Journey to the West

Growing up, almost all kids in China read the famous classic novel Journey to the West – often called “Monkey” in western countries. Journey to the West is often portrayed as a comic children’s book but it is so much more. In my mind, the Journey to the West is a guide to success, in life and in business.

In the story, the Buddha asks Monk Xuanzang to undertake a journey to India to retrieve sacred Buddhist texts. His vision is to bring them back to China to spread the teachings of the Buddha far and wide, thus ending a plague of greed and gluttony that has spread across the land.

Monk can’t do this alone, however. He may be smart and capable, but success on the arduous journey -- which will take Monk through what is today’s Central Asia – requires a team. The Buddha assigns five companions to Monk to protect him on his journey. They are the Monkey King Sun Wukong: Pig Zhu Bajie; Sha Wujing, or Friar Sand; and Yulong, who is the horse that Monk rides upon. This team rescues Monk many times as he is captured by a variety of Monsters on the road to India.

Why am I sharing this with you? In my mind, these characters are equivalent to leaders in today’s business world.

Monk is the CEO. His vision molds the team and makes sure they are all pursuing the same goal. Monkey is the indispensable COO. He is loyal, strong, and a hard worker, however, he has a temper. Pig is the supply chain. His flaw is his lusty nature, but he adds fun to the team and keeps them in good spirits. That is a crucial element.

Friar Sand is honest. While he may not personally participate in rescuing Monk from his many perils, Friar Sand is full of positivity, which helps keep the team together and hopeful. The horse is the team’s logistics, without which Monk could not make the journey.

Each of the members of this team has strengths, but some also some notable weaknesses. Nonetheless, without each of them, the Journey would not have been a success. They are a team that gains strength from its diversity. I have taken to heart the lesson that diversity is a strength on my own Journey to the West, as I sometimes see my 20-year career in China’s auto industry.

At each of my previous roles – from Ford Motor Co. in Shanghai and Nanjing to Fiat Chrysler in Changsha – We were able to achieve success as a team. I am very proud to have been able to assemble strong success teams. Now, We are doing this together here at NIO. As CEO of XPT, I am excited about the team we have built together to bring amazing products to market.

My vision is to create a joyful lifestyle with our products. Time is the scarcest resources in today’s busy world, and our vehicles aim to give you more time back in your life. So you can have more quality time for family, friends and do more of what you love. Our brand is smarter, with a stronger heart, and a lightweight body. Rather than driving a heavy car powered by fossil fuels, you can ride in our vehicles, powered by clean electricity.

The NIO band is a crucial part of our quest for a joyful life. It is also testimony to the strength of a diverse team, with Chinese, Taiwanese, Brazilian, and Italian members. Music is our common language. It’s also part of our vision of a joyful life.

We aim to infuse our joy into our products, and as we introduce them to the world we want our customers to share that joy. ~Jack