I once had coffee to work with a tycoon. He was the CEO and a major shareholder of a famous corporation. While we were talking, his son arrived. The young man had just graduated from university and started following his father into business. When it came to work, he told me to work with his son on whatever matters were at hand. And he blurted out to his son: “Hey, go ahead and print your business card, alright. And just put your title right as Vice General Director.” I fell silent, stunned. Good heavens, how could the title of Vice General Director come so easily. From then on, I felt hesitant and no longer worked with him. If he handed out titles and ranks so easily, how could his son have the motivation to strive, and how could outside employees who are not his children still harbor the desire to rise up?
Politics is the same; lineage is only the starting step, the door to access, but cannot be the formula for success. If political courage and capability do not go through trials and tempering, there will surely come a day of complete breakdown. One cannot pump up a papaya to turn it into a leader or a CEO. Leadership is something you must “earn,” never something “taken for granted.”
In psychological sports science, there is the “expert performance theory,” which is a theory about peak performance. This theory posits that “skills” are formed only through “major experiences.” Simply put, if one does not practice, explore, and struggle, there is no way to become talented. Explaining that is not difficult at all: our brain has evolved over millions of years to survive. And to survive, the brain only remembers things that have a strong impact on us: major experiences and lessons. Skills are precisely what the brain is forced to remember for a long time.
I have never believed in handing over special privileges and benefits to relatives. Even if I had immense assets and status, I would never give my children or relatives any special privileges. The only thing I am ready to do, if conditions permit, is to invest in education for the kids. Otherwise, there is no reason that just because a child is the offspring of their father/mother, they get to enjoy more assets and privileges than other people. The reason for sharing the same bloodline to enjoy special privileges is a very absurd reason and harmful to the very person benefiting from it.
If those young people do not struggle, endure hardship, and train to achieve success, then that success and achievement will surely vanish very quickly. That is the truth. Because those “skills” needed for success are not formed if they acquire special privileges and benefits far too easily. And when business and political experience are insufficient to be “deeply etched” in the brain as “courage” and “talent,” they will be unable to maintain those special privileges and benefits in the long run.
Speaking of the recent political upheavals and bank tycoons, I am reminded of two pieces of advice. One was from my father: “easy come, easy go.” Reflecting on recent events, I find what he taught to be extremely true. The second piece of advice was from a foreign friend of mine, who used to be the CEO of one of the largest private corporations in Vietnam. He always reminded me: remember, in Asian society, there are three things that will never go together: political power, wealth, and respect. Striving to have one thing is not too difficult. Having two things is extremely difficult. But if at any time you think you have all three things: political power, wealth, and the respect of the world, that is the moment you are about to “depart,” go to prison, or lose everything.
In summary, if you are a politician, do not seek personal gain hoping to get rich. And if you are both rich and a politician, do not expect to be respected because you will have to make a great many compromises. Being a famous businessman is already more than enough. Do not meddle in politics for any reason. You could lose everything one day. No matter how difficult the marketplace is, it is not as manipulative, foul, and blood-soaked as the political arena.
Nguyen Quoc Toan
