我生命中最美好的10年

The Best 10 Years of my Life

    我不能浪费这个星期专栏的机会，写一些对我来说非常重要的事情；一些彻底改变了我的生命，改变了我的个人，甚至改变作为专业和商业人的事情。

     I couldn’t waste the opportunity to write this week about something that is extremely important to me; something that changed my life forever, something that change me as a person, as a professional and as a business man.

   这一周我们庆祝公司作为一家生产和销售瓷砖的企业进入中国10周年，尽管我在中国生活了将近15年，但是过去的10年，毫无疑问是最有意义、最有启发和最有价值的。

    This week we celebrate 10 years of being present in China manufacturing and distributing ceramic tile as a company and even though I have been in China for almost 15 years the last 10 have been without a doubt the most meaningful, the most enlighten and rewarding.

   在这段时间里，我学到了、看到了、经历了很多不同的事情。我想说说并与你们分享一些脑海里涌现的最重要的东西，它们不仅让我还让我们公司做了一些了不起的事情。

    I have learned, seen and experienced so many different things during this time. I want to mention and share with you a few of the most important that came to my mind that allowed not only me but also our company to do something remarkable.

   首先，我意识到在中国启动我们的项目时，采取主动、承担全部责任和所有权是多么重要。这样做与听从上司的指示有很大的区别。领导者必须始终明白，他们是比自身和个人利益更重要的事情的一部分。

  First, I realized how important it was to take the initiative, full responsibility and ownership to start our project in China. It makes a big difference to do it this way than to get directions from people above you. Leaders must always operate with the understanding that they are part of something greater than themselves and their own personal interests.

    第二， 我极快地学会了一些非常简单的东西：你不能一个人去做。你需要一个训练有素、专注并且与你的目标完全同步的团队。这个团队是公司最重要的资产。

   Second, I learned extremely fast something very simple; you can’t do it alone. You require a team that is well trained, focused and completely in sync with the objectives and goals that you have. This team is the most important asset of the company.

   第三， 我从一开始就知道这将是一场马拉松，它不是一个两或三年的项目，而是一个10年甚至更久的长期项目。如果你提前知道这一点，它会改变你的世界观、耐心、远见和预期。你需要为这场长跑做好准备，有时或许大多数时候，长跑永远不会结束。

    Third, I knew from the beginning that this was going to be a marathon, that this was not going to be a 2 or 3-year project but something long term 10 or more years. If you know this in advance it changes your outlook, patience, vision and expectative. You need to prepare yourself to run this long race that sometimes or most of the time never ends.

   第四， 你要以身作则，与时俱进，带头前行。大多数人（如果不是所有人的话）都希望你能做到这一点。他们在公司里对你的看法通常也是客户和其他人对你的看法，因为你是公司的面孔，他们会将你的公司与你的领导方式、外表、谈吐和行动联系起来。

    Fourth, you need to set the example, keep the pace, lead the way. Most if not all people expect that from you. The way they see you in the company is usually also the way the customers and other people see you as well and since you are the face of the company they associate your company on the way you lead, look, talk and act.

   第五， 我也很快学到，在中国，人们不允许或不习惯在一些有意义或重要的事情上做决定，大部分时间都让老板自己做决定。我努力做到包容，让我们的同事发出自己的声音，并给到他们成长和决策的权利，只有在绝对必要时才介入做出最终决定。

   Fifth, I learned also very fast that people in China were not allowed or were not used to take decisions over something meaningful or important and would leave that most of the time to the boss alone. I worked hard to be inclusive and give our people a voice and empower them to grow and decide and only intervene whenever was absolutely necessary to take the final decision.

   第六，知识就是力量，我很清楚这一点，也从未停止学习不同的事情，帮助我成为一个更好的领导者、个人、老板、决策者、演讲者、设计师等等。

   Sixth, knowledge is power I knew this very well and never ceased to keep learning different things that would help me become a better leader, person, boss, decision maker, presenter, designer, etc.

   第七，你应该时刻考虑自己的能力，以及在大家之间激发热情的重要性，顺便说一句，他们是你拥有的最大财富。

   Seventh, you should always consider your ability and the importance to arouse enthusiasm among your people who by the way is by far the greatest asset you possess.

  成功并不是纯粹的运气，它总是伴随着很高的代价，包括舍弃、长时间的工作、奉献、弹性、毅力，对任何你想要完成的事情的忠诚，对你的工作、你的员工、你的公司和事业的爱与承诺，最重要的是，对一直支持你的家人的爱。你需要有一颗梦想家的心，一位作家的头脑，敢于冒险的意愿，克服障碍的韧性，对自己所做的事情不可估量的爱，以及对你想要公司成为怎么样的坚定愿景。

   Success does not come of pure luck, it always comes with a very high price tag full of sacrifice, long hours of work, dedication, resiliency, perseverance, devotion to whatever you want to accomplish, love and commitment to your job, to your people, to your company and career and above all and more than anything else to the love of your family that has always been there to support you. And you need to have the heart of a dreamer, the mind of a writer, the willingness to take risks, the resilience to overcome obstacles, unmeasurable love to what you do and unwavering vision of what you want your company to be.

   您分享和传达正确信息的方式，价值观、使命、目标、热情、对同伴的赞赏，使成功得以复制，因为卓越是可持续的，没有承诺就会停止。

    The way you share and communicate the right message, the values, the mission, objectives, goals, the passion, the appreciation to your peers makes success replicable because excellence is sustainable and it is not promised it is ceased.

   只要你为自己和你的公司感到骄傲，为你所奋斗的事业感到骄傲，就没有什么是你不能实现的。只要你对你的价值观有信心，信任你的员工，相信你所做的事情永远不会失败，我们永远不会失败，我们的经销商永远不会失败，相反，他们将会兴旺发达，我们将会繁荣发展，我们的品牌将会永远强大和非凡。

    As long as you are proud of who you and your company are and what you are fighting for there is nothing you can’t achieve. As long as you have confidence in your values, faith in your employees and trust in what you are doing you will never fail, we will never fail, our distributors will never fail, on the contrary they will thrive, our people will prosper and our brand will forever be strong and mighty.

   有些事情是从大的开始，有些事情是从小的开始，像我们公司一样，但是有时候，最小的事情却能带来最大的改变。没有人知道未来会发生什么大的或小的变化，Covid-19就是最好的例子。但有一件事情是肯定的，我们的旅程还没有结束。真正的承诺是经得起时间考验的。我可以等待在中国开始下一个10年，我只希望我的时光，以及我们在这个美好的国家的时光，会以一种小小的方式被积极地记住，怀着感激，并作为一个被学习的榜样！

    Some things started big and some other things started small like our company, but sometimes the smallest things can make the biggest changes of all. No one knows what changes big or small lie ahead, take Covid-19 as the greatest example. But one thing is for certain, our journey is not over. True commitment stands the test of time. I can wait to start the next 10 years in China and I can only hope that in some small way my time, and our time here in this wonderful Country will be remembered positively, with gratitude, and as an example to follow!