Managers, Trust Your People: An Ancient Chinese Leadership Parable

The Chinese have this saying: “If you doubt someone, don’t use him; if you use someone, don’t doubt him.”
Managers, Trust Your People: An Ancient Chinese Leadership Parable
Aren't you on the same team, or what? Graham Norris/iStock/Thinkstock
Updated:

The Chinese have this saying: “If you doubt someone, don’t use him; if you use someone, don’t doubt him.” It could also be translated as “If you don’t trust someone, don’t hire him; if you hire him, don’t question him.”

In today’s business world, this idea is more relevant than ever. If you’re reading this, the odds are you’re either a boss, work for one, or have in the past. Successful leaders in various sectors have recognized that creative and knowledge-based work requires an open, transparent, and socially conscious way of working. Some workplaces continue to lag, however, clinging to a command-and-control mindset of the industrial age. In these organizations, the balance between an employer’s need for control and the employee’s need for autonomy remains fraught with tension.

Leo Timm
Leo Timm
Author
Leo Timm is a freelance contributor to The Epoch Times. He covers Chinese politics, society, and current affairs.
Related Topics