Mourning the Dead

In ancient times, generals skilled at commanding troops treated their subordinates as they would their own children. When danger arose, they took the lead personally; when merits were discussed, they stepped back and yielded the credit to their subordinates. For the wounded, they wept and comforted them; for the dead, they grieved and buried them. For the hungry, they gave up their own food for them to eat; for the cold, they took off their own clothes for them to wear. For those with intelligence, they treated them with courtesy and gave them salaries; for the brave, they gave rewards and encouragement. If a general can do these things, then wherever he goes, he will surely win. Modern Application:The previous chapter, “Delegated Authority,” dealt with how formal power should be fully granted; this chapter turns to a completely different kind of force: followership built not on position and reward-and-punishment authority, but on the leader’s own behavioral example and emotional investment. Zhuge Liang takes “nurturing people as one’s own children” as the governing......