The founder of Huawei, Ren Zhengfei, says compromise is a practical and adaptable law of the jungle.

“The wise ones in the jungle of humanity are ready to accept or seek compromise when necessary,” says Ren.

“One survives on reason rather than on impulse, after all. Compromise is an agreement reached under a certain circumstance. It is not always the best solution, perhaps, but it is the best option before the real best option appears. It has a lot of benefits.”

Considering that Huawei has grown to be a global company that has pioneered the development of technology that is shaping our societies, Ren’s wise words are worth paying attention to.

Tian Tao, David De Cremer and Wu Chunbo, the authors of Huawei: Leadership, Culture, and Connectivity, write that Ren said compromise does not mean giving up principles or making unconditional concessions.

“A wise compromise is a fair exchange. To achieve our most important goals, we can compromise on minor goals,” they quote Ren as saying. “Such a compromise is not a matter of violating our bottom line, but making concessions to gain an advantage, and to achieve our goals by means of fair exchange.”

In contemplating the precarious state of the South African Post Office, I find myself recalling the wisdom of Ren,  which emphasises the importance of compromise and fair exchange.

The Post Office is in a bind. This vital state-owned entity, already teetering on the edge of collapse, has been further crippled by internal malpractices, resulting in dismissals, arrests, and allegations of fraud and theft.

It has outstanding liabilities of R9.5bn and numerous post offices around the country have closed; transformation involving  compromise  is imperative.

Selling the Post Office is not an option in the eyes of the current administration. A compromise that ensures a fair exchange for the public, who essentially serve as shareholders of the Post Office, has to be found.

This compromise should be rooted in the creation of value for the Post Office, especially in the face of the e-commerce revolution, which is about to step up a gear with  the arrival in South Africa of global giant Amazon.