China
8 min read

Lei Jun

Xiaomi
Founder and CEO
Contributors
Phoenix Baker
Product Manager
Lana Steiner
Product Designer
Drew Cano
Frontend Engineer
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Situational Background

Lei Jun, founder and CEO of Xiaomi, blends frugality, speed, and fan-focused empathy. He pursues high quality at honest pricing and turns customers into community participants. Lei communicates in plain language, ships frequently, and insists that simplicity and reliability beat gimmicks. Distinctive for cheerful discipline and customer closeness, he shows how efficiency, transparency, and respect create loyalty in any field.

Practical Leadership Principles

1) Fan-minded empathy.


Earn loyalty by solving real, everyday problems.


Behaviours to model:

  • Engage users in open forums; commit two fixes monthly.
  • Prioritise top recurring complaints.
  • Share before/after evidence.

2) Frugal excellence.


Spend where customers feel it; cut the rest.


Behaviours to model:

  • Track unit cost versus perceived value.
  • Remove one non-essential cost each cycle.
  • Pass savings on visibly.

3) Speed with substance.


Move fast without breaking trust.


Behaviours to model:

  • Ship small, safe increments weekly.
  • Roll back quickly if quality slips.
  • Maintain a “no compromise” checklist.

Call to action

Pick one customer pain to fix now, define the smallest upgrade that helps, and publish the proof (screenshots, metrics, or stories) within a week.