CTE is celebrating International Women’s Day
Interview with women leaders – Xueman Xu

#WomenWhoLeads – Interview with Xueman Xu

Q: Having been working at CTE for over 10 years, how did you start? What have you leant from all these years?

I joined the company back in 2008, at the moment the first European office has just been launched in London and there were only a few employees. I remember that my employee number is 18… So over the years I really see that my personal growth aligned with that of company and I’m grateful for this opportunity. There’s this positive reinforcement that reminds you that your every contribution to the company is being recognized. I truly appreciate this reciprocal win-win culture at CTE.

Q: What’s a typical day like for you?

I would start my day by browsing through my emails and to see if there’s any urgent requests that will need my attention and spend time working with colleagues in HongKong HQ. From time to time there are routine audits that I need to oversee as well as giving feedback to my subordinates. Because the nature of my work, I’ll make time to read Financial Times to stay informed.

Q: How do you balance work and life responsibilities?

It’s a challenge for working-moms to thrive both at work and personal life, I’m thankful to my family who supports my carrier by taking a lot of burden from me. Since the lockdown I feel that it allows me to be more flexible in work/life and makes more time for my family.

Q: What advice would you give to someone who is stressed out in work?

Usually if it’s something I think I can still handle then I would go have a talk with my close friends or peers of the same profession. This kind of comfort comes from the fact that know what you are going through. And if, it really becomes something more than you can handle – which happens to everyone – personally I think there’s no shame of crying out loud. Let off steam, get all the negative energy out of your body. That’s also important.

Q: Define a great leader—what are some traits you think great leaders possess?

Well I would probably speak in 2 terms. For nation leaders or C-suite leaders, these roles require vision, creativity, inspiration and charisma etc.; For middle-level managers I think they probably need more executive ability, willingness to improve and the skills to motivate the team, sense of responsibilities etc. which are really the basic moral codes to be a great leader.

Q: Throughout your career, what woman inspires you and why?

One of the people from whom I’ve learnt the most is Ms. Ning, I worked for her when I started my job at CTE. With an unbeatable financial background, she showed me how to improve my execution skills, and working efficiency. She had also encouraged me to be more confidence with my work so I wouldn’t be afraid to present to others.

Another person I would like to mention is Mrs. Xian, the former deputy manager of CTE. What inspires me the most is her dedication and passion to her work. She always brought positive energy to people around her while kept a high standard to herself. For me she really set a great example of being proud of what she does and our company.

Q: What skills do you believe are inherent to women and how do they add value to a business?

I think that women are more detail-oriented and are more willing to collaborate with everyone on the team. And they tend to be more tolerant with different opinions which is crucial to team success. I personally feel that women usually work harder.

Q: For those young women who want to take a role in leadership but are afraid to fail, what suggestions do you have?

No one is born to be a manager, we all start small. So I guess the most important thing is to make efforts continuously with a down-to-earth attitude. Then focus on improving your professional skills and competence. Because only when you are confident in your professional skill can you speak out loud at least that’s the case for me. With each positive feedback you will be able to be more confident and so on. Finally I’d say to every women: don’t be afraid to changes and step out of your comfort zone. Each challenge also represents an opportunity.

Q: What would you tell your younger self today?

Don’t stay up too late, drink a lot of water and do exercise.

Q: If you have to choose an animal to describe your leadership style, which one would you choose and why?

I would say a “leading-sheep” (bellwether) because I consider myself being part of the team but also the person to give direction and share inspiration.

Read more stories of women at CTE here.

About China Telecom (Europe) Ltd.:
China Telecom (Europe) Ltd. (CTE) provides integrated telecoms and communications services as a local solutions provider for Chinese companies and a global solutions provider for multinational corporations. CTE’s unrivalled knowledge of the Chinese market, and regional offices across Europe, make CTE an ideal partner for European and Asian businesses looking to work in Europe, China and Asia. To find out more about CTE business, go to www.chinatelecomeurope.com.