"Three Establishments in a Lifetime -- Aspire for the Far with Ambition. Act for Achievement with Diligence. Cultivate Virtue for Respect."

Author: Chang Chenzi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
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 for Mercedes-Benz. At that time, he began to constantly remind himself with this sentence: "People without ambition or those content with mediocrity will never achieve anything significant." After graduation, Cui Ruiping joined the holding 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 also rose steadily. In May 1995, he became the chairman and CEO of Daimler-Benz AG. In the 1990s, Daimler-Benz Group faced operational difficulties and declining international competitiveness, compounded by high labor costs in Germany. At this time, Cui Ruiping, with his extensive overseas experience, believed that the company's business structure needed restructuring. Therefore, he decided to introduce an American-style approach of cutting costs and reorganizing operations. He proposed to the board of directors, which was stuck in traditional thinking, "Don't just oppose; if you have other effective solutions, why not listen?" Regarding the board's concern about potential employee dissatisfaction and strikes, he firmly stated, "Instead of worrying about the loss 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 businesses, 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 the status quo or 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 automobile manufacturing 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...