教我們紙是怎么生產的。我們回家崇拜地描述一番後，母親說，紙是中國人發明的。我們最喜歡的鄰居是義大利人，他們邀請我們去吃意大利麵。我們興奮無比，父親會提醒我們馬可波羅是從中國把麵團帶回去的，不是義大利的，而是中國的……不斷如此。我們永遠無法忘記他們是如何教導我們為自己的傳統感到自豪。
當我最初成為CEO的時候，一個著名的美國電視記者採訪我的父親時，問他是否早就知道我會在商界獲得成功。不，他回答，正相反，他好多年一直擔心教育我成為一個孝順的中國女兒會妨礙我在一個他認為充滿了具有攻擊性和殘酷無情的典型美國CEO們的圈子裡和別人競爭。實際上，他寫了封信給我，我還保存在我辦公桌抽屜里。信是由中文翻譯成英文的，信里這樣寫道：
“記住，成功的中國人具有和其他人不同的特質……所有事情都要努力做得最好；做一個願意為培育子女放棄自己的快樂的傑出母親；慷慨、公正、寬容、和人分享你的文化還要熱情學習別人的文化。但除此之外，記住遠離傲慢和自吹自擂；保持禮節、容忍、理解對別人的同情心，還有最重要的，要化解你的怒氣和悲痛，不是壓抑它們，而是把它們轉變成有幫助的、正面的情感。在虛偽的年代和環境中，你有一個珍貴的中國文化傳統，我們為能把它傳遞給你而驕傲……”
(停頓)
於是，伴隨著我抽屜里我父母對傑出的領導力的定義，我敢於將攻擊性重新定義為決斷性，但希望永不具有傷害性，來確保我在做出硬性的決定時能足夠強硬，但又不失公正，始終善待別人……提醒自己既要具有中國傳統所鼓勵的謙卑和感性，同時也要有商界高壓力環境所要求的外顯的自信和勇氣。
從某種意義上，我自己的經歷映射了商界中的許多女性，她們也在為保持最佳的自我和追求成功的管理生涯而奮鬥。在我訪問期間，我遇見了很多女性，同她們交談，我感到欣慰的是在所有領域、機會的大門已經為女性同胞打開。但我也知道真正的改變是漫長的，我希望我自己作為女性和領導者的經歷會提供一個有價值的視角。
作為一家“比女人更了解女人”的企業，雅芳對於為女性提供發展機會的信念是第一位的。你們可能知道雅芳的高級管理層很多是女性。實際上，這也是我十年前加入這家公司的原因之一，然後不斷努力工作，得到升遷，承擔更多的職責。
但有意思的是，只有在近幾年這家“比女人更了解女人”的公司才讓女性出現在高級領導層的職位上。十年前，執行層隊伍中幾乎沒有女性，而中層管理人員中也最多只有零星幾個。這是一個客戶和銷售人員幾乎100％是女性的公司，但有能力的女性偏偏無法上升到高位。
這不僅不公平，也是一個很糟糕的決策。沒有女性參與的管理層開始給雅芳帶來損害。1975到1985年間，超過1千2百50萬婦女加入了美國的勞動力。這些職業婦女需要新的服務。但是，那時雅芳的領導團隊還是全部由男性組成，我們計畫市場戰略時聽不到女性的聲音，結果便是美國這個我們最大市場上的銷售情況受到衝擊。
幸運的是，雅芳學會了改變。男性和女性現在作為平等的夥伴一起共事。他們互相學習，互相尊重。我們仍向男性高級管理者提供最佳的職業發展機會，但現在，女性有了同樣的成功可能性。
今天，雅芳的11位董事會成員中有6位是女性。我的助手是一名女性。我們全球的管理層幾乎一半是女性。重要的是，我們設立了特殊的項目來培養下一代的女性職員，她們接受培訓準備將來成為各個全球市場的總經理。
我感到同樣興奮的是雅芳在中國培養下一代女性領導者的成果。這裡有78％的成員是女性，女性更在經理和主管隊伍里占75％，在最高層的管理人員中占30％。
(停頓)
隨著雅芳在為女性服務方面的聲譽和對我個人職業成功的宣傳，我經常被問及對如何成為明日的領導者有何建議。其實，回想我的職業生涯，我逐漸相信的確有一些非常特殊的要素決定了哪些人會成為領導者，並幫助她們在今天高度競爭的環境中顯露鋒芒。
首先是熱情。你必須熱愛你的工作。你為每天去工作感到興奮。我念書的時候老師教我們市場行銷的四P原則：產品(Product)，價格(Price)，地點(Place)和促銷(Promotion)。但他們沒有告訴我們第五個，就我的體會也是最重要的原則：熱情(Passion)——這是成為一個真正的長期成功的領導者的關鍵。
不管你選擇哪一條職業發展之路，我相信你必須熱愛你所做的。我的個人經歷證明了這一點。在雅芳我曾經錯過了一次晉升為CEO的機會，那時我可以得到一份領導另一家公司的工作。但一位我所尊重的女性給了我很好的建議。她讓我聽從內心的選擇，而不是頭腦的。於是我聽從了內心留在了雅芳。最終，我獲得了晉升，但最重要的是，我始終熱愛我的工作，這才是最主要的。
第二個領導力的特質是同情心：關心別人。我在雅芳任CEO的四年里，不得不做出一些很難做出的決定和通知，例如取消某個職位和關閉一個工廠。這些都會傷害別人。這是工作殘忍的一面。但我相信在這些決定中我們表現出了同情心和公平性，以及對人的尊嚴的尊重。儘管面臨著環境的壓力和要求，但那些希望成為明天的企業領導者的人有這個責任承擔起這份同情心和維護人的精神。
同情心和謙卑是相通的。許多人在得知這是雅芳的價值觀之一時感到很驚訝。我們沒有人能回答所有問題。我們必須相互傾聽，因為傾聽讓我們更強大。我了解我自己一方面就是我在解決問題時會很不耐煩。我直接去尋找解決方案而不是先聽別人的意見。我必須要學習了解其它人能給我有價值的建議，而傾聽使我成為更好的領導者。
為了成為一個好的傾聽者，我現在每年4次把員工從世界各地（包括中國）集合到紐約，以便聽她們對改進業務的建議。我會一整天與她們見面，主要是傾聽。這是我做的最重要的事之一。
在當今複雜的世界中，獲取平衡是另一個主要的領導能力，尤其對於女性這個掙扎於許多有時還相互矛盾的角色中的群體。作為一個有兩個孩子的職業母親，我的女兒Lauren十四歲，我兒子Jamie六歲，我經常在如何求得平衡中摸索。別人總問我是怎么做的，我的回答是——工作和家庭的平衡非常不容易。
我舉個例子。我是一個商界CEO委員會的成員。最近我們應邀到華盛頓去和總統見面。這很令我興奮。這個機會太難得了。唯一的問題是，這次會見的時間正好是我女兒第一次離家去旅行，這對她和她的朋友們很重要。她希望參加幾天的旅行，更需要我和她在一起。
我怎么辦？其實我心裡從來沒有猶豫。總統並不需要我是否在場。但我女兒需要。所以我義無返顧得和她一起去車站。不去白宮不會影響雅芳。但我也告訴女性朋友，有時候你的工作排在你私人的事情之後是完全正確的。有時候，工作很重要，但有時候你的家庭更重要。
我今天和你們分享的最後兩點優秀的領導力特質可能是所有特質中最重要的，而我們如此幸運因為它們都是我們中華民族文化的根基，是我們幾乎從出生那天起就開始向父母學習的。
第一是堅持。我所談的是最基本的努力工作和在困境時也能如此的信念。在今天快節奏的商業環境下，意料之外的挑戰來自四面八方，看不到盡頭。有時候我讀一些寫我和我的職業生涯的文章，看上去好像一切都很容易。但相信我，沒有一天是容易的。我現在要比以前任何時候都還努力工作。我必須接納不斷的變化，每次我認為終於掌握局面的時候一項新的沒有預計到的挑戰就會冒出來。
很多時候你們會感覺面對的挑戰令人無法招架。我們每個人都會有這樣的階段。當你試著努力做出一些成就的時候，它們就會無影無蹤了。
堅持和勤奮會幫助你度過困境。我的父母給我灌輸了這些特質，的確很不一樣。有時候我看到年輕的美國人在遇到困難時就放棄了，我總是建議他們再試一次，再一次，再一次。沒有達到目標決不要放棄。這就是為什麼有人能夠到達頂峰，而有人卻沒有。
勤奮工作是最基本的，但是光有勤奮不會有用，除非你知道自己的目標要往哪裡去。
第二是夢想。這是領導力的最後一個要素。這個世界上所有的偉大成就都始於一個夢想。
雅芳有很大的夢想。其實我們公司今年的主題就是“擁有更多的夢想”。我們想在美容方面成為世界第一；在客戶和銷售代表滿意上也成為第一；我們想成為最佳的僱主；我們想成為慈善事業的領導者；我們想做世界最成功的企業。
我個人也有一個夢想。我的夢想是為全球的女性帶來一個全新的體會和幫助改變生活。每次一位女性開設一家雅芳產品專賣店，我們就在幫助她實現創業的夢想。這是一個無限機會的夢想。這是希望的夢想。這也是中國夢：沒有什麼是不可能的，成功將和你的想像力一樣大。
很多意義上，中國夢的確是最大的夢想，這是一個我們共有的夢想。我們不是孤獨的。自從有歷史以來中國的夢想吸引著世界的想像力。從哥倫布到馬可波羅，探險家長途跋涉為了揭開中國的神秘和發現這裡的財富。
中國夢是我們有幸從傳統文化中繼承下來的。在中國逐漸成為世界性的大國時，這個夢想成長地更快更明確。全球都投以崇敬的目光。我為能目睹這樣的成長和成功而感到無比自豪，為這是我自己的傳統文化而無比自豪。和你們一樣，作為中國人我很驕傲，也為擁有這樣的美好的傳承而無比感激。這是我的生活和事業中指引我方向的根源。
(停頓)
作為結束，我鼓勵你們大家充分利用你們擁有的這個優勢。
你們擁有這份寶貴的傳承，包括對勤奮工作的價值的尊重。你們知道什麼是重要的並且努力實現它們。你們在追求目標的時候會堅持不懈。
在你們追求這些目標的時候，我鼓勵你們樹立更高的理想。夢想更多的東西。大膽地夢想。發揮你們的想像力可以達致任何的高度。
不管你夢想什麼，我毫不懷疑你們可以做到。世界向你們展開。所以儘管去實現你們的夢想吧。