What Ten Years at Huawei Taught Me About Leadership and Career Growth

Xu Jiajun, former head of Huawei's data center and vice‑president, reflects on his ten‑year journey from an ordinary employee to a senior executive and his upcoming move to Baidu. He uses his experience to outline practical lessons for personal and organizational success.

1. Start with small tasks, learn to cooperate and accept short‑term setbacks.

2. The larger your ambition, the bigger the stage you can create for yourself.

3. Keep learning every day; expertise comes from relentless study and practice.

4. Practice boldly, make mistakes, and reflect continuously.

5. Adopt systematic, strategic thinking and develop repeatable methods for complex problems.

6. Think independently and avoid blindly following the crowd.

7. Minimize complaints, avoid empty talk, and take proactive, concrete actions.

8. Be accountable to yourself, your goals, and your work; self‑discipline drives true achievement.

9. Cultivate cultural and aesthetic appreciation; beauty underpins scientific and technical excellence.

10. Genuine care for people creates a collaborative, trustworthy environment.

11. Embrace openness and sharing to accelerate growth in a high‑tech company.

12. Master time management; focus on high‑impact work and avoid endless interruptions.

He emphasizes that these principles helped him navigate Huawei's rapid growth, turn crises into opportunities, and develop a resilient mindset.

In the “Extended Reading” section, the author summarizes Ren Zhengfei’s ten viewpoints on cadre selection, highlighting the importance of practical experience, overseas exposure, competitive performance, team success, willingness to face hardship, global perspective, loyalty during critical events, leveraging individual strengths, and flexible talent promotion.

Overall, the article offers actionable insights for engineers, managers, and anyone aspiring to thrive in fast‑moving technology enterprises.