Predicting the Outcome of any Leader

If you want to predict, the following Chinese proverbs can tell you...

用师者王  用友者霸  用徒者亡。

Employ teachers, and you will be a king.

Employ friends, and you will be a hegemon.

Employ mere followers, and you will perish.

Viewing success and failure in an enterprise or a nation through the lens of “employing people 用人.”

•      The essence of these three lines is not to deny the value of friends or followers, but to emphasize that a leader’s orientation in employing people determines the ultimate ceiling of an undertaking:

•      If one seeks to build a long-lasting foundation, one must rely on teachers—those who broaden vision and fill in shortcomings.

•      If one seeks to achieve a short-term breakthrough, one must rely on friends—those who strengthen execution and solidify the team.

•      But if one only desires personal control, indulging in the obedience of followers, one falls into the perilous state of “a blind man riding a blind horse,” and will inevitably end in ruin.

•      For modern enterprise management and team building, this principle remains highly relevant:

•      an outstanding leader must be able to accommodate those stronger than themselves (teachers),

•      unite with those aligned in mission, vision and values (friends), and

• Stay vigilant against those who only obey without thinking (yes-men followers).

Only in this way can a healthy and vibrant talent ecosystem be built, ensuring the sustainable growth of the enterprise. (Recall the story of Tang King 唐太宗 and 长孙皇后 ZhangSun Queen)

Once, the Emperor was very angry about his officer stopping him from hunting in the spring season because it was the period for animals mating and feeding the babies. ZhangSun got her ladies all dressed up in official ceremony dresses to congratulate the Emperor. The Emperor was surprised and asked why. She said that she heard that only the wise and good king can have his officers who dare to advise him. Now that there is an officer who did that, it shows that he was a wise king indeed. That made the Emperor very happy.

See also Steve Jobs on Leadership - Have Mentors and Hire “A” Players...