Balance of Power
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Duke Huan, the ruler of Qi, intended to bestow the title of Lord Uncle on Guan Zhong who was his prime minister. He sought opinion from his advisors.
“Those who are opposed to my idea, please stand on the right,” he said, “and those who are in favor, please stand on the left.”
Dongguo Ya stood in the middle of the doorway.
“What do you mean?” asked the duke.
“In Your Highness’s opinion, is Guan Zhong capable of running the country?”
“Yes, he is.”
“Is he decisive enough to carry out a great plan?”
“Sure, he is.”
“Do you feel safe when he combines his ability with the sweeping power that comes with the new title?”
Duke Huan took the point. He split Guan Zhong’s power among the ministers and nobody had an overriding authority.
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Delegating
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Firing and Hiring
Wise Proverbs
- Hear all parties.
- 兼听则明。
- Think thrice before you act.
- 三思而后行。
- Caution is the parent of safety.
- 小心驶得万年船。
Editor Says:
While checks and balances are necessary in an organization to prevent the abuse of power, an organization fraught with checks and balances may be self-defeating when swift action is called for such as in a time of crisis. Too many checks and balances can be as bad as too few.