Leadership Lessons from Confucius: great tasks and minor matters

Confucius said: “A leader should undertake tasks of great importance rather than dealing with minor matters. A petty person should deal with minor matters rather than undertaking tasks of great importance.”
子曰：「君子不可小知，而可大受也。小人不可大受，而可小知也。」

What are your top three priorities? This is a very important question to ask yourself on a regular basis so that you can allocate your time and focus accordingly. With so many people and issues clamoring for your attention, it can be all too easy to get bogged down in minor matters if you lose sight of what your true priorities are.

At the same time, check with the key members of the team to found out what they think their top three priorities are. There’s a good chance that if you don’t ask them this question regularly, some of their answers may surprise you and you will need to take steps to ensure that everyone’s thinking is fully aligned. The only way that your team will be able to meet its goals is if everyone is pulling in the same direction.

Notes
This article features a translation of Chapter 34 of Book 15 of the Analects of Confucius. You can read my full translation of Book 15 here.

(1) This is another of Confucius’s comparisons between a leader and a petty person. While he doesn’t deny that a petty person may have certain talents, his point is that they can only be entrusted with less important tasks. It is the responsibility of the leader to undertake the more significant responsibilities of governing the state.

I took this image at the Mencius Cemetery in Qufu.