The State of Qin attacked the State of Zhao, and the King of Zhao appointed Zhao Kuo as the supreme commander. Zhao Kuo's mother said, "Zhao Kuo cannot serve as the supreme commander." The King of Zhao asked, "Why?" She replied, "In the past, I served his father Zhao She, who was then the supreme commander. He personally offered food to over a dozen guests and befriended more than a hundred companions. All the gifts bestowed by the King and the royal clan were distributed among the officers and soldiers. On the day he received his orders, he never concerned himself with household matters. Now, as soon as Zhao Kuo assumed the role of supreme commander, he faced east to receive homage, and no officer dared to look up at him. The gold and silk bestowed by the King, he brought home and stored away, and he daily inquired about where inexpensive fields and estates could be purchased. Does Your Majesty think he resembles his father? Father and son hold different intentions—I beg that Your Majesty not send him." The King of Zhao said, "Do not interfere; my decision is made." Zhao Kuo's mother then said, "Since Your Majesty insists on sending him, if he proves unworthy, may I be spared from punishment?" The King agreed. After Zhao Kuo replaced Lian Po, he altered all existing regulations and replaced subordinate officers. When the Qin general Bai Qi heard of this, he dispatched elite troops to feign retreat, yet cut off the Zhao army's supply routes, splitting the Zhao forces into two and sowing discord among the soldiers. After more than forty days, the Zhao army was starving. Zhao Kuo personally led his finest troops into battle, and the Qin forces shot him dead with arrows. The Zhao army suffered a great defeat, and hundreds of thousands of soldiers surrendered to Qin, who buried them all alive. In total, Zhao lost four hundred and fifty thousand men.
💡 商战启示录
Zhao Kuo's defeat fundamentally stemmed from "armchair strategy"—valuing theory over practice, while lacking humility and accountability. In modern business, many "parachuted executives" or "celebrity CEOs" possess impressive credentials and polished PPT strategies, yet neglect frontline experience and organizational culture, ultimately precipitating corporate crises. For instance, a certain bike-sharing brand once recruited professional managers who over-relied on data models and capital expansion while ignoring practical operational details such as bike deployment and maintenance, eventually collapsing under a broken capital chain and being acquired. In contrast, Huawei's Ren Zhengfei champions the principle of "letting those who hear the cannons make the decisions," respecting frontline experience and guarding against bureaucratization. Zhao Kuo's mother, discerning her son's character, perceived his flaw of "coveting wealth and slighting talent," warning that enterprises must not merely scrutinize résumés when selecting leaders, but must also examine their values and capacity for teamwork. Zhao Kuo's "wholesale revision of established protocols" was likewise a fatal error—when a new leader assumes command and summarily repudiates the old order, organizational turmoil inevitably ensues. Successful enterprises, by contrast, such as Microsoft under Satya Nadella, prioritize "cultural reinvention" over radical upheaval, implementing gradual, incremental adjustments. The wisdom of business warfare lies herein: leaders must possess both strategic foresight and the ability to execute on the ground, remain humble in heeding counsel, and steady the morale of their ranks—only then can they avert their own "Changping tragedy."