{"id":105124,"date":"2023-06-05T21:11:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-06T01:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=105124"},"modified":"2023-06-14T09:26:43","modified_gmt":"2023-06-14T13:26:43","slug":"confucius-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/","title":{"rendered":"Confucius: Leadership Is Getting the Most Out of Time &#038; People"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>What&#8217;s the benefit of publicly admitting your mistakes? What&#8217;s the difference between working fast and working efficiently?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Confucius, leadership is the ultimate destination for knowledgeable and virtuous people. In <em>The Analects<\/em>, he explains how to gain knowledge and morality. Then, he offers practical advice on leadership itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read more to learn Confucius&#8217;s leadership advice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-confucius-on-leadership\">Confucius on Leadership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Confucius says that the main goal of his lessons is to turn you into an effective leader. According to Confucius, leadership requires you to be learned and moral. You also must realize your own potential and help others realize theirs. Confucius\u2019s lessons about how to do this boil down to <strong>using your resources wisely. <\/strong><em>Time <\/em>and <em>people <\/em>are two of a leader\u2019s most important (and most limited) resources<em>. <\/em>Getting the most out of those two resources is the hallmark of an effective leader.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-get-the-most-from-your-time\">Get the Most From Your Time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Confucius offers advice on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-use-your-time-wisely\/\">how to use time wisely<\/a> in both the short and long term to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-maximize-productivity\/\">maximize productivity<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>In the short term, focus on your own duties each day;<\/strong> don\u2019t interfere with others\u2019 tasks except to correct their mistakes. Also, help other people spend their time wisely by being realistic about what they can accomplish in a day. If you assign them new duties, make sure you\u2019re taking away other duties instead of just piling on more tasks and assuming they\u2019ll all get done.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: A common mistake leaders and managers make is assuming that people\u2014including themselves\u2014will be busy and productive the entire time they\u2019re working. As a result, they plan more work than can reasonably be accomplished, and people either fall behind or get stressed and exhausted as they struggle to keep up with their workloads. One rule of thumb is to assign people and yourself around <a href=\"https:\/\/www.runn.io\/blog\/business-capacity#:~:text=Don%27t%20book%20people%20for%20more%20than%2080%25%20of%20their%20time\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">80% of the workload<\/a> you and they can theoretically handle, which leaves a comfortable buffer for mistakes, setbacks, and breaks.)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the long term, set big goals, then work toward them slowly and steadily. <strong>If you don\u2019t plan for the future, you\u2019ll constantly scramble to deal with crises in the present, <\/strong>which is stressful and inefficient.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, note that using time effectively doesn\u2019t mean trying to get things done as quickly as possible\u2014rather, Confucius advises you to <strong>take whatever time you need to do things correctly. <\/strong>Pay close <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/focus-on-the-details\/\">attention to detail<\/a>, and follow all applicable rules and procedures; don\u2019t cut corners, and don\u2019t allow your workers to do so either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: Leaders and workers alike tend to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fastcompany.com\/90264166\/this-is-why-your-employees-cut-corners-and-what-to-do-about-it\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">start cutting corners<\/a> when they feel stressed or rushed, or when they don\u2019t understand why certain procedures and rules are in place. Therefore, to make sure that people (including yourself) are doing their jobs correctly, you\u2019ll have to effectively manage their time and their workloads so they don\u2019t become overworked. Also, if someone is frequently ignoring procedures, talk with that person to make sure they understand why those procedures exist and what could happen if they\u2019re not followed.)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Use Your Time Wisely By Prioritizing Your Tasks and Goals<\/strong><br><br>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/first-things-first\/1-page-summary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>First Things First<\/em><\/a>, Stephen Covey gives further advice for planning ahead and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/peter-drucker-time-management\/\">managing your time<\/a>. First, he suggests writing down everything you know you need to do\u2014whether short-term or long-term\u2014and dividing those tasks into categories based on their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/first-things-first\/1-page-summary#the-significance-vs-pressure-graph\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">importance and their urgency<\/a>. Things that are both <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-and-urgency\/\">important and urgent<\/a>, like a doctor&#8217;s appointment or a time-sensitive report, are things that you should do right away. For things that are important but <em>not <\/em>urgent, like big goals, schedule time to do them.<br><br>By following this prioritization method, you\u2019ll handle most of your important tasks before they become urgent, meaning that you won\u2019t be constantly racing to handle emergencies. Also, if an emergency does arise, you\u2019ll have the time to deal with it. As a result, you\u2019ll have more time to work slowly and steadily on tasks that are<em> important<\/em> but not <em>urgent<\/em>, such as your big goals.&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-get-the-most-from-your-people\">Get the Most From Your People<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The essence of leadership is getting the best work possible out of your people. Confucius gives several pieces of advice on how to do so.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tip-1-foster-trust\">Tip 1: Foster Trust<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>First and foremost, your people must trust you as a leader; otherwise, you won\u2019t be able to accomplish anything. Confucius believes that trust is essential because not everyone will understand the reasons behind your orders. Therefore,<strong> you need to know that your people will do what you ask out of trust, even if they don\u2019t understand why it needs to be done.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Give Workers a \u201cWhy\u201d to Increase Compliance<\/strong><br><br>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/humanocracy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Humanocracy<\/em><\/a>, the authors echo Confucius\u2019s emphasis on compliance: They say that compliance is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/humanocracy#the-pyramid-of-business-needs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the foundation of any organization<\/a>. It\u2019s the first thing you need to establish when building an organization because it\u2019s impossible to run one if your workers don\u2019t listen to you.<br><br>However, some experts say workers are most compliant when they <em>do<\/em> understand the \u201cwhy\u201d behind their orders. For instance, in <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/start-with-why\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Start With Why<\/em><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/simon-sinek-biography\/\">Simon Sinek<\/a> says that it\u2019s <em>very <\/em>important for workers to <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/start-with-why#inspiring-your-team\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">understand the reasons<\/a> behind what they\u2019re doing. They at least need to know the organization\u2019s overall mission and how they\u2019re supporting it, if not the specific reasons behind every order you give. People who are passionate about a company\u2019s mission will work harder, innovate more, and be more resilient in the face of setbacks and frustrations. This is because they\u2019re working for a <em>cause<\/em>, and not just for a paycheck.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tip-2-set-an-example\">Tip 2: Set an Example<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Second, trust will enable you to coach your workers effectively and correct their mistakes\u2014if they don\u2019t trust you, they won\u2019t take your coaching to heart. Confucius suggests <strong>setting an example by publicly admitting and correcting your own mistakes.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Doing so will encourage your people to correct their mistakes without waiting for your orders. It\u2019ll also stop people from resenting you when you do have to correct them because they know that you treat yourself the same way; they know that you\u2019re not just picking on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: Some business experts would say that Confucius\u2019s conception of leadership here includes elements of both management <em>and<\/em> leadership. According to these experts, <a href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2013\/08\/tests-of-a-leadership-transiti#:~:text=Leading%20People%20Versus%20Managing%20Work\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">management is about control<\/a>: It\u2019s the process of guiding people toward specific goals, which includes correcting their mistakes (as Confucius recommends). On the other hand, Confucius\u2019s recommendation that you set an example by publicly admitting your mistakes is what these business experts would call leadership. They say that leadership is about inspiration and empowerment: You encourage people to <em>want<\/em> to do their best work rather than just doing as they\u2019ve been told. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-lead-by-example\/\">Leading by example<\/a> is <a href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2016\/10\/like-it-or-not-you-are-always-leading-by-example\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a crucial part of leadership.<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tip-3-reward-your-workers\">Tip 3: Reward Your Workers<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>People also like to know that they\u2019ll be recognized for their work.<strong> <\/strong>Therefore,<strong> reward your best workers with recognition, promotions, and bonuses <\/strong>to encourage them to continue doing good work for you.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Confucius notes an additional benefit of this tactic: People who <em>don\u2019t <\/em>get rewarded will either leave or strive to do better work in hopes of getting their own reward. Either outcome works to your benefit.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: Rewarding your best people doesn\u2019t just encourage others to follow their example. It\u2019s also a sign that you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/us\/blog\/intimacy-path-toward-spirituality\/201604\/why-we-being-appreciated\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">notice and appreciate<\/a> the work those people are putting in. When people feel appreciated at work, they\u2019re <a href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2020\/01\/the-little-things-that-make-employees-feel-appreciated#:~:text=when%20people%20experience%20gratitude%20from%20their%20manager%2C%20they%E2%80%99re%20more%20productive.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more productive<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/victorlipman\/2017\/04\/15\/66-of-employees-would-quit-if-they-feel-unappreciated\/?sh=2c04d5f68979\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">less likely to quit<\/a>. In other words, rewarding your best workers will make them even <em>better <\/em>workers and help you hold onto them for longer.)&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tip-4-be-honest-with-your-superiors\">Tip 4: Be Honest With Your Superiors<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, Confucius notes, even leaders usually have people above them in the hierarchy, and it\u2019s important that they trust you as well. So, <strong>when dealing with your superiors, speak honestly and frankly<\/strong>\u2014prove to them that you\u2019re trustworthy, and get them used to hearing you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-speak-your-mind-without-fear\/\">speak your mind<\/a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;(Shortform note: Speaking honestly and frankly with your superiors includes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.careeraddict.com\/talk-to-boss#:~:text=next%20promotion.-,8.%20Be%20loyal,-Try%20not%20to\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">owning up to your mistakes<\/a>. You might be tempted to hide your mistakes to protect your reputation, but admitting them and (if necessary) explaining how you intend to fix them can earn you a great deal more respect from higher-ups. Most importantly, you\u2019ll develop the reputation for honesty that Confucius recommends cultivating.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What&#8217;s the benefit of publicly admitting your mistakes? What&#8217;s the difference between working fast and working efficiently? According to Confucius, leadership is the ultimate destination for knowledgeable and virtuous people. In The Analects, he explains how to gain knowledge and morality. Then, he offers practical advice on leadership itself. Read more to learn Confucius&#8217;s leadership advice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":47734,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,43],"tags":[1060],"class_list":["post-105124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-management","category-self-improvement","tag-the-analects","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Confucius: Leadership Is Getting the Most Out of Time &amp; People - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Confucius\u2019s lessons about leadership boil down to using your resources wisely. Learn how to get the most from your time and your people.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Confucius: Leadership Is Getting the Most Out of Time &amp; People\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Confucius\u2019s lessons about leadership boil down to using your resources wisely. Learn how to get the most from your time and your people.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shortform Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-06-06T01:11:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-06-14T13:26:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/leadership-team-ceo-executives.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Elizabeth Whitworth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Elizabeth Whitworth\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Elizabeth Whitworth\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13\"},\"headline\":\"Confucius: Leadership Is Getting the Most Out of Time &#038; People\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-06-06T01:11:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-06-14T13:26:43+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/\"},\"wordCount\":1431,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/leadership-team-ceo-executives.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"The Analects\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Management\",\"Self-Improvement\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/\",\"name\":\"Confucius: Leadership Is Getting the Most Out of Time & People - Shortform Books\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/leadership-team-ceo-executives.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-06-06T01:11:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-06-14T13:26:43+00:00\",\"description\":\"Confucius\u2019s lessons about leadership boil down to using your resources wisely. Learn how to get the most from your time and your people.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/leadership-team-ceo-executives.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/leadership-team-ceo-executives.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1080,\"caption\":\"Three people business leaders with political clout standing side by side\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Confucius: Leadership Is Getting the Most Out of Time &#038; People\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"description\":\"The World&#039;s Best Book Summaries\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"width\":500,\"height\":74,\"caption\":\"Shortform Books\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13\",\"name\":\"Elizabeth Whitworth\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Elizabeth Whitworth\"},\"description\":\"Elizabeth has a lifelong love of books. She devours nonfiction, especially in the areas of history, theology, and philosophy. A switch to audiobooks has kindled her enjoyment of well-narrated fiction, particularly Victorian and early 20th-century works. She appreciates idea-driven books\u2014and a classic murder mystery now and then. Elizabeth has a Substack and is writing a book about what the Bible says about death and hell.\",\"sameAs\":[\"rina@shortform.com\"],\"award\":[\"Contributions to joint task force efforts (FBI)\",\"Contributions to Special Operations Division (DOJ & DEA)\",\"Efforts to fight the war on drugs (NSA)\",\"Contributions to Operation Storm Front (US Customs Service)\"],\"knowsAbout\":[\"History\",\"Theology\",\"Government\"],\"jobTitle\":\"Senior SEO Writer\",\"worksFor\":\"Shortform\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/elizabeth\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Confucius: Leadership Is Getting the Most Out of Time & People - Shortform Books","description":"Confucius\u2019s lessons about leadership boil down to using your resources wisely. Learn how to get the most from your time and your people.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Confucius: Leadership Is Getting the Most Out of Time & People","og_description":"Confucius\u2019s lessons about leadership boil down to using your resources wisely. Learn how to get the most from your time and your people.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/","og_site_name":"Shortform Books","article_published_time":"2023-06-06T01:11:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-06-14T13:26:43+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/leadership-team-ceo-executives.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Elizabeth Whitworth","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Elizabeth Whitworth","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/"},"author":{"name":"Elizabeth Whitworth","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13"},"headline":"Confucius: Leadership Is Getting the Most Out of Time &#038; People","datePublished":"2023-06-06T01:11:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-06-14T13:26:43+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/"},"wordCount":1431,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/leadership-team-ceo-executives.jpg","keywords":["The Analects"],"articleSection":["Management","Self-Improvement"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/","name":"Confucius: Leadership Is Getting the Most Out of Time & People - Shortform Books","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/leadership-team-ceo-executives.jpg","datePublished":"2023-06-06T01:11:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-06-14T13:26:43+00:00","description":"Confucius\u2019s lessons about leadership boil down to using your resources wisely. Learn how to get the most from your time and your people.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/leadership-team-ceo-executives.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/leadership-team-ceo-executives.jpg","width":1920,"height":1080,"caption":"Three people business leaders with political clout standing side by side"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confucius-leadership\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Confucius: Leadership Is Getting the Most Out of Time &#038; People"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","name":"Shortform Books","description":"The World&#039;s Best Book Summaries","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Shortform Books","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","width":500,"height":74,"caption":"Shortform Books"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13","name":"Elizabeth Whitworth","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Elizabeth Whitworth"},"description":"Elizabeth has a lifelong love of books. She devours nonfiction, especially in the areas of history, theology, and philosophy. A switch to audiobooks has kindled her enjoyment of well-narrated fiction, particularly Victorian and early 20th-century works. She appreciates idea-driven books\u2014and a classic murder mystery now and then. Elizabeth has a Substack and is writing a book about what the Bible says about death and hell.","sameAs":["rina@shortform.com"],"award":["Contributions to joint task force efforts (FBI)","Contributions to Special Operations Division (DOJ & DEA)","Efforts to fight the war on drugs (NSA)","Contributions to Operation Storm Front (US Customs Service)"],"knowsAbout":["History","Theology","Government"],"jobTitle":"Senior SEO Writer","worksFor":"Shortform","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/elizabeth\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/leadership-team-ceo-executives.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105124"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105124\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":105162,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105124\/revisions\/105162"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=105124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=105124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}