Mere China News & Notes

Good Boss, Bad Boss, according to Confucius

11/20/2001

Unless you're Bill Gates, chance is that you work for someone - your boss. Maybe you're among the lucky few who happen to work for a nice fellow. More likely, however, you hate your boss's guts.

What makes a good boss? And what makes a bad one? Let's turn to that old Chinese sage Confucius for his views.

One day, Tsze-chang, one of Confucius's desciples, had a conversation with the master himself, and the talk went like this:


Tsze-chang asked: "In what way should a person in authority act in order that he may conduct government properly?"

The Master replied: "Let him honor the five excellent, and banish away the four bad, things; - then may he conduct government properly."

Tsze-chang said: "What are meant by the five excellent things?"

The Master said: "When the person in authority is beneficent without great expenditure; when he lays tasks on the people without their repining; when he pursues what he desires without being covetous; when he maintains a dignified ease without being proud; when he is majestic without being fierce."

"Could you explain further?" Asked Tsze-change.

The Master explained: "When the person in authority makes more beneficial to the people the things from which they naturally derive benefit; - is not this being beneficent without great expenditure? When he chooses the labors which are proper, and makes them labor on them, who will repine? When he acknowledges and claims his rightful gains without being greedy, who will accuse him of covetousness? Whether he has to do with many people or few, or with things great or small, he does not dare to indicate any disrespect; - is not this to maintain a dignified ease without any pride? He adjusts his clothes and cap, and throws a dignity into his looks, so that, thus dignified, he is looked at with awe; - is not this to be majestic without being fierce?"

Tsze-chang then asked, "What are meant by the four bad things?"

The Master said, "To put the people to death without having instructed them; - this is called cruelty. To require from them, suddenly, the full tale of work, without having given them warning; - this is called oppression. To issue orders as if without urgency, at first, and, when the time comes, to insist on them with severity; - this is called injury. And, generally, in the giving pay or rewards to men, to do it in a stingy way; - this is called acting the part of a mere official."


“Beneficent without great expenditure”: A boss, to make things easier for himself, must take care of his subordinates’ interests.

“Chooses the labors which are proper”: If a boss does not have a good project or plan in the first place, he’s not going to have happy employees and therefore will accomplish little.

“Acknowledges and claims his rightful gains without being greedy about them”: A boss makes more money, this generally recognized. But to be a good boss, one mustn’t focus on his own benefits only.

“Does not dare to indicate any disrespect”: To respect your subordinates is to respect yourself.

“Adjusts his clothes and cap, and throws a dignity into his looks”: A boss is a boss and a boss must act with authority. Nevertheless, a good boss is one who, metaphorically speaking, can project his seriousness by simply adjusting his clothes and cap - he does not have to brow-beat his subordinates to make the point that, well, he’s the boss.

“Put the people to death without having instructed them”: Teach them, train them, and they still don't perform well - that’s their fault. But if as a manager you haven’t made yourself clear and then simply punish those who fail to perform - fire them, for example - that’s your fault.

“To require … the full tale of work, without having given them warning”: No one likes surprises, the least those whose livelihood depend on other people’s approval or disapproval.

“To issue orders as if without urgency, … and, … to insist on them with severity”: It is the boss's responsibility<

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