In 202 BC, Liu Bang relied on his wisdom and determination to achieve a victory in the battle between Chu and Han. At the banquet to celebrate the victory, Liu Bang asked his friends, "Why do you think I was able to win the world, and Xiang Yu failed?" ”
His friends replied: "Although you are sometimes arrogant and rude, you know how to distinguish rewards and punishments, and whenever someone makes meritorious deeds, you will give a rich reward; Although Xiang Yu was benevolent, he lacked justice, suppressed meritorious people, and was jealous of the virtuous, which prevented his subordinates from receiving due rewards and benefits, which was also the reason for his failure. ”
Liu Bang laughed after hearing this, and said, "What you said makes sense, but it's not comprehensive enough. What is the most important thing in doing business? Talent! Talent! Talent! Zhang Liang, Xiao He, and Han Xin, these three are all rare geniuses, and they are all willing to work for me, which is the key to my success.
And what about Xiang Yu's side? Only one Fan Zeng is a character, but he won't take advantage of him, that's why he was defeated by me! After hearing this, the people below suddenly realized and admired it very much.
Every time I read this account, I sigh deeply: there is no casual success! It is no accident that Liu Bang, who was born at the bottom, was able to stand out at the end of the Qin Dynasty and finally defeat the overlord Xiang Yu!
As long as we look back at history a little, we will find that those who have achieved great things in ancient and modern times, without exception, have such a characteristic - they can gather talents and make good use of talents.
And Han Gaozu Liu Bang is one of the best! ”
In today's historical interpretation, Qing Shijun will work with you on the art of leadership, why Liu Bang was able to successfully bring together various talents with different personalities and backgrounds, and let them give full play to their talents.
The most important thing in Liu Bang's leadership art is to treat people sincerely and informally. In 204 BC, Yingbu, a famous general at the end of the Qin Dynasty, finally decided to vacillate between Chu and Han and defected to Liu Bang.
However, when he arrived at Liu Bang's camp to accept the reward, he was greeted by Liu Bang, who was washing his feet. Despite this, Liu Bang still received Yingbu while washing his feet, and after hastily ending the welcoming ceremony, Yingbu felt remorse and disappointment.
However, it is this informal and sincere leadership style that has allowed Liu Bang to successfully gather a group of talented people and let them do their best.
When Yingbu came to the big tent assigned to him by Liu Bang, he was surprised to find that everything here, including utensils, food, and clothes, was exactly the same as that of Liu Bang, the king of Han.
Yingbu was very happy, and he thought that Boss Liu was really righteous. So he sent people back to his hometown and brought back thousands of people to join the Han army. But Boo hesitated and wanted to commit suicide.
However, when he left the tent and saw that the royal food and officials in the tent were like the residence of the king of Han, he was very happy. Therefore, he sent people into Jiujiang and led thousands of people to join the Han army.
Many Confucian scholars believe that Liu Bang's behavior is "slow and insulting", but Qing Shijun believes that this is Liu Bang's true character and generosity. Although it is commendable to be polite to others, if you can only do superficial work and are unwilling to treat others sincerely, you will definitely not be able to get the sincere support of talents.
Han Xin once directly pointed out that Xiang Yu, who can only "vomit and cry and share food and drink", is the benevolence of women. Like Liu Bang, not only providing generous treatment, but also daring to show his truest side to his subordinates, is the real wisdom.
Why was Liu Bang able to subdue Xiao He, Cao Shen and others, and let Zhang Liang, who was born in the aristocracy, follow him sincerely? This is a question that is puzzling. However, then I suddenly understood that it was all due to Liu Bang's unique personality.
Taishi Gong once said that when Liu Bang was the chief of the Surabaya Pavilion, he had a "bad habit" - the court officials were all insulting. But I privately think that the "insult" here is not an insult or insult, but a joke that makes people feel close.
In life, no one likes a leader who is always "upright", and a leader who is approachable and occasionally open-mouthed is a good leader. Therefore, Liu Bang's personality charm is the key to his ability to accept these talents.
He is meritocratic and does not ask where he comes from; There is no suspicion in employing people, and there is no need for suspicious people.
Liu Bang's trust and letting go of talents is a unique way of management. He believes that everyone has real talents and learning, and as long as they can help him succeed, he will give absolute trust.
However, this does not mean that he is defenseless. When necessary, he will also show his thunderous skills to let them know who is the boss. For example, when Han Xin occupied the land of Qi and had millions of soldiers, although he had feelings for Liu Bang, it could not be ruled out that he did not have the idea of dividing the world.
After all, the number of people who wanted to be emperors with knives at that time was too many to count. Therefore, Liu Bang's trust and letting go of talents is not only a kind of trust, but also a kind of caution.
Why didn't Hanshin become independent? The answer may lie in his inability to fully control his army. According to historical records, when Liu Bang, the king of Han, sent troops to Chenggao in June, he called himself a Han envoy and successfully entered Zhao's military camp.
At that time, Zhang Er and Han Xin had not yet gotten up when Liu Bang snatched their seals from their bedrooms, and then summoned the generals and put them under his control.
Later, after Han Xin's victories in Wei and Daidi, Liu Bang always sent people to transfer his elite troops to Xingyang to fight against the Chu state. After Xiang Yu was defeated, Liu Bang attacked and captured the army of the King of Qi.
In the first month of the fifth year of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang changed the title of Han Xin, the king of Qi, to the king of Chu, and the capital was located in Xiapi. These historical sources repeatedly depict the same event: Liu Bang, the commander of the light pole, was alone, but he was able to easily seize Han Xin's military power.
Qing Shijun believes that the only reasonable explanation for this is that Han Xin's army has Liu Bang's inner line (trust is sometimes relative). From this point of view, we can have a deeper understanding of Liu Bang's awesomeness.
Conclusion: In the troubled times at the end of the Qin Dynasty, Xiao He, Zhang Liang, Han Xin, Chen Ping, Yingbu and other talents shined in their own ways, they all came from different backgrounds and had different personalities, but they all chose to serve under Liu Bang.
The reason is not only Liu Bang's personal leadership charm, but more importantly, he knows how to share benefits with others and employ people without suspicion, so that everyone can find a sense of belonging and comfort under Liu Bang's command.
Of course, Liu Bang is not just a trick on people, the real art of leadership, just like he did to Han Xin, I trust you, but I will also be guarded. After all, I'm the boss!