Volume Three: Ascending High to Look Far 63. Assuming the Role of Chairman (Part Two)

A few days after our conversation, just three years shy of the Spring Festival, Director Yu and Director Zheng from the Provincial State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC), accompanied by the SASAC Cadre Division, arrived at the plant to officially announce my appointment. I was named Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the Board of the Orient Chemical Company. Shi Guangsheng was reassigned as Convener of the Supervisory Board, and Ruan Changqing was reassigned as a Senior Executive First Class.

When Shi Guangsheng was originally appointed as Party Secretary and Chairman, Director Yu had not been present. Yet this time, for my appointment, Director Yu actually came in person. Anyone with even the slightest grasp of official protocol understood the strong support and high regard the SASAC and Director Yu were showing me.

During the meeting, Director Yu delivered a speech, highly affirming the contributions Chairman Shi Guangsheng had made to the stable development of the company. This was standard practice; the most thorough affirmation and evaluation of a cadre are almost invariably given when they are stepping down—a custom forged by Chinese history over thousands of years.

I had been somewhat concerned about Director Shi's state of mind. After all, being forced to step down prematurely from the top position two or three years before retirement would be difficult for anyone to accept. From the perspective of organizational principles, however, there was not much I could say, nor did I know what to tell him. A lingering sense of guilt weighed on my mind, as if I had usurped his position. At the same time, I knew full well that if I did not step up and if the company did not reform immediately, we might truly reach a point beyond salvation. My internal conflict was profound.

After the appointment was announced, I noticed Director Shi maintained a calm expression, which set my mind considerably at ease.

Once the meeting adjourned, after handling a few urgent matters, I went straight to Director Shi's office. This was to show him respect and to demonstrate my attitude and stance.

When Director Shi saw me knocking, he seemed momentarily startled before immediately gesturing for me to sit down. "Dongshan—oh, no, Chairman Wang, what brings you here?"

Maintaining my respectful demeanor, I replied, "Director, please continue to call me Dongshan or Little Wang; it feels much more personal to me." I deliberately reverted to calling him "Director" instead of Chairman. First, I wanted to save him the embarrassment of being addressed by his former title; second, I wanted to show that I had not forgotten my roots and still remembered how he had promoted and assisted me when he was plant director.

"In official settings, I still must call you Chairman Wang, or others might get the wrong idea." Hearing Director Shi say this put my mind further at ease. Shi Guangsheng was indeed a magnanimous man; it appeared he held no resentment toward me for "stepping into" his role. Moreover, it was clear he was very pleased that I had proactively visited his office right away.

"Now that the organization has placed this heavy burden on your shoulders, I can finally relax and sleep much more soundly."

"You certainly cannot wash your hands completely of the matter. I will still need plenty of guidance from you, my veteran leader. I am young and inexperienced, and I truly fear I might not be able to shoulder such a heavy burden," I said politely.

"You will have no problem at all; you are bound to do a much better job than I did. Go ahead and execute your plans with confidence. Anything you need my support for, I will back you up resolutely."

Hearing Shi Guangsheng speak in this manner relieved me even more. Although I now held the three most crucial positions—Party Secretary, Chairman, and General Manager—I did not consider him a dispensable figure in the plant. On the contrary, given his seniority and prestige within the company, securing his support in my work was of paramount importance.

They say a new official sweeps clean with three fires. Now that the organization's appointment had been announced, my position was fully legitimate, and the support promised by Director Shi had been secured. It seemed to be the moment to spread my wings according to my original dreams and vigorously push forward with reforms. Yet, in my heart, I knew that any reform is a process and cannot be accomplished overnight.

Take Director Shi, for instance. Although he verbally promised to support my work, I still had to be mindful of his inner thoughts and his pride. If I were to immediately revive initiatives he had previously rejected upon taking office, even if he did not actively obstruct them, what would he think, and how would he view me?

Furthermore, aside from Director Shi, if the pace of reform were too aggressive right out of the gate, other cadres and employees might struggle to digest and accept it. I was gradually growing accustomed to carefully pondering the potential views and perspectives of relevant individuals before making any major proposals.

After all, work has to be done collectively. Without anyone supporting you, you become isolated. An organizational appointment merely confirms your status as a leader in name, but true leadership authority stems from your subordinates. Only when your subordinates obey and support your leadership can you truly become a leader capable of implementing your vision.

That being said, I could not simply do nothing, adhering rigidly to convention and following the beaten path. Doing so would betray the original intent behind the organization's appointment. In reality, the status quo simply could not be maintained; the current situation offered no room for complacency. My best course of action now was to advance reforms progressively, step by step reshaping the mindset and concepts of the majority of the company's cadres and employees.

When one is not in a top leadership position, the primary duty is execution. But upon becoming the leader of an organization, guiding the ideology of its members becomes an essential mission and task. A successful leader must not only grasp the thinking of the members they lead, but more importantly, reshape their thinking, transforming the leader's own ideas into the members' convictions. A leader who only knows how to follow the members' ideological will without knowing how to reshape it is destined to be mediocre.

Therefore, first-rate leaders "shape minds." Through goals, visions, and missions, they unify the organization's ideology, generating cohesion and centripetal force among the members to strive toward a common objective, thereby unleashing tremendous energy. Second-rate leaders "shape people." They fully leverage the strengths and advantages of organization members, ensuring that everyone's talents are utilized and mobilizing their enthusiasm so the entire team possesses formidable combat effectiveness. Third-rate leaders "shape tasks." They only know how to handle the team's routine affairs without paying attention to ideological building or boosting morale. The ultimate result is that the leader is exhausted running around in circles while the team remains a scattered tray of sand, members' talents fail to be fully utilized, and the team's work output is predictably subpar.

Therefore, even though I knew my reform ideas and strategies might face opposition from many quarters, I obviously could not forcefully ram them through, or I would encounter endless resistance. The endeavor had to begin by altering everyone's concepts and ideology. Changing people's minds is the hardest task of all; it cannot be accomplished overnight and requires a gradual process.