Leadership

Career advice from some of the best minds in business

Christine Tan and Thian Siying
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Paul Polman, Chief Executive Officer, Unilever speaks on a 2016 panel in New York City.
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What do Dalian Wanda Chairman Wang Jianlin and Hang Lung Properties Chairman Ronnie Chan have in common?

Apart from being real estate moguls, the business leaders are also known for their straight-talking manner, whether they're sizing up their competition or imparting sage advice.

Over the past 20 years, CNBC's "Managing Asia" has gotten up close with the biggest business leaders in the world and gleaned their insights on leadership, values and what it takes to make it in business.

Wang Jianlin, Chairman, Dalian Wanda Group

Chinese real estate billionaire Wang Jianlin, who caught the world's attention with his headline acquisitions including a Spanish football club, shared with Managing Asia in 2015 one of his leadership beliefs that helped him become the richest man in China.

Lui Che Woo, Founder and Chairman, Galaxy Entertainment

The Hong Kong billionaire, whose bet in gaming shot his fortunes to galactic levels, told "Managing Asia" in 2014 how he viewed competition from the likes of Sheldon Adelson and Steve Wynn in Macau, and why he was always happy.

Morris Chang, Founding Chairman, TSMC

Taiwanese tech visionary Morris Chang, also known as the father of the foundry, deconstructed for Christine Tan in 2009 the elements that helped him build the largest contract chipmaker in the world, now a major supplier to Apple.

Tory Burch, Chairman and CEO, Tory Burch

U.S. billionaire Tory Burch, who built her eponymous fashion label from scratch, told Christine Tan in 2014 how she overcame challenges and stitched together a global empire from New York to Shanghai.

Liew Mun Leong, Chairman, Surbana Jurong and Changi Airport Group

Singapore property heavyweight Liew Mun Leong told Christine Tan in 2001 the ingredients that transformed CapitaLand into the largest real estate player in Southeast Asia. He has since expanded his mantra to 5Ps including passion and pragmatism, and now serving dual roles as Chairman of Singapore Changi Airport and Surbana Jurong.

Kazuo Inamori, Chairman Emeritus, Japan Airlines and Kyocera

Known for his trademark management principles, Japan's revered business leader Kazuo Inamori spoke about the importance of humility in an interview with Managing Asia in 2013.

Mochtar Riady, Founder and Chairman, Lippo Group 

Indonesian tycoon and philanthropist Mochtar Riady, whose sprawling banking and property empire stretched from Singapore to the U.S., spoke about the importance of building for good in 2014.

Charles Zhang, Chairman and CEO, Sohu

Charles Zhang built online portal Sohu into a diversified media giant in China, but the celebrity Internet pioneer told Managing Asia in 2012 what really made him happy.

Ronnie Chan, Chairman, Hang Lung Properties 

Real estate mogul Ronnie Chan opened Hang Lung up to new competition when he took the Hong Kong property giant up north to Mainland China in the 1990s. The outspoken Chairman shared his views in 2012 about playing in the bigger leagues.

Liu Thai Ker, Director, RSP Architects Planners & Engineers

Known as one of the founding fathers of modern Singapore, renowned urban planner-architect Liu Thai Ker oversaw the creation of new towns and half a million public housing units from 1969 to 1989. In a Managing Asia interview in 2015, he shared the building blocks behind this success.

Mike McNamara, CEO, Flex 

Mike McNamara spoke about driving the $25 billion U.S. tech manufacturing giant in this age of disruptive innovation, and cultivating a nimble culture to compete effectively in a Managing Asia interview in 2016.

Jiang Jianqing, Chairman, ICBC

In 2010, Jiang Jianqing revealed to Christine Tan his strategy navigating China's biggest bank ICBC to global prominence, especially in turbulent times.

Axel Weber, Chairman, UBS

Power banker Axel Weber spoke about the importance of staying focused as he steered the world's biggest wealth manager UBS in increasingly volatile times, in an interview with Managing Asia in 2016.

Dhanin Chearavanont, Chairman and CEO, Charoen Pokphand Group

Thai billionaire Dhanin Chearavanont told Christine Tan in 2012 the family recipe for growing the business from humble roots to a global food and agricultural powerhouse over nine decades.

Jim Whitehurst, President and CEO, Red Hat

Jim Whitehurst quadrupled Red Hat's revenue after becoming CEO. He told Managing Asia in 2016 what was frowned upon at the open source software company in this age of business disruption.

Paul Polman, CEO, Unilever

Paul Polman, in charge of 169,000 employees, 400 brands and the Unilever consumer goods business that grossed $56 billion in revenue a year, shed light on his leadership qualities in an interview with Managing Asia in 2011.

Ken Hu, Rotating CEO, Huawei Technologies

Ken Hu, the rotating CEO of Huawei, disclosed the secret to finding the top talent for the Chinese tech powerhouse in his first television interview in 2016.

Marjorie Yang, Chairman, Esquel Group

Marjorie Yang, the gutsy woman behind Esquel's rise to become a leading textile and apparel manufacturer in Hong Kong, spoke to Managing Asia as early as 1998 about the qualities of a good leader.

Charles Chao, Chairman and CEO, Sina

Charles Chao, the powerful force behind Sina Weibo - China's version of Twitter, told Christine Tan in 2014 how he built one of the largest social networks in China.

John Gokongwei, Founder, JG Summit

Filipino tycoon John Gokongwei gave entrepreneurs advice in an interview in 2007, and shared how tenacity built one of the largest conglomerates in the Philippines. He has since passed on the reins of the family business to his son, Lance Gokongwei.