Thursday 12 January 2012

Blog: A 300BC challenge for world & business leaders from MengZi (孟子/Mencius) to devise the best strategy


Sovereign challenges are very much in the news in the pas years...

Some might argue that World leaders have sadly now mostly lost their ways, due to the the complexity of running a country and 'trying' to do their best = which usually means 'to stay in power', rather than doing what is really been 'asked' of them, which is to effectively run a country or even the world (effectively, like WTO/IMF/WorldBank) etc.. ... or just 'keep it afloat' (300 years old firms) or 'make it better' for the foreseeable future, or god forbid but "make it a success now and in the future" !!!

Below is what MengZi (孟子/Mencius, Chinese philosopher 372 – 289 BCE) who advised one of the King to devise the best government

居者有其屋_百度百科: This phrase ( Those who lives have Homes) is now in the everyday Chinese language that describe social housing.

His sage advice was:

"“居者有其屋! 病者有其医! 勤者有其业! 劳者有其得! 少者有其学! 童年有其乐! 读者有其校! 弱者有其助! 老者有其养! 车者有其位! 工者有其薪! 农者有其地! 商者有其利! 优者有其荣! 能者得其用! 阅者有其悟! 学者有其为”"

Based on Translate.google.com (& mostly changed by me, it does not translate well with poems, not that I am a poet!):

"Those who lives have Homes! Patients have their remedy/health! Those who work hard have their businesses! Workers get what they deserve! Youngsters have their schools! Children have their fun! Intellectuals have their Colleges! Weak have their help! Elderly have their support ! cars who have their parking place! Workers who work have their salary! Farmers can have their land! Businessmen have their profits! Those who excels deserves their fame! The able can be used! Those who read can understand! Those who studies have their use! "

Sadly, what happens with the present business and even government leaders is that they mostly create "businesses for sale" (i.e. short term, and don't care what happen to the companies after sale) and "government for survival" ( do what minimum what various stake holders /owed favours tell them to do.. without being toppled politically)... thus we have likes of government off balance sheet investing etc. look at the PPP investments (built public services using private money who wants profit, but its ok as they can pass the law whilst in power, see the BBC piece here. and watch it on BBC iPlayer)

various industry regulators are the same, but it merits another dedicated blog post which I will probably never write..

Without elaborating the obvious... surely, we should turn it around, as set them the MenZi challenge above, and if they can solve it, let them run the business, or government.. BUT if anything goes wrong, the director, or the Prime minister WILL take personal responsibilities... just like the Major/Colonel of the army, take the soldiers into battle and if they take personal consequences if they make the wrong decisions....

Common Sense!?? Surely...

@GarethWong

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