English
“An Entrepreneur of Five Values consistently creates genuine added value, everywhere and at all times.”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Đăng Minh, Chairman of GKM Group and MBV International
On October 23, 2026, at the headquarters of MBV International in Khai Sơn City, Bồ Đề, Hanoi, the GKM Institute of Lean Management (GKM Finest) officially launched the CEO Lean Made in Vietnam Programme, Cohort 70 (GKM.CEO.70). The programme once again brought together business leaders who share the ambition of strengthening their enterprises’ internal capabilities, mastering management thinking and creating genuine added value for Vietnam’s business community.
Under the direct guidance of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Đăng Minh, Founder of Lean Management Technology Made in Vietnam, participants embarked on their learning journey with a fundamental starting point: Tâm Thế Management. Drawing on examples from everyday life as well as major challenges facing businesses and the nation, the session opened up new perspectives on the relationship between thinking, action and the aspiration to create value.
Bringing Together Diverse Industries Through a Shared Aspiration for Development
Cohort 70 brought together business leaders from a wide range of sectors, including technology and electrical equipment, steel, mechanical engineering, garment manufacturing, chemicals, construction materials, printing, commerce and services, alongside representatives of State agencies. The participation of Chairpersons, Chief Executive Officers, Directors, Deputy Directors, professional management personnel and State agency representatives created a diverse learning environment enriched by different experiences, industries and practical perspectives.
Each business leader brought their own set of challenges to the programme. However, regardless of the sector in which they operate, questions concerning leadership capability, the quality of management thinking and the ability to create value remain fundamental. These shared concerns also form the common ground among Cohort 70 participants as they explore and apply Lean Management Technology Made in Vietnam.
Great Ambitions Begin with the Smallest Actions
One of the key messages shared by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Đăng Minh was the importance of perseverance, which begins with small actions and is sustained through consistent effort over time.
Using the vivid and familiar expression “chút chít chụt chịt”, he emphasised that transformation does not necessarily begin with grand undertakings. Even seemingly insignificant steps, when carried out with a positive Tâm Thế, determination and perseverance, which are among GKM’s Five Ks, can gradually bring about profound changes.
The aspiration to maintain dry and clean toilets at organisations such as Bảo Minh and Hồng Hà Hospital provides a thought provoking example.
Keeping a toilet dry and clean may seem like a simple requirement. However, maintaining this standard every day through the conscious efforts of every individual requires changes in awareness, habits and organisational culture.
A seemingly small task can reveal much deeper management challenges. Do employees approach their work with Tâm Thế? Do they simply fulfil immediate requirements, or do they proactively create value for themselves and those around them?
The message that “the way you do one thing is the way you do many things” therefore goes beyond the quality of an individual task. It also offers insight into how the capabilities and culture of an entire organisation are developed.
Breaking through the glass ceiling of thinking does not always begin with far reaching strategies. Sometimes, it starts with the ability to rethink the smallest and most familiar aspects of everyday life and work.
Học * Hiểu * Áp as a Pathway to Bringing Knowledge into Practice
One topic that attracted considerable attention from participants was the philosophy of “Học * Hiểu * Áp”, emphasised by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Đăng Minh throughout the programme.
Rather than simply advocating the familiar principle that learning should go hand in hand with practice, he highlighted the process of transformation from learning to understanding, which then enables effective application in real world situations.
Learning does not necessarily mean understanding. Likewise, understanding does not automatically translate into the ability to put knowledge into practice. Only when knowledge is applied to solving real world problems can learners develop practical skills and generate tangible results.
This perspective sets a clear expectation for management practitioners. Whatever they learn, they should seek to understand and apply it directly within their own working environments.
Speaking during the programme, Ms. Đặng Thị Hoàng Liên, Deputy Director of H & D Steel Company Limited, expressed particular appreciation for the philosophy of “Học * Hiểu * Áp”. Drawing on her experience of seeing individuals spend considerable time studying and accumulating academic qualifications without successfully translating their knowledge into the ability to solve practical work related problems, she recognised the practical significance of ensuring that learning is directed towards tangible results.
This is also the guiding spirit of the CEO Lean Made in Vietnam Programme, where learning is not simply intended to broaden individual awareness, but also to transform the management capabilities of business leaders into practical capabilities across the entire enterprise.
When Tâm Thế takes shape in Every Individual
The reflections shared by Cohort 70 participants demonstrate that Tâm Thế Management is not an abstract concept. Rather, it can be directly connected to specific challenges encountered in both professional and everyday life.
Mr. Nguyễn Mạnh Cường of ASV Industrial and Trading Company Limited, together with Ms. Nguyễn Phương Dung, expressed particular appreciation for the principle that Tâm Thế must begin within each individual before it can extend to colleagues, subordinates, work processes and products.
Ms. Dung also connected the lessons from the programme to her own family experiences, recognising a new approach to addressing communication gaps between mothers and children. This demonstrated how Tâm Thế, initially explored in a business context, can also be applied to the closest and most personal relationships in everyday life.
For Ms. Đỗ Thị Hồng of Nam Thái Bình Dương Company Limited, one of the most memorable lessons was learning to recognise and gradually eliminate an adversarial and defensive approach to work. Tasks that she had previously carried out simply to get them done are now being approached with greater initiative, commitment and perseverance.
From a different perspective, Mr. Đỗ Giao Tiến of the Department of Industry, Ministry of Industry and Trade, shared his thoughts on the significance of Tâm Thế in the public sector. When income arrangements are not always directly linked to individual productivity, Tâm Thế becomes a foundation that enables each person to uphold their sense of responsibility, self respect and the value of their own contributions.
These reflections converged on a shared understanding. A person’s value is determined not only by their title, position or working conditions, but also by their Tâm Thế and the genuine value they consciously create through every action.
From individuals to families, and from businesses to State agencies, Tâm Thế can serve as a foundation for connecting people through a shared commitment to creating added value.
From the Glass Ceiling of Thinking to the Aspiration of Made by Vietnam
Moving beyond everyday management experiences, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Đăng Minh examined the true value of Vietnamese products and brands.
A product manufactured in Vietnam does not necessarily mean that Vietnamese people have mastered the most important values embodied in that product. If a business is limited to manufacturing and assembly based on designs and technologies developed elsewhere, the value generated through intellectual capability, research and innovation may remain beyond the control of Vietnamese enterprises.
For this reason, the aspiration of Made in Vietnam needs to evolve into a deeper capability, Made by Vietnam, in which Vietnamese people proactively create value through their own thinking, intellectual capabilities and expertise.
Achieving this aspiration requires businesses to look beyond expanding their scale or investing additional resources. Equally important is a fundamental shift in thinking, enabling them to gradually overcome the invisible limitations that constrain their capacity for innovation and mastery.
This is the significance of the journey towards breaking through the “Glass Ceiling of Thinking”, which lies at the heart of the CEO Finest Made in Vietnam Programme.
Built upon the six Genes of Lean Management Technology Made in Vietnam, management practitioners are guided in developing systematic thinking and action capabilities across six key areas, from Tâm Thế Management to Lean Thinking, Scientific Problem Solving, Strategy, Human Resources and Quality.
As each management practitioner transforms, each enterprise gains an opportunity to transform as well. When businesses share a common foundation of thinking, align their Tâm Thế and proactively support and complement one another, their individual capabilities can be connected to form the collective strength of Vietnam’s business community.
Spreading Tâm Thế Through the Journey of Value Creation
Another profoundly humanistic message shared by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Đăng Minh was his perspective on the “ultimate point” in a person’s life.
The value of an individual’s contributions does not necessarily follow a curve that peaks at a particular age before declining alongside their career or physical capabilities. With Tâm Thế, everyone can continue learning, thinking and creating value at every stage of life, in any environment.
The spirit of spreading Tâm Thế is therefore more than a call to action within a classroom. It represents an aspiration to live and create continuously, beginning with oneself and extending to family, organisations, customers and society.
The opening ceremony of the CEO Finest Made in Vietnam Programme, Cohort 70, marked the beginning of a new journey of learning and practice. From lessons about small actions, perseverance and learning through application to the aspiration of mastering Vietnamese value creation, management practitioners were encouraged to explore new perspectives through which to reflect on and transform themselves.
We wish all management practitioners of GKM.CEO.70 continued Determination, Perseverance, Resilience and Patience as they work together to align their Tâm Thế, break through the Glass Ceiling of Thinking and create genuine added value, contributing to the sustainable development of a strong community of MBV enterprises.
Tràn Tâm Thế!
GKM Group & MBV International Communications Team