XCMG was a leading construction machinery manufacturer in China, competing in a highly competitive international market. This case describes XCMG's chairperson Wang Min's role in the company over several stages of development. In the late 1990's, he eliminated corruption among XCMG's management personnel, pushed for the consolidation of dozens of unprofitable affiliates, and led the group through a period of turmoil into high growth. In the early 2000's, he actively sought a capital injection to power XCMG's next stage of growth. In a period of market downturn after 2011, his determination to stay in the construction machinery business reassured employees at XCMG and boosted their morale. In the following years, he steered the company towards two new strategic goals-internationalization and digitalization. This case provides students with an example of a long-serving leader who has exerted significant personal influence over his organization, and has played different roles in the highs and lows of the company. It is suitable for a discussion of how a leader's vision and values can impact the strategic goals of the company and its corporate values. The open-ended topic of this case is-What should a company do to pass on its corporate culture and spirit to the next generation of leaders, especially when the company is developing rapidly or experiencing dramatic changes in its business environment?

At 6:27 a.m. on May 14, 2018, an Airbus A319, Flight 3U8633 of Sichuan Airlines took off. It was dawning. Flight to and from Lhasa was very difficult. The route was featured with rough terrain and changeable weather, and there were several high mountains beneath. The airplane was passing Chengdu and heading for the Tibetan Plateau at 7:08pm when a heavy thud was heard in the cockpit. In a blink, Capitan Liu Chuanjian found himself in a dreadful situation--the front windshield on his right was gone, and his copilot was almost out of the cockpit, being held only at legs by the safety belt. Wind at over 800 km/hr and -40℃ was blowing in and cutting Liu's face and body. In the cockpit, oxygen was very thin. Wind pressure and extreme coldness were tearing him. The dashboard failed and the airplane was diving at a large angle with port-wing down. Holding the sidestick in his left hand and the throttle lever in his right hand, Liu was intensely trembling in his seat due to coldness. He had to quickly pull himself together. He knew that the lives of all passengers and the crew depended on him.