Why Hong Kong employees must think like CEOs

In a constantly-changing world, everyone and everything in the city, from independent retailers to commercial buildings in Central, faces the business reality of becoming obsolete as time goes by.

Against a backdrop of soaring property prices in Hong Kong and rapidly changing consumer tastes, we all have to evolve in order to stay relevant.

Zooming in a bit, while everyone is discussing the changing roles of enterprises and consumers due to factors such as Big Data, social media and the information explosion, what is the new role of Marketing in an enterprise?

Also, as practitioners, what active steps can we take to grab the opportunities presented by the Big Data era as we continue to manage corporate reputations and skillfully deliver brand messages via multiple social network platforms?

I truly believe that opportunities can be realised through hard work, but your attitude determines your destiny. In the New Year, I set a goal for my team, “Think like a CEO”.

To achieve this, everyone in the team should attempt to understand each department and function in the company, as well as their operations and connections from the viewpoint of a CEO, so as to prepare themselves for becoming future CMOs.

In fact, many successful CMOs think in this way. Leading UK industry magazine, Marketing Week, interviewed a number of CMOs from world renowned brands last year, who shared the same view that it is essential to “think like a CEO to become a CMO”.

I would like to take this one step further. Besides imagining yourself as a CEO and looking at the big picture, you should also take the time to understand the finances like a CFO.

In a technologically-advanced age, it is of equal importance to demonstrate proficiency in IT and the processes as a CIO does, and guide the team with the leadership capabilities of a sales head.

Whether you are a Marketer with an international luxury retail brand with stores across Hong Kong, a local property company in Central or a start-up venture in Sheung Wan, thinking like a CEO enables you to look far and wide, get acquainted with the company’s internal and external business operations, and make inter-departmental coordination more effective.

Having this oversight and synergy between teams adds value to the company and promotes joined-up thinking, collaboration and ultimately, business development.

Not sure where to start? I used to have this feeling, too, as “Think like a CEO” is easier said than done. Therefore, I would suggest starting with a basic step.

On the first page of my notepad, which I carry with me always, I have written down a saying that is a work-life mantra for everyone at Lenovo, “Go Big or Go Home”.

If you want to become a CMO, keep this as your motto to continuously remind yourself to think big, seek breakthroughs and embrace new opportunities.