The following is one of a series of blog post that were written while I was in China in the spring of 2009 as part of my Eisenhower Fellowship. If you have interest in China’s culture I think you will enjoy this series.

What is the Right Question?

Who?

A question that leads to a narrative of a person.

When?

A question that leads to a definitive answers of time.

Where?

A question that leads to a simple recitation of a location.

How?

A question that leads to a presentation on how something was accomplished?

Why?

This question stands out from all others.  It is a question that often leads to more questions than answers.  

When, Where, Who and How are most often facts which can be memorized and recited back.  Answering these questions allows one to repeat what others have learned or done. 

Why… requires a broader thinking, a judgment, an interpretation of facts.  A simple yet critical word which opens the minds and leads us down an infinite number of paths.  It often illustrates the root causes of a problem, uncovers the true need and provides a framework for a path forward.

I have been fortunate to be surrounded by entrepreneurs, and I am convinced that one of the key differences in the way that their minds work is that they seek the answer to this one word sentence. Answering this simple question reveals new market needs which provide entrepreneurs the impetus to start new businesses. These new business are first to market and have staying power as market leaders.  

There is no question that China is in the process of attempting to mimic the entrepreneurial success of the United States.  There have been successes in China’s entrepreneurial community, but most have been entrepreneurs that answered the question how.  How did Google capture the market in the United State, the answer a company called Badu.  How did Facebook so quickly rise to prominence, the answer 17 different companies with the exact features, look and feel of Facebook.

China is throwing enormous sums of money at aspiring entrepreneurs to help them build business from the ground up.  Yet I believe they are attacking the issue at the wrong location.  Money alone can not create great entrepreneurs or startup companies.  

During my time in China, I must have asked the question why over 100 times.  Often the question was asked about the most basic of political or economic issues.  More often than not the answers was “I have never thought about it.”

American culture is rooted in heroes that not only asked the question why, but challenged the status quo once they discovered the answers. Individuals like Henry Ford who asked why the workers had to move to the parts.  Or patriots like Thomas Jefferson who asked why taxation without representation.  We have been blessed with a culture and created an education system that assistants in developing entrepreneurs from birth.  

Until either China’s educational system or culture encourage the question, why, to be asked their entrepreneurial community will be restricted to success stories rooted in the question how.

The following is one of a series of blog post that were written while I was in China in the spring of 2009 as part of my Eisenhower Fellowship. If you have interest in China’s culture I think you will enjoy this series.

Next Stop China

24 hours later, and I am in Beijing.

My two year old girl’s name is Elena. She is temperamental, commanding attention at all times. Fearless, with no sense of apprehension, yet affectionate and extremely loving. Each morning she wakes at 6:00 a.m., quietly climbs into bed and pokes either my wife or I until someone says something to her. Then she just giggles.

In the last year I can not remember being away from her for more than 2 nights in a row. As I sit in my Beijing hotel tonight, I realize it will be 31 nights until I see her again.

I believe one of the most difficult challenges parents face is balancing their own personal goals and ambitions with the needs and desires of their children. It is a constant juggling act where parents try to ensure that they have a healthy sense of self-fulfillment, while at the same time engaging in their children’s lives. Like all Eisenhower Fellows, when I decided to apply for the fellowship I was aware of the sacrifices it might entail.  Still, my wife and I determined that the rewards outweighed the costs.

The cost of a month without my daughter is high. I accept this reality not as a negative, but a reminder and motivator to ensure that I utilize this time wisely.

The schedule in front of me is packed from dusk to dawn with some of the most influential and accomplished leaders in the region. I suspect the month ahead of me will be one of the most exciting and educational of my life. I hope to be able to translate my experiences here into tangible results for our region when I return: to find better ways to get businesses off the ground; to develop more efficient means to help young companies grow;  to develop a network to assist in recruiting top companies and talent to our region.

This is an incredible reward and I am eternally grateful to all those who have made this possible, from the trustees to the Eisenhower Fellowship team. And a special thanks to Erin and Julia who have put in tireless hours over the past several months coordinating my program. Thank you, thank you, thank you!