Cultural Awareness Executive Coach & Leadership Advisor | Bridging East & West through Organizational Psychology, Entrepreneurial Resilience, and the Stewardship of Energy.

The Dawn Before the Ascent

Long before she became a leading voice in global executive coaching, Jojo Qiao was a young woman driving down a mountain at 3:30 AM in the quiet stillness of post-SARS Beijing. Her mission was simple but grueling: source the freshest ingredients for a fledgling mountain-top restaurant. There were no shortcuts and no legacy of wealth—only the raw, entrepreneurial instinct to turn a rent-free space into a thriving hub for connection.

This period was more than a first job; it was a masterclass in the human element of business. Jojo realized early on that success isn’t just about the product—it is about the energy of the environment and the resilience of the leader behind it. Today, as a Partner at Energising Leaders and a world-class executive coach, Jojo applies that same relentless drive and cultural intuition to help global executives bridge the often-treacherous gap between Eastern and Western business philosophies. Her life’s work is anchored in a singular, guiding North Star: “Different does not mean less.”

Resilience in the Rural North

Jojo’s story begins in a remote village in Inner Mongolia. Growing up in the 1980s, resources were scarce, but the landscape was vast, fostering an early sense of independence. However, her greatest challenge was closer to home. Constantly measured against her exceptionally academic older brother, Jojo lived in the shadow of narrow definitions of “talent.” Teachers and family members often wondered aloud why she wasn’t as “smart” as her sibling.

Rather than diminishing her, these comparisons ignited a fierce advocacy for fairness and inclusion. These early lessons became the soil in which her leadership philosophy grew. She saw firsthand how unconscious bias—particularly toward young girls—could stifle potential. This realization would eventually define her career: a commitment to recognizing diverse strengths and ensuring that different perspectives are seen as assets, not liabilities. “Those experiences quietly shaped my leadership values,” she reflects. “They taught me how damaging unconscious bias and narrow definitions of ‘talent’ can be.”

From Mountain Tops to Mega-Ventures

Jojo’s trajectory is marked by a series of bold, entrepreneurial bets. After the success of her mountain-top restaurant, she spent the next decade scaling heights that few achieve. She co-founded Music Box, which evolved into the largest karaoke enterprise in Asia. Managing 268 private rooms and generating daily revenues of £500,000, Jojo didn’t just run a business; she managed a massive ecosystem of 400 employees and navigated complex regulatory landscapes.

This era was the proving ground for her belief in partnership and operational excellence. It was here she mastered the art of “Cross-Borders” thinking—understanding that at the senior level, the move from a global platform to an entrepreneurial venture is an act of conviction. Jojo believes that growth happens when a leader is willing to step away from institutional certainty. As she often shares with her audience: “The most meaningful growth often comes before certainty. It’s about knowing when to give up the golden spoon and when to back yourself for the long game.”

Bridging the East-West Divide

In 2018, Jojo transitioned her focus to the United Kingdom, bringing her formidable experience to the London coaching scene. She recognized a critical gap: Western leaders struggled to understand the collectivism and loyalty inherent in Eastern markets, while Eastern executives often felt “lost in translation” when navigating Western individualism.

Through Cross Borders Coaching and her partnership at Energising Leaders, Jojo has become the “Energy Architect” for the C-suite. She doesn’t just offer advice; she uses organizational psychology to analyze team dynamics and “steward” the energy of an organization. Her impact is best summarized by Howard Rees, Chief Commercial Officer at Macrobond Financial: “Luckily, I was introduced to Jojo, who not only helped me understand and appreciate a culture that values collectivism, harmony, and loyalty over individualism but also provided me with practical and actionable suggestions… Business has never been better.”

The Stewardship of Energy

As we look toward the leadership landscape of 2026 and beyond, Jojo Qiao posits that the era of “command and control” is over. In a world of AI acceleration and global uncertainty, she believes the modern leader’s primary responsibility is the management of capacity and energy—both their own and their team’s. “What leaders will need most in 2026 isn’t more control — it’s more energy,” she notes, emphasizing that leadership today is limited not by talent, but by capacity.

Jojo is now expanding her influence into board-level advisory roles, where her global insight and passion for inclusion can shape the highest levels of corporate strategy. She remains a mentor to the next generation, particularly Gen Z, urging them to “be eager to earn your own experience, and don’t give up too early. Take every opportunity—even the imperfect or difficult ones—as a learning stage.” Her legacy is one of transformation—turning cultural complexity into a competitive advantage and ensuring that every leader she touches finds the clarity to unlock their true potential.

Editorial Note

Jojo Qiao’s journey serves as a powerful reminder that leadership is not a destination defined by a title, but a continuous journey of cultural bridge-building and self-discovery. From the rural outskirts of Inner Mongolia to the pinnacle of Asian entrepreneurship and into the heart of London’s executive circles, her story proves that resilience and empathy are the ultimate universal languages.