BOAO, Hainan Province: Rich people tend to be the focus of attention whatever
they do, and this is particularly true of the young rich.
So the ongoing Boao Forum for Asia held a 21st Century Leaders Roundtable on
Friday and invited many of China's most successful young entrepreneurs.
They included Robin Li, Huang Guangyu and Pan Gang, who were there to reveal
their success stories and to give an insight into what makes a good
leader.
It was the first time the forum, an annual gathering to discuss business
issues, had opened a special session for young business leaders.
Most of the young billionaires attributed their success to passion and
perseverance, despite popular belief that their success came quickly.
"Over the past six years I've had many difficulties," said Robin Li, CEO of
the online search engine Baidu.com. "But I never lost my passion."
Baidu now has links to 1.2 billion Chinese web pages, he said. The
38-year-old Li founded the Chinese equivalent of Google and Yahoo six years
ago.
Aside from pursuing more business success, the young tycoons also talked
about social responsibility.
"Speculation and seeking short-term interests do not make great business,"
said Huang Guangyu, chairman of Gome Electrical Appliances, China's top
appliance retailer.
"Incorporating business goals into overall social development is the right
path for a company to take," he said.
Huang, 37, started his business venture when he was 17 with 4,000 yuan
(US$380) in his pocket. Today his Gome chain has more than 460 outlets
countrywide. Gome's listing in Hong Kong in 2004 made him a billionaire.
Pan Gang, president of Yili Group, one of the country's leading dairy
producers, said being a young leader means more than just handling a
business.
"Leadership requires strategic thinking and foresight, whereas
business management is about details," he said.