By joining the Shadow a CEO programme at a critical point in the South China Morning Post’s history as it embraces the digital age, CEO Gary Liu says the shadows gained a rare insight into how a business operates in such a transformational stage.
“This is a very unique position for a company to be in, and you don’t often get to see what it looks like from the inside. I wanted to give them the opportunity to see that,” Liu says.
Each of his three shadows were additionally allocated some time to discuss their career aspirations with Liu. “I also had the opportunity to share with them, and hope my career path was relevant for them in their learning.” Witnessing him preside over a town hall meeting, meanwhile, underlined the importance of being a strong communicator for those in senior management positions, he adds.
Liu was impressed by the trio’s ability to identify solutions to potential problems. “Media is changing very, very fast and, thanks to the democratisation of knowledge, we are raising a new generation of future readers who have a wider breadth of understanding.”
One of the highlights of the programme for shadow Peony Cheung was observing how the Post embraces diversity, with a senior management team that hails from different backgrounds and possesses varying mind sets. Sitting in a meeting where Gary defended himself while facing difficult questions raised by journalists was an eye opener, she says.
“It taught me the importance of presenting yourself professionally without losing authenticity.”
Cheung applauds the Post’s mission to lead the global conversation about China. “The strategy to survive in the industry is to innovate and look for niche audiences to ensure sustainability while creating opportunity, which is also demonstrated by the launch of new products at the Post such as [digital news site on China tech] Abacus and [platform delivering daily briefing of China-focused news and stories] Inkstone,” she says.
Shadow Coco Chan praised the modern design approach and user-friendly browsing experience of the aforementioned platforms and also enjoyed the printing press tour. “Seeing the actual machines and [watching] the entire process of printing a newspaper was truly amazing. I never imagined putting a newspaper [together] to be that complex,” she says.
Chan called Liu an inspirational role model. “What he’s accomplished at such a young age is remarkable, but what impressed me the most is his determination to bring new culture and big change to the Post.”
Shadow Serena Lee says the CEO was generous in sharing his insights on innovation, company development and cultivating an internal organisational culture that builds a sense of community.
“By placing unrestricted communication along the hierarchy and across departments, Gary opts for relative informality and high flexibility in work arrangements to create an optimum working environment for staff,” she says.
While Liu’s aura of self-assurance and clear-headedness impressed Lee, she notes that he also had humble moments: he took out a notebook to write down what the shadows said when asked for their suggestions on how to improve the business, for example.
Meeting the other shadows was another enlightening experience, she adds.
“If you are fortunate enough to meet shadows from different backgrounds, it enables you to learn even more as the perspectives and input each person contributes to the discussion varies, and that is what makes the experience definitely one of a kind.”
