Zizhi Tongjian One Day at a Time

Author: Wang Huan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: There are many cases of making the most of talented people in history. During the Yellow Turban Rebellion at the end of the Han Dynasty, the world was fragmented and divided, and Cao Cao and Yuan Shao raised their troops together. Yuan Shao asked Cao Cao, "If you fail, what will you rely on for a living?" Cao Cao replied, "What do you think?" Yuan Shao said, "I will dominate the Yellow River to the south, defend the states of Yan and Dai to the north, and control the vast desert in between, turning south to compete for the world." Cao Cao answered, "I employ the wisdom and strength of the world, guiding them with the way, and nothing is beyond reach." Later, everything proved to be true. Although Yuan Shao had certain advantages in military, economy, and territory, he did not know how to make the most of talented people, instead envying and fearing the capable, even killing virtuous scholars like Tian Feng and Ju Shou over minor matters. As a result, he suffered a tragic fate: defeated at Guandu and dying of illness in sorrow. Meanwhile, Cao Cao was able to discover, cherish, and recruit talented people from all over the world, freeing Guan Yu and treating Chen Lin with leniency. Therefore, despite being relatively weaker in all aspects, Cao Cao ultimately defeated Yuan Shao and controlled the northern region. The ancients said, "A generation of governance must have a generation of talent to lead it." Any great historical era or great endeavor requires a large number of outstanding talents to create it. The prosperity of a nation, the strength of a country, and the progress of society all depend on talent to achieve them. Stalin once pointed out, "Talent is the most decisive capital among all valuable capitals in the world." It is clear that the importance of talent has greatly surpassed fixed material conditions and has become the key to the development of a business. The funds, equipment, factories, and other production resources of a business are the standards of its strength, but these resources are mechanical and fixed; they ultimately rely on people to use them. Therefore, talent is the inexhaustible driving force for business development—it is flexible and adaptable. Because talent can fully utilize these fixed material resources, leverage their advantages, and expand production to create greater economic benefits for the business, modern leaders must value talent, stimulate their vitality, inspire their creativity, and enable them to contribute their due strength to the development of the business. The key to promoting the vigorous development of a business lies not only in grasping economic construction but also in paying attention to cultivating talent, because talent is the pillar supporting the business and the source of its development. In modern businesses, those who possess talent truly have an advantage and can occupy the high ground of the market. In today's rapidly developing society, where knowledge and technology are advancing by leaps and bounds, talent has become increasingly important. The competition between businesses is a competition for talent. Therefore, leaders should establish a correct concept of talent, value it, discover it, and use it reasonably, so that businesses can achieve sustainable development. For example, the American company HP places great emphasis on talent. They believe that "talent is fundamental" and "knowledge is the intangible wealth of the enterprise, and talent is an immeasurable capital." It is with such a philosophy as their working principle that HP has maintained a proactive position in the fierce market competition, leveraging the competition for talent to bring out its potential, and in just a few decades, it has achieved remarkable growth. The ancients said, "To make a tree grow tall, one must"