The Father of the Overnight Delivery Business：Fred Smith隔夜快递之父：弗里德·史密斯
Every night several hundred planes bearing a purple, white, and orange design touch down at Memphis Airport, in Tennessee. Crews unload the planes'cargo of, on average, more than half a million parcels and letters, picked up from locations all over the United States earlier in the day.The packages and envelopes are rapidly sorted according to address, then loaded onto other aircraft and flown to their destinations, to be hand delivered-many within 24 hours of Leaving their senders.This sequence of events is the culmination of a dream of Frederick W.Smith, the founder, president, chief executive officer, and chairman of the board of the FedEx Corp.—known originally as Federal Express-the largest and most successful overnight delivery service in the world.Conceived when he was in college and now in its 28th year of operation, Smith's brainchild has become the standard for door-to-door package delivery.
Known for his geniality as well as his business acumen, Smith is reportedly held in high regard by his competitors as well as his employees.“I always said I thought one of the most brilliant parts of Fred Smith was his ability to deal with each person individually，”Tuck morse, a former Federal Express lawyer, recalled. Indeed，3.2 percent of the entire Memphis workforce is made up of FedEx employees, who are said to have been drawn by the company's high wages and family ethos.“The first thing people do when they move to Memphis is apply for a job at Federal Express，”one FedEx worker said.“Then they go get another job until one opens up here.”
Leadership
Fred Smith was just 27 when he founded FedEx. Thirty-five years later, he's still at the helm.He attributes the success of the company to leadership, pure and simple-something he picked up from his years in the military, and from his family.
Frederick Wallace Smith was born into a wealthy family on August 11，1944 in Mississippi. After his father's death, when he was four years old, his mother, Sally Smith, often talked to the boy about her late husband.“I kept his father alive in his mind all those years，”she recalled.“I told him how much big Fred loved him, and how much he wanted him to have the best education possible.And how much he was certain his son would surpass his achievements in business.”
As a child, Smith suffered from Legg-Calve-Pthes disease, which is characterized by the interruption in the blood supply to the thighbones and the consequent improper development of one or both legs. Unable to walk normally, Smith was picked on by bullies, and he learned to defend himself by swinging at them with his crutch.Reportedly cured of the disease by the age of 10，he became a star athlete, playing football, basketball, and baseball.
Smith's grandfather had captained a Mississippi River steamboat；his father built the Greyhound Bus Linein the South, expanding his fortune along with the routes. Smith says he was just four when his father died，“so he probably served as a near mythical role model for me.”
Growing up in Memphis, Tennessee, Smith says，“I didn't know I wanted to go into business, but I knew I wanted a leadership position. That appealed to me.”
At 15，he was operating a crop-duster over the flat fields of the Mississippi Delta. As a student at Yale University, he helped resurrect the Yale flying club；its alumni had populated naval aviation history, including the famous“millionaires'unit”in World War I.Smith took care of the club's business and ran a small air-charter operation in New Haven.
With little time to study, his scholastic performance suffered, but Smith never stopped looking for the“big idea.”
He thought he had found it when he wrote a term paper for an economics class. He outlined an idea for a transportation company that would guarantee overnight delivery of small, time-sensitive goods-replacement parts and medical supplies-to major U.S.cities.The professor was not impressed.
Smith was certain he was onto something, but it would be a while before he could turn his idea into reality.
A CentraI Hub
Smith completed two tours in Vietnam, eventually flying more than 200 ground-support missions. While on his first tour, in Vietnam, he survived an ambush that left most of his company dead.During the assault he became separated from his gun, but he managed to retrieve the weapon in time to bring down a Vietcong soldier who was about to attack him.He had also learned a valuable lesson from the war.“There're only three things you gotta remember，”he said，“shoot, move, and communicate.”
Home from Vietnam, Smith became fascinated by the notion that if you connected all the points of a network through a central hub, the efficiency could be enormous, whether the system involved moving packages and letters or people and planes. With an investment from his father's company, as well as a chunk of his own inheritance, Smith bought his first Dassault Falcon planes, and in 1971 formed the Federal Express Corporation.
The early days of Federal Express were marked by extreme frugality and enormous financial losses. It was not uncommon for FedEx drivers to pay for gasoline for their vans out of their own pockets.But despite such problems, Smith always showed concern for the welfare for his employees（as he has continued to do ever since）.“Even when we didn't have the money, even when there weren't couches in this office and electric typewriters, we had a good medical plan for our people.”He recalled.
Today, FedEx is a$32 billion global transportation and logistics company, serving over 220 countries and territories. Operations include more than 670 aircraft and 70000 vehicles.Some 260000 employees and independent contractors worldwide handle more than 6 million shipments each business day.
Along the way, FedEx pioneered the“hub and spoke”system, which has since been adopted by almost all major airlines. The phrase“FedEx it”has become as much a part of the language as Xerox or Google.
Smith says success in business boils down to three things.“You have got to have a viable product or service and a compelling strategy. Then you need an efficient management system.Assuming you have those things, leading a team is the single most important issue in running an organization today.”For Fred Smith, there is a bred-in-the-bone satisfaction that comes from getting people to do the best job they can do every day.
Although Smith avoids the media and the trappings of public life, he is said to be a gregarious and accessible employer. He reportedly visits FedEx's Memphis site at night from time to time and addresses sorters by name, and for years he extended an offer to any courier with 10 years of service to come to Memphis for an“anniversary breakfast.”That embodies Fred Smith's philosophy：People, Service, Profit（P-S-P）.Smith says，“The P-S-P philosophy is like an unbroken circle or chain.There are no clearly definable points of entry or exit.The People link is supported by Profit, which is supported by Service, which is supported by People.Each link upholds the others and is, in turn, supported by them.”In articulating this philosophy and in personally involving himself in its implementation in every company policy and action, Frederick Smith truly demonstrates the new brand of leadership that success in the future will demand.
每天晚上，都有几百架漆有紫、白、橙三色图案的飞机在田纳西州的孟菲斯机场降落。机组人员卸下清晨从美国各地收到的五十多万份包裹和信件，根据地址迅速地将这些包裹和信件分类，然后装上其他飞机送往目的地。大多数包裹和信件都会在寄出的24小时内交到收货人的手上。这一连串的事情正是弗里德·史密斯——联邦快递公司（原为联邦快递）的创立者、总裁、首席执行官和董事长的最大的梦想。目前，该公司已是全球最大、最成功的隔夜快递服务商。史密斯在大学期间的这个设想已经实行了28年，并成为送货上门服务的标准。
据说史密斯以其亲切的态度、灵活的经商头脑著称，并赢得竞争者和雇员的高度尊重。前联邦快递法律顾问塔克·莫尔斯回忆说：“我总是说，弗里德·史密斯最杰出的地方之一就是他能以不同的方式对待不同的人。”实际上，孟菲斯市的3.2%的劳动力是联邦快递的员工，他们被这家公司的高薪和家庭般的企业文化所吸引。联邦快递的一名员工说：“人们搬到孟菲斯要做的第一件事就是申请一份联邦快递的工作，如果没有职位空缺，他们会先暂时找份其他工作干着，同时等待为联邦快递工作的机会。”
领导力
弗里德·史密斯在创办联邦快递时只有27岁。如今，35年过去了，他依旧坐在掌舵人的位置上。史密斯把公司的成功完全归功于他的领导方法——纯粹而简单——这是军队和家庭教给他的。
弗里德·华莱士·史密斯于1944年8月11日出生在密西西比州的一个富有家庭。在他只有四岁时，父亲去世了。在那之后，母亲萨利·史密斯经常给儿子讲丈夫生前的故事。她回忆道：“那些年我一直都努力让他在心中记住他爸爸。我告诉他，爸爸是多么爱他，多么想让他接受最好的教育，又是多么确信他儿子将大大超过他在商业上的成就。”
儿时，史密斯曾患股骨病，这种疾病会中断股骨供血，最终导致一条腿或双腿发育畸形。因此史密斯无法像健全人那样行走，为此经常被欺负，后来他学会了挥动拐杖来自卫。据说，十岁那年病愈后，史密斯成了体育明星，足球、篮球和棒球，样样精通。
史密斯的祖父曾是“密西西比”号汽轮的船长；父亲在南部创建了灰狗巴士公司，赚了不少钱。由于父亲在他只有四岁时就去世了，“所以对我来说，他就是一个近乎虚构的榜样”。在田纳西州孟菲斯市长大的史密斯说道：“我自己不清楚到底要不要从商，但我知道我想当上领导。这点对我极具吸引力。”15岁时，他曾在密西西比三角洲的平原上驾驶过农用飞机。作为耶鲁大学的学生，他帮忙重建了耶鲁大学飞行俱乐部；其中不少成员的大名都书写在海军航空史上，包括第一次世界大战中著名的“百万富翁支队”。史密斯不仅掌管着俱乐部，还在纽黑文经营了一家小型飞机租赁公司。
他没什么时间学习，学业成绩开始下滑，但是史密斯从来没有放弃追求自己的“远大抱负”。
在写经济学的学期论文时，他觉得自己找到了“远大抱负”。他大致描述了一下自己的想法，他想建立一家运输公司，隔夜运送一些小的、保质期短的物品——备用零件和医疗供给到美国的主要城市。然而教授对此并不感兴趣。
史密斯确定他将有所行动，但要把想法变成现实还需要一段时间。
中心枢纽
史密斯在越南参加了两次飞行，总共完成了200多次地面支援飞行任务。在越南的第一次飞行中，他们遭遇突袭，战友大多数都牺牲了，而他侥幸生还。战斗中，他的手枪脱手，但他及时夺回武器并击毙了一名正准备攻击他的越南士兵。战争给史密斯上了宝贵的一课。他说：“你只需记住三件事：开枪、移动和联络。”
从越南回来后，史密斯开始执着于这样一种想法，如果把网络内所有的点都连接到一个中心枢纽，无论是运送包裹和信件，还是人和飞机，都会极富效率。他拿着父亲企业的投资以及一大部分继承的财产，购买了第一架达索尔特鹰式飞机。1971年，史密斯创办了联邦快递公司。
早期的联邦快递经营非常困难，亏损严重。送货员们不得不经常自掏腰包出油钱。尽管问题重重，史密斯却一直很关心职员的福利（至今仍是如此）。他回忆道：“即便我们没有钱，即便办公室里没有沙发，没有电子打印机，我们仍要为每名员工提供完善的健康计划。”
如今，联邦快递是一家拥有320亿美元资产的全球运输、物流公司，业务遍及220多个国家和地区，拥有超过670架飞机和70000辆运输车。每个工作日，在全球范围内，大约260000 名遍及全球的职员和独立承包商要装运600多万批货物。
在发展过程中，联邦快递率先建立了“车轮式中心辐射”系统，之后被几乎所有的大航空公司所采用。“选择联邦快递”已经成为与施乐公司和谷歌齐名的流行语汇。
史密斯说商业上的成功主要靠三件事：“你需要一个有生命力的产品或服务；一项令人信服的战略；之后，就是要建立一个高效的管理系统。如果具备了上述三点，那么现在运作一个机构最重要的就是领导团队。”对于弗里德·史密斯来说，能让人们每天各尽所能地工作给了他发自肺腑的满足感。
尽管史密斯经常回避媒体，远离公众视线，但人们依然认为他是一个合群、亲切的雇主。据说，他经常晚上回到设在孟菲斯的联邦快递公司，而且“指名道姓”地和邮件整理员打招呼。几年来，他向所有十年工龄以上的快递员发出邀请，去孟菲斯参加“周年庆早餐”。这一点体现了弗里德·史密斯的哲学：人、服务、利润（P-S-P）。他说：“P-S-P哲学就像一个坚不可摧的圆圈或锁链，其中没有确定的入口和出口。人以利润为动力，而获得利润需要提供服务，服务则依赖于人的付出。它们环环相扣，相互支撑。”无论是对这一理念的阐述，还是身体力行地投入到各项公司的政策执行中来，弗里德·史密斯都很好地证明了企业未来的成功需要这种新型的领导方式。
实战提升
核心单词
sequence['si:kwəns]v./n.连续；接连
culmination[,kʌlmi'neiʃən]n.顶点；高潮的到达
conceive[kən'si:v]v.构想出，想象；怀孕
crutch[krʌtʃ]v./n.支持，依靠
aviation[,eivi'eiʃən]n.航空，飞行
财经知识一点通
联邦快递集团（FedEx Express）
为遍及全球的顾客和企业提供涵盖运输、电子商务和商业运作等一系列的全面服务。作为一个久负盛名的企业品牌，联邦快递集团通过相互竞争和协调管理的运营模式，提供了一套综合的商务应用解决方案，使其年收入高达320亿美元。
承包经营（contract management）
在坚持生产资料所有制不变的基础上，按照所有权和经营权分离的原则，承包方通过签订合同，明确责权关系，为发包方完成一定生产任务、工程建设项目、技术设计任务等进行的自主经营的一种经营制度。
翻译练习
Known for his geniality as well as his business acumen, Smith is reportedly held in high regard by his competitors as well as his employees.
With little time to study, his scholastic performance suffered, but Smith never stopped looking for the“big idea.”
lt was not uncommon for FedEx drivers to pay for gasoline for their vans out of their own pockets.
