[Answer] How should we understand Ren Zhengfei saying in CCTV’s “Face to Face” interview on May 26 that he is a puppet at Huawei?

[Answer] How should we understand Ren Zhengfei saying in CCTV’s “Face to Face” interview on May 26 that he is a puppet at Huawei?

I did not watch the full interview, so this answer may well suffer from the fallacy of taking things out of context or reading too much into the words; please feel free to correct me. I think this “puppet” may have at least two layers of meaning:

First, any individual can only focus on a limited number of things. Even if Ren Zhengfei is the brain of Huawei, it is still impossible for him to concentrate on every corner and every detail. It is a bit like our relationship to our own bodies: we can only regulate them at a macro or strategic level through things like “eating,” “exercise,” and “sleep,” but we cannot pay attention to how a particular cell is carrying out a particular activity. And without feedback such as swelling or pain, we would probably know nothing about those processes at all. In that sense, feeling like a “puppet” may be the experience of the head of any large organization.

Second, Laozi said, “The highest ruler is one whose existence the people barely know.” One interpretation of this is that it embodies governing through non-interference. Once an organization has entered a stable and healthy track, Ren Zhengfei’s role should be reflected more in setting direction and exerting a subtle, gradual influence. From the various speeches and writings of Ren Zhengfei that have surfaced from within Huawei, it is clear that he is more concerned with Huawei’s ideas and spirit than with execution itself—or at least not only with execution. Therefore, when execution is delegated to each business unit to carry out in its own way, Ren Zhengfei can only obtain information through their feedback and reports.