How about borrowing Paek’s success formula?

Kim Hyun-ki
The author is an editorial writer of the JoongAng Ilbo.

“I have to censure one of my own,” chuckled celebrity chef and eatery entrepreneur Paik Jong-won before tasting takeout food from outlets of Hong Kong Banjeom 0410, one of the legions of franchise restaurants he had founded and runs under the arm of Theborn Korea. Since the first opening of the Chinese fast-food store in 2006, the number has increased to more than 300 across the country. The brand also has stores in Los Angeles, Tokyo and elsewhere abroad. Such sprawling expansion can cause quality control issues.

In a YouTube program he runs, Paik randomly chooses outlets of his franchise stores for a quality checkup. After tasting the signature menu jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles), he complains about the texture of the noodles, suspecting them to be “preboiled” or “overcooked.” From a spoonful of jjajang rice he ordered from another store, he finds the paste too salty and questions if the cook has added soy sauce to save the mix provided by the franchise. He finally loses his temper after taking a bite of tangsuyuk (deep-fried pork in sweet-and-sour sauce) from the third store and fumes, “What are they thinking?” He cries out, “The coating is too thick so that it sticks to the delivery package and separates from the meat. This is dduk (sticky rice) tangsukyuk!”

Upon finding jjajangmyeon too wretched to finish, he warned the restaurant owners that it was not a matter of his own reputation, but that their business would be ruined. Paik calls up the supervisor and orders an inspection on the most problematic store. He tells the audience that businesses of other stores could be damaged by these few vexing stores.

Paik’s sharing of inspection results of his business has been refreshing. It would require a lot of guts to reveal one’s own flaws and shortcomings, especially for a leader. But when one modestly admits to them, others can take them as a sincere atonement. Paik — who was once mentioned as a potential presidential candidate by conservative party leader Kim Chong-in 2020 — could be a shrewd businessman for knowing the effect of such high-level self-promotion skills.

Leslie K. John, a professor at Harvard Business School, shared the results of her empirical studies in Harvard Business Review to show that sensitive self-disclosure in the form of revealing one’s own weaknesses makes leaders look more appealing to people than trying to project their perfect image. In the study, prospective employees watch videos from Google executives either disclosing, or not disclosing, their weaknesses in self-introduction. Most were more touched by the former, resulting in positive interpersonal outcomes and a willingness in organizational participation.

How about applying these approaches to politics? President Yoon Suk Yeol is a know-it-all type from his lengthy and high-profile career in the prosecution. Entrepreneur-turned-president Lee Myung-bak was also a similar type. He habitually said, “I know this by experience” whenever economic and industrial issues came up. After the Cheonan warship sinking, he snubbed experts, saying he knew about shipbuilding. His bragging reached a climax when he told U.S. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow in 2007 that the United States did not understand Iraq, given his experience of having personally met Saddam Hussein.

The failings in state affairs cannot be deciphered simply by tasting our Chinese dishes. A leader also must keep up authority. But leaders can feel distant from the public if they merely try to show off the positive, strong and admirable side to justify their own decisions. They can just come across as windbags if they are not genuine experts. In his nationally-televised briefing on state affairs on Monday, President Yoon announced the prospects of vast reserves of petroleum and gas lying under the East Sea based on a “verifiable” exploration. He claimed the deposit value could be five times the market cap of Samsung Electronics, Korea’s No.1 company.

We can understand his excitement and impatience, but it’s a pity that he is still far from being modest and prudent. At his next briefing, how about Yoon benchmarking Paik’s “self-critical” assessment? If the president admits to his shortcomings and hardships instead of trying hard to impress through hyperbole, the people may find him more authentic and likeable.