In China, constant and often radical change takes place within organizations. In fact, the most difficult thing to do for Westerners who come to work or do business in China is adjusting to the massive number of changes that seem to never subside. If such a practice was seen in the United States, people would quickly gain the opinion that the leaders had no clear vision of what their purpose was or had no idea where they were going. We Americans see focus and specific goals as essentials to business and/or organizational success.

In the US, people value decisive leadership. They respect and honor leaders who have a clear vision of where they want to go in their business pursuits. They value leadership that is not only strong, but also is ready to listen to employees. Balance in leadership style is actually something Americans learned from Eastern philosophy. They realized its necessity and made it a part of their way of thinking and doing business.

Americans also value a positive approach to business and life. They believe that creativity and innovation in business enterprise propel them to advance and earn more profits. Attitude is the fuel that runs that engine. Americans are known to say: "Attitude is everything." It is essential for success, whatever your endeavor in life.

Another quality that Americans value is determination. As a rule, they don't try something for a short period and deem it a success or failure. They set out on a course, have a clear vision in mind of what they want to achieve, trust their own abilities to achieve success and dedicate themselves to stay on the course intelligently until they succeed.

If you ask successful business leaders in the US how long they pursue success, they are likely to tell you: "We pursue until we reach our goal."

Michael M, on China Daily blog

Readers' comments are welcome. Please send your e-mail to [email protected] or [email protected] or to the individual columnists. China Daily reserves the right to edit all letters. Thank you.