Leading with Conviction by Shalom Saada Saar

The greatest discovery in our generation is that human beings by changing their inner attitudes of their minds can change the outer aspects of their lives. / -William James

Wan Linyi, currently the CEO of YangGuang, one of the most successful land developers in China, was born in a small village in the province of Liao Ning, where he endured a childhood of extreme poverty. Yet despite many hardships-or perhaps because of them-he grew to value hard work and determination. With the support of his father, Wan Linyi recognized in his youth that the only way to live up to his full potential was by leaving the village to pursue an education. As a student at Peking University, he travelled throughout China to learn about the connection between people and the natural landscape. This experience helped him to commit himself to promoting "harmony between man and nature" in his work as a developer. Although he left his village for an urban life, Wan never forgot the importance of his journey toward self-awareness. Later, when the board at YangGuang first approached him to accept the job of CEO in 2007, he politely refused. He said, "I felt I was not ready. I needed more experience and more acceptability by the people." Because he was in tune with himself, Wan was able to realize that he needed to know more about the business before accepting the top job. When he did become CEO at the end of 2008, Wan was confident in his abilities.