"Know your enemies, know yourself", advised Sun Zi in his famous Art of War (AoW). In contrast, the legendary Admiral Zheng He would have said, "Know your collaborators, know yourself", and this would be the essence of his Art of Collaboration (AoC). This book offers a fresh new approach to doing business and providing leadership in the twenty-first century, where Zheng He's peaceful and win-win collaborative paradigm present in his AoC provides an alternative to the aggressive and antagonistic mindset inherent in Sun Zi's AoW. The author has culled from the existing literature on the historical, cultural, diplomatic, and maritime-oriented Zheng He, connected the dots of his discovery of a managerial Zheng He, and wrote this book to present both the big message of Zheng He's Art of Collaboration as well as an understanding of Zheng He's specific work as a leader and manager.

China's greatest transformation expert was, arguably, Admiral Zheng He. Six hundred years ago, Zheng He served the Ming Dynasty's Emperor Yongle as an overseas ambassador. Long famous as a diplomat, Zheng He may also serve as an example of a collaborative business executive who transforms others. In contrast to autocratic monarchs or "lone wolf" chief executives, Zheng He exemplified collaboration even when seeking a goal with single-minded determination. This article also examines how Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric (GE) and renowned transformational manager also used collaborative efforts to bring GE to greater heights. He also mellowed down his style as a Neutron Jack in the earlier years of his career to Transformational Jack, following the footsteps of Zheng He's art of collaboration.

This edited volume presents the results of a three-year comparative study on Chinese cultural diplomacy (CD) across Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, which contributes to the broader theoretical debate on China`s increasing soft power in international relations. The study, ‘China's Cultural Diplomacy and the Role of Non-State Actors’ was conducted by a research team at the Oriental Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic from 2015 to 2018. This book pays special attention to China’s localized forms of CD, focusing on the regional variations and involvement of non-state actors, especially local actors outside China. Local actors involved in Chinese CD diplomacy are characterized by their intermediary status as working for the aims of two states, while trying to bridge conflicts and enhance mutual understanding. This book will be of interest to scholars, diplomats, and China watchers.

China's greatest transformation expert was, arguably, Admiral Zheng He. Six hundred years ago, Zheng He served the Ming Dynasty's Emperor Yongle as an overseas ambassador. Long famous as a diplomat, Zheng He may also serve as an example of a collaborative business executive who transforms others. In contrast to autocratic monarchs or "lone wolf" chief executives, Zheng He exemplified collaboration even when seeking a goal with single-minded determination. This article also examines how Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric (GE) and renowned transformational manager also used collaborative efforts to bring GE to greater heights. He also mellowed down his style as a Neutron Jack in the earlier years of his career to Transformational Jack, following the footsteps of Zheng He's art of collaboration.

From New York Times bestselling author Laurence Bergreen and author Sara Fray comes this immaculately researched history for young readers detailing the life of Zheng He, his complex and enduring friendship with his emperor, and the epic Seven Voyages he led that would establish China as a global power. 1405. The central coast of China. At nearly seven feet tall, Admiral Zheng He looked out at the sea before him. For the next three decades, the oceans would be his home, as he would command over 1,500 ships and thousands of sailors in seven journeys that would predate the heart of the European Age of Exploration. Over his seven epic journeys, Zheng He explored the Northern Pacific and Indian Oceans, traveling as far as the east coast of Africa, expanding Chinese power globally, warring with pirates, and capturing enemies along the way in the name of his emperor, Zhu Di. But this giant figure was not always at the helm of a ship.