A Little ‘Craziness’ Can Go A Long Way

While leaders tend to exhort the benefits of being bold, it’s normal for them to default to usual market practices or follow what the majority would do in tough times. Then there are always a few who take totally different approaches, even during a downturn or turbulence. Are they crazy? Or is there method in their madness? The world needs rational people, but in my experience, “going a bit crazy” sometimes works out.

Here are three examples of how going against the grain can set you up for further success in the future.

1. There's always an opportunity in a crisis. Try to find it.

The 1997 Asian Financial Crisis affected Korea badly. This resulted in foreign investors reducing their exposure in the country. The?International Monetary Fund?had to step in to prevent a sovereign debt crisis.

I was working as the country’s managing director in a global pharmaceutical company at the time. Our global headquarters tasked me to restructure the firm and reduce our employees’ salaries by a whopping 40%. I refused to do so, and instead pushed for a 10% increase. My reasoning was simple: Because of the Korean won’s depreciation against the U.S. dollar, the raise would have barely dented operating profits.

My boss agreed after many rounds of discussion and some convincing. We announced the move, and it made national headlines the next day. It solidified the company’s reputation as one that values employees even in difficult times. We had no problems hiring from then on, and the Korean division posted record performances in 1998 and beyond.

The typical business mindset would have been to cut costs. That’s what many companies in Korea did. I went the opposite direction, and that resulted in better long-term performance. There are opportunities in crises—you only need to stay calm and find them.

2. Don’t accept the status quo. Instead, ask why.

During the early to mid-'90s, I was managing the Japanese and Korean business operations for a global pharmaceutical company. Late-night entertainment was a common practice: Sales representatives would treat clients to enormous and expensive business dinners. Because of this, all the sales reps in the industry were male.

I asked the head of human resources, “Why don’t we hire female sales reps?” The reply was that it wouldn’t work because of the above-stated reasons. I was unconvinced and pressed my case. I believed women would bring a different perspective to the table.

My company became the first in the industry to bring in female sales reps, and my hunch was correct. Female reps performed as well as male reps, and this approach became a new phenomenon. Imagine having 100 salespeople coming to your office—99 were male and only one was a woman. She would naturally stand out, and the client would remember her.

Business metrics across the board improved. The female reps ended up spending more time discussing real business with the clients, as they were not required to stay up late to entertain them. They were also more disciplined and organized.

Spot your blind spots, then remove them if you can. It might be the catalyst for your personal and business growth.

3. When everyone goes left, consider going right.

Twenty years ago, as the first Asian in a global healthcare company leading the Australian market, I had two options for my next move: lead the Japanese division of a company that generated $2 billion in revenue with 3,000 employees, or take a pay cut and lead a smaller firm in China. Most would opt for the former, but I chose the latter. My decision surprised many industry insiders. Some even asked if something bad had happened in my previous role.

The truth was simpler: I wanted to challenge myself and see if I could make a difference for the company in China. Unlike the Japan offer—the organization was already first in the country—going to Beijing involved joining the 15th-ranked company with $100 million revenue and propelling it upward.

Eighteen months later, it became number one in China, posting over a billion dollars in revenue. I had a clear strategy in mind: rapid expansion. Most firms usually only add 20 or so staff in China a year. I initiated the hiring of 3,000 more employees in one go to penetrate second- and third-tier cities. It took me 10 trips to global headquarters to convince them of my plan, but after much persuasion, they agreed. After this, other pharmaceutical MNCs in the country started to adopt a similar strategy.

It was a career move that could have backfired. But I knew that if I wanted to make a difference, I had to think of something bold. Sometimes, you have to leave the haven of safety and head in a direction others wouldn’t even imagine.

Takeaways

• People may forget what you say, but they will always remember how you made them feel. This is even more true in hard times. Treat your peers, colleagues and employees with respect, and show that you value their contributions through tangible action.
• Everyone has blind spots, but not everyone is aware they have them. You’ll be ahead of the pack if you are self-aware enough to seek them out. From there, you can discover solutions no one would ever think of because they never checked their own blind spots.
• Crisis always presents opportunities. Instead of going down a common path, consider alternatives—even those you may initially dismiss as crazy. The long-term results might be better.

Note: This article was contributed by Chris Lee to the Forbes Business Council as one of its members. Find the original article on Forbes here.