中情局老江湖给CEO的忠告

    在变革的大潮中，为何连经验丰富的高管也大多在新兴市场败走麦城？

    首先，（不管国内国外），CEO总认为安全问题只是IT部门的责任，但我在信息安全方面得到的最大教训就是：它不是仅仅靠硬件和软件就能解决的问题。安全水平取决于人的行为，他们可以保护这些系统，也可以破坏这些系统。作为中情局官员，我曾通过能连接系统的内部人员的帮助攻破敌人的信息系统。CEO必须以身作则，忽视信息安全或者仅仅将其指派给某个职能部门就是失职，因为信息安全关乎整个组织的所有人。

    其次，CEO常常低估了技术带来的复杂性，影响到了他们对当地独特的文化及社会因素的认知。高管需要承认，“无知领域不断扩大”，个人的大脑早就无法掌握所有的知识，而且两者之间的差距还在继续扩大。

    为寻找改进理解及决策的新方法，高管需要谦卑、对知识的渴望以及不松懈的相互合作。没有谁能掌握所有的答案。每一天都有越来越多可以影响决策的信息，而很多CEO并不知道如何应对这样的数据爆炸。我们建议客户首先决定什么是其目标的相关信息，然后明确定义其商业情报需求。

    收集和分析关于外界情报的方式不尽相同，取决于行业、地理位置以及战略目标。但情报总有些不变的特质：有用、精确、及时，并可作为行动依据。情报必须为决策提供信息。CEO应该做出这样的要求，因为它是不断变换的全球市场提出的要求。

    最后，不仅仅是在新兴市场，高管在全球所有市场都要认识到公司将无可避免地受到突发事件的冲击。CEO必须建立应急方案，从在任何国家保障员工健康和安全的基本系统，到为建立坚强而有韧性、经受得住考验的盟友而投资。

    “有韧性的盟友”是指什么？

    从根本上来说，有些CEO只从公司内部来源获取外界商业情报，固守僵化的等级制度，并将盈利视为最高目标。这样会把公司引入危险的境地，甚至可能导致生存危机。在当前的环境中，这种短视的做法绝不可行。

    需要真诚地去了解当地的社区，与他们合作，那就是你的盟友网络，通过他们去了解如何在当地运营，如何接洽和尊重社区，这样才能让公司在短期和长期都获益匪浅。就像前面提到的技术安全问题，“企业社会责任”不仅仅是某个职能部门的责任，而是贯穿整个公司的新兴市场运营方针的组成部分，不可或缺。

    我在非洲呆过10年，目睹了数10亿美元的援助计划因为未能注意到融入当地社区的重要性而被白白浪费。作为能够建立互信的有效措施的例证，精明的公司对将派驻海外的员工进行基本技能教育，这不仅仅为公司的投资带来无可估量的价值，也是公司在整体上融入社区的有形展示。其它公司在运营地区为社区提供离网发电，电力能够提升安全，增进交流，促进教育，最终都对公司有益。

    赋予女性权力是另外一个基本和有效的企业责任元素，女性在长期社会发展和创造繁荣的中产阶级市场中承担的角色至关重要。

    我在各行各业都目睹过因为无法融入当地社区而导致的商业失败。让人哭笑不得的是，某些新型社交媒体的CEO号称了解网络，甚至在几个月的时间内实现全球扩展，但却没能认识到对当地知识的需求。在帕洛阿尔托（加州湾区城市——译注）可行的做法不见得适用于卢萨卡（赞比亚首都——译注）。

    In these shifts, how do even experienced executives in emerging markets most often fail?

    Firstly, CEOs (both at home and abroad) often think that security issues are the problem of the IT department, but the biggest lesson that I learned in terms of information security is that it is not just the hardware and software. People determine the degrees of security and people protect or compromise these systems. As a CIA operations officer, I breached adversary's information systems with the help of those with access to these systems. CEOs have a responsibility to lead their people by example and ignoring or delegating information security to some functional silo, when it is about people across the organization, is a failure of leadership.

    Secondly, CEOs often underestimate the complexity technology has introduced to their understanding of the unique cultural and societal differences on the ground. Executives need to acknowledge what I call an "expanding universe of ignorance" -- our individual brains long ago lost the race to know it all, and the gap is growing.

    To find new ways to improve their understanding and decision-making executives require a mix of humility, intellectual hunger, and unrelenting networked collaboration. No one entity has all the answers. Each day there is more and more information that can impact decisions, but not all CEOs know how to deal with this growing tsunami of data. We advise our clients to first determine what information is relevant to their objectives, and then sharply define their business intelligence requirements.

    How they collect and analyze this intelligence of external variables depends on their industry, geography, and strategic objectives. But there are some characteristics that always apply: the intelligence must be relevant, accurate, timely, and actionable. Intelligence should be able to inform decisions. CEOs should demand this. Evolving global markets require it.

    Finally, executives in all global markets – not just emerging ones – need to acknowledge that there will be inevitable shocks to the business, which means CEOs must build in contingency planning, from basic systems that support the health/security of employees in any country to investments that build strong, resilient alliances that endure during times of stress.

    What do you mean by "resilient alliances?"

    At the most basic level, the CEOs who seek external business intelligence only from internal company sources, embrace hard-line and inflexible hierarchies, and place profit above all else – their path will be even more perilous, perhaps leading to existential crisis. It is short term and really untenable in today's environments.

    Genuine commitment to understanding and working with the communities on the ground – networks of alliances not only on how to do business, but to engage and be respectful to the communities there – makes all the difference in both the short and long runs. Like technology security, "corporate social responsibility" is not some functional office, but a necessary part of engagement in emerging countries throughout ones' organization.

    Having lived in Africa for 10 years, I witnessed billions of dollars wasted of aid programs that never appreciated the importance of such engagement. As an example of what works and builds a sense of mutual trust, smart companies build basic skills education for prospective employees; this is not only invaluable to their investments but is a tangible manifestation of their commitment to the community at large. Other companies have provided off-grid energy generation for communities in areas of operation; this can improve security, increase communication, and boost education – all which also help the company.

    Another essential and effective element of social responsibility rests in the empowerment of women whose role in long-term social development cannot be understated and will, in turn, create thriving middle class markets.

    I've seen the failure to engage in the local communities cause business failure across every industry. Paradoxically, some of the new social media CEOs who understand networks and have grown global, some in the matter of months, often do not recognize the need for local knowledge. What works in Palo Alto may not work in Lusaka.