Yu Chengdong on Chinese Football: Sharing Leadership Experience

Recently, Wei Jianjun, chairman of Great Wall Motors, sparked a heated discussion on CCTV’s “China Economic Gravitational Field” by asking how Chinese football can be better governed in the future.

This topic caught the attention of Huawei’s Yu Chengdong, who shared his thoughts on the matter. In a post on his WeChat Moments, Yu Chengdong stated that he is a complete layman in football and would need to learn from scratch, making him unsuitable for the role. However, he expressed his willingness to share his experience and lessons in leading a team.

Yu Chengdong emphasized that a team’s pursuit of excellence and efforts determine its future achievements. He stressed the importance of inspiring the team to set higher goals and building a team with a strong sense of unity and collective honor.

He also highlighted the need for supervisors to be humble and connect with team members at the grassroots level. This approach fosters a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood among team members, prioritizing collective interests and honor over personal gains and losses.

Yu Chengdong drew from his own experience, having led many teams in the past. He noted that even in challenging situations, a team can be transformed over time, eventually developing the strongest fighting power.

Yu Chengdong’s leadership philosophy has been evident in his work at Huawei. During his tenure in charge of the company’s mobile phone business, he propelled Huawei’s high-end phones to the top of the market. Currently, as the head of Hongmeng Zhixing, he has made the M7 a best-selling new force.

Yu Chengdong’s insights on leadership and team management offer valuable lessons for various industries, including Chinese football.