When I first met Cao, I read an article he wrote about his spoiled wife and his girlfriend who had an affair. In this article, he confided his heart and described his love story with his wife Chen Fengying through thick and thin. He also exposed the story of having an affair and having a girlfriend who loves him very much. In the end, affection triumphed over passion, and reason triumphed over emotion. He pulled back from the brink, broke off his love affair and gave up his extramarital girlfriend.
"The filial piety of all virtues is the first, regardless of traces, and the poor family has no filial piety; All evil comes first, no distraction, no one is perfect in the world. " From this article, I saw the emergence of an "experienced person" for the first time. When I first saw it with my own personal experience, I was deeply shocked.
Later, I knew a little about Ni Hong Zhao Xue written by Cao Wangde, knowing that he believed in Buddhism and was called a "Buddhist businessman". He donated more than 6 billion to charity, which is the real first good in China. His company, Fuyao Group, once won the lawsuit of the US Department of Commerce, and was the first enterprise to win the anti-dumping lawsuit after China's entry into WTO.
I came across a book recently-introducing Cao's autobiography "Heart is Bodhi". I placed an order to buy it. I watched two-thirds of it in one breath on the high-speed train in Xiajiangnan, and finished it overnight at my destination.
This is a very simple and frank autobiography. Interesting, readable, no rhetoric, no bragging. Cao said that his writing was caused by the strong suggestions of foreign friends, but when several professional writers put their processed biographies in front of him, he was dissatisfied and thought they were too beautiful and untrue. So he ignored the advice, took the first-person approach and devoted himself to the task of autobiography writing, which was a painful task for him.
From "poor childhood" to "hard work", from "sincerity-oriented", "heaven rewards diligence" to "iron shoulder morality", the book consists of six chapters, which depicts Cao from abject poverty to great wealth, from nothing to great wealth, from obscurity to fame in the industry with three-dimensional film pictures. From the concise language, we can get a glimpse of his mind, knowledge and wisdom as a first-class entrepreneur. Cao provided a perfect model of success for the first generation of entrepreneurs in China.
First, prequel
Things start and end, things always happen, and knowing the order is a shortcut. The development of things follows the law of causality, and people are no exception, but this law of causality may be more mysterious and difficult to see through at a glance. Looking at the old at the age of three, looking at the old at the age of seven, a person's early experience has an extremely important impact on his life. Of course, the innate influence before birth is also extremely profound and mysterious. As the saying goes, "I study late in my life" and "reincarnation is a technical job".
Cao was born in Shanghai, 1946, and his ancestral home is Caocuo Village, Gaoshan Town, Fuqing, Fujian. The Cao family is a prominent local family. His father, Cao, went to Japan as an apprentice in his early years, and later succeeded in business in Shanghai. He is one of the shareholders of Shanghai Yong 'an Department Store. Gone with the wind, people are inferior to dogs. Cao Jiayu moved back to his hometown on 1947. His father has a skill in the shopping mall, but he has no chance to let him freely display it on the platform. Farming is no good, so we have to teach Little India all the business we learned in Japan and Shanghai (Cao's nickname), and at the same time take political risks and partner with my father to engage in some small businesses.
Because of stubbornness, 14-year-old Cao started his first business in his life-taking risks to sell tobacco and fruit. These experiences have left an indelible mark on Cao. He is diligent, witty and tenacious ... it is at this time that he has developed the habit of getting up early. At 2 o'clock every morning, his mother cried and pushed him out of bed, which made him unforgettable.
His father, Cao Heren, often told him that "a person's ability depends not on how many books he has read, but on what he has done and how to do things". At that time, his father asked him what he wanted to do in the future and taught him to "do things with heart." You can do many things at will. How many hearts do you have? "
My mother, Chen, is a good girl of the landlord's family. She has the lofty and pride of a good family. "Go out, look up and smile, don't say hungry, have backbone and ambition!" "No one in the world will sympathize with your poverty and no one will solve it for you; To get rid of poverty, we must rely on our own efforts and hard work. " "Poverty is not terrible. What I fear most is that I have no ambition!" "The most important thing in life is the integrity of personality, and the most important thing is to gain the trust of others." These words are what my mother often tells my brothers and sisters in Cao Wangde. These words were deeply engraved in Cao's mind from an early age.
Cao couldn't study, but he taught himself by herding cattle and collecting firewood. An 80-point dictionary, cut 1 years, saved money to buy; A 3 yuan "thorn sea", cut for more than 3 years, saved money to buy. Because of this difficult experience of buying books, Cao developed a quirk, never lending books to others, even his best friends.
His early experience, on the one hand, gave Cao's parents useful enlightenment in life and business, and played a positive leading role in his later life. His later success in business can be directly traced back to his father's influence on him. On the other hand, he also experienced the complexity and sinister of the world and people's hearts from an early age. It is a compulsory course for those who have great achievements to experience the warmth and coldness of human feelings and the indifference of the world.
Second, starting a business.
Cao's entrepreneurship began with "speculation" at the risk of taking to the streets. At first, I sold tobacco and fruit, and later I sold tremella across provinces. On the one hand, it is forced by life, and only business can support the whole family. On the other hand, his father forced him to take this road. His father can only do business, and he can only be taught to do this.
During the Cultural Revolution, when I went to do tremella business across provinces, I dared not tell anyone about the money I earned, let alone show off my wealth. How much courage and wisdom it takes. Wealth is courage, and courage is wealth!
Finally, something happened, and the tremella business could not go on. He relied on the salesman's profiteering skills to sell fruit trees to farms, and worked as a coolie, a mechanic, a canteen buyer and so on at the dam project site.
It is obvious that Cao's flexible mind is a farmer's restless work as a coolie in farming and doing some flexible work. And every time he does a job, he does something fancy and does what he is responsible for with his heart, which not only satisfies the above, but also benefits others. In this way, Cao has been recognized by everyone, and there are constantly new opportunities to show him.
It was because of his activity that he dared to think and do. He accidentally heard that water meter glass was very profitable, so he sprouted the idea of running a township glass factory. And encouraged the town government to successfully set up a glass factory, which was in 1976, the last year of the Cultural Revolution.
After several reorganizations, the glass factory finally developed into Fuyao Group, during which the story was ups and downs and touching. These stories fully reflect Cao's entrepreneurial spirit and are good at seizing every opportunity; Forward-looking and accurate; Action should be firm, once the direction is determined, act immediately without hesitation; Very risk-conscious, very good at self-help and self-protection; Down-to-earth, but also very innovative.
Give several typical examples to illustrate Cao's unique entrepreneurial spirit. After the establishment of the township glass factory, Cao was only a buyer among the six founders, although he put forward the initiative to set up the factory. At that time, it was still the era of planned economy, and all materials were rationed according to the national plan. It is impossible for a township enterprise to get the raw materials it needs through national planning, and only through unplanned means can it get the raw materials it needs. This job is Cao's specialty. According to reports, he set up a huge unplanned resource exchange network in the bathhouse, through which he can obtain any resources.
Fuyao Group turned to manufacturing automobile glass because of the driver's careless words. Cao used crutches as poles to carry things on the bus. The driver reminded him: Be careful when getting on the bus, Lao Cao, and don't touch the glass for me. If it breaks down, you can't afford it. Cao Wangde thinks that I am a glass manufacturer and I can't afford it. Later, I learned that the glass of all cars in China is imported, and the price is extremely high. So Cao made up his mind to make China's own car glass.
Because the technical specification of horizontal glass in the national standard is not detailed enough, Cao found the standard-setting organization and determined the standard, which created great benefits for the products of their factory. Due to the influence of the national personnel file system on recruitment, Cao persistently lobbied the Fujian Provincial Personnel Bureau, finally moved the director and reported to the governor, and established the first talent exchange market pilot in Fujian. Any progress in reform and opening up has been made with such unremitting efforts.
Through all kinds of information in 2006, Cao foresaw that after the 2008 Olympic Games, the stock market would plummet below 2000 points and the economic development would plummet, and took a series of actions. In the end, the stock market hit a low of 1664, and the economic trend fully met Cao's prediction two years ago.
In his autobiography, Cao recorded a large number of stories in the process of enterprise management, which made readers deeply feel the difficulty and difficulty of starting a business. Unexplained political and business relations, treacherous competitor relations, repay evil for kindness or the relationship between superiors and subordinates of heroes, etc. Cao showed the world the growth process of a successful enterprise, full of hardships, dangers, bumpy roads and wind and frost. Although the road to starting a business is so difficult and dangerous, as an entrepreneur, he should always stand up straight, walk straight, never play tricks, never flatter, always break through difficulties, solve problems and keep innovating. Only in this way can enterprises develop and finally reflect the unique and great value of entrepreneurs.
Third, be a man.
As can be seen from Cao's autobiography, he is a man with temperament. Make friends and talk about brotherhood. There is arrogance in dealing with officials and arrogance in walking in shopping malls. When encountering injustice, it reveals the domineering of others. In addition, he has integrity, aura and talent.
For a strange road, not letting him drink raw water, making tea for him and cooking for him are purely out of kindness. The stranger became the first good brother in his life.
A dying friend tried his best to arrange a wedding for his son, so that his friend could die peacefully.
Under the national conditions with China characteristics, the growth history of an entrepreneur is a history of blending with officials. Cao's success can not be separated from the help of good officials who are relatively clean in officialdom, and from the entanglement and interference of unscrupulous and mercenary officials. Cao even recorded several stories in detail in his autobiography, telling the malicious attacks he suffered by government officials, and even listed the names of the main parties.
This also leads to the classic story of Cao's anger on the spot several times at the DPRK meeting. Fortunately, every time he turned the tables, he not only didn't get into trouble, but also got the appreciation of the main leaders:
After the meeting held under the leadership of the county party Committee, the county party secretary's evaluation of Cao is:
Cao recorded the stories of several lawsuits. The bigger his career, the bigger his lawsuit. The biggest lawsuit was with the US Department of Commerce, and he finally won the first anti-dumping lawsuit after China's entry into WTO. The development process of reform and opening up is a history of constantly breaking through the institutional constraints from bottom to top, and those who dare to do it break out in the process of challenging legal boundaries. This kind of person exists both inside and outside the system, and the avant-garde results of enterprise reform within the system are not very good. It is conceivable that they broke through the vested interests in the system and set contradictions in one. Outside the system, there are two kinds. One is that they can't stop running on the road of explosion. These people are basically imprisoned for breaking the bottom line drawn by the top management, while the other kind is Cao Wangde, who grasps the degree of reform and stability, development and harmony and sticks to his bottom line at the boundary between law and self-discipline, justice and evil.
After being retaliated by some government officials who tried their best to frame them, Cao established his own official principles after reflection:
It is precisely because Cao grasped the general direction and adhered to his own bottom line. It can be said that although he is outside the system, he has received great help from within the system. Of course, there is also the connection between his brother and the highest official in Fujian, although it is not reflected in his autobiography. Cao also recorded a story that he had to take out government achievements from his pocket in order to help local leaders become full members smoothly. As a result, the power in the hands of these officials naturally leans towards him.
After insisting on returning the government support funds of 6.5438+million yuan, the secretary of the municipal party Committee commented on Cao:
For this matter, Cao's explanation is that "the most important thing in doing business is business reputation", and the second is to win respect for reputation. In the future, when you are in trouble, others will understand you and help you. This is to leave a way out for yourself. This is the long-term interest strategy of entrepreneurs, regardless of temporary interests.
Cao Wangde believed that he loved soldiers like children, and he kept his promise. He recorded many examples to show how he won the hearts of the people and United the team.
One of his subordinates was his project contractor at first, but in order to get the project, he did whatever it took to get it. After all, Cao was right and didn't let him lose everything. Since then, he has followed Cao.
Two employees were terminally ill and were taken to the hospital but had no money for treatment. After Cao Wangde knew it, he instructed the company to pay the treatment fee, and one of them was an intern.
There is an employee named Huang Zhongsheng, who is taken care of by Cao. He is determined to follow him.
Some executives of Fuyao Group are deeply rooted in Cao because they admire Cao's moral character.
A successful entrepreneur, personality charm is essential. Especially in the early days of starting a business, personality charm is priceless. The personality charm of entrepreneurs determines how many high-level talents they can attract to work for them. Personality charm is like Mao Zedong, so the world's elites gather around him.
Ding, ask a way
Cao rarely mentioned Buddhism in his autobiography, but he used four chapters to record in detail his experience of seeking a visa in a temple with mixed Buddhism and Taoism on Shizhushan.
Asking God for divination is very mysterious, and the result is between accurate and inaccurate. Cao's four visa applications were more accurate than expected. Of course, Cao also requested a visa according to the instructions. The first three times were turning points in his career development. Maybe he had his own ideas before applying for a visa, just wanting the affirmation and blessing of the gods, or maybe he really couldn't make a decision and followed the instructions for applying for a visa. In a word, the development of his career and life is as predicted by signing the contract.
The last time he asked for a visa was even more amazing. He wants to ask him if he can become a monk. After reading Li Shutong's experience, he became a monk, but he was under various pressures from his family and society. Confused, he went to Shizhushan to ask for a fourth visa. The old monk told him that "there is a Buddhist newspaper, but there is no Buddhist reason" and asked him not to leave home, do his own business and enjoy a wonderful evening.
Since then, Cao has never mentioned becoming a monk.
In the great era, entrepreneurs standing at the forefront, carrying the banner of innovation and breakthrough development, were torn by materialism, progress and conservatism. To withstand all these cruel tests, they must stick to their inner plans and stick to their spiritual hometown. Cao's becoming a monk is accidental, but it is inevitable to believe in Buddhism. Wang Wei, who believes in Buddhism, even said that people's achievements have nothing to do with skills, but with blessings. Ma Yun is also deeply fascinated by Taoism and Tai Chi Yin and Yang.
Cao asked whether Shizhushan was a fruit or his experience at the foot of the mountain. Bullying and suffering suffered by the grassroots, the privilege of rampage and humiliation, the mixture of good and evil in people's hearts, his own karma and inner struggle.
A rough understanding of the brutal growth of the express delivery industry in China shows that in a life-and-death business jungle, "people's achievements really have nothing to do with skills", "a document can knock you down", or even "a little finger can knock you down", and the factors affecting personal achievements are far beyond the control of personal skills.
In this high-pressure, uncertain and uncertain environment, the only way to face original sin is through the ultimate concern of mankind-religion. In China, Buddhism naturally becomes the first choice, followed by Taoism, followed by various cults or semi-cults, including various successful studies, pyramid schemes and exorbitant brainwashing training.
E. postscript
Confessions is the best autobiography to expose ugly scars. Rousseau's initial intention was to take himself as a model, deeply analyze and criticize the evil of human nature, and let his reputation flow to the world in a different way.
In fact, we can deeply feel the complexity of good and evil in human nature without examining our own life experiences through confession. All evils should be avoided, and all good deeds should be followed and self-purified. These are Buddhists. The original intention of Buddhism is to abandon evil and promote good.
Therefore, the great value of Cao's autobiography "Heart is Bodhi" is revealed.
Cao is not perfect either. He once had an extramarital affair, and the business world was ups and downs and was polluted again and again. He doesn't shy away from his power and money transactions with officials, doesn't hide his Machiavellian tactics for profit, doesn't hide Lian Heng in the global competition, and doesn't hide the deep impression he was left by the beautiful female secretary he brought with him every time he met important people.
After all, Cao claimed that "the heart is bodhi", not that the heart is bodhi. He has a Buddhist newspaper, but he has no Buddhism. This may be the reason why he needs to practice on earth.
Therefore, he truthfully recorded most of Fan Chen's farming life, waiting for the judgment of future generations. How many people can match this openness and openness?
Everything has yin and yang. Needless to say, Cao's Heart is Bodhi shows not only his bright and beautiful side, but also some real but embarrassing aspects. These positive faces are worth writing down. And how high the positive is, how deep the negative is. On the one hand, it is bleak mental suffering, on the other hand, it is the external environment. But I believe that when Cao faced all kinds of tests, he did much better than most people. His profligacy in wealth and his devotion to charity can be regarded as atonement for his dark side, or the price he is willing to pay, or perhaps he really understands the essence of creating wealth-for the improvement of the overall situation of all the people, and has made the greatest possible contribution on this basis. On the one hand, American imperialism is strong because it has a relatively perfect system and environment for creating wealth, and on the other hand, it has a relatively perfect mechanism for distributing and using wealth, so that the overall welfare of the people will not be damaged because of insufficient motivation for creating wealth or wealth accumulated in the hands of a few people. At present, China is still in the primary stage of vigorously encouraging wealth creation, so it ignores the fairness and justice of wealth distribution, and the privilege mechanism makes the polarization between the rich and the poor more serious. Cao took the lead and was willing to be a pioneer. His boldness of vision is not a compliment that can add color to his greatness.
"The stage is as big as the heart." The person who shouted this sentence was finally proved that his heart was as big as the eye of a needle, because his heart fell into Qian Quan's eyes. Cao is a low-key philanthropist and a high-profile doer. He does not compete with Chen cursor for the reputation of the first good, but only does the first good. Only a truly powerful entrepreneur can do this.
In a complicated and dirty world, I dived into the deepest part of the world with awe and cold spirit, and then I gave birth to bodhicitta, holding out this muddy bodhicitta for future generations to comment on. This is the greatest significance of Cao's autobiography.
Quote, quote
As a successful entrepreneur, people can learn a lot from their words and deeds. For example, his courage in words and deeds, his determination to do things, the angle and depth of seeing problems, and so on. List some insightful quotations from Cao Shi's autobiography for self-reflection.