The State of Qin attacked Zhao, and the King of Zhao appointed Zhao Kuo as the supreme commander. Zhao Kuo's mother said, "Zhao Kuo must not be made commander." The King of Zhao replied, "Leave this matter alone—my decision is already made." Zhao Kuo's mother said, "If Your Majesty ultimately sends him, and he proves unworthy of his post, may I be spared from punishment?" The King said, "You shall not be implicated." Zhao Kuo's mother then said, "Since Your Majesty has granted my request, I wish to send word through guests to Zhao Kuo's household—do not dispatch him." The King said, "Leave this alone—my decision is final." Zhao Kuo's mother then declared, "If Your Majesty ultimately sends him, I beg that I may not suffer punishment alongside him." The King consented.
After Zhao Kuo replaced Lian Po, he completely altered the military regulations and dismissed many officers. When the Qin general Bai Qi heard of this, he dispatched elite troops in a feigned retreat, then cut off the Zhao army's supply routes, splitting the force in two and sowing discord among the soldiers. After more than forty days, the army was starving. Zhao Kuo personally led his finest soldiers into battle, and the Qin forces shot him dead with arrows. Zhao Kuo's army suffered a catastrophic defeat—hundreds of thousands of soldiers surrendered to Qin, and the Qin army buried them all alive. In total, Zhao lost four hundred and fifty thousand men. Because Zhao Kuo's mother had spoken beforehand, the King of Zhao did not put her to death.
💡 商战启示录
The story of Zhao Kuo, who "fought battles only on paper," reveals the chasm between "theory and practice" in modern business warfare. Zhao Kuo was well-versed in military treatises yet lacked real combat experience. Upon assuming command, he entirely repudiated Lian Po's defensive strategy, recklessly altered the organizational structure (replacing military officers), and plunged the army into turmoil—ultimately allowing the enemy to exploit his vulnerabilities and annihilate his entire force. This serves as a cautionary tale for modern enterprises: when appointing parachuted executives or theoretical talents, careful assessment is required to determine whether they possess genuine operational capability. For instance, a renowned technology company once hired a top business school professor as CEO. He pushed forward radical flattening reforms, overturning the mature systems of his predecessor while neglecting the company's internal culture and supply chain complexities—resulting in the departure of core teams and the erosion of market share by competitors. Conversely, successful business leaders such as Ren Zhengfei have implemented "grey management" at Huawei, emphasizing steady progress amid transformation and refraining from casually discarding proven processes. Zhao Kuo's defeat stemmed from "wholesale overhaul," whereas the wisdom of business warfare lies in "innovation through inheritance"—first understanding the current situation, then optimizing gradually, while establishing risk warning mechanisms to avoid overlooking potential crises due to overconfidence. Zhao Kuo's mother's foresight reminds us that before making corporate decisions, we should actively solicit dissenting opinions, especially from those who truly understand the capabilities of the "Zhao Kuos" among us.