Confucius' Top Three Tenets of Success

Shaun Rein of Forbes.com turns to time-tested lessons from the Chinese philosopher, Confucius, in providing business leaders of today some practical wisdom towards success.  The author shares three Confucius teachings:¹

Above all be virtuous
One of Confucius' most important principles is the supremacy of virtue. He argues that acting ethically in all transactions is is paramount, more important than striving to make money. He would be shocked at the way unfettered greed has poisoned Wall Street. But he would not turn against commerce. Like most Americans, Confucius would be pro-business. He would simply insist that it be done ethically.

Rule wisely and fairly
Confucius laments throughout the Analects that too often leaders forget to take care of those under them. They spend too much time trying to grab glory and riches for themselves without thinking about others. In a time of crisis they behave even worse, fighting to preserve their positions at all costs. That is exactly the opposite of what they should do, for themselves and for their organizations.

Think--then act, decisively
Think hard before doing something, but then take decisive steps. Wait too long and your advantage in the market disappears. Too often executives act without thinking through their actions, or they don't act at all and instead rely on the status quo to see them through. Confucius insists that thinking twice before action is smart. Look before you leap, but don't look for so long that you succumb to indecision.

In today's business climate where change and innovation are often declared buzz words for survival, it is comforting to know that Confucius' 2,500-year old teachings, sometimes reviled as ancient and backward, still translate into relevant and practical wisdom.  The resiliency of his very teachings speaks for itself.

¹Shaun Rein, "Confucius' Three Keys To Successful Leadership", Forbes.com