This post is a follow up to my earlier post, Living and Working Aboard — Why Not?

This is also a mid point test case to see who is reading and checking in on the blog as required, and who is not. Comment submission and input have been pretty quiet lately.

One of the recommended books on your reading list, China CEO: Voices of Experience From 20 International Business Leaders has an entire chapter that addresses the following question: What are the qualities of a successful expatriate business manager in China?

What do you think is the answer?

Seriously, think hard about this question and timely respond. Your skills in stats, marketing, finance, accounting, etc. are critical, but they will only take you so far. Moving a firm forward and its leading people is hard, stressful, difficult work. So think about the following levels of skill and ability that expat managers need to have in a country like China: (1) what qualities does such a manager need to possess on a professional level; (2) what qualities does such a manager need to possess with respect to personal global qualities; and (3) what qualities does such a manager need to possess with respect to personal China-specific qualities?

Without going out and reading this part of this book, discuss in the comment section below what you think, and I will toss in a Starbucks gift certificate (Peter, yours is coming from the last contest!) to the Cal Poly MBA student going on the trip who best uses their street smarts to offer a response that most closely mirrors the recommendations from the CEOs interviewed for this book.

Once we see what comments and responses come in and I report back to you what these CEOs said, I think you will be surprised by their collective response. Then, once we are in China, you can compare what these CEOs said to some of the managers and CEOs you will meet on the trip and ask them follow-up questions emenating from this post and discussion thread.