Accounting with Heart by Wang Jun

Author:Wang Jun
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2012-11-21T05:00:00+00:00

THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE: FROM LEADER TO POLICYMAKER

The concept of “policy-making” has been evident in Chinese literature since before the Qin Dynasty. Ancient texts such as Han Feizi, The Art of War, Stratagems of the Warring States, History of the Three Kingdoms and A Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government bear witness to this. There is a classical saying, “Devise strategies without going outside the tent and win battles from a thousand miles.” This, I believe, captures the nature and essence of policy-making.

Let me use a large organization again by way of illustration. Policymakers fall into two groups. The first is the officers, such as chief accountants and finance directors, who have the power, the capability and the courage to make decisions in the management of one or several aspects of work within a corporation. The second group is the controllers of the corporation, who set the overall policies governing the corporation.

In the “pyramid” of corporate personnel hierarchy, the policymakers sit at the top, and they need the disposition and authority to oversee the unit as a whole and also the prudence and self-discipline not to abuse that position through the inappropriate use of power. In the process of rising through the various levels of the managerial pyramid—from the most basic operative levels to the most senior levels, from positions of silent presence up to positions of high power—a future policymaker will experience hardship in which, to borrow the words of Mengzi, “his mind [will be] exercised with suffering, his sinews and bones with toil. His body exposed to hunger and subject to great poverty.”

Rising through the hierarchical structure requires a great transformation. Each step is a great leap towards maturity. We are quick to observe and praise the daring and determination of the policymaker but often overlook the accumulated wisdom and experience that have propelled the person into that role. As I mentioned earlier, management, leadership and policy-making are mostly made within constraints, and there is no unconstrained opportunity to make rash decisions at will. It is important that policymakers act with science as a prerequisite, with democracy as the means, with law as the basis, with power as the boundary, with management as a foundation and with service as a pivot, if they are to avoid setting rash or irresponsible policies.

To become a policymaker, a leader must:

Be able to make correct assessments in light of current trends. Only leaders who can grasp situations accurately can respond appropriately to the needs of the time. China’s increasingly strong economy and diplomacy provide a vast platform for the accountancy profession and a broad stage on which to develop a career in accountancy. Policymakers in the financial and accounting field must give deep consideration to how best to go about making correct assessments of current trends, of how to deepen reform and accelerate development, expand into new areas and new territories.

See the overall situation. From this comes the ability to control. For example, during the policy-making process in the famous Three Main

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