What's this?
This sentence comes from "Historical Records: Biography of the Marquis of Huaiyin". The full text is twenty-three words, but the meaning is very straightforward:
> Don’t be complacent in good times, and don’t panic or get discouraged in adverse times. Don't be extravagant and unrestrained when you're free, don't be panicked and fearful when you're in danger. There is thunder in the heart, but the surface is as quiet as a flat lake - such a person can be worshiped as a general.
In today’s words:
> Don’t be lazy when you win, don’t be timid when you lose.
> Don’t waste time when nothing happens, don’t panic when something happens.
> My heart is turned upside down and my face is calm - this is the general.
Note that this sentence is not a moral preaching of "be calm". It talks about the core password of leadership - when you lead a team, your emotions are the emotions of the team. If you panic, the team will break up; if you get carried away, the team will become arrogant. The value of a general is not that he can fight, but that he can make others believe that he can fight.
This is not chicken soup of "better mentality", this is the formula of organizational dynamics.
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Why is it important?
Most people live in the world with an illusion: My emotions only affect myself.
So they get carried away when times are good, collapse in public during times of adversity, and have anxiety written all over their faces in times of crisis. But "Historical Records" tells you: Your emotions are never your own - you are the ceiling of a company and the floor of a team. If you panic an inch, the team will retreat a foot; if you float a little, the team will scatter ten feet away.
Come, take a look at some amazing examples.
Case 1: The boss’s “one minute change of face”
A startup company received Series A, and the boss was so excited that he announced at the all-hands meeting, "We want to change the world." The team became enthusiastic and began to expand crazily - hiring twice as many people and renting an extremely expensive office. After three months of work, they found that the money was all spent and the product had not yet found a market.
Then at a monthly meeting, the investor asked, "How is the data?" and the boss's face changed. The more he explained, the more anxious he became, and finally he dropped his pen - at that moment, the whole team's heart went cold.
Three months later, most of the core employees were gone.
This is "going along means being overjoyed; going against means being frightened and discouraged". He drifts when times are good and panics when times are bad. The boss's mood infected the whole company. In the 25 years since I came to Europe, I have seen too many start-up companies fall into this cycle - it is not because the market is not good, but because the boss has a problem with his emotional management.
Case 2: Chef of Italian restaurant
There is a restaurant in Florence that has been passed down for three generations. One year, the chef's father passed away, and when he took over, he caught up with the epidemic-the restaurant was closed, employees were laid off, and suppliers were out of stock.
But every morning, he appeared in the kitchen on time, wearing the same clean white apron as usual, and prepared the day's ingredients with the remaining two employees. He didn't say, "We're done," or "We're going to get through this"—he was just chopping, seasoning, and plating the food, just like he had every day for fifty years.
Three months later, the restaurant reopened. Neither employee left. The customer came back and said, "It seems like nothing has changed."
This is "a thunder in the chest but a flat lake in the face". The chef's heart was turned upside down, but he knew this: his face was the team's anchor. If he decides, the team will decide. In the 25 years since I came to Europe, I have seen the longest-lived Italian family businesses. They are not the ones that expand the fastest when they are lucky, but the ones that are the most stable in times of crisis.
Case 3: Comparison between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu
When "Historical Records" wrote this sentence, it compared two people: Liu Bang and Xiang Yu.
Xiang Yu won the battle of Julu, which shocked the world, but he killed surrender, burned the palace, and acted on his own will - he was overjoyed when things were going well, not knowing how much he weighed. Where is Liu Bang? He was beaten to a pulp by Xiang Yu, and even his son had to be pushed out of the car when he ran away, but he never collapsed. He can afford to lose because he knows that losing is the process, not the ending.
Who became the general in the end? Who became the emperor?
"There is thunder in the chest but a flat lake in the face" - Liu Bang is not as good as Xiang Yu in fighting, but he can make others believe that he can fight. This is the style of a general.
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This reminds me of Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
There is a concept in modern management called Emotional Intelligence: a person's ability to identify, understand, and manage his own emotions, as well as his ability to identify, understand, and influence the emotions of others.
"Historical Records" says "If things go well, don't be overjoyed; if things go against the grain, don't be discouraged" is completely consistent with this concept - your emotions are not your private property, but the public assets of the organization. The only difference is: Daniel Goleman spent thirty years writing a book to promote EQ, while Sima Qian finished it in twenty-three words two thousand years ago.
Even more interesting is Nassim Taleb's "Antifragile". He said: The real strong person is not to resist pressure, but to grow from pressure. The wind will blow out the candle, but it will keep the fire burning brighter. You want to make a fire, not a candle.
This is exactly the same as "Don't be discouraged in adversity" - Adversity does not test your endurance, but forges your anti-fragility. Xiang Yu committed suicide in adversity (candle), and Liu Bang became stronger and stronger in adversity (fire).
> The real leader is not the smartest one, but the most stable one.
When you see a boss who is still calm in a crisis - don't envy his "determination", which he has developed through countless "adversities and dangers". Concentration is not a talent, it is a collection of scars.
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How to do it?
1. Every time you win, ask yourself "How much luck was involved in this matter?"
"Is the project successful?" → "If I change the team, will the results be the same?"
"Has the customer signed the contract?" → "Is the market good, or am I really doing better than others?"
"Have you received the investment?" → "Is it track fever, or have I really solved the problem?"
In the twenty-five years since I came to Europe, I have seen too many people mistaking luck for ability in good times. Wang Yangming's practice of hard work is to let you practice your ability, but the "unexpected joy" in good times will make you mistakenly think that your ability is enough - in fact, it may just be the wind blowing.
2. Every time you lose, do one thing first and then speak.
"The project failed?" → Take three deep breaths before speaking.
"Rejected by a client?" → Ask yourself "What did I learn from this" before replying to the email.
"Did the team make a mistake?" → Ask yourself first, "Do I have any responsibility?" and then take accountability.
After coming to Europe for twenty-five years, I have discovered that the best leaders have a habit in adversity: they remain silent. It’s not about escaping, it’s about giving emotions a buffer zone. What Sima Qian said about "not being panicked" does not mean that you don't feel uncomfortable, but that you don't rush to vent when you feel uncomfortable.
3. When leading a team, regard "emotion management" as the first KPI
In the 25 years since I came to Europe, I taught managers a principle in pblcoach.com’s practical business practice: Your face is the weather vane of the team. If you frown, the team will interpret it as "something big happened". If you smile, the team will interpret it as "something is going on". So——
- When times are good, restrain your joy and attribute your success to your team and luck.
- In times of adversity, restrain anxiety and attribute failure to methods and processes
- In times of crisis, restrain fear and focus on "what to do next"
This is not hypocrisy, this is responsibility. When you sign a paycheck, you sign an emotional contract.
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when?
"If things go well, don't be overjoyed; if things go against the grain, don't be discouraged." This is not the patent of ancient generals. It is the underlying thinking that you can use today:
When you just get a big deal - don’t rush to post on Moments to celebrate. Ask yourself: "How much of this is due to me really doing a good job, and how much of this is due to market appreciation?"
When you are rejected by a client – Don’t rush to explain or complain. Ask yourself first: "What did he see in me that made him decide not to choose me?"
When something goes wrong on your team – don’t be too quick to get angry. Ask yourself first: "What was my first reaction? Will this reaction help solve the problem?"
When you face an impossible task - don't rush to say "can't do it". Ask yourself: "If I were the one who could figure it out, where would I start?"
When you see success stories from your peers – don’t rush to be envious or jealous. Ask yourself: "Is there any adversity in his good times that I don't see?"
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Where?
The rule of this sentence is applicable everywhere.
In psychology, the core of Daniel Goleman's Emotional Intelligence (EQ) theory is that a leader's ability to contagion with emotions is more important than IQ. A leader with high EQ can create "emotional safety" in the team - the team knows that no matter what happens, the boss will not panic. This is the organizational value of "face as flat as a lake".
In military science, Eisenhower, the commander-in-chief of the Allied Forces in World War II, had a famous habit: no matter how tense the front line was, he would never stop playing golf every afternoon. It's not that he doesn't care about the war situation, it's that he knows that his anxiety will be contagious to the entire command. If he decides, the millions of troops will decide. This is the modern version of "You can worship the general".
In business, Amazon's Jeff Bezos repeatedly emphasizes the "Day 1" mentality in his annual letter to shareholders - always be as vigilant, humble, and hungry as on the first day of starting a business. This is the business version of "go smoothly, don't be overjoyed": no matter how big you are, it won't be bigger than the market; no matter how successful you are, it will only be temporary.
In sports, the secret of tennis legend Federer is not how fast he serves, but how he manages his expression after losing points. He lost a key point and there was no change in his face. If the opponent cannot see his emotional fluctuations, he cannot find a breakthrough. There is thunder in your chest and your face is as flat as a lake - your opponent doesn't know what you are thinking. This is your biggest advantage.
In Italian family businesses, the secret of three-generation inheritance is not how perfect the system is, but the stabilizer in times of crisis. I have been in Europe for 25 years. I have seen the longest-lived Italian companies. The bosses have a common characteristic in crises: they talk less and take more actions. During the financial crisis in 2008, the owners of several centuries-old leather goods workshops in Florence did not lay off employees, cut prices, or panic—they just quietly produced smaller batches of higher-quality products. Ten years later, those panic competitors are gone, but they are still there. "Don't be afraid of danger" - It's not that you are not afraid, it's that you don't speak when you are afraid and do what you should do.
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One sentence summary
> Your face is the anchor of the team.
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Original article by Coach Liu. Please cite source when sharing.