CEOs in Pursuit of Inspiration
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
Kim Hyung-suk, a professor emeritus at Yonsei University, explained the history of the humanities from the ancient times through the Middle Ages and Renaissance to the modern age at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) building on July 1.
``Three conditions a culture needs to modernize are humanism, science and rebirth. The nations that successfully met these conditions became world-leading countries,'' said Kim. ``The most important thing is that this is about humans, not just theories.''
Kim's students, mostly in their 40s and 50s, appeared highly focused on his lecture and took notes without chatting. The students are executives of small and large companies during the day but delve into the world of humanities once a week to broaden their horizons over management and operations.
``Businessmen should deal with humanities such as history, philosophy and notable historical figures,'' Kim said. ``My lecture gives just a slight idea of what the humanities are. If there were no humanities, there would be no ideological and spiritual foundations; things would be like castles in the air.''
Thirst for Studying
The KCCI and the Hanuri Reading Campaign Center jointly operate a reading academy for CEOs. Since opening last year, the program has received good reviews from the 54 enrolled students. Currently, some 40 CEOs are participating in the 20-week course.
``We generally invite distinguished scholars, but there also are classes on wine and music to make the course less rigid. We plan to conduct workshops and offer cultural trips later,'' said Cho Kyung-hwa, secretary general of Hanuri.
The business leaders were eager to keep studying long after their official education was completed and they entered the workforce. ``I majored in engineering and contributed to society with what I learned. However, I feel insufficient in my attainments and this is a good chance for me to converge engineering with the humanities,'' said Lee Young-cheol, CEO of Kyung Sung, a metalwork company.
Another young CEO said it took her just three seconds to decide on whether to take the course. Choo Gi-sook, 44, CEO of a history book-making company Dani Communications, said, ``I always tell my staff that books are the best teachers and it applies to the CEO, which is me, as well.''
She was satisfied overall with the quality of the books and lectures provided by the academy. ``For today's lecture, I was able to gain insight into the `history' of humans. I knew the history in fragments before, but this lecture connected them all,'' Choo said. ``I can convey this piece of knowledge to my employees and well, a bit of conceitedness follows, too.''
The academy also works as a socializing place for CEOs. Park Bok-hwan, a lawyer and CEO of law firm Saem, previously joined CEO communities related to real estate or mergers and acquisitions (M&A), which are directly concerned with his business. ``When I saw the commercial for this academy, studying and having discussions with other CEOs seemed like very fresh idea and I applied for the course,'' he said. There is a students' association and they meet outside the classroom to enhance their network.
``I have learned about literature as well as music, art and philosophy here. Moreover, meeting notable people is another merit of the program. Novelist Kim Jin-myung was the most impressive speaker I have met by far. I have read his books and it was interesting to pay attention to his beliefs and how he writes them,'' he added. ``I would recommend this program to my executive colleagues.''
Embracing Challenges
``A CEO is a representative of a group and he or she should have appreciative, creative eyes for the future to lead it better. We thought that was important for them to be culturally matured through reading books,'' said Park Chul-won, chairman/CEO of Hanuri. ``We provide and stimulate vision, imagination, creative thinking and conversation for the CEOs to make society healthier.''
Seoul National University runs the ``Ad Fontes Program'' (AFP), a special humanities course designed for CEOs. The program first started in 2007 to satisfy the needs of businessmen, especially head officers, seeking ``answers'' in humanities. The name ``Ad Fontes'' comes from a phrase by Desiderius Erasmus, a Dutch humanist, meaning ``to the sources'' in Latin.
Forty-four CEOs of Korea's leading corporations, such as Lim Hyung-kyu of Samsung Electronics, Kim Chi-hyung of SK Gas and Yeom Yong-woon of Tong Yang Magic, finished the fourth term of the program in July.
During this term, the leaders gained knowledge by studying Confucianism in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, reflecting on life through Shakespeare's ``Hamlet'' and appreciating art through East-Asian ceramic ware.
President and CEO of SK Gas Kim said he became more ``humane'' after taking the course. He had pondered how he could better manage the company and became interested in the humanities, and joined the course to inquire into human thoughts, lifestyles and values.
Now he communicates better with employees, and enjoys spending more time even with junior staff. ``The essence of communication lies in understanding and sympathy, not persuasion. I believe that if a CEO and his staff communicate well and understand each other, the company can maximize its capacity as well,'' Kim said. ``The humanities are a precious result of the people's strong will and endless challenges. That is why CEOs, who need to make rational yet creative decisions during a crisis, are rooted in humanistic insights and imaginations in this age of limitless competition.''