Climbing Life's Mountain With A Sense of Humour —— My Interview with the Lady Magazine

Recently I got interviewed by the Lady Magazine to reflect on my life and career experiences. We talked about leadership, courage, work-life balance, power of control, and the wisdom of giving up.

Throughout my life, I always believe one truly grows up when faced with huge challenges，not when things are going well. There are many crucial moments in everyone’s life, and each of them is an opportunity for rebirth. I will be truly delighted if my story can give you some inspiration.?

Climbing Life's Mountain With A Sense of Humour

Who is Lijun Sun?

Describing Lijun Sun isn’t easy. As a multinational executive and the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of a well-known high-tech company, she has the knowledge and awareness of a global citizen. Yet, although she has deep Chinese roots, her international colleagues are often surprised by her courage and a unique outlook that sets her apart from most Asian women. Beneath a glamorous and hard-working exterior, she is a supportive team leader who approaches difficulties with a sense of humour. Even in uncertain situations, she never loses sight of what’s important. Indeed, by embracing challenges, she has made herself a role model that many colleagues – especially women – look up to.

Leadership Excellence Requires A Global Vision

I heard a lot about Lijun before we ever met, mostly from her colleagues. They told me she’d spent decades building a successful career as an executive at multinational companies. Then, in her early 40’s, she joined SAP, the world’s largest provider of enterprise application software. Today she is the Global Vice President and CMO for APJ & GC at SAP.

With a distinctive style that is both gentle and firm, she leads her team effectively and with compassion. Work isn’t everything, though. As a committed athlete, she has always valued recreational pursuits. During her student days at Tsinghua University, she made the heptathlon team, twice! Now, no matter how busy business gets, outdoor activities like hiking, jogging, and even skiing, are a respite that help her to manage pressure and approach life with a healthy optimism.

A firm supporter of global citizenship, Lijun believes that cross-cultural communication is essential for success on the world stage. The concept has a long and distinguished history. From Socrates and Diogenes in ancient Greece, to Kant and Marx in modern times, philosophers have never stopped pursuing their own paths to global citizenship. The late Chinese leader Xiaoping Deng once said, "I am glad to be Chinese, and yet, I am also a global citizen." Now that China has become the world’s second largest economy, more and more Chinese people are joining the global community. They connect China to the world, sharing Chinese values and influencing the world's perceptions of China.

Lijun developed her sense of global citizenship in her early 30’s, when she studied for an MBA at the HEC Paris international business school.

Arriving with high expectations, she found the new environment challenging. As a prestigious institution, the school naturally attracts top students from around the world. However, this also means that no matter how good you might have been back home, at HEC Paris you are just one member of a large student body.

Western students often form their own social circles, which can make it difficult for Asian students to fit in. Chinese students in particular are perceived as shy and asocial – i.e. not interested in partying along with their Western counterparts. Accordingly, despite having been an outstanding student since elementary school, Lijun felt lost and isolated, and even began to question her decision to attend HEC Paris in the first place.

Determined to face the challenge head-on, she resolved to take matters into her own hands. Recalling the quote, “If the mountain won't come to you, then you must go to the mountain,” she developed a plan and launched it at a university ice breaker.

Students at HEC Paris often spent their weekends at the piano bar on campus, drinking wine, dancing, and chatting. One day, Lijun turned up with a bottle of wine and began talking to students from different cultural backgrounds. Before long, she discovered that although they had active social lives, many of them also had trouble with their homework.

Capitalizing on her academic aptitude, she set up a study group, meeting up at the homes of classmates to cook, eat and study. As they spent more time together, Lijun grew closer to her classmates and began receiving invitations to non-study related outings. She quickly realized that exclusion ran both ways, and that Chinese students needed to communicate more proactively with their peers. “If you want to fit in and form lasting relationships, you must show your value and win people’s respect,” she says.

The Paris experience made Lijun more empathetic and inclusive. She began to deliberately express herself, learn about the other cultures, and communicate effectively and without prejudice. This commitment to the fundamentals of global citizenship and cross-cultural leadership has paid tremendous dividends throughout her career.

"I know that many Asian people are naturally a little modest, but we have to take chances and express our opinions. For example, the US is a confident and outspoken culture, which means American colleagues will often speak over other team members. If you don’t take the initiative and ?speak up, your voice won’t be heard. You can’t be too modest. You have to express your opinions," Lijun says.

She believes that ensuring equal communication with management is just as important as it is between colleagues. For example, as a key exhibitor at the 2015 World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, SAP’s Marketing Team proposed using a robot to showcase SAP's latest Industry 4.0 technology. However, the idea was rejected by an SAP Vice President in Germany who’s in charge of the robot development, because he was concerned about the consequences of a breakdown at a critical moment.

Lijun didn't want to simply give up. Instead, she carefully considered the situation. “I put myself in his shoes, and came up with two reasons for his decision. First, he might have thought the technology was not yet mature, so he was worried about malfunctions. But actually, it was only a showcase. We didn’t need it to be as perfect as a solution working on the production line. Second, he might have felt that we had been presumptuous, because we made the decision without consulting him in advance."

She decided to call the Vice President personally to lobby for the exhibit, and eventually won his approval. The showcase was perfect, and SAP's stand received wide recognition and exposure.

The lesson is clear. To be a leader with a global vision, you have to abandon narrow perspectives, gain deeper insights into international society, and learn to respect different cultures. Moreover, if leadership is about making others succeed, then Lijun is indeed a brilliant multinational leader, who makes colleagues feel united, successful and happy. These, she believes, are the keys to building a better global workplace.

Confronting Challenges with Courage

When facing great challenges, most people tend to get knocked off course by vulnerabilities, hesitation and uncertainty. Instead of trying to avoid them, a true winner embraces such hardships and learns from them.

Lijun’s philosophy for life can be boiled down to three traits – Fearless, Fun and Female. Of these virtues, which she refers to as the “3 ‘F’s,” being Fearless is the most important.

"One truly grows up when faced with huge challenges, not when things are going well." Lijun calls these challenges “Crucial Moments”. There are many such moments in everyone’s life, and each of them is an opportunity for rebirth.

The Lijun we know today is a sports enthusiast. But as a child, she was distinctly unathletic, choosing instead to focus on her studies. This changed near the end of elementary school, when she had to pass a 200-meter sprinting test to get into a good middle school. With no other option, she began to practice running with her sister bicycling ahead. Although she often fell down, she kept on running. The hard work eventually paid off and she received an excellent score in the test, even outpacing some students on the school sports team.

This experience taught Lijun two fundamental life principles. First, she learned that physical activity is an essential part of life. Second, she learned to be fearless in the face of challenges. If you can excel in sports, why not in other areas?

After she got into middle school, she continued running, and went on to participate in 400 and 800 metre races, where she won several prizes. At Tsinghua University, she was a talented heptathlete, and won a long jump championship during her graduate studies.

After embarking on a consulting career, she found herself working on a strategy consulting project for a very demanding entrepreneur. Although she was only in her early 30s, as the project manager Lijun was responsible for a dozen young team members. They worked hard despite facing massive challenges.

Lacking an in-depth understanding of the culture, values, and mission of the company, the team was very much learning on the job. High expectations from the client meant they also had to be extremely cautious. In a moment of pure exhaustion, she even considered giving up and quitting her position.

Fortunately, before that could happen, Lijun received encouragement from one of the consulting firm’s partners. She still remembers the inspiring words: "You know, everyone will have difficult projects in their career, but they’re really chances to make breakthroughs. Even when you think you can't keep going anymore, just hold on and things will improve. If you keep pushing, you will grow into this role and broaden your skill set. On the other hand, if you back out now, your future will just be more of the same."

Thus inspired, Lijun decided to push forward. After a short break, she returned to work with renewed strength and impressed the client with her team's professionalism and persistence. Needless to say, the project was a success! Perhaps the biggest win was the insight she gained into corporate culture, business systems and management guidelines. As the partner had said, the project did broaden her skillset and help her to grow into her role. Since then, Lijun has been resolute and fearless, with a passion for new challenges and self-improvement.

Take Lijiun’s jump to SAP for example. After more than 10 years she had risen to a senior marketing position at IBM, and could have easily stayed in her comfort zone and enjoyed slow but steady progress. However, when opportunity came knocking in the form of SAP, she quickly accepted the challenge of becoming a C-suite executive.

One senior leader warned that there wouldn’t be a position at IBM for her if she failed in her 40’s. Lijun was undisturbed. “Don't worry. I am skilled and capable. Even if I fail, I can always find another job,” she responded.

She didn’t fail, and her SAP colleagues have been impressed with her courage and perseverance. For example, when the marketing team created anonymous greeting cards last Christmas, one of Lijun’s’ American colleague commented: "Lijun has a witty side, and always makes us laugh, and that makes her very popular. We always communicate in a straightforward and respectful manner, even when we have different opinions. I think she will succeed at whatever goals she decides to pursue.”

Staying Busy and Beautiful

“My friends all tell me I’ve grown more beautiful with age,” says Lijun, brimming with confidence. Indeed, despite being officially middle aged, she has glowing skin and an athletic figure thanks to her open-mindedness and self-discipline.

According to Dan Ariely, Professor of Psychology and Behavioural Economics at Duke University, “Generally speaking, we are most productive within the first two hours after becoming fully awake.” Lijun usually wakes up at 6 a.m. and starts the day with some exercise before heading off to work.

Does starting work early mean spending all day inundated with meetings, calls and emails, while sacrificing hobbies and family time? Not in this case. As Bill Gates once said, “A leader who is busy all day is incompetent.”

Of course, achieving a good work/life balance isn’t easy. For instance, in August 2020, shortly after China began easing COVID restrictions, Lijun invited some friends to go hiking in Zhagana, in the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Boasting a magnificent prairie landscape with farmlands, rivers, cottages, temples, forests and meadows, Zhagana was called "The land of Adam and Eve" by the explorer Joseph Locke. In the eyes of hikers like Lijun, it is the ideal place for a hiking trip.

However, just before the group set out from Beijing, Lijun was suddenly asked to attend an online review meeting with SAP’s CEO, Christian Klein. It was an amazing opportunity, and the first time in her career that her performance would be reviewed directly by a global CEO. But it also posed a serious dilemma: should she cancel the trip and dive back into the world of work, or stick to the travel plan and work while in Gansu? In Lijun’s view, maintaining a work-life balance took priority. All she needed was a plan to manage her time effectively.

After arriving at the hotel in Lanzhou, she immediately began connecting with her team and collecting data. Then, she went to the mountains and, after a satisfying hike, attended a preparatory meeting. Feeling well-prepared, she completed the review with Christian in the midnight on the last day of her trip.

The plan worked, and gave her a way to pursue career advancement and still enjoy her trip as planned. It’s proof that achieving a good work/life balance is possible in almost any situation.

Don’t be “Greasy”

Today, the phrase “yóu nì” is popular among China’s netizens. Literally speaking, it translates to “greasy,” but in practice it refers to middle-aged men who are rude, sloppy and out of shape. For both men and women, being yóu nì means losing your sense of fun, and failing to self-manage.

Busy schedules and the complexity of interpersonal relationships are driving more and more people in the workplace to give up their hobbies. Instead, they cater to the needs of others, and don’t take the time to manage important aspects of their own lives, including diet, recreation, and personal habits. These unhealthy living conditions manifest themselves in many ways, such as fake smiles, a loss of vitality, and a "greasy" appearance.

Lijun is resolute in fighting against the yóu nì lifestyle. Following the traits of “Fun” and “Female” in her "3F" trinity, Lijun believes a vital spirit and an attractive appearance are linked.

“True beauty begins inside. Good looks are a result of self-discipline, a healthy lifestyle, and diet. Busy as we are, we should try to integrate work with life, never letting work get in the way of pursuing our hobbies or passions,” she says.

According to Lijun, it's mindset, rather than skills, that matters most to efficiency and time management. As an executive in a global company, Lijun has to deal with a massive amount of work every day. But, she tries to integrate both life and work in her busy schedules and achieve work-life balance. As the adage goes, "work hard, play hard".

Despite her busy schedule, Lijun still makes time to relax and pursue her hobbies. Hiking, jogging and skiing are perfect ways for her to reset her mind and body. In fact, even her responsibilities as a SAP Global Vice President haven’t stopped her from exploring nature.

As a personal challenge, she chose the Ancient Tangbo Road trail for her first expedition after attaining her current position. Regarded as one of China’s "Top Ten Hiking Trails," it rises to an altitude of more than 3,500 metres, exposing hikers to the otherworldly beauty of Mount Siguniang.

Power of Control and Wisdom of Giving Up

Despite having a successful career and a high-ranking position in SAP, Lijun doesn't feel any pressure. To our reporter, she quipped, "I'm the clever one among good looking people and the pretty one among intelligent people." This sense of humour might be inherent to people from Tianjin. After all, the Tianjin-born comedian Gong Feng once joked, "I can speak Chinese better than the US President".

For Lijun, life is to be enjoyed, not just endured. Humour is a kind of wisdom that can help us overcome difficulties and anxieties in life. Even in the workplace Lijun uses humour to defuse tension and get things running smoothly.

She recalls an incident from her consulting days. During a project meeting, the client was so critical of one of Lijun’s colleagues that he threatened to cancel the contract. This left everybody in the meeting on edge and unsure how to proceed. Just then, the power went out, and Lijun made a joke: "That was so scary, even the electricity is scared stiff." It made everyone laugh, lightened the atmosphere, and gave the client time to calm down.

To stay in control, you need to have both wisdom and willpower. In fact, humour can be a superpower. Using laughter to deal with challenges can help you manage external factors and maintain self-control. It even works when you are skiing!

After her first skiing lesson, Lijun succumbed to a bout of overconfidence. She caught a lift to the highest peak at the resort, only to find herself trembling in fear when she came face-to-face with the steep slope.

Discretion being the better part of valour, she turned to a handsome French staff member, and asked him to help her back down the hill in his snowmobile. For Lijun, this wasn’t embarrassing, but actually rather exciting. She felt like a Bond girl, enjoying a beautiful drive through a winter wonderland. It is in situations like these that she most often relies on her sense of humour to brush off misfortune.

Lijun is always striving for what she thinks is right, but she also lets things go when it is necessary. For example, if she can't hike through a mountain pass as planned, instead of feeling frustrated, she relishes the pretty photos taken along the way. She is a living demonstration of the power of perseverance and the wisdom of picking your battles.

Conclusion

With her open-mindedness and cross-cultural communication skills, efficient work-life integration, and her trademark courage and optimism, Lijun Sun has achieved tremendous personal success. She has also motivated her team to continuously achieve professional and personal fulfilment. As she said at the Women's Leadership Forum 2021, "One of the advantages that women have is tenacity. We may not run the fastest, but we can stick it out the farthest.”

The full article is translated from the original Chinese version, which you can read at the link .

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