职场如战场，只有胜出者笑傲江湖。专业经理人夹在董事会和客户之间，业绩压力不在话下。成长不如预期，首当其冲当然是掌兵符的CEO（执行长）。根据调查，2007年全球2,500大企业被解雇的CEO，足足是1995年的四倍。
▍铁打的衙门 流水的官
俗话说：「铁打的衙门，流水的官」（There'll always be an England.），亦即人事如何更迭，机关照常营运。但对去职的CEO，像是失去战场的将军，自怨自艾，对往事耿耿於怀，心理上作茧自缚（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，虽然部门照常运作，但气氛已不若往昔。」
"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."「铁证如山，老板选择视而不见。」
▍跌倒再爬起 坚持到底
《哈佛商业评论》专文研究，大型企业执行长离职後，只有35%能在两年内重振雄风，再掌大公司兵符。其余人士多半像「等待果陀」（waiting for Godot）一般，无声无息消逝而去。很少人像电影阿甘正传（Forrest Gump）里的主人翁，打断手骨颠倒勇（stand taller after taking many beatings），勇敢面对困厄，在下一个职场出人头地。例：" Each time we thought he was ready to recover, something went wrong. It has been like Waiting for Godot."「我们以为他能摆脱困境，东山再起，後来因为各种因素，徒劳无功。」
"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."「阿甘欢喜做，甘愿受，打断手骨颠倒勇，终能名利双收。」
阿甘妈妈说：「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.）这句话一辈子鼓舞阿甘，让他相信「明天会更好」（There is always tomorrow.），即使跌跌撞撞，但沿途风光，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，不怕没材烧。」
"What you do along the way is where the joy occurs, not just the end accomplishment. Life is a journey, not an end."「过程比结果重要，掌握这个原则，人生不会白过。」
▍时局好与坏 都有准备
巴顿将军说：「为国捐躯不是我们的职责，让对方为他的国家捐躯，才是。」（Your job is not to die for your country, your job is to make the other poor bastard die for his country.）坚强的领导者，能体认「放手一搏」（don't do the crime if you can't do the time）真谛，上台奋勇杀敌；下台照样善自珍摄，迅速重返一级战场，让敌人为国捐躯。时局好坏，他都有所准备，并从失败获得教训，绝不一蹶不振。这也是孙子所言：「以虞待不虞者，胜」的另类实践。
例："I am old enough to do the crime because I'm old enough to do the time."「大丈夫敢作敢当，我不担心个人得失。」
（作者部落格：www.suntzu4u.com.tw） http://www.suntzu4u.com.tw/
