The Ruler's Guide: China's Greatest Emperor and His Timeless Secrets of Success
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Contents
Introduction
I
CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN TANG TAIZONG AND HIS MINISTERS
1 On Being Emperor
2 On Human Resources
3 On Moral Character and Talent
4 On Management
5 On Remonstrance
6 On Virtues
7 On the Art of War
8 On Crime and Punishment
9 On Frugality
10 On the Rise and Fall of an Empire
11 On Parenting and Educating the Next Generation
12 On Being Well Remembered
II
THE AMAZING LIFE OF TANG TAIZONG
Author’s Note
Dynasties in Chinese History
Acknowledgments
About Chinghua Tang
To my beloved parents, QINGAN TANG and EILEEN H. GE, who have dedicated their lives to teaching and who have fostered in me a habit of reading.
Introduction
The Tang dynasty, one of the longest dynasties in Chinese history (618–907), is hailed by historians as China’s golden age. It didn’t come about by chance. It owed much to the conscious efforts of its co-founder, Emperor Taizong.
Tang TaizongI is one of history’s greatest rulers, ranking with Augustus, Genghis Khan, and Napoléon—and even, in some cases, exceeding their accomplishments. Under Taizong’s leadership, China became the world’s largest and strongest country. The emperor’s reign was marked by a number of savvy, innovative, and bold accomplishments, setting a high standard for all leaders who would come after. Among the feats that make Taizong extraordinary:
· He assembled a team of advisers even before he assumed the throne at the age of twenty-eight.
· He was a gifted administrator, presiding over all major policy and executive decision-making at his court.
· He was a master military strategist, leading his armies to defeat the Turks—descendants of Attila the Hun—and reopening the Silk Road.
· He slew a thousand enemy fighters by his own hand.
· He was remarkably versatile: an archer, hunter, horseman, poet, composer, and calligrapher.
· He allowed both Christianity and Islam into China for the first time and was, indirectly, the cause of Buddhism’s being planted in Tibet.
· He was apparently expert at picking a wife: his empress was one of the wisest and most virtuous women in history.
· He set out to build a strong, prosperous, and long-lasting empire and succeeded spectacularly.
Tang Taizong and his circle of gifted ministers held many discussions regarding how best to run the government and achieve longevity for the dynasty. Most of their conversations were recorded and later compiled in an anthology entitled The Zhenguan Executive Guide. This book has since become a classic on leadership, management, and statecraft. It has been translated into Korean, Japanese, Mongolian, Khitan, Jurchen, and Tangut. It was eagerly read by rulers of China and other Asian countries—potentates such as the Mongol conqueror Kublai Khan, the Japanese shogun Tokugawa, and the Qing emperor Qianlong. Today, Taizong’s thinking is ardently studied by business executives and government leaders throughout Asia. And it is far past time that the emperor’s thoughts be shared with those in other parts of the world.
Wittingly or unwittingly, today’s leaders—regardless of what organization they head—often assume the role of “ruler.” Politically, the emperor is a thing of the past. However, an elected leader in many cases enjoys much the same power as an emperor within his or her domain. And, of course, business leaders and corporate managers are rulers in their world. There are rulers in virtually every field. For example:
The president of a trade union is the ruler of hisII organization.
The head of a philanthropy is the ruler of his institution.
The headmaster is the ruler of his school.
The teacher is the ruler of his class.
The coach is the ruler of his sports team.
The conductor is the ruler of his orchestra.
The lieutenant is the ruler of his platoon.
The priest is the ruler of his local church.
Parents are the rulers of their family.
The list goes on and on. You may be a ruler in one situation and ruled in another. You may be ruler and ruled simultaneously. You may be ruled and yet aspire to be the ruler.
Whether running a country or a commercial enterprise, whether leading a team or serving as a role model, rulers wield enormous power over the people and the resources they command. They’re capable of exerting great influence over the society, environment, and community in which they operate. And they face many problems that are similar to those an ancient emperor would have faced.
Many books have been written on leadership and management. This one is distinctive in that it is not a one-way stream of advice but, rather, an anthology of conversations between Tang Taizong and his ministers. And because the longevity of the Tang dynasty has always been considered proof of Taizong’s wisdom, the principles disclosed here have stood the test of time.
A guide to enlightened conduct for anyone in a position of authority, The Ruler’s Guide offers insight into many present-day management issues:
· How to attain self-knowledge
· How to evaluate people
· How to handle the relationship between moral character and talent
· How to exercise leadership
· How to enhance organizational effectiveness
· How to apply the art of war
· How to achieve long-term success
This book brings Taizong’s wisdom to a Western audience for the first time—wisdom that has been studied and proven for more than a thousand years. In the pages that follow, records of the emperor’s conversations with his ministers are selected and organized under twelve topics. They represent the choicest part of this anthology. Following that is a profile that sketches Taizong’s extraordinary life and character. In the secrets of the Tang dynasty’s success, you’ll find the secrets of all great, long-lasting enterprises.
Since my family name is, coincidentally, the same as the dynasty that Taizong helped found, I take extra pleasure in bringing his wisdom to you.
* * *
I Tang Taizong (598–649): “Tang” is the name of the dynasty and “Taizong” his imperial title as emperor. His personal name is Li Shimin.
II The author recognizes the role of women in all spheres of modern life and asks the reader to make allowance for the use of masculine pronouns in the book.
I
CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN TANG TAIZONG AND HIS MINISTERS
1
On Being Emperor
A great person attracts great people and knows how to hold them together.
—GOETHEI
Taizong became emperor when he was twenty-eight years old. His life began a new phase. He applied himself diligently to learning the job.
Prompted partly by his need for help in governing the country and partly by his desire to be an effective ruler, he surrounded himself with a group of wise and dedicated advisers from different backgrounds. He had many scintillating conversation
s with them. He was a good listener, a humble student, an eager learner, and a keen observer. He’d proven his prowess in war. Now he set out to demonstrate his ability to run a country.
TANG TAIZONG AND HIS ADVISERS’ WORDS
* * *
THE RULER’S HEART
Early in his reign, Taizong told his ministers: “The ruler has only one heart, but it is the goal of many people. Some want to win it by bravery, some want to win it by eloquence, some by flattery, some by cunning, some by satisfying its desires. The ruler is being assaulted from all sides. Everybody tries to sell him something in order to attain power and wealth. If he drops his guard for one moment, he can make a serious mistake and get into trouble. That is why it is difficult to be a ruler.”
BOW AND WOOD
Shortly after he ascended the throne, Taizong said to Minister Xiao Yu, “I have been fond of archery since I was a boy. I thought I knew everything about bows. A few days ago I received a dozen bows. When I showed them to a bow maker, he told me they were not good bows. I asked why. He said, ‘Because the heart of the wood is not straight, so the veins are slanted. Although the bows are strong, they cannot shoot straight.’
“Then I realized even though I’ve been using bows for so many years I really don’t know their secret. I must know even less about governing a country.”
This realization prompted him to not only hold daily meetings with cabinet ministers but reach out frequently to junior officials as well in order to learn more about what was going on in the country.
STANDING UPRIGHT
Taizong said, “The ruler must conduct himself properly. If he stands straight, his shadow can’t be crooked. If those above set a good example, those below will follow. In my opinion, what destroys the ruler is not something external. It is something internal. Unchecked desires will do harm to his body and mind; self-indulgence will interfere with his work. Then if he says something wrong, he will lose the support of the people completely.”
“Exactly,” responded Minister Wei Zheng. “Therefore sage kings of the past started with self-cultivation to try to nurture their virtues and overcome their weaknesses. This process enabled them to gain insight into many things and helped them to do a good job.”
SELF-AWARENESS
Taizong said, “An enlightened ruler knows his own inadequacies, so he becomes wiser. A fatuous ruler tries to cover up his own faults, so he remains in a poor light.”
HEAD AND BODY
In a memorandum to Taizong, Minister Wei Zheng wrote, “The ruler is the head and his ministers are the arms and legs. When they work with one mind and one heart, they become one body. The body cannot be whole if any part of it is missing. The head occupies the highest place, but it needs the arms and legs to form a complete body. The ruler may be wise, but he needs his ministers to help him govern the country.”
BEFORE YOU SPEAK
Du Zhenglun was the court historian, whose job it was to write down everything the emperor said and did.
Taizong said to him, “Before I say anything at my daily audience, I’ll think about how people may react to my words.”
Du Zhenglun replied, “Your Majesty’s words will not only have an impact here and now; they will be reflected upon by future generations too.”
Taizong continued, “If an ordinary man says something wrong, it could bring shame on him. If the ruler has a slip of the tongue, the consequences could be disastrous. I will always keep that in mind.”
APPROPRIATE MODESTY
Taizong consulted the renowned Confucian scholar Kong Yingda. “Analects says: ‘Those who have talent should learn from those who do not. Those who are knowledgeable should learn from those who are not. If you are talented, act as though you are not. If you are knowledgeable, act as though you are not.’ What does that mean?”II
“It means you should be modest,” Kong Yingda answered, “so that you can accomplish great things. No matter how talented you are, you can enhance your talent further. No matter how knowledgeable you are, you can still expand your knowledge. The ruler should not show off his smartness. On the contrary, he should hide it. He should listen to others’ good advice and not try to cover up his own mistakes. Otherwise, he will block communication with his subordinates and alienate himself from them. And that will bring him no good.”
“Yes indeed,” agreed Taizong. “The Book of Changes says, ‘Blessed is he who is always humble.’ ”
HUMILITY
King Shun and King Yu are legendary sage rulers of China, who lived about four thousand years ago. Taizong looked up to them as his role models.
He said, “They say the Son of Heaven is all power and glory, with nothing to be afraid of. I disagree. Precisely because I am the Son of Heaven, I must be humble and fearful. As King Shun admonished his successor, King Yu, ‘As long as you don’t regard yourself as glorious, nobody can compete with you; as long as you don’t consider yourself as great, nobody can defeat you.’ Heaven favors humility and frowns upon pride. Whatever I say or do, I am mindful of Heaven and mindful of my subjects. Heaven sees everything; how can I not be fearful? My subjects look at me all the time; how can I not be careful? What I am concerned about is that my deed and my word may not find favor in their sight.”
Minister Wei Zheng responded, “As the saying goes, ‘There are many good beginnings, but few good endings.’ It is my hope that Your Majesty will always be humble, fearful, and prudent. Then the good fortune of our dynasty will last.”
BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR A GOOD RULER
Taizong told the crown prince that a good ruler must meet certain basic criteria.
“The ruler is the person the people look up to. He should inspire awe and esteem. He should put the interest of the people in the first place. He should be tolerant and magnanimous so as to bind them together. He should be fair and just in decision-making. He should combine authority with benevolence. He should be humble and diligent. He should treat his parents with filial devotion and his ministers with respect. He should practice virtue and righteousness.”
WHAT TANG TAIZONG AND HIS ADVISERS TEACH US TODAY
* * *
Taizong knew full well that to become a great ruler, he had to overcome his weaknesses and control his desires. To do so, he had to obtain self-knowledge. This he gained through self-examination and through observing other people, who, in his words, served as a mirror in which he saw himself.
He understood his desires might fog his vision, confuse his mind, and cloud his judgment, causing him to make mistakes and suffer from the consequences. But if he could overcome his weaknesses and free himself of his desires, their effects on him would disappear.
As Aristotle said, knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom. A leader with self-knowledge is an enlightened person because self-knowledge leads to self-change; self-change leads to external changes; and these changes will enable you to be a successful leader.
Here is a personal anecdote about the power of self-awareness. I used to be impatient, though I didn’t recognize that quality in myself. One day I happened to sit next to a palm reader at a dinner party who said he could judge a person’s character traits by looking at their hand. I was skeptical, of course, but showed him my hand anyway. The first thing he said was that I was an impatient man. I was struck by his diagnosis. The next moment something inexplicable occurred: I experienced an epiphany—I knew then and there that I would no longer be impatient. The demon had suddenly left me and the spell was broken. To my surprise, I was soon being commended for my patience.
* * *
I Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) was a German poet, writer, scientist, and statesman, and is regarded as the greatest German literary figure of the modern era.
II Analects is one of the four authoritative books on Confucianism. The other three are Great Learning, Doctrine of the Mean, and Mencius. These four plus the five classics—Book of Changes, Book of Songs, Book of Documents, Book of Rites, and Spring and Autumn Annals—make
up the Confucian canon.
2
On Human Resources
An enlightened ruler employs the wise, giving full play to their wisdom, so that he himself will never be short of wisdom; he employs the talented, giving full play to their talents, so that he himself will never be short of talents.
—HAN FEIZII
Taizong was a man of destiny, one of great ability and dynamic personality, but he was also uncommonly introspective. He had the good sense to know his limitations. That led him to formulate a wise policy on human resources.
His success was a tribute to the collective wisdom of the emperor and his advisers rather than to his individual genius. It was the result of superior teamwork rather than the performance of a lone virtuoso.
TANG TAIZONG AND HIS ADVISERS’ WORDS
* * *
A SKILLED CARPENTER
Taizong summarized his experience in human resources management for the crown prince as follows.
“An enlightened ruler employs men as a skilled carpenter selects wood. If the wood is straight, he uses it as a shaft for a cart; if it is crooked, he uses it as a wheel. If it is long, he uses it as a roof beam; if it is short, he uses it as a rafter. Straight or crooked, long or short, each piece is useful.
“An enlightened ruler employs men in the same way. He uses the wise man’s brain, the stupid man’s brawn, the brave man’s courage, and the coward’s caution. Wise or stupid, brave or cowardly, each person can be employed according to his abilities. Just as a skilled carpenter has no rejected materials, so an enlightened ruler has no wasted human resources. He does not overlook a man’s good qualities because of some shortcomings; nor does he forget a man’s merits because of minor blemishes.