Cho Young-tak, CEO of Hunet, "We Will Actively Foster Korean-style Leadership"

by Choi Donghyeon

Published 22 Jun.2023 08:17(KST)

Youngtak Cho, CEO of Hunet.

"We will transform into a specialized institution for Korean-style leadership development."

On the 21st, Cho Young-tak, CEO of Hunet, made this announcement at the 'CHRO (Chief Human Resources Officer) Leadership Conference' held at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul. This event was organized to commemorate the establishment of the 'Global Leadership Institute,' launched by Hunet last year. About 70 CHROs from leading domestic companies attended.

CEO Cho stated, "Corporate competitiveness is national competitiveness, and corporate survival depends on nurturing talent," adding, "It is extremely important to develop leaders who are the core of companies, but research and education on Korean-style leadership lag far behind advanced countries."

When asked "What is leadership?" Cho cited the '4Ps': People, Process, Power, and Performance. He explained, "A leader must first understand people and build relationships, and leadership is formed through continuous interaction. Through this, desirable influence is spread, and performance is created, which is true leadership."

The keynote speaker of the day was world-renowned leadership scholar Professor Jay Conger, who was invited to give an online lecture on the topic "7 Questions Korean Companies Are Curious About." He said, "In the rapidly changing digital era, a leader's role is to ask challenging questions and listen carefully," adding, "Leaders must identify what will lose productivity and act as supporters focusing on what needs attention."

Baek Ki-bok, head of Hunet's Global Leadership Institute, introduced 'Turning Point Leadership.' Historically, Korean leaders have had the power to reverse situations during crises and achieve outstanding results. Hunet researched these characteristics of Korean leaders and named it 'Turning Point Leadership.' Baek said, "The Global Leadership Institute aims to nurture 'Turning Point Makers' who can transform organizations and create reversals and turnarounds." Following this, director Kim Han-min, known for the films Myeongryang and Hansan, gave a special lecture on the theme of 'Yi Sun-sin's Turning Point Leadership.'

Hunet plans to develop the Global Leadership Institute into a leading institution for nurturing leaders representing Korea. It will offer comprehensive leadership solutions including domestic and international leadership research, leadership diagnosis and education, and leadership consulting.

The core project, the 'Turning Point Leadership Diagnostic Solution,' is a multi-rater evaluation model where not only the leader but also supervisors, colleagues, and juniors participate in the assessment. Different surveys are conducted in depth for each respondent group. Afterwards, leaders receive a 'one-on-one personal report' containing expert in-depth analysis. Additionally, the client company will be provided with a 'CEO comprehensive report' analyzing all leaders, enabling the company to establish customized strategies through consulting.