Chapter 20 epilogue

This book discusses the various dynasties in Chinese history, what kind of problems they encountered, and how their important leaders, especially those who were prime ministers, found solutions to each problem!Some work out well, others don't.This book also touches on the issue of personal morality.In the early cases, there were some people who could advise the emperor, such as Wei Zheng, but in the later period, such characters were no longer seen.In the Chinese dynastic system, the emperor has more and more monopoly power, and for the emperor who monopolizes power, the function of admonition officials is getting smaller and smaller.In the Han Dynasty, there were still some figures who could really plan long-term plans for the country, such as Xiao He and Zhuge Liang, but they gradually disappeared later.This is because the scale has already been formed, many systems have been established, and there are few places that can be changed.

People like Zhuge Liang and Wang Dao are committed to the integration of ethnic groups. In the process of forming the Chinese nation, different regions and different ethnic groups, under the leadership of magnanimous leaders, have gradually moved towards integration.We also discuss the leaders of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Wang Meng, Li Chong...they helped different cultures merge. We have also seen that the virtuous ministers Lu Zhi and Li Mi of the Tang Dynasty, when the dynasty was about to collapse, looked for new ways of taxation and mobilized new forces for the country; they also mobilized foreign aid when the country was facing new external factors. These are the strengths that did not exist before, and this situation only appeared when China gradually expanded into a new international society in East Asia.

When agriculture is raised to a higher level and China's industry and commerce are gradually developed, the government will have a new economic foundation and new sources of taxation.The prime ministers of the Song and Ming dynasties, such as Wang Anshi and Zhang Juzheng, all wanted to revise the existing structure and bring forth the new, how to increase efficiency, how to mobilize new resources, how to create conditions, and guide better economic system.However, their work was basically only a modification. It was not until the late Qing Dynasty that such large-scale changes as those made by Zeng Guofan made China take on a new look.

Finally, what we see today is the history accumulated from generation to generation. Every dynasty has these people who can do their best for the country. They have done things for the country, for the people, and for the long-term development of China. Development does the work of advancing.In every era, there are people who try their best to guide the direction of China's history to the various stages we have seen.The general direction of the evolution of the cultural and political system is driven by collective forces and controlled by individuals, but these important figures are able to promote historical changes one by one with their personal abilities, cultivation, integrity, and resilience.Although there was a gap of hundreds of years, at critical times, these people played a certain role in guiding and promoting the direction of China's development.These characters are all people whose names can be engraved in human history. We are full of gratitude and admiration for them. We will always commemorate them. They have also become models that we can learn and emulate today.

Today's times are certainly different from those of the past.We have government agencies as well as private enterprises, and our economic situation is broader and more diverse than in the past.We have a larger and more complex economic system, and we are part of an international community that can no longer live in isolation.But no matter how our circumstances change, how the conditions around us change, certain qualities and qualities of leadership are still necessary.Leaders must be far-sighted, resolute and decisive, broad-minded, and loyal to the country; they must be able to create a new generation of atmosphere, and they must be able to drive a group of people to become successors of their cause. important condition.I hope that we not only have such figures in the government today, but also more such figures in the private sector, batch after batch, passed on from generation to generation, making us better and improving our quality of life.

Our discussions in these chapters are all based on historical examples as the object of study.Among these historical examples, which are the difficulties faced in governing the country?What are the flaws in the development of the governance process?Convert these experiences of governing the country into the principles of management and operation, and see if it is applicable to some profit or non-profit organizations.During the discussion, we learned that there are certain principles and directions that a group or social organization (whether it is a country, an enterprise, or a foundation) must follow.The first is that powers and responsibilities must be clear. The second is that power and ability should be separated. The work of the executor should be assessed by someone with ownership. The third is that continuous inspections are very important.

It is necessary for the chief to be rational in his own style. He cannot listen to villains, show off his arrogance, or appoint non-talented people, because he himself has a responsibility to the group.This responsibility is the task to be carried out by the group, and the entire group cannot be damaged because of a leader or a leader's own personal likes and dislikes, deviations or insufficiencies in personal abilities, or personal prejudices.We have mentioned many times before that a person should listen to more suggestions and opinions from different people.We also mentioned that it is best for a group to accommodate many different opinions, so that various opinions can have opportunities for communication and discussion.Don't take other people's opinions into consideration, don't find new sources of information, don't pay attention to various development opportunities and hidden crises, this kind of person is blocking his ears, eyes, and nose, even though he has hands and feet , but nothing will happen.No matter how wise he is, he still has no way to break through the confusion after no information, so that all decisions are made behind closed doors, which cannot be consistent with the actual situation outside.A leader has responsibilities to the group and cannot be so capricious.We used to say that governing a big country is like cooking a small fish. There are some principles that should be mastered in cooking a fish well, and there are also some principles that should be mastered in governing a country.To cook a fish well, there are many things to pay attention to. You have to consider various directions and possibilities, and you must restrain yourself not to be rash.The same goes for governance.We must design a structure in which the individual component can be reduced to a minimum and the organizational component can be raised to the highest.The principles of division of labor and cooperation, selection of talents and ability, ability to do things according to their abilities, honoring their names and responsibilities, and trustworthy rewards and punishments are the general principles that are effective in the management and operation of all organizations, both Chinese and foreign, that is, the general principles of all civil service systems .The management of profit and non-profit organizations is no exception.It's just that the purpose of non-profit organizations is not to sell goods, but to promote certain concepts and services. In fact, it is the same as profit-making organizations that produce and sell products.

The experience of governing a large country is applicable to learning management organizations, and the selection of talents is an item that must be paid attention to.In ancient times, there were two different methods of imperial examination and tenure, one was by examination and the other was by recommendation; now there is a way of training professionals in schools.A company may not be able to set up a school to train the professionals it needs, but now there are many schools and departments outside that can provide professional training.Employers in enterprises can also pass the test, and according to our needs, invite suitable people to join our organization.Joining a company or an enterprise is the same as the state selecting civil servants.In order to make these professionals suitable for the right person and place, the company can organize internal training to make these newcomers understand the company's mission, organization and policies, and what they should do in each position.Enterprises should let their colleagues know these projects clearly, so that the company can have a group of good experts to do things, and good experts also know what they should do and what they can do.From history, we have seen many examples and gained a lot of experience, how to properly manage this group, how to organize your own work force efficiently, how to implement policies thoroughly, how to save costs, How to complete the task, the management of the enterprise only follows these principles.

People and organizations are complementary factors.This book discusses the interaction between the two. Characters plan and update organizations, while organizations and institutions provide tools for characters.Organizations will sometimes age and slack; internal changes in the organization will also cause accumulated tension due to shifting and changing positions.A person with insight and courage will know how to transform the energy accumulated in tension into new strength and create a new situation; but a foolish, reckless and selfish person will inevitably misuse tension and lead to failure and collapse.