職場如戰場，只有勝出者笑傲江湖。專業經理人夾在董事會和客戶之間，業績壓力不在話下。成長不如預期，首當其衝當然是掌兵符的CEO（執行長）。根據調查，2007年全球2,500大企業被解雇的CEO，足足是1995年的四倍。

▍鐵打的衙門 流水的官

俗話說：「鐵打的衙門，流水的官」（There'll always be an England.），亦即人事如何更迭，機關照常營運。但對去職的CEO，像是失去戰場的將軍，自怨自艾，對往事耿耿於懷，心理上作繭自縛（bury the head in the sand），甚至一蹶不振。

例："There'll always be an England, but the department has never been quite the same since John left the company."「老江走了以後，雖然部門照常運作，但氣氛已不若往昔。」

"My boss refuses to see facts and is too stubborn to accept change. He just buries his head in the sand in hopes that the problem goes away."「鐵證如山，老闆選擇視而不見。」

▍跌倒再爬起 堅持到底

《哈佛商業評論》專文研究，大型企業執行長離職後，只有35%能在兩年內重振雄風，再掌大公司兵符。其餘人士多半像「等待果陀」（waiting for Godot）一般，無聲無息消逝而去。很少人像電影阿甘正傳（Forrest Gump）裡的主人翁，打斷手骨顛倒勇（stand taller after taking many beatings），勇敢面對困厄，在下一個職場出人頭地。例：" Each time we thought he was ready to recover, something went wrong. It has been like Waiting for Godot."「我們以為他能擺脫困境，東山再起，後來因為各種因素，徒勞無功。」

"Forrest Gump keeps making history and becoming rich. He stands taller after taking many beatings because he chooses to go through more challenges and much more difficult times."「阿甘歡喜做，甘願受，打斷手骨顛倒勇，終能名利雙收。」

阿甘媽媽說：「人生就像巧克力，到嘴才知真滋味」（Life is like a box of chocolates... you never know what you're gonna get.）這句話一輩子鼓舞阿甘，讓他相信「明天會更好」（There is always tomorrow.），即使跌跌撞撞，但沿途風光，也足聊慰此生（life is a journey, not an end）。

例："No matter how bad today was, there is always tomorrow and we get the fresh start to try again."「 留得青山在，不怕沒材燒。」

"What you do along the way is where the joy occurs, not just the end accomplishment. Life is a journey, not an end."「過程比結果重要，掌握這個原則，人生不會白過。」

▍時局好與壞 都有準備

巴頓將軍說：「為國捐軀不是我們的職責，讓對方為他的國家捐軀，才是。」（Your job is not to die for your country, your job is to make the other poor bastard die for his country.）堅強的領導者，能體認「放手一搏」（don't do the crime if you can't do the time）真諦，上台奮勇殺敵；下台照樣善自珍攝，迅速重返一級戰場，讓敵人為國捐軀。時局好壞，他都有所準備，並從失敗獲得教訓，絕不一蹶不振。這也是孫子所言：「以虞待不虞者，勝」的另類實踐。

例："I am old enough to do the crime because I'm old enough to do the time."「大丈夫敢作敢當，我不擔心個人得失。」

（作者部落格：www.suntzu4u.com.tw） http://www.suntzu4u.com.tw/