Motivated By The Future

United grinding China general manager jo santens believes optimism is essential for successful leadership and growth.

- Jodie Darlington

The best advice that Jo Santens has ever received came to him just a few months ago, when a close friend scribbled it on a sticky note and handed it to him. The message was simple, but it struck a chord with the senior executive. “He wrote, ‘Being positive in a negative situation is not naive; it’s leadership.’ It definitely holds some truth,” Jo reflects.

“Currently, many managerial leaders seem to be intimidated by the downturn and the decay of the idea of globalisation. Obviously the complex political uncertainties can’t be denied and will affect the short-term decisions and long-term strategic manoeuvres of any company. But I see these changes as opportunities to revise and rejuvenate our existing processes and to use the downturn period as valuable time granted to prepare our company for good days ahead.”

Another piece of advice that Jo often refers to is the famous quote by the late psychologist Abraham Maslow. “He said, ‘You will either step forward into growth, or you will step backward into safety,’” Jo says. “So my personal point of view is simple: the time to shape the future is now. Our future should always be bigger than our past. At least that should be the motivation; the future is our motivation.”

It is these words of wisdom that have helped guide Jo throughout his six years as General Manager of United Grinding China, and eight years with the Group.

The United Grinding Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of precision machines for grinding, eroding, laser, measuring and combination machining. The Group has about 2,500 employees at more than 20 locations around the world, including a production plant in Shanghai and sales and service office in Beijing.