Life has three pillars: Set goals for a distant future, Act to achieve success, Cultivate virtue to gain respect.

Author: Chang Chenzi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: Not available
Features: Always full of ambition. People without ambition or those who are content with mediocrity will never achieve anything significant. Cui Ruiping was the former chairman of Daimler-Benz AG, a German automobile company. He majored in engineering at university and worked at Mercedes-Benz during his time. At that point, he began constantly reminding himself with this phrase: "People without ambition or those content with mediocrity will never achieve anything significant." After graduation, Cui Ruiping joined the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, Daimler-Benz AG, and was promoted to a board member and head of the aviation department in 1989. Due to his relentless efforts, his position within the company steadily rose. In May 1995, he became the chairman and CEO of Daimler-Benz AG.
In the 1990s, Daimler-Benz Group faced operational bottlenecks and struggled with high wage systems in Germany, leading to a decline in its international competitiveness. At this time, Cui Ruiping, with his extensive overseas experience, believed that the company's business structure needed restructuring. He decided to adopt an American-style approach of cutting costs and reorganizing operations. Thus, he proposed to the board of directors, which was stuck in traditional thinking, "Don't just oppose—listen to other effective solutions if you have them." Regarding the board's concern about potential employee dissatisfaction and strikes, he firmly stated, "Instead of worrying about losses from a few days of strikes, focus on the company's future interests." If there were still complaints, he used this famous quote to silence other voices. He believed that since the company was already in a desperate situation, it was better to challenge new approaches. If they stuck to tradition, they would never overcome the crisis.
As large German companies lost their international competitiveness one after another, Daimler-Benz was forced to lay off 18,000 employees and sell 12 of its 35 business units, while also merging its largest subsidiary, Mercedes-Benz. Cui Ruiping's decisive restructuring led to a 2.2-fold increase in profits in the first half of 1997, allowing the company to safely emerge from its operational difficulties.
Although changes may bring sudden risks, Cui Ruiping knew, "People content with mediocrity will never change the status quo." Waiting passively could lead to a catastrophic situation. Sitting idle would not change anything and would not open up a path to success. Under Cui Ruiping's leadership, Daimler-Benz merged with the third-largest automobile company in the U.S., Chrysler, to form DaimlerChrysler, and its revenue rose to the top in the automotive industry.
When faced with many successful people, people often express envy and admiration, while some show resentment. But have you ever thought about becoming a successful person yourself? If you never set out to achieve great things...