MINGLI JIANG (ID# 12088048) Management Principles and Dynamics

May 3, 2021 Prof. Alexander C. Trajano

Applications Paper of “The Triumph of Humility and Fierce Resolve” by Jim Collins

Applications

Leaders are very important in any societal structure whether it be in a family, school,
religious groups, government and companies. They are the ones who give directives to their
followers, leading them towards a common goal. A leader, by a quick definition is a person who
leads. But what is a Level 5 Leader? According to Collins, they are the ones at the top tier of an
organization and they are the ones who can make the difference between making a company good
and making a company great.

Level 5 leadership is a factor in making a great company but it is not the sole cause of it.
Level 5 leadership, supported by the right people in the right roles, having faith despite all the facts,
being persistent in any situation, having a hedgehog concept, welcoming innovation, and being
disciplined is what delivers a company into greatness. Combining Level 5 leadership and all these
other factors can help a company move to the right direction.

Based on Collins’ research, Level 5 leaders show extreme humility and display tremendous
professional will. They have a quiet and calm determination, and they rely on inspired standards
to motivate their followers. They look beyond themselves and channel their ambitions to the
company and set up successors for the future. They take responsibility of their actions and are on
top of any situations. They demonstrate an unwavering resolve to do whatever must be done to
produce the best long-term results, no matter how difficult. They apportion credit for the success
of the company to other people, external factors, and good luck. I studied the characteristics of the
leaders of Chinese Internet giants and found that they all belong to the Level 5 leaders proposed
by Collins.

The leaders of the Internet companies with the highest market value in China are: Tencent
(US$700 billion) Ma Huateng, Alibaba (US$630 billion) Jack Ma, Pinduoduo (US$220 billion)
Huang Zheng, JD.com (market value) (US$140 billion) Liu Qiangdong, I searched all of their
interviews, speeches, biographies and other audiovisual materials. I found that they are very
humble and low-key, always emphasizing the collective contribution of the team, ranking
themselves behind the team, also pay attention to the cultivation of successors, and in fact, their
subordinates did make outstanding achievements. For example, Jack Ma resigned as CEO of
Alibaba in 2013. After he resigned, the company's performance continued to grow. The company's
revenue increased from US $6.7 billion in 2013 to US $77 billion today. This ten-fold increase is
officially due to Jack Ma’s Personal Humility and Professional Will, who is really a Level 5 leader.

I completely agree that a great leader plays a decisive role in the success or failure of a
company, just like level 5 leaders can make a company from good to great, but there are few people
who really have level 5 characteristics, and it seems can’t be cultivated. In my opinion, great
leaders don't come often, so great companies don't come often, companies must choose their
leaders wisely, seeing potential Level 5 leaders, watering good seeds and letting it grow.
References

Collins, J. (2001). Level 5 Leadership-The Triumph of Humility and Fierce Resolve, Harvard
Business Review, January, 67-76.

Bhasin, H. (2020, May 27). Importance of Leadership Skills | Why is Leadership Important ?
Marketing91. https://www.marketing91.com/why-is-leadership-important/

Coman, C., Țîru, L. G., Meseșan-Schmitz, L., Stanciu, C., & Bularca, M. C. (2020). Online
Teaching and Learning in Higher Education during the Coronavirus Pandemic: Students’
Perspective. Sustainability, 12(24), 10367. https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410367

A. (2015). Biography of Ma Yun (Chinese Edition) (1st ed.). China Commercial Publishing
House.

Lin, J. (2013). The Tencent Empire (Realizing the Chinese Dram: Leaders of Business
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