True execution

Author: Jiang Ruxiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Dr. Jiang Ruxiang, a renowned strategic expert, Chinese executionist, and author of best-selling books "The Gap" and "The Role Model." His latest masterpiece, "True Execution," is the first public publication of an enterprise management solution Jiang Ruxiang's years of dedication. The theories and measures in the book have revitalized many companies. Dr. Jiang proposes execution strategies for enterprises at high, middle, and grassroots levels:
- High-level Execution Strategy: Wolf Principle – Emphasizing strong leadership. Dr. Jiang points out that the fundamental source of leadership lies in sacrifice and service: anyone can be a head wolf, as long as they are willing to sacrifice for others.
- Middle-level Execution Strategy: Monkey Management Method – Emphasizing a strong sense of responsibility. Dr. Jiang proposes several execution methods to ensure employee accountability, particularly highlighting the importance of evolving employees.
- Grassroots Execution Strategy: Mirror Thinking – Emphasizing a service-oriented mindset. Dr. Jiang argues that employees must learn to think and act from others' perspectives, shifting from a self-centered to a customer-centered approach.
At the cultural level, Dr. Jiang proposes the 48-character "code of execution." The book embodies Dr. Jiang's deep understanding of Chinese culture and human dynamics. As a Ph.D. in sociology from Peking University, Dr. Jiang identifies the root causes of execution issues in Chinese enterprises as the chronic diseases of the culture—rule by man, talkative culture, and face culture being the three major culprits! TCL CEO Li Dongsheng wrote the preface for the book, and every manager at Galanz received a copy. Training courses based on the book's content have been highly praised by over 2,000 managers from various industries in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Nanjing. It is believed that "True Execution" will undoubtedly be one of the most influential management books of 2005.
Metaphorically speaking, "True Execution" is the sister book of "The Gap" and the Chinese version of "Execution!" Following the success of his bestseller "The Gap," Dr. Jiang Ruxiang's new book "True Execution" was finally published just under two months before 2005! The book is considered China's most expensive "execution textbook." Its high cost stems from Dr. Jiang's extensive experience. As a well-known domestic corporate strategist and dubbed the "Chinese executionist," Dr. Jiang is a Ph.D. from Peking University and a visiting scholar at Columbia University. He served as a senior strategic manager at Motorola and was the deputy director of the Executive Training Center at Peking University's Guanghua School of Management. In 2001, after founding Sinan Company, he was honored as one of the top 10 overseas Chinese entrepreneurs in 2001. He is now a contributing writer for Forbes in the U.S. and has engaged in management discussions with Zhang Ruimin, Li Dongsheng, and Liang Qingde on CCTV's Dialogue program. His book "The Gap" was highly praised by Wang Shiqi, Li Dongsheng, and Liang Qingde.
This "True Execution" is the culmination of Dr. Jiang's years of dedication and rich practical experience.
The second reason for its high value is the sacrifice of commercial interests. Perhaps Dr. Jiang is China's most valuable management scholar. While other companies lower their consulting fees, Sinan Company's fees have continuously risen, with numerous companies lining up to seek his advice. His lecture fees are among the highest in China, even surpassing those of Harvard professors. His in-house training fees have been driven to astronomical six-digit figures by the market. Since August 2003, Dr. Jiang has held multiple public "Winning in Execution" courses in Beijing, Shenzhen, and Shanghai, each fully booked.
Various knowledge products based on Dr. Jiang's "execution" philosophy have become wildly popular in the market, including "Winning in Execution" (book + CD), "Eight Actions" (book + CD), and "Execution Audio Book." Despite their high prices, these products are widely sought after, bringing substantial profits to Sinan Company.
From a commercial perspective, Dr. Jiang should capitalize on the momentum and continue to create "high-end products." However, Dr. Jiang says, "We cannot focus solely on short-term gains. Chinese enterprises most need management enlightenment. If others don't invest, we must. Publishing is the best way." Perhaps Dr. Jiang's "sacrifice" is worthwhile, as long-term customer recognition and loyalty are the foundation of consulting companies!
Subverting Conventions, Analyzing Roots, and Offering a Comprehensive Execution Solution
In the book, Dr. Jiang poses the question: "Many excellent companies worldwide make execution mistakes—will you make mistakes too?" He then sharply points out the seven execution mistakes commonly made by Chinese entrepreneurs:
- Pursuing perfection
- Evaluating A but rewarding B
- Focusing only on star employees
- Having too many priorities
- Being overly optimistic
- Not giving up any opportunity
- Believing in innovation
Without reading this book, it's hard to imagine that Dr. Jiang has subverted many commonly praised "virtues," such as pursuing perfection, seizing opportunities, valuing talent, striving for innovation, trusting people but not doubting them, and winning people over with emotion and reason. In Dr. Jiang's view, all these are "mistakes!"
Of course, Dr. Jiang is not foolish—he does not abstractly deny these terms but instead analyzes them from the specific behaviors of Chinese entrepreneurs, offering a fresh and convincing interpretation.
What are the root causes of execution problems in Chinese enterprises? As a Ph.D. in sociology from Peking University, Dr. Jiang points out that the deep-seated reasons lie in the chronic diseases of Chinese culture. Rule by man, talkative culture, and face culture are the three major culprits!
At the institutional level, the biggest problem is institutional deformation. Even the best institutions fail when deformed, rendering them ineffective. Behind institutional deformation lies the cultural issue of "familiar culture." The difference between "familiar culture" and "stranger culture" is that strangers follow the rules, while familiar people rely on emotions. Dr. Jiang painfully points out that "familiar culture" is the enemy of execution! He warns that it creates severe dependence on individuals, and while one person can help you, they can also destroy you!
So, how can Chinese enterprises solve their execution problems? Dr. Jiang provides a comprehensive, systematic, and specific solution!
Dr. Jiang proposes execution strategies for enterprises at high, middle, and grassroots levels:
- High-level Execution Strategy: Wolf Principle – Emphasizing strong leadership. Dr. Jiang argues that the fundamental source of leadership lies in sacrifice and service: anyone can be a head wolf, as long as they are willing to sacrifice for others.
- Middle-level Execution Strategy: Monkey Management Method – Emphasizing a strong sense of responsibility. Dr. Jiang proposes several execution methods to ensure employee accountability, particularly highlighting the importance of evolving employees.
- Grassroots Execution Strategy: Mirror Thinking – Emphasizing a service-oriented mindset. Dr. Jiang points out that employees must learn to think and act from others' perspectives, shifting from a self-centered to a customer-centered approach.
At the cultural level, Dr. Jiang proposes the 48-character "code of execution."
- The 24-character "Key to Execution":
- Before Execution: "Determination first, success second" – Emphasizing that determination is more important than success. Once a decision is made, it must be executed without wavering.
- During Execution: "Speed first, perfection second" – Emphasizing that even 0.1 progress is better than no progress. Overly pursuing perfection often leads to zero results; speed is more important than perfection.
- After Execution: "Victory first, excuses second" – Emphasizing that the essence of execution lies in achieving results and winning victories. Any excuses or justifications are meaningless.
- The 16-character "Principles of Execution":
- "Results first, self second" – Emphasizing the need to abandon a self-centered mindset and adopt a results-oriented one.
- "Lock the target, focus repeatedly" – Emphasizing the need to discard arrogance and resist external temptations, focusing single-mindedly on completing tasks and achieving results.
- The 8-character "Guiding Principles of Execution":
- "Seriousness first, intelligence second" – Dr. Jiang strongly dislikes people who act smart but lack diligence. He believes his achievements stem from hard work and seriousness, not intelligence. Thus, he repeatedly emphasizes starting with simple, basic methods and establishing a proper work attitude.
At the institutional level, Dr. Jiang proposes building a system of execution that does not rely on any individual. He introduces the Sinan 4R Business Management System, adapted from the operational systems of global companies like GE, and explains its principles in detail.
The "Experimental Management Scholar" and His Experimental Management
Peter Drucker said, "The essence of management is not 'knowing' but 'doing.'" Dr. Jiang positions himself as an "experimental management scholar" who pursues truth through personal practice. "True Execution" is firsthand material of Dr. Jiang's management experiences. His research is based on two major sources: case studies of famous domestic and international companies, and his own practical experience running Sinan Company.
During his time as a visiting scholar at Columbia University, Dr. Jiang conducted "Research on the Organizational Competitiveness of Multinational Corporations." Together with top experts at Columbia, he analyzed and studied cases of 120 multinational companies from 20 countries. Upon returning to China, Dr. Jiang published a series of comparative articles on well-known Chinese and foreign enterprises in The Economic Observer, which later became key material for his bestseller "The Gap."
In the past two years, Dr. Jiang and his company have provided various consulting services to dozens of famous Chinese enterprises, including Vanke, TCL, Galanz, and Bosideng. Dr. Jiang is particularly skilled at learning and summarizing advanced concepts and excellent practices from these outstanding companies. For example, he summarized Vanke's "Social Fair Compensation Law," extracted Galanz's "Leading Strategy," and adapted Haier's "SBU Mechanism" for his own use. This "True Execution" is like using the "Absorption Technique" to fully absorb the execution essence of these excellent companies.
Dr. Jiang does not treat his Sinan Company as a profit machine. In his view, fame and fortune are just results—not what he needs now. What he values is that it is an excellent field for management experiments. Last year, when his consulting business was booming, he was willing to invest heavily in another business: knowledge product development and marketing. The purpose was not short-term gains but to turn this business into a training ground for his company, especially for the consulting team to develop customer awareness and management skills.
Dr. Jiang believes in one principle: "Change others first by changing yourself!" Therefore, he advocates radical "knowing and doing," requiring all employees to follow the principles of "Winning in Execution." This book incorporates many cases from Sinan Company, including some execution failures. Before publication, someone reminded Dr. Jiang, "Putting failures in the book might affect your 'glorious image.'" He replied, "Everyone wants superficial success, but there are no perfect management methods. To prevent failure, you must first treat failure kindly. We are not afraid of embarrassment—honesty is the most persuasive!"
Thus, the book includes not only successful execution cases but also many failed ones, such as a deputy general manager who punished himself with a three-tier warning system for his own mistake, a task handover failure leading to no one taking responsibility for the outcome, and an employee's error causing a loss of 16,000 to the company. Reading these stories makes them feel so real and vivid! Through them, the underlying principles of execution become easier to understand.
While "Execution" was highly beneficial, it still felt somewhat detached from the realities of Chinese enterprises. "The Gap" provided a clearer understanding of the problems and gaps in Chinese enterprises but was merely a book that revealed issues, offering no comprehensive solutions. "True Execution," in terms of philosophy, inherits and supplements "The Gap," while in terms of practicality, it surpasses "Execution."
Metaphorically speaking, "True Execution" is the sister book of "The Gap" and the Chinese version of "Execution!" The book embodies Dr. Jiang's deep understanding of Chinese culture and human dynamics. It is a loud call from Dr. Jiang to address the execution of Chinese enterprises! It is a reflection and summary of Dr. Jiang's management and consulting practices! It is a monumental work of "experimental management!" It is a living manual for enterprise execution guidance! A piercing execution power—starting now!