Newsweek Select, March 2007
Successful women leaders from various fields share their experience, encourage independent thinking and remind us that with a little integrity and a lot of faith, true success is within anyone’s reach. It’s about dedication rather than destiny, they say, humble beginnings rather than supernovas. Excerpts:
Han Feng
International Fashion Designer
When I was in university, I watched a movie–the name of which I can’t remember now–but I distinctly remember that it was a story about how basketball players finally succeeded. From this movie, I learned that “success begins with very small matters.” Actually, whether or not one succeeds is not important. The important thing is that from now on, you walk in the direction of success.
After I graduated from university in September 1985, I went to New York. because I wanted to study fashion design there. But because in the beginning my English was not very good, I gave up the idea of learning fashion design and decided to find a job related to fashion. So I started working in a fabric company. My job was to clean the reception area and cut fabric samples for all the designers who came to the company.
From this job, I learned about the weave, color and pattern of fabrics. I also learned how designers look at things and how they think. At that time, I put a lot of effort into doing every little thing the best I could. Other people might look at this as a very ordinary work experience, but it laid a solid foundation for me to become a designer later on. Of course, this experience also brought me into the fashion world.
In the spring of 2005, I began working on the opera “Madame Butterfly” with the famous English director, Anthony Minghella. There was a lot of pressure on us at that time, not only because in October of that year the opera was going to open in the United States and at the English National Opera House in London, but also because Peter Gelb had chosen”Madame Butterfly” to be the first public performance of an opera since he had taken over as the new General Manager of the New York Metropolitan Opera House. This was not only Anthony’s first opera; this was also my first opera.
Anthony only gave me one month to design the costumes, so I immediately flew to Shanghai and went to the Japanese Cultural Center to view the style of Japanese kimonos from 1900 to1910, as well as to study the customs of the time. After I returned to America, I visited the Oscar Award winner for costume design, Tony Walton. In his workroom, he talked about the things he had learned and showed me his sketches. Oh my, they were so beautiful. I was astounded. Every drawing was like our detailed paintings. The colors were extraordinarily lively.
But at the same time, I was in a difficult position because in the United States, colors are very expensive, and I was thinking about how much money would be needed to buy all these pigments. From my face, he could see what I was thinking. He said, “Since you are an artist, you should find your own language. You will be able to find your own way of form of expression. I believe in you!” I was so moved I could not say anything. Right after I left his house, I found my inspiration. That was to cut and paste a lot of pictures from magazines and pictorals. In a short amount of time, I gathered a lot of old magazines, and began creating my Madame Butterfly. All of the creations needed to be finished in London, so everything I did in advance was more meticulous, more clear.
A month went by, and I carried a big suitcase of creative designs to Anthony’s office in London and placed them on the ground, page by page. After Anthony looked at them, his eyes sparkled with delight and excitement. He said he could see every character in our new Madame Butterfly. I do not know how to express how I was feeling at that moment because everything I had done for the past month was for that one single day. The opera was very successful in London, and it won an award. A year later, it was performed in New York. The day the curtains opened, everyone in the team had tears of joy in their eyes. After so many days of hard work, and the blood and sweat of so many people, the perfect designs made this classic Puccini’s Madame Butterfly shine again.
Now, when I look back at the road I have traveled, I congratulate myself on taking every opportunity I did. But all this comes from knowing that great things all begin with small things and from steady work. As a woman, my success comes from confidence and optimism. I think of the best scenario in every situation, and I tell myself I will succeed. My grandmother once told me, a woman’s success is composed of her family and her career. Because I focused on my career too much before, now, with regards to a family, I have failed. But I will not give up on my pursuit of love, and I believe that I will have the perfect life my grandmother once described.
Zhang Lan
Chairwoman of the South Beauty Group
If I were to observe all rules and regulations, I would not be who I am today. I am the kind of person who really enjoys challenges. Moreover, I do not really like to follow the rules when I do things. Most of the time, I don’t keep with tradition. From my era’s point of view, passing up the opportunity to study abroad was regrettable and even crazy. But time has proven my choice to be correct, and I have succeeded. I have my own clearly defined life goals.
To succeed in an undertaking, one has to know how to grab the right opportunity. I was able to grab the opportunity at just the right time. From running my first restaurant to creating the refined Sichuan food chain to the establishment of an artistic high-end club, there is one thing that will never change: I will always be completely engrossed in and devoted to my work.
I think that men have more ambition, so women should have more devotion. If you are completely engrossed in and devoted to doing one thing, your ambition will be even greater. I have been devoted to running my first restaurant well, and now my goal is to make my restaurant a remarkable Chinese brand that will enter the global market, and earn worldwide recognition. If you are completely devoted to doing one thing, refining it, making it professional and thorough, then success will not be far behind.
I think that Chinese people often distort the word “strong woman.” Many people think that a “strong woman” is scary. That to be “strong” is to have lost a woman’s touch. I think if a woman is successful in her career, then she must be a successful person, as well as a successful woman.
I like a casual atmosphere in my company. My employees and I are all working on one enterprise, and there is no distinction between the high and low end of our positions. The only difference is in the roles we play. My role is to serve our employees, and our employees’ role is to serve our customers.
As a woman, there are some basic and fundamental things that cannot be forgotten. One should be a good wife and loving mother, and do not forget the role of a woman. To be a woman, you must take care of your family, be open-minded and accepting. In building and managing a company, it is the same. When it comes to career and family, you must be understanding. You should not demand, but you should give. Some women are aggressive in their careers, and at home they are, too. I think that this indicates failure in a woman.
Success is not measured by how much you are worth. It is instead measured by what kind of person you are. To have a very harmonious team, a group of good friends, a happy family–and to never lose them in the face of your work–I think that this is a true barometer of success.
Liu Hongyan
Demographer, China Population R&D Center
After receiving my doctorate from Peking University in 1996, I began working at the China Population Development and Research Center. My reasons for this were quite simple – I had just graduated, I needed a job, and having been a teacher for five years before beginning my doctoral work, I had no interest in returning to the classroom. Working at a research institute offered something new both in terms of working environment and content. To be honest, I had never thought about doing this sort of work before taking the position, though after a few years I came to realize that the job was actually quite fascinating.
For instance, once I was in Changsha participating in a survey of vagrant children’s living conditions that was being jointly conducted by UNICEF and the Ministry of Civil Affairs. A few local university students were accompanying me when we discovered a young vagrant living under the arch of a bridge. Initially, he thought we had come to challenge his territory and almost crushed our heads in with a brick, but after we explained why we were there and he saw that I was a woman, he slowly let down his guard and talked to us. He even agreed to help us find some other vagrant children the next day so that we could better understand their lives. These kid’s lives were nightmares. Most of them had arms covered with cigarette burns. A lot of them were just numb. One boy gave me a rundown of his thieving exploits, never showing the slightest trace of regret or remorse for what he had done.
My job deals heavily with issues involving family planning, residence registration, and vagrants, so I see a lot of society’s dark side, and sometimes it gets to me. On the bright side, however, I’m in a position to help those less fortunate in our society by informing decision makers and the public about the problems and abuses I find, perhaps someday leading to a world where these horrors don’t exist.
As a woman, I have my own advantages. Most of those engaged in the study of vagrant populations are male, but when coming into contact with vagrants my small stature doesn’t seem very threatening. This makes it easier for me to get close and win their trust.
I’ve always thought that a woman’s success comes from both career and family. Without a good family you won’t have a good life, and without a good life you won’t be able to approach your work with a proper state of mind. Right now I’m very content with my family, and this allows me to approach my never-ending work more effectively. And I’ve always felt that honesty is the cornerstone of communication. If you’re honest with everyone you meet, you’ll achieve things you wouldn’t have dared to imagine.
Zhang Haiyan
Gordon & Associates Managing Partner
My grandfather once said to me, success is like a train that is flying along and just about to reach the station. It arrives quickly, but it also leaves quickly. And those who are not prepared and are still in the hotel sleeping will miss this train. While struggling to establish my career, I think that I’ve always been the kind of person who is already dressed, holding my luggage in my hand and waiting on the train’s platform. So I was always able to find a job that I really liked and continue with it. I was able to board the train to success.
In 1987, I flew to the United States with less than one hundred dollars. In China, I had majored in computer science, and in the United States, my first job had to do with satellite meteorology, but even then, it was very clear to me that I did not want to work in these fields. One day while talking to a customer in a restaurant where I worked to make extra money, I learned about cross-cultural business consulting. But after I began working in the field, I discovered this was a man’s world. When the male executives of companies who were clients looked at me, most of them had reservations.
Right after I entered this industry, a co-worker said to me: “You have three big disadvantages: you’re a woman, a young woman, and a young foreign woman.” But I persisted and succeeded. My clients and co-workers often asked me with surprise, “As a woman, how come you have so much confidence in your work?” It’s because I liked the job and liked acting as a bridge. I was able to make male clients quickly understand what I was capable of — that I could act quicker than my co-workers, was able to learn and understand new things and could provide constructive cases that were positive, clear and innovative. For example, I could talk about American football with a large group of people and identify with them, making them quickly forget their doubts about me being a woman.
For a successful woman, self-confidence and a positive attitude are very important. When I am working, I am full of energy. Energy comes from happiness, and happiness comes from my family.
Li Hong
The International Olympic Committee’s Chief Representative for Beijing 2008
When I was appointed my current position, were skeptical. Not only am I Chinese, representing possibly the most international organization existing today, but, moreover, I am a woman. I grew up in a country in which, according to Chairman Mao, “women shoulder half the sky.” This was a notion I had learned to uphold during my earlier career in the male-dominated world of engineering.
To athletes, participating in the Olympic Games marks the pinnacle of their achievement. A great number of people and organizations provide a wide range of support so that athletes can fulfill their dream of Olympic glory. At the same time, they have to work tirelessly towards their goals and have the confidence that once they are on this world-class stage, they will strive for success and be the best they can be.
Women in leadership positions are no different from athletes at the Olympic Games – the keys to success are support and confidence.
Support from friends is s worthless, however, without confidence in one’s own abilities. Whenever I have encountered opportunities, it was the confidence in myself that helped me to make the most of them. If leaders are made and not born, they are made by the belief that they can achieve any goal they set for themselves.
An athlete needs the belief that they can progress from an amateur to an Olympian, a woman needs the confidence that she can move from the managerial level to a leadership role. A successful athlete is rewarded by marching for his or her country into the stadium during the opening ceremony, a successful woman will move from proving her ability to lead to being invited to lead.
I believe that a truly equal society will be that which supports a woman in any choice she makes at different points in her life, whether it is education, family or career. As a mother of a three-year-old child, leadership to me means steering the world towards a future in which my child can happily grow up.
Gong Haiyan
CEO of LOVE21CN.COM
I believe you must work hard if you want to succeed. After dropping out of high school, I had to struggle to get back in. After testing into Beijing University, I was given a pass into Fudan University. During the second year of my graduate studies, I built a dating web for myself, hoping to find my other half. Eventually it turned out to be one of the most popular matchmaking sites on the web. No matter the job, no matter the circumstance, I always strived to do my best. I think that most of the time fortune depends on determination, which has nothing to do with destiny.
There are many roads to choose from in this life, and the roads are long. Most of us probably don’t choose the right road from the start, but as long as we learn from our mistakes there is room for a comeback. Some of our website members are not able to rebound because of their bad experience with love. In the pursuit of success, a negative attitude towards life is a pitfall.
For women, a sense of responsibility is very important and beneficial to a career. In today’s world, women equally value family and career. As for me, I care about my family more than anything. The condition by which I devote and dedicate myself to my job is that it doesn’t disrupt the harmony of my family. Because I have a family that loves me, I’m willing to work hard.
Joanne Ooi
Creative Director, Shanghai Tang
My entire career has been a crazy ricocheting pinball machine! That’s the nature of living in Hong Kong where the business world is more fluid and forgiving if you have even a little bit of talent. What I mean is that it’s easy to get your foot in the door anywhere, with many people ready to give you a chance. Hitting a home run, though, is an entirely different matter.
I’ve taken advantage of this unusual business environment to challenge myself
continuously, getting myself into hot water, as it were, as a matter of choice, by constantly exposing myself to totally new challenges, even though I could easily rest on my laurels and mine my past experiences and concentrate on a well-defined skill set. I’ve also always repudiated a feminine, flirtatious approach to business. When I was in law school, I remember I was shocked to hear of some who flirted with their interviewers. Most of my life, I’ve been inculcated with the view that only intelligence and merit count.
Consequently, my life is a series of navigations through the unknown. While many might find such situations daunting, they are the spur to a vigorous intellectual and emotional life–one I would characterize as a constant state of overcoming ignorance and difficulty. That said, there have been many times when I have been groping in the dark for the right answer.
When I started my current position as Creative Director at Shanghai Tang five years ago, I had no idea how to create a collection of clothing. I had literally never done it before, despite much experience in clothing wholesale and retail. My first attempts to piece a collection together were almost comic. For example, I thought you chose the color palette for a collection from a Pantone book with only a view to make the pretty chips match up. Only a year later did I learn that the industry fiat determines the color palette with seasonal colors announced by trend reporting services. The palette is a combination of those colors–virtually obligatory–plus the colors of fabrics purveyed by manufacturers–within this same system–aligned with the color stories for that season.
My first collection, therefore, was literally a shot in the dark. And boy did it show! Although the ideas weren’t terrible, the colors were stark and the finishing crude. I underwent a similar process when devising the ad campaign. It was a good match to the clothing: garish and poorly realized! It took me at least two years to figure all this out, as a matter of both determination and on-the-job trial-by-fire self-training and deduction. Unfortunately, there was no one there who could spoon-feed me any of this information!
After this initial, critical period, though, I can say that my knowledge and instincts, now well-honed, in both creating fashion and imagery, are hard-won and based on having made so many mistakes. There is no substitute for making mistakes. If I can pass on one piece of advice, it is this: better to fall flat on your face by figuring it out by yourself than taking the easy route – mimicking and copying the example of others. The former forces you to take risks and test your approach to problems. The latter, being easy, by definition, doesn’t arm you any better for the next challenge. You may have aced that particular assignment, but you don’t have the tools to go forward.
Compiled by Megan Shank, Brandon Zhou (Shanghai), Zhou Min (Beijing)
LESSONS WE HAVE LEARNED
Successful women leaders from various fields share their experience, encourage independent thinking and remind us that with a little integrity and a lot of faith, true success is within anyone’s reach. It’s about dedication rather than destiny, they say, humble beginnings rather than supernovas. Excerpts:
国际时装设计师韩枫
在大å¦çš„时候看过一部电影，我已ç»è®°ä¸èµ·ç”µå½±çš„åå—，但清晰地记得它讲述的是篮çƒè¿åŠ¨å‘˜å¦‚何走å‘æˆåŠŸçš„故事。从这部电影我å¦åˆ°äº†”æˆåŠŸæ˜¯ä»Žå°äº‹å¼€å§‹çš„”。是å¦æˆåŠŸå…¶å®žå¹¶ä¸é‡è¦ï¼Œé‡è¦çš„是从现在开始æœç€æˆåŠŸçš„æ–¹å‘走。
1985å¹´9月大å¦æ¯•ä¸šåŽå°±åŽ»äº†çº½çº¦ï¼Œå› 为很想到美国å¦ä¹ æœè£…设计。但是由于刚开始è¯è¨€ä¸é€šï¼Œæˆ‘放弃了å¦æœè£…设计的念头，决定找一份和æœè£…相关的工作，于是我去了一家布料公å¸ã€‚工作是打扫接待室和给所有æ¥å…¬å¸çœ‹é¢æ–™çš„设计师剪å°æ ·ã€‚
通过这份工作，我å¦åˆ°äº†å¸ƒæ–™çš„纺织，染色，å°èŠ±ç‰çŸ¥è¯†ï¼Œä¹Ÿå¦åˆ°äº†é‚£äº›è®¾è®¡å¸ˆçœ‹å¾…东西的眼光和æ€ç»´æ–¹å¼ã€‚当时我对自己的è¦æ±‚是尽最大的努力åšå¥½å·¥ä½œä¸çš„æ¯ä¸€ä»¶å°äº‹ã€‚这段别人看æ¥å¾ˆæ™®é€šçš„工作ç»åŽ†ï¼Œå´ä¸ºæˆ‘之åŽæˆä¸ºä¸€ä¸ªè®¾è®¡å¸ˆæ‰“下了åšå®žçš„基础。当然，这段ç»åŽ†ä¹Ÿå¸¦æˆ‘进入了æœè£…行业。
2005年的春节，我开始和英国著åå¯¼æ¼”å®‰ä¸œå°¼â€¢æ˜Žæ ¼æ‹‰ï¼ˆAnthony Minghella）一起ç–划æŒå‰§”è´è¶å¤«äºº”，当时我们的压力很大，ä¸ä»…å› ä¸ºå½“å¹´10月æŒå‰§å°±è¦åœ¨ç¾Žå›½å’Œä¼¦æ•¦çš„英国国家æŒå‰§é™¢ï¼ˆEnglish National Opera House） 开幕，而且纽约的大都会æŒå‰§é™¢ï¼ˆThe Metropolitan Opera House）新上任的总è£å½¼å¾—•盖波(Peter Gelb)è¦æŠŠæˆ‘们的”è´è¶å¤«äºº”作为他上任åŽå…¬æ¼”的第一部æŒå‰§ã€‚è¿™ä¸ä»…是安东尼的第一部æŒå‰§ï¼Œä¹Ÿæ˜¯æˆ‘的第一部。
安东尼åªç»™äº†æˆ‘一个月的时间æ¥è®¾è®¡æ•´ä¸ªèˆžå°æœé¥°ï¼Œæ‰€ä»¥æˆ‘ç«‹å³é£žåˆ°ä¸Šæµ·ï¼Œåˆ°ä¸Šæµ·çš„日本文化ä¸å¿ƒå¯»æ‰¾1900年至1910年其间日本和æœçš„款å¼åŠå½“æ—¶çš„é£Žä¿—ä¹ æƒ¯ã€‚å›žåˆ°ç¾Žå›½åŽï¼Œæˆ‘拜访了奥斯å¡å¥–得主舞å°æœé¥°è®¾è®¡å¸ˆæ‰˜å°¼â€¢æ²ƒå°”顿（Tony Walton）。在他的工作室，è€äººè®²è¿°äº†ä»–的心得，并给我看了他的手稿，”我的天，太美了”，我惊呆了，æ¯ä¸€ç¬”都象我们的工笔画，色彩æžå…¶ç”ŸåŠ¨ã€‚
但åŒæ—¶æˆ‘ä¹Ÿå¾ˆä¸ºéš¾ï¼Œå› ä¸ºåœ¨ç¾Žå›½é¢œæ–™å¾ˆè´µï¼Œæˆ‘å¾—èŠ±å¤šå°‘é’±æ‰èƒ½ä¹°è¿™ä¹ˆå¤šçš„颜料啊。è€äººä»Žæˆ‘的脸上看出了我的心事，说：”å¹´è½»äººï¼Œä½ æ—¢ç„¶æ˜¯ä¸€ä¸ªè‰ºæœ¯å®¶ï¼Œå°±åº”å¯»æ‰¾è‡ªå·±çš„è¯è¨€ï¼Œä½ ä¸€å®šèƒ½æ‰¾åˆ°ä½ è‡ªå·±çš„è¡¨è¾¾æ–¹å¼ï¼Œæˆ‘ç›¸ä¿¡ä½ ï¼”æˆ‘æ„ŸåŠ¨å¾—è¯´ä¸å‡ºè¯æ¥ã€‚刚离开他家，我找到了çµæ„Ÿï¼Œé‚£å°±æ˜¯ç”¨å¾ˆå¤šç”»æŠ¥å’Œæ‚/志的图片æ¥å‰ªè´´ã€‚我用很çŸçš„时间收集了大é‡çš„æ—§æ‚志，开始了我的è´è¶å¤«äººçš„创作。所有的创作最åŽè¦åœ¨ä¼¦æ•¦å®Œæˆï¼Œæ‰€ä»¥æˆ‘预先将所有的资料准备得更细致，更一目了然。
一个月过去了，我æºç€ä¸€å¤§ç®±åˆ›æ„计划æ¥åˆ°ä¼¦æ•¦å®‰ä¸œå°¼çš„办公室，一页一页地摊在地上，安东尼看了之åŽï¼Œçœ¼é‡Œé—ªçƒç€å–œæ‚¦å’Œæ¿€åŠ¨ï¼Œä»–说他è§åˆ°äº†æˆ‘们的新è´è¶å¤«äººä¸çš„æ¯ä¸€ä¸ªè§’色。我那时真ä¸çŸ¥è¯¥å¦‚ä½•è¡¨è¾¾è‡ªå·±çš„å¿ƒæƒ…ï¼Œå› ä¸ºä¸€ä¸ªæœˆæ¥æˆ‘所åšçš„一切就是为了这一天。
æŒå‰§åœ¨ä¼¦æ•¦ä¸Šæ¼”éžå¸¸æˆåŠŸå¹¶å¾—了奖。一年åŽï¼Œåœ¨çº½çº¦æŒå‰§é™¢ä¸Šæ¼”。开幕那天，我们团队的所有æˆå‘˜ï¼Œçœ¼é‡Œéƒ½å«ç€æ¿€åŠ¨çš„æ³ªæ°´ï¼Œé‚£ä¹ˆå¤šå¤©çš„åŠªåŠ›ï¼Œé‚£ä¹ˆå¤šäººçš„å¿ƒè¡€ï¼Œå®Œç¾Žçš„è®¾è®¡è®©è¿™ä¼ ç»Ÿçš„æ™®å¥‘å°¼çš„è´è¶å¤«äººé‡æ”¾å…‰å½©ã€‚
现在回头看ç€è‡ªå·±èµ°è¿‡çš„路，我庆幸自己抓ä½äº†æ¯ä¸€ä¸ªæœºä¼šï¼Œä½†è¿™ä¸€åˆ‡éƒ½åœ¨äºŽæˆ‘知é“万事都需从å°äº‹å¼€å§‹ï¼Œä¸€æ¥ä¸€ä¸ªè„šå°ã€‚作为女人，我的æˆåŠŸæ¥è‡ªäºŽè‡ªä¿¡å’Œä¹è§‚。任何一件事情，我都会往好处想，认为自己一定能æˆåŠŸã€‚我的奶奶曾ç»å‘Šè¯‰æˆ‘，女人的æˆåŠŸæ˜¯ç”±å®¶åºå’Œäº‹ä¸šä¸¤éƒ¨åˆ†ç»„æˆçš„ã€‚ä½†æ˜¯ï¼Œå› ä¸ºä»¥å‰è¿‡äºŽè¿½æ±‚事业，现在而言，在家åºä¸Šæˆ‘是失败的。但是，我决ä¸ä¼šæ”¾å¼ƒå¯¹çˆ±æƒ…的追求，也相信自己会拥有一个如奶奶所æ述的完美人生。
ä¿æ±Ÿå—é¤é¥®é›†å›¢è‘£äº‹é•¿å¼ è“
如果是循规蹈矩的è¯ï¼Œå°±æ²¡æœ‰ä»Šå¤©çš„我了。我是一个éžå¸¸å–œæ¬¢æŒ‘战的人，而且也ä¸å¤§å–œæ¬¢æŒ‰è§„矩åšäº‹ï¼Œä¹Ÿå°±æ˜¯è¯´å¾ˆå¤šæ—¶å€™ä¸æŒ‰ç…§ä¼ 统的æ€ç»´æ–¹å¼åšäº‹æƒ…ã€‚å¦‚æžœæŒ‰ç…§ä¼ ç»Ÿçš„æ€ç»´æ–¹å¼çœ‹ï¼Œåœ¨é‚£ä¸ªå¹´ä»£æ”¾å¼ƒåœ¨å›½å¤–ç•™å¦å‘展的机会是éžå¸¸å¯æƒœè€Œåˆç–¯ç‹‚的。但是时间è¯æ˜Žæˆ‘的选择是æ£ç¡®çš„ã€æˆåŠŸçš„ï¼Œæˆ‘æœ‰æˆ‘è‡ªå·±çš„æ˜Žç¡®çš„äººç”Ÿç›®æ ‡ã€‚
事业æˆåŠŸéœ€è¦å–„于抓ä½æœºé‡ï¼Œæ°æ°å½“时的机é‡å°±è¢«æˆ‘抓ä½äº†ã€‚从ç»è¥ç¬¬ä¸€å®¶é¤åŽ…到培育精å“å·èœ”ä¿æ±Ÿå—”å“牌å†åˆ°ä»Šå¤©çš„充满艺术气æ¯çš„高档俱ä¹éƒ¨”å…°club”，有一点是永远ä¸ä¼šå˜åŒ–的，那就是”专注”"专心”。我觉得男人有野心，女人更应该”专心”。如果专心åšä¸€ä»¶äº‹æƒ…，野心就更大。æ£æ˜¯å› 为专心ç»è¥å¥½ç¬¬ä¸€å®¶é¤åŽ…ï¼Œå› æ¤æˆ‘çŽ°åœ¨çš„ç›®æ ‡å°±æ˜¯æŠŠ”ä¿æ±Ÿå—”åšæˆä¸€ä¸ªçœŸæ£çš„ä¸åŽæ°‘æ—çš„å“牌，打入世界市场，进入世界五百强，被世界所认å¯ã€‚专心åšä¸€ä»¶äº‹æƒ…，把它åšç²¾ã€åšä¸“ã€åšé€ï¼Œé‚£ä¹ˆç¦»æˆåŠŸä¹Ÿå°±ä¸è¿œäº†ã€‚
我觉得ä¸å›½äººå¾ˆå¤šæ—¶å€™æŠŠ”女强人”这个è¯ç»™æ‰æ›²äº†ï¼Œå¾ˆå¤šäººè®¤ä¸º”女强人”是很å¯æ€•çš„，失去女人味é“的。我认为，一个女人如果事业æˆåŠŸï¼Œå¥¹ä¸€å®šæ˜¯ä¸ªå¾ˆæˆåŠŸçš„人，也是个æˆåŠŸçš„女人。在公å¸é‡Œï¼Œæˆ‘比较喜欢很éšæ„的氛围，我和员工都是在ç»è¥ä¸€ä¸ªä¼ä¸šï¼Œæ²¡æœ‰ä»€ä¹ˆé«˜ä½Žè´µè´±ä¹‹åˆ†ï¼Œåªæ˜¯æ‰®æ¼”的角色ä¸åŒã€‚我扮演的角色就是æœåŠ¡å¥½æˆ‘的员工，我们的员工æœåŠ¡å¥½æˆ‘们的顾客。åšå¥³äººï¼Œä¸€å®šä¸èƒ½ä¸¢æŽ‰ä¸€äº›æœ€åˆæœ€æ ¹æœ¬çš„东西，应该åšä¸ª”贤妻良比，ä¸è¦å¿˜è®°åšå¥³äººçš„角色。åšå¥³äººè¦æ‰®æ¼”好自己的家åºè§’色，è¦å¿ƒèƒ¸å®½å¹¿ã€‚åšä¼ä¸šä¹Ÿæ˜¯ä¸€æ ·ã€‚在事业上和家åºéƒ½è¦å¾ˆå¤§çš„包容心。ä¸åº”该索å–，应该付出。有的女人在事业上很强æ‚，在家里也很强æ‚，我认为那是åšå¥³äººçš„失败。
æˆåŠŸä¸æ˜¯ç”¨ä»·å€¼æ¥è¡¡é‡çš„，首先看åšäººã€‚有一个很和è°çš„团队ã€ä¸€å¸®å¾ˆå¥½çš„朋å‹ï¼Œä¸€ä¸ªå¹¸ç¦çš„家åºï¼Œä¸ä¼šå› 为工作失去朋å‹ã€å®¶åºã€‚我觉得这就是æˆåŠŸçš„状æ€ã€‚
ä¸å›½äººå£å¦å®¶åˆ˜é¸¿é›
1996年从北京大å¦åšå£«ç”Ÿæ¯•ä¸šä»¥åŽï¼Œæˆ‘æ¥åˆ°ä¸å›½äººå£å¦ä¸Žå‘å±•ç ”ç©¶ä¸å¿ƒå·¥ä½œã€‚åŽŸå› å¾ˆç®€å•ï¼Œå½“时刚毕业的我需è¦ä¸€ä»½å·¥ä½œï¼Œè€Œæˆ‘在读åšä¹‹å‰åšäº†5å¹´çš„è€å¸ˆï¼Œä¸æƒ³å†å½“äº†ï¼Œç ”ç©¶æ‰€çš„å·¥ä½œè®©æˆ‘æœ‰ä¸€ä¸ªæ–°çš„å·¥ä½œçŽ¯å¢ƒå’Œå†…å®¹ã€‚å…¶å®žåˆšåšè¿™ä¸€è¡Œçš„æ—¶å€™ï¼Œæˆ‘å¯¹è¿™ä»½å·¥ä½œå¹¶æ²¡æœ‰ä»€ä¹ˆæƒ³æ³•ï¼Œä½†æ˜¯åœ¨å·¥ä½œå‡ å¹´ä»¥åŽï¼Œé€æ¸å‘现这份èŒä¸šå…¶å®žå¾ˆæœ‰æ„æ€ã€‚
例如有一次我在长沙å‚与è”åˆå›½å„¿ç«¥åŸºé‡‘会与ä¸å›½æ°‘政部åˆä½œçš„一次了解æµæµªå„¿ç«¥ç”Ÿå˜çŠ¶å†µçš„è°ƒæŸ¥ï¼Œåœ¨å½“åœ°å‡ ä¸ªå¤§å¦ç”Ÿçš„陪åŒä¸‹ï¼Œæˆ‘在é“路沿线的桥洞里找到了一个少年æµæµªè€…。刚开始，他以为抢地盘的人æ¥äº†ï¼Œç –å¤´å‡ ä¹Žç ¸åˆ°äº†æˆ‘ä»¬çš„å¤´ä¸Šã€‚å½“è¡¨æ˜Žäº†æ¥æ„ï¼ŒåŠ ä¸Šçœ‹åˆ°æˆ‘æ˜¯ä¸€ä¸ªå¥³æ€§åŽï¼Œä»–é€æ¸æ¶ˆé™¤äº†æˆ’备心ç†å’Œæˆ‘们攀谈起æ¥ã€‚第二天更ç”应帮助找一些æµæµªå„¿ç«¥äº†è§£æƒ…况。这些æµæµªå„¿ç«¥æ‰‹è‡‚ä¸Šå¤§å¤šéƒ½æœ‰çƒŸå¤´çƒ«è¿‡çš„ç—•è¿¹ï¼Œä»–ä»¬æ— å¥ˆåœ°ç”Ÿæ´»åœ¨æ¶æ¢¦ä¹‹ä¸ã€‚一些常年æµæµªåœ¨å¤–的儿童已ç»å¯¹ç”Ÿæ´»éº»æœ¨äº†ï¼Œä¸€ä¸ªå°å®¶ä¼™æ›´æ¯«æ— 愧æ„地å‘我介ç»ä»–的抢劫ç»åŽ†ã€‚å› ä¸ºæˆ‘çš„å·¥ä½œå¸¸æ¶‰åŠå¾ˆå¤šè®¡åˆ’生育ã€æˆ·ç±åˆ¶åº¦å’ŒæµåŠ¨äººå£çš„问题。所以我比平常人更多地接触到社会ä¸è¿™äº›æ¯”较消æžçš„一é¢ï¼Œè®©æˆ‘有时觉得很痛苦。但庆幸的是，我也å¯ä»¥å°†å˜åœ¨çš„é—®é¢˜å’Œå¼Šç«¯ä¼ è¾¾ç»™ç¤¾ä¼šå’Œæ”¿åºœå†³ç–者，为弱势群体æ供帮助，也许终有一天这些问题能够ä¸å†å‘生。
作为女性，我也有ç€è‡ªå·±çš„优势。虽然在从事æµåŠ¨äººå£ç ”究工作的以男性居多，但是在接触æµåŠ¨äººç¾¤æ—¶ï¼Œèº«æ矮å°çš„我在很多人看æ¥æ˜¯æ²¡æœ‰æ€ä¼¤åŠ›çš„，这让我更容易接近他们，赢得他们的信任。
我一直觉得女人的æˆåŠŸå’Œå¹¸ç¦æ˜¯æ¥è‡ªäºŽå®¶åºå’Œäº‹ä¸šä¸¤æ–¹é¢ã€‚没有一个好的家åºï¼Œå°±æ²¡æœ‰ä¸€ä¸ªå’Œè°çš„生活，也就没有一个轻æ¾çš„心æ€æŠ•å…¥åˆ°å·¥ä½œä¸åŽ»ã€‚ç›®å‰æˆ‘对我的家åºæ˜¯æ»¡æ„çš„ï¼Œè¿™è®©æˆ‘èƒ½å¤Ÿæ›´å¥½åœ°åŽ»å·¥ä½œï¼Œå› ä¸ºæˆ‘çš„å·¥ä½œè¿˜æœ‰å¤ªå¤šå¤ªå¤šéœ€è¦åŽ»å®Œæˆã€‚å¦å¤–，我始终相信真诚是沟通的基石。真诚地对待æ¯ä¸€ä¸ªäººï¼Œä¼šè®©æˆ‘们得到æ„想ä¸åˆ°çš„收获。
Gordon & Associateså…¬å¸ä¸»ç®¡åˆä¼™äººå¼ 海燕
我的爷爷曾和我说，æˆåŠŸå°±åƒä¸€åˆ—å¿«è¦åˆ°ç«™çš„æ£åœ¨é£žé©°ç€çš„ç«è½¦ï¼Œæ¥çš„快，去的也快，而没有准备ä»ç„¶è¿˜åœ¨æ—…馆里ç¡è§‰çš„人一定会错过列车。在事业奋斗过程ä¸ï¼Œæˆ‘想我是一个总是穿好衣æœã€æç€è¡ŒæŽå·²ç»åœ¨ç«™å°ä¸Šç‰å€™çš„人，所以能够找到了自己真æ£å–œæ¬¢çš„工作，并åšæŒäº†ä¸‹æ¥ï¼Œæ上了æˆåŠŸçš„ç«è½¦ã€‚
１９８７年，我怀æ£å‡ å美元飞往美国。在ä¸å›½æˆ‘å¦ä¹ 的专业是计算机科å¦ï¼Œåœ¨ç¾Žå›½æˆ‘从事的第一份工作是有关å«æ˜Ÿæ°”象的工作，但那时我很清楚这些都ä¸æ˜¯æˆ‘所想åšçš„，直到我在é¤é¦†é‡Œå…¼èŒæ‰“工时通过和一个顾客的交谈接触到跨文化商务咨询这个行业。但是，这是一个男人的领域，由男性公å¸é«˜ç®¡ç»„æˆçš„客户大多在看到我的时候会心å˜ç–‘虑。
我刚入行时的一ä½åŒäº‹æ›¾ç»å’Œæˆ‘è¯´è¿‡ï¼Œä½ æœ‰ä¸‰å¤§åŠ£åŠ¿ï¼šå¥³äººã€å¹´è½»å¥³äººå’Œå¤–国女人。但我åšæŒä¸‹æ¥äº†ï¼Œå–得了æˆåŠŸï¼Œå› 为我喜欢这份工作和充当桥æ¢çš„角色。我能够让男性客户们很快明白我能比我的åŒäº‹ä»¬æ›´èƒ½é‡‡å–积æžçš„行动，去å¦ä¹ å’Œç†è§£æˆ‘所陌生的事物， æ供积æžã€æ˜Žç¡®å…·æœ‰æ–°æ„且有建设性的方案。例如，我能当众大谈美å¼æ©„榄çƒï¼Œå’Œä»–们打æˆä¸€ç‰‡ï¼Œè®©ä»–们很快忘记对我作为女性的疑虑。
自信和良好的心æ€å¯¹æˆåŠŸçš„女人而言很é‡è¦ï¼Œæ‰€ä»¥è¯´ä¸å›½å¥³äººæ˜¯å¹¸ç¦çš„。与其他国家的女性相比，ä¸å›½å¤§é™†çŽ°ä»£å¥³æ€§åœ¨ç¤¾ä¼šä¸æœ‰ç€å¾ˆé«˜çš„地ä½ã€‚我刚æ¥åˆ°ç¾Žå›½æ—¶å‘现自己并ä¸ç¼ºä¹æˆç†Ÿè€Œè‡ªä¿¡ã€‚我的客户和åŒäº‹ç»å¸¸ä¼šæƒŠè®¶åœ°é—®æˆ‘è¯´ï¼Œä½œä¸ºä¸€ä¸ªå¥³æ€§ï¼Œä½ åœ¨å·¥ä½œä¸ä¸ºä½•èƒ½å¤Ÿå¦‚æ¤è‡ªä¿¡ã€‚
在工作的时候，我是一个动力å足的人。动力æ¥è‡ªå¿«ä¹ï¼Œè€Œå¿«ä¹æ›´æ¥è‡ªæˆ‘的家åºã€‚我的丈夫认为我应该去åšè‡ªå·±æƒ³åŽ»åšçš„事情，并给予了很大的支æŒã€‚去年，我æ¥å¾€ä¸ç¾Žï¼™æ¬¡ï¼Œå¾ˆå¤šæ—¶é—´æ˜¯åœ¨é£žæœºä¸Šæ¸¡è¿‡çš„。但是，我没有感到疲惫和å¤å•ï¼Œå› 为有一个很好的家åºåœ¨åŽé¢æ”¯æ’‘ç€æˆ‘。所以，在美国的时候，å³ä¾¿å†å¿™ï¼Œæ™šé¥æ—¶å…‰ä¸€å®šè¦å’Œå®¶äººæ¸¡è¿‡ã€‚
国际奥委会驻ä¸å›½é¦–å¸ä»£è¡¨æŽçº¢
当我刚刚被国际当我刚刚被国际奥委会任命为驻北京2008 年奥è¿ä¼šç»„委会的代表的时候，很多人都心å˜ç–‘虑。ä¸ä»…ä»…å› ä¸ºæˆ‘æ˜¯è¿™ä¸ªè¿„ä»Šä¸ºæ¢å‡ 乎最国际化的组织里的ä¸å›½äººï¼Œæ›´å› 为我的性别—-我是一å女性。我在这个就åƒæ¯›ä¸»å¸æ‰€è¯´çš„”妇女能顶åŠè¾¹å¤©”的国家长大，这一信念支æŒæˆ‘在自己早期的工作-男性主导的工程领域工作ä¸æ¸¸åˆƒæœ‰ä½™ã€‚
对è¿åŠ¨å‘˜æ¥è¯´ï¼Œå‚åŠ å¥¥è¿ä¼šæ„味ç€ä»–们个人æˆå°±çš„巅峰。有许许多多人和组织的大力支æŒå¸®åŠ©è¿åŠ¨å‘˜æˆå°±ä»–们的奥林匹克辉煌。åŒæ—¶ï¼Œè¿åŠ¨å‘˜ä¸çŸ¥ç–²å€¦çš„å‘ç€ç›®æ ‡åŠªåŠ›ï¼Œä¹Ÿåšä¿¡ä¸€æ—¦è‡ªå·±ç™»ä¸Šå¥¥æž—匹克大舞å°å°±ä¼šç«å°½å…¨åŠ›ã€‚
处于领导ä½ç½®çš„女性和奥林匹克è¿åŠ¨å‘˜å¹¶æ²¡æœ‰ä»€ä¹ˆä¸åŒ —- 通å‘æˆåŠŸçš„关键在于支æŒå’Œä¿¡å¿ƒã€‚
我和我的团队肩负ç€åœ¨ä¸å›½æŽ¨å¹¿å¥¥æž—匹克精神，ä¿æŠ¤å¥¥æž—匹克å“牌价值和其它细节ç–划è¿ä½œçš„任务。在ä¸å›½è¿™ä¸ªå¯¹å¥¥æž—匹克充满了激情的国度里，这些ç¹é‡çš„工作æ„味ç€å·¨å¤§çš„åŽ‹åŠ›ã€‚æˆ‘ä¹‹æ‰€ä»¥èƒ½å¤Ÿé¡ºåˆ©çš„æ‰¿æ‹…è¿™äº›åŽ‹åŠ›ï¼Œæ˜¯å› ä¸ºæœ‹å‹çš„支æŒè®©æˆ‘获益匪浅。
这些支æŒæ„义é‡å¤§ï¼Œç„¶è€Œä¿¡å¿ƒä¹Ÿæ˜¯å¿…ä¸å¯ç¼ºçš„：ä¸è®ºä½•æ—¶æœºé‡åˆ°æ¥ï¼Œæ˜¯åšå®šçš„自信帮助我出色的赢得那些机会。如å¤è¯æ‰€äº‘：”读万å·ä¹¦ï¼Œè¡Œä¸‡é‡Œè·¯”。在ä¸å›½å‡ºç”Ÿå¹¶å®Œæˆå¤§å¦æ•™è‚²ï¼Œåœ¨ç¾Žå›½ç»§ç»é«˜ç‰æ•™è‚²å¹¶å·¥ä½œï¼Œæœ€åŽåœ¨æ¬§æ´²å·¥ä½œå¹¶å»ºç«‹å®¶åºï¼Œ 这些ç»åŽ†è®©æˆ‘对ä¸åŒæ–‡åŒ–和价值观有更深刻的了解，也是我胜任目å‰å·¥ä½œçš„信心æ¥æº
如果说领导者ä¸æ˜¯å¤©ç”Ÿçš„，那他们就是被自己能够达æˆä»»ä½•æ—¢å®šç›®æ ‡çš„信念所æˆå°±çš„。è¿åŠ¨å‘˜éœ€è¦ä¿¡å¿µæ¥æ”¯æ’‘自己，走过艰辛的从体育爱好者到奥林匹克选手的é“路；女性也需è¦ä¿¡å¿µæ¥æ”¯æŒè‡ªå·±å…‹æœé™ˆæ—§è§‚念，完æˆä»Žæ™®é€šç®¡ç†è€…到领导者角色的转å˜ã€‚æˆåŠŸçš„è¿åŠ¨å‘˜èƒ½å¤Ÿä»£è¡¨è‡ªå·±çš„国家在奥è¿ä¼šå¼€å¹•å¼ä¸Šèµ°å…¥ä¸»ä½“育馆，æˆåŠŸçš„女性将会从需è¦è¯æ˜Žè‡ªå·±çš„能力æˆé•¿ä¸ºè¢«å¹¿æ³›æŽ¥å—的领导者。
我相信一个真æ£å¹³ç‰çš„社会是在女性人生的任何阶段都支æŒå¥¹ä»¬å†³å®šçš„社会，ä¸è®ºæ˜¯åœ¨é¢ä¸´æ•™è‚²ã€å®¶åºè¿˜æ˜¯äº‹ä¸šçš„抉择时。作为一个三å²å©åçš„æ¯äº²ï¼Œæˆ‘领悟到了一个女性领导è¦æŠŠä¸–界引领到什么方å‘-那是一个我希望自己的å©å能够快ä¹æˆé•¿çš„世界。的代表的时候，很多人都心å˜ç–‘虑。ä¸ä»…ä»…å› ä¸ºæˆ‘æ˜¯è¿™ä¸ªè¿„ä»Šä¸ºæ¢å‡ 乎最国际化的组织里的ä¸å›½äººï¼Œæ›´å› 为我的性别—-我是一å女性。我在这个就åƒæ¯›ä¸»å¸æ‰€è¯´çš„”妇女能顶åŠè¾¹å¤©”的国家长大，这一信念支æŒæˆ‘在自己早期的工作-男性主导的工程领域工作ä¸æ¸¸åˆƒæœ‰ä½™ã€‚
对è¿åŠ¨å‘˜æ¥è¯´ï¼Œå‚åŠ å¥¥è¿ä¼šæ„味ç€ä»–们个人æˆå°±çš„巅峰。有许许多多人和组织的大力支æŒå¸®åŠ©è¿åŠ¨å‘˜æˆå°±ä»–们的奥林匹克辉煌。åŒæ—¶ï¼Œè¿åŠ¨å‘˜ä¸çŸ¥ç–²å€¦çš„å‘ç€ç›®æ ‡åŠªåŠ›ï¼Œä¹Ÿåšä¿¡ä¸€æ—¦è‡ªå·±ç™»ä¸Šå¥¥æž—匹克大舞å°å°±ä¼šç«å°½å…¨åŠ›ã€‚
处于领导ä½ç½®çš„女性和奥林匹克è¿åŠ¨å‘˜å¹¶æ²¡æœ‰ä»€ä¹ˆä¸åŒ —- 通å‘æˆåŠŸçš„关键在于支æŒå’Œä¿¡å¿ƒã€‚
我和我的团队肩负ç€åœ¨ä¸å›½æŽ¨å¹¿å¥¥æž—匹克精神，ä¿æŠ¤å¥¥æž—匹克å“牌价值和其它细节ç–划è¿ä½œçš„任务。在ä¸å›½è¿™ä¸ªå¯¹å¥¥æž—匹克充满了激情的国度里，这些ç¹é‡çš„工作æ„味ç€å·¨å¤§çš„åŽ‹åŠ›ã€‚æˆ‘ä¹‹æ‰€ä»¥èƒ½å¤Ÿé¡ºåˆ©çš„æ‰¿æ‹…è¿™äº›åŽ‹åŠ›ï¼Œæ˜¯å› ä¸ºæœ‹å‹çš„支æŒè®©æˆ‘获益匪浅。
这些支æŒæ„义é‡å¤§ï¼Œç„¶è€Œä¿¡å¿ƒä¹Ÿæ˜¯å¿…ä¸å¯ç¼ºçš„：ä¸è®ºä½•æ—¶æœºé‡åˆ°æ¥ï¼Œæ˜¯åšå®šçš„自信帮助我出色的赢得那些机会。如å¤è¯æ‰€äº‘：”读万å·ä¹¦ï¼Œè¡Œä¸‡é‡Œè·¯”。在ä¸å›½å‡ºç”Ÿå¹¶å®Œæˆå¤§å¦æ•™è‚²ï¼Œåœ¨ç¾Žå›½ç»§ç»é«˜ç‰æ•™è‚²å¹¶å·¥ä½œï¼Œæœ€åŽåœ¨æ¬§æ´²å·¥ä½œå¹¶å»ºç«‹å®¶åºï¼Œ 这些ç»åŽ†è®©æˆ‘对ä¸åŒæ–‡åŒ–和价值观有更深刻的了解，也是我胜任目å‰å·¥ä½œçš„信心æ¥æº
如果说领导者ä¸æ˜¯å¤©ç”Ÿçš„，那他们就是被自己能够达æˆä»»ä½•æ—¢å®šç›®æ ‡çš„信念所æˆå°±çš„。è¿åŠ¨å‘˜éœ€è¦ä¿¡å¿µæ¥æ”¯æ’‘自己，走过艰辛的从体育爱好者到奥林匹克选手的é“路；女性也需è¦ä¿¡å¿µæ¥æ”¯æŒè‡ªå·±å…‹æœé™ˆæ—§è§‚念，完æˆä»Žæ™®é€šç®¡ç†è€…到领导者角色的转å˜ã€‚æˆåŠŸçš„è¿åŠ¨å‘˜èƒ½å¤Ÿä»£è¡¨è‡ªå·±çš„国家在奥è¿ä¼šå¼€å¹•å¼ä¸Šèµ°å…¥ä¸»ä½“育馆，æˆåŠŸçš„女性将会从需è¦è¯æ˜Žè‡ªå·±çš„能力æˆé•¿ä¸ºè¢«å¹¿æ³›æŽ¥å—的领导者。
我相信一个真æ£å¹³ç‰çš„社会是在女性人生的任何阶段都支æŒå¥¹ä»¬å†³å®šçš„社会，ä¸è®ºæ˜¯åœ¨é¢ä¸´æ•™è‚²ã€å®¶åºè¿˜æ˜¯äº‹ä¸šçš„抉择时。作为一个三å²å©åçš„æ¯äº²ï¼Œæˆ‘领悟到了一个女性领导è¦æŠŠä¸–界引领到什么方å‘-那是一个我希望自己的å©å能够快ä¹æˆé•¿çš„世界。
世纪佳缘网站CEO龚海燕
任何人æˆåŠŸï¼Œéƒ½å¿…é¡»è¦åŠªåŠ›ã€‚我高ä¸è¾å¦ï¼Œç»è¿‡åŠªåŠ›å¥‹æ–—终于åˆå›žåˆ°äº†æ ¡å›ï¼Œåˆ°è€ƒä¸Šäº†åŒ—京大å¦ï¼Œä¹‹åŽåˆåˆ°ä¿é€åˆ°å¤æ—¦å¤§å¦ã€‚ç ”ç©¶ç”ŸäºŒå¹´çº§çš„æ—¶å€™ï¼Œæˆ‘ç»™è‡ªå·±åšäº†ä¸€ä¸ªå©šæ‹ç½‘站，希望在这里找到人生ä¸çš„å¦ä¸€åŠã€‚ä¸ç®¡åœ¨ä½•ç§å¤„境，ä¸ç®¡åšä»»ä½•å·¥ä½œï¼Œæˆ‘都是尽力而为，争å–åšå¥½æ¯ä¸€ä»¶äº‹æƒ…。我想，幸è¿æˆ–者ä¸å¹¸ï¼Œå¾ˆå¤šæ—¶å€™ï¼Œæ— 关命è¿ï¼Œè€Œåœ¨äºŽè‡ªå·±çš„决心。
人生å¯ä»¥èµ°çš„路很多，脚下的路也很长，很多时候，我们未必能在最åˆé€‰æ‹©ä¸€æ¡æœ€æ£ç¡®çš„路，但是åªè¦æˆ‘们å‘现错了，还是å¯ä»¥å¹¡ç„¶æ‚”悟。我们的一些会员，有过失败的爱情ç»åŽ†å°±èŽé¡ä¸æŒ¯ï¼Œå¯¹ç”Ÿæ´»æ²¡æœ‰ç§¯æžçš„æ€åº¦ä¼šæ˜¯æˆ‘们æˆåŠŸè·¯ä¸Šçš„绊脚石。
责任心对女性æ¥è¯´å¾ˆé‡è¦ï¼Œé«˜åº¦çš„责任心对事业有益。现代社会，家åºå’Œäº‹ä¸šå¯¹å¥³æ€§æ¥è¯´éƒ½æ˜¯éžå¸¸é‡è¦çš„，对我æ¥è¯´ï¼Œæˆ‘更看é‡å®¶åºã€‚我在工作上的付出，å‰æ是ä¸å½±å“家åºçš„å’Œè°ã€‚我æ¯å¤©æ„¿æ„å¾ˆåŠªåŠ›åœ°å·¥ä½œï¼Œæ˜¯å› ä¸ºå®¶é‡Œæœ‰çˆ±æˆ‘çš„äººå’Œæˆ‘çˆ±çš„äº²äººä»¬ã€‚
Joanne Ooi, Creative Director, Shanghai Tang (待翻译æˆä¸æ–‡)
My entire career has been a crazy ricocheting pinball machine! That’s the nature of living in Hong Kong where the business world is more fluid and forgiving if you have even a little bit of talent. What I mean is that it’s easy to get your foot in the door anywhere, with many people ready to give you a chance. Hitting a home run, though, is an entirely different matter.
I’ve taken advantage of this unusual business environment to challenge myself
continuously, getting myself into hot water, as it were, as a matter of choice, by constantly exposing myself to totally new challenges, even though I could easily rest on my laurels and mine my past experiences and concentrate on a well-defined skill set. I’ve also always repudiated a feminine, flirtacious approach to business. When I was in law school, I remember I was shocked to hear of some who flirted with their interviewers. Most of my life I’ve been inculcated with the view that only intelligence and merit count.
Consequently, my life is a series of navigations through the unknown. While many might find such situations daunting, they are the spur to a vigorous intellectual and emotional life–one I would characterize as a constant state of overcoming ignorance and difficulty. That said, there have been many times when I have been groping in the dark for the right answer.
When I started my current position as Creative Director five years ago, I had no idea how to create a collection of clothing. I had literally never done it before, despite much experience in clothing wholesale and retail. My first attempts to piece a collection together were almost comic. For example, I thought you chose the color palette for a collection from a Pantone book with only a view to make the pretty chips match up. Only a year later did I learn that the industry fiat determines the color palette with seasonal colors announced by trend reporting services. The palette is a combination of those colors–virtually obligatory–plus the colors of fabrics purveyed by manufacturers–within this same system–aligned with the color stories for that season.
My first collection, therefore, was literally a shot in the dark. And boy did it show! Although the ideas weren’t terrible, the colors were stark and the finishing crude. I underwent a similar process when devising the ad campaign. It was a good match to the clothing: garish and poorly realized! It took me at least two years to figure all this out, as a matter of both determination and on-the-job trial-by-fire self-training and deduction. Unfortunately, there was no one there who could spoon-feed me any of this information!
After this initial, critical period, though, I can say that my knowledge and instincts, now well-honed, in both creating fashion and imagery, are hard-won and based on having made so many mistakes. There is no substitute for making mistakes. If I can pass on one piece of advice, it is this: better to fall flat on your face by figuring it out by yourself than taking the easy route – mimicking and copying the example of others. The former forces you to take risks and test your approach to problems. The latter, being easy, by definition, doesn’t arm you any better for the next challenge. You may have aced that particular assignment, but you don’t have the tools to go forward.
æ•´ç† å•æ¢…兰，周尔方（上海），周æ•ï¼ˆåŒ—京）
