[One Thousand Characters a Day] Professor Lee Kang-jae's 'Lead Like the Analects' <2>

Editor's NoteAsia Economy provides daily 1,000-character transcription content for the 'One Day Ten Thousand Steps, One Day One Thousand Characters' newsletter readers. The transcription content is carefully selected according to daily and monthly themes from Eastern and Western classics, Korean literature, famous columns, and notable speeches. Today, through Professor Kangjae Lee of Seoul National University (Department of Chinese Language and Literature)'s book ＜Lead Like Confucius＞, we examine the virtues of leadership that Confucius conveyed thousands of years ago and the principles of leadership that transcend eras. Word count: 1023 characters.

In Mencius, the chapter 'King Yang Hye' contains the phrase, "Only a man of purpose can maintain a steady mind without a steady income (無恒産而有恒心者, 惟士爲能)." It also explains, "Ordinary people, if they lack a steady income, will lack a steady mind; if they lack a steady mind, they will engage in all kinds of debauchery, eccentricity, evil, and extravagance (若民則, 無恒産, 因無恒心. 苟無恒心, 放僻邪侈, 無不爲已)." This means that ordinary people cannot endure without a steady income, and only those with great purpose can withstand such circumstances. Therefore, for ordinary people, providing sufficient food is the first priority, but the ruler must also lead by example and strive not to betray the trust of the people even in urgent situations where there is no food to eat.

In modern times, 'joksik' (족식) refers to the essential income or salary needed to live, and 'jokbyeong' (족병) refers to the competitiveness that an organization such as a company needs to win against other organizations. Customer trust in a company is essential for its sustainability. Therefore, food, military power, and trust are all indispensable in every organization, and none can be lacking. I do not believe our society yet firmly holds mutual trust. Trust in national rulers is low, confidence in the media is weak, and the general public's trust in social leaders is not strong. Such low trust is deeply related to the privileges held by the upper class in our society in the past. Leaders often pursued private interests in public positions, and there have been many instances where policies seemed to prioritize their own benefits. This manifests as a genuine absence of mature leadership in our society today and is why the public does not actively place trust in the political and administrative actions of the state.

The process of gaining the people's trust in national leaders is not simple. Even those who initially supported a leader will withdraw their trust if there is inconsistency in policy formulation and execution or if the leader appears to serve the interests of a particular group. Continuous communication is necessary to maintain trust.

- Kangjae Lee, ＜Lead Like Confucius＞, 21st Century Books, 22,000 KRW