how to be a good leader

Zhou Enlai

How to be a Good Leader

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Written: April 22, 1943

I. The definition of a leader 领导者的定义

Any cadre may at some time have to take up the work of leadership, and very likely he is already doing such work. Therefore, the work of leadership concerns leading cadre at all levels, whether the lower, middle or upper. Among the staff members at Hongyan and Zengjiayan there is only a difference in the kind of work each does,but no distinction is drawn between the leaders and the led, still less between cadres and non-cadres Although some comrades working in Hongyan and Zengjiayan and in the office of New China Daily are not directly shouldering the responsibilities of leadership,they are in fact leaders.

任何干部在某段时间都有可能做领导干部，而且很有可能已经做了领导工作。因此,领导工作包含了上中下各级别的领导干部。在两岩的工作人员是以工作为区别的，而非是以领导者与非领导者来区别，更不是以干部与非干部来区别。尽管工作在两岩和中国日报办公室的一些同志没有直接做领导工作，但他们事实上是领导者。

II. The stand a leader should take 领导者的立场

A leading cadre must proceed from the standpoint of the Party in everything he does. But this is only a general statement.More specifically, a leading cadre should have the following qualities:

领导干部的立场来源于党的立场。但这只是一个普通的说法。更为具体地来说，一个领导干部应该有以下几种品质：

1. A firm Marxist-Leninist world outlook and a revolutionary out-look on life;

要有坚定的马列主义的世界观和革命的人生观；

2. Devotion to principle;

要有奉献原则精神；

3. Faith in the strength of the people;

要相信人民群众的力量；

4. Dedication to study;

要有学习精神；

5. A tenacious fighting spirit; and

要有顽强的奋斗精神；

6. A high sense of discipline.

要有高度的纪律性。

III. The leaders and the leading organizations领导者与领导机关

1. Collective leadership and leadership of each level by the next higher level - unified leadership,

centralization and democracy (discussion and division of labour).

集体领导与每个级别的领导--领导的一元化，集中化与民主化（合作与分工）。

2. Individual responsibility and individual leadership - this is especially needed in the Great Rear

Area and is by no means negated by collective leadership.

个人负责制与个人领导--这一方式尤其被大后方环境需要而且不会被集体领导取消。

3. Direct personal intervention and decision from above - this is not the usual practice but one

employed under special circumstances, or to set an example.

直接个人干涉与直接解决--这不是经常的办法，而是在特殊环境下的办法或是为了示范

IV. What is correct leadership 什么是正确的领导

I shall now elaborate on the three points Stalin once made:

我现在将按照斯大林说过的三点加以详细阐述：

1. Decisions made must be correct. First, leaders should evaluate the situation and anticipate

possible changes, seeking out the characteristics of a given place at a given time. Second, they

should relate all this to the general task of the Party and determine the tasks and policy for a

given period. Third,in line with this policy, they should formulate slogans and tactics appropriate to the current situation.Fourth, they should then work out realistic plans and instructions. They should do all this through in-depth investigation and study of actual conditions, linking up the results with Party tenets and principles.

必须正确做决定。首先，领导者应该估计环境及其可能变动，并找出此地此时的特点。第二，他们要依此与党的总任务联系起来，决定给定时期的任务和方针。第三，根据这个方针，他们要设计出当前适当的标语和手段。第四，他们要定出合乎实际的计划和指示。他们必须通过深入调查和实际环境的研究，使这些原理与党的信念联系起来。

2. Correct decisions must be implemented. First, leaders should organize discussions of ways to implement the plan and carry out instructions. Second, they should carefully select capable persons and put them in charge of the plan's implementation. Third, they should organize efforts to realize the Party's plan. Fourth, they should personally take part in the implementation so as to set an example. By so doing, they can discover through practice whether the Party's line and tactics are correct or whether they should be modified.

必须实现正确的决定。首先，领导者要经过组织方法讨论去实现计划和指示。次之，要谨慎选择人才去负责计划的实现。再次，要组织斗争去实现党的计划。又次，为了树立榜样要亲自参加实践。通过这样做，他们就能从实践中发现党的路线和策略是否正确和是否需要修改。

3. There must be review of the actual implementation of the decisions. Methods of making such

reviews: (a) we must note tangible results of work rather than promises; (b) we must not merely look at plans on paper,but inquire whether tasks are being performed conscientiously or only perfunctorily; (c) we must pay attention to content rather than to form and examine whether a decision is really being correctly carried out or is being distorted; (d) reviews should not only be conducted from top to bottom, but also from bottom to top; (e) reviews should besystematic and regular; and (f) leader should personally participate in reviews.

必须重新检查这种决定的实际实现情况。检查方式如下：（1）不根据承诺，而要看工作的真实结果：（2)不仅仅要看室内纸上的计划，而要求看任务是否被执行了或只是繁衍。（3）必须注意内容而不是形式并且要检查决定是否被正确执行或被曲解了。（4）不仅要由上而下，还要有上有下的审查。（5）要有系统的和有规律的审查。（6）领导者要亲自参加审查。

As Stalin has said, leaders must maintain close ties with the masses, and the experience gaine by both leaders and masses must be synthesized. Only thus can there be correct leadership.

正如斯大林说的那样，领导者必须与群众保持亲密联系，必须把领导者与群众两者的经验综合起来。只有这样，领导才是正确的。

V. The tasks of leaders领导者的任务

Comrade Mao Zedong says that the tasks of leaders consists in using cadres well and implementing policies. This is true. Breaking the down, I think, they are as follows:

毛泽东同志说领导者的任务包括用好干部和执行方针，这是真理。分开来看，我认为有如下几点：

1. Leading cadres should pay close attention to ideological and political leadership. This requires that they constantly raise their own ideological level and strengthen their own political training. We ask our comrades to concentrate on the following: (a) placing emphasis on important matters; (b) sharpening political vigilance; (c) raising their theoretical level; (d) intensifying ideological struggle both inside and outside the Party; and (e) actively publicizing the policies and achievements of the Party.

领导干部要密切关注思想政治的领导。这个要求他们要不断提高他们的思想水平，加强他们的政治锻炼我们

要求同志们要集中以下几点：（1）注意重要大事；（2）提高政治警惕性；（3）提供理论水平；（4）加强党内外的思想斗争；（5)积极宣传党的方针和成就；

2. Leading cadres should give careful thought to organizational leadership. Once the political

line is laid down,organizational work decides everything. We draw our comrades' attention to

the following points:

(a) organizational leadership should be raised to the level of political

leadership; in other words, all kinds of work should be put on a principled basis and connected

with political tasks;

(b) all organizational and day-to-day work should serve to guarantee the fulfilment of the Party's political tasks and the realization of its work plans;

(c) importance should be attached to the Party's day-to-day leadership, so that Partyorganizations stay close to the grass roots and their work becomes even more concrete;

(d) Party organizations and the masses must be mobilized to strive to surmount all difficulties; and (e) we should combat all

forms of opportunism (such as perfunctoriness, empty talk， arrogance, bureaucracy, formalism

, and red-taped routinism), corruption, degeneration, etc.

领导干部要认真做好组织领导。一旦有了政治路线，组织工作就决定一切。我们要求同志注意以下几点：

（1)要求组织领导提高政治领导水平，也就是说，各种各样的工作要提高到有原则的基础，要与政治任务联系起来；

（2）要使所有的组织和实际工作保证党的政治任务和工作计划的实现；

（3）要关注党的日常领导，为的是使党的组织接近下层和他们的工作更加具体化；

(4)要动员党组织和群众为克服所有困难而斗争；

(5)要反对一切工作中的机会主义（例如马虎主义，空想主义，自大主义官僚主义，形式主义，和事务主义）以及腐败或退化等等。

3. Prudence should be exercised in selecting cadres and assigning work. This is also part of

organizational work, but it can be taken separately. Both political qualifications and work

competence are indispensable criteria for selecting cadres, but political trustworthiness

takes precedence. Stalinonce pointed out the harm done to the Party when people made appointments not in accordance with principle. He said that such persons were followed by a large "entourage" wherever they went and that they employed only those whom they regarded as their "own" men .In one of his reports on the rectification movement, Comrade Mao Zedong, too, criticized such persons for being "dishonest". That was the failing of those "imperial envoys who rushed everywhere". Given a cadre's political trustworthiness, it is still important to use him properly (in the light of time, place and circumstances).

要谨慎地挑选干部和分配工作。这也是组织工作的一部分，但是可以单独来说。政治标准和工作能力对挑选干部来说两者是不可缺少的但政治信任是先决问题。斯大林指出当用人不依原则会危害于党。他说这样的人不管去到哪里都只是一大堆随员，专用所谓“自家人”。毛泽东在整风运动报告的其中一篇中，也批评这种不诚实的人。而过去“钦差大臣满天飞”就犯有这种毛病。有了政治信任，适当地用是很重要的。

4. Work should be reviewed. The performance of working personnel and the implementation of the work plan must be reviewed. As Stalin has said, the objectives of the review are: first, to get to know the qualifications of the cadres; second, to determine the virtues and defects of the executive apparatus; and third, to determine the virtues and defects of the tasks or instructions that are set. Some leaders think reviews of this sort are likely to expose their own weaknesses, marring their prestige or shaking their self-confidence. This is incorrect. Leaders enhance their prestigeby correcting their mistakes, not by covering them up, and by immersing themselves in hard work,

not by bragging or boasting. Confidence will only be strengthened and not weakened through the

correction of mistakes. It is only those who are vain and concerned with face-saving who fear the exposure of mistakes.

审查工作。审查工作人员的表现和工作计划的执行情况。如斯大林说的那样，审查的任务有：第一是认识人才的品质，第二是查明执行机构的优缺点，第三是查明任务或指示的优缺点。一些领导者认为这种审查很可能暴露自己的弱点，损坏他们的威信，或者动摇他们的信心。这是不正确的。领导者要通过改正他们的错误来提供他们的威信，而不是掩盖错误；并使通过努力工作培养起来的而不是自吹自夸。通过改正错误后信心将只会增强，不会减弱。只有那种要虚荣爱面子的人才会怕暴露错误！

5. Go among the masses. The leaders should not only educate the masses but should also learn

from them. The reason is that the leaders' own knowledge is incomplete and their experience

insufficient. Leading positions in themselves cannot bestow knowledge and experience, so it

is essential to go to the people and draw experience from them. We ask that comrades:

(a) get close to the people, maintain contact with them, and to some extent become one with them;

(b) heed the voice of the people;

(c) learn from them; and

(d) educate them instead of tailing behind them.

面向群众。领导者不但要教育群众而且要向群众学习。理由是领导者本身的知识还不完全，经验还不充足。

领导地位还不能给予知识和经验，所以面向群众，向他们汲取经验是很重要的。我们要求那些同志：（1）接近群众,与他们保持联系，并在某种程度上与他们打成一片；（2）倾听群众意见；（3）向群众学习；（4）教育群众而不是跟在他们尾巴后面。

VI. Leading the masses and befriending them

领导群众并与他们结交朋友

1. The masses are not lead in the same way as Party members. The way we lead the masses and the attitude we take towards them should not make them feel that we are exercising leadership.

领导群众的方式是不同于领导党的方式。领导群众的方式和态度不应该使他们感觉我们是在领导。

2. The basic method of leading masses in persuasion, and definitely not command. Only in situations when it is necessary and when the majority agree while a minority still do not, may we compel the minority to carry out the decisions of the majority.

领导群众的基本方式是说服并且这绝不是命令。只有在多数已经同意而少数尚未同意的情况下，我们才可以强迫少数去服从多数的决定。

3. The leaders themselves should play an exemplary role in giving leadership to the masses and

befriending them.

领导者他们在领导群众中要起先锋模范作用，并和他们结交朋友。

4. When necessary, leaders should ignore insults hurled at them.

必要时，领导者应该忽视他们所受的侮辱。

5. Leaders must never underestimate the role they play or the influence they exert, and must

work prudently and cautiously.

领导者千万不要轻视他们所扮演的角色和影响，必须谨慎的工作。

VII. The art of leadership

领导艺术

According to the art of leadership as expounded by Lenin and Stalin, leaders should not

run too far ahead of a movement, nor should they lag behind. Rather, they should grasp

the key task and push the movement forward. According to the art of leadership as expounded

by Comrade Mao Zedong, they should take into account the over-all situation, think in terms

of the majority and work together with our allies.

根据列宁和斯大林的领导艺术，领导者不要跑得太快也不要落在运动后。而应抓住重要任务并推向前进。

根据毛泽东的领导艺术，要兼顾全局，兼顾多数，并且和同盟者一起干工作。

VIII. Work methods

工作方法

1. Examine theoretical tenets and principles in the course of struggle;

在斗争中审查理论信念和原理；

2. Determine and review policies in the course of concrete work;

在具体工作中决定和审查政策；

3. Improve work in a revolutionary spirit;

要用革命的精神提高工作；

4. Promote democracy and encourage criticism and self-criticism;

发扬民主，鼓励批评与自我批评；

5. Employ mainly persuasion and not administrative fiat. Resort to orders only in emergence situations.

只要用说服的方法而不用行政的方法。只有在紧急情况时才命令的方式。

IX. Work style

工作作风

1. Lenin's style of work consisted of: Russian revolutionary sweep; and American efficiency

列宁的工作作风包括：俄国人的革命胆略；美国人的求实精神。

2. Comrade Mao Zedong's style of work consists of: The modesty and realism of the Chinese people; the simplicity and industriousness of the Chinese peasants; the love of study and deep thought of the intellectual; the flexibility and cool-headedness of the revolutionary soldier; and the tenacity and staunchness of a Bolshevik.

毛泽东的工作作风包括:中华民族的谦虚实际；中国农民的朴素和勤奋；知识分子的好学深思；革命士兵的机动沉着；布尔什维克的坚韧顽强.

3. Combat all forms of opportunism manifested in day-to-day work. At present, we must especially combat perfunctoriness, empty talk, arrogance, formalism, routinism and all acts which sabotage the fine traditions of the Party and army.

反对一切实际工作中的机会主义，在目前，我们尤其要反对马虎主义，空想主义，自大主义，形式主义，事务主义以及破坏党和军队传统的行动。

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