Erica Martinez
Global Civilization
Qualities of an Effective Leader
11-8-08
Confucianism and Daoism appear to be very different but at the same time also have many similarities. The stories have many qualities that an effective leader in China would possess in the two Chinese writings. Daoism and Confucianism are probably the strongest literatures ever created in Chinese history. There are three qualities that make a strong effective leader. These four qualities are, love, life and death, and rulers.
A major quality of an effective leader is love. In the writings of Tao love is explained as the people should embrace the world and accept it the way that it was created. The world may rise or fall but is still nurtured and loved in the writings of Taoism. Taoism explains that nothing in this world could or should be perfect. Nothing is perfect which is why the people cherish what they have, which brings to the table how the people could learn from any past judgments or mistakes they may have encountered. The leader in some sense reminds me of a hero; he is supposed to help society with nothing given back nor in return to him. “Making without controlling, giving without demanding, guiding without interfering, helping without profiting, this is love,” (Tao 51). As love is explained in Taoism, it differs slightly in Confucianism. In Confucianism love is considered a highly sought after quality for the simple reason that it is considered to be the core quality of a great leader. In Confucianism it doesn’t speak much on the topic of love except on one paragraph as the quote below explains. “The Master said, it is to love all men,” (XII.22).
The second quality to a good leader understands life and death. What I interpreted from Taoism in the description of life and death is that death is a certainty. It will come for a man regardless of age. In this actual text, it describes that a man will have thirty years of growth, which makes me believe they...