Zheng He: The Floating CEO

Imagine the supreme challenge of motivating 27,400 people in an enormous floating corporation, waves buffeting your 240 separate offices with limited channels of communication, managing the uncertainty of landing in more than 30 countries, ports often lacking the critical supplies you desperately require, while trying to contain insubordinate staff and remaining vigilant against surprise takeover attempts.

And that was just the first journey. Zheng He, the legendary eunuch admiral of China’s M...