Published Mar 12, 2019+ Follow
Two of the most interesting characters in The Three Kingdoms novel, in terms of their leadership style, were Sima Yi (or Zhong Da) and Zhuge Liang (or Kong Ming); both exceptional military strategists, who shared the strong belief that whoever manages to win the war, will eventually become ruler of the entire ancient China.
Sima Yi as a Leader
Although both military generals were simply brilliant, one was entirely different from the other in ambitions and character. Sima Yi, for example, would only serve the most powerful warlord, who, at that time, was Cao Cao. He methodically positioned himself as part of Cao Cao’s inner circle of advisors by starting as a tutor to Cao Cao’s two sons. Even after Cao Cao’s death, Sima Yi remained seemingly loyal to the Cao Cao family, serving his eldest son (Cao Pi) as a top advisor and helping him seize the last Han Emperor. However, his ulterior motive was that his clan would one day usurp the throne from the Cao’s. That cunning and somewhat ruthless model of leadership is pretty similar to that of Cao Cao when compared to Liu Bei at a future post.
“There are five possible operations for any army. If you can fight, fight. If you cannot fight, defend. If you cannot defend, surrender. If you cannot surrender, flee. If you cannot flee, die.”
( Sima Yi)
Sima Yi was also portrayed as a:
· Person that laid low all the time so that he was never seen as a threat.
· Two-face individual that appeared to be magnanimous on the outside while he meticulously hid his ambitions. No wonder he was never considered a trusted advisor of the Cao clan.
· Cunning subject who secretly made plans to gather all power in his hands and open the way for his descendants to claim the throne (which is what eventually happened by grandson Sima Yan, aka Emperor Wu).
· Calculative figure that pretended to be dedicated and loyal.
· Patient enough to orchestrate the perfect plan to achieve his goals (his grandson ultimately established the Jin Dynasty).
· Adept in politics.
One could say that many Sima Yi’s are still present nowadays – all it takes is a walk into a parliament (any)! After almost two thousand years, many politicians (and many business people too) bear several of Sima Yi’s traits. Given how things turned out for Sima Yi, though, one can’t help wondering whether the means indeed justify the cause (he did accomplish his goal, although he did not live to see it fulfilled).
Zhuge Liang Leadership Style
Zhuge Liang was the exact opposite of Sima Yi. To me, he had the best qualities of both Zhang Fei and Guan Yu. He was focused on eliminating tyrants and bring the Han Dynasty back to its old glory. For that reason, he would only be devoted to a master fighting for a noble cause, which is why he stood by the side of imperial uncle to Emperor of Han Dynasty, Liu Bei, who he served with admirable loyalty.
Zhuge Liang was featured as a/an:
· Loyal general – He served Shu Han until the very last day of his life.
· Capable administrator – He managed to gather enough food and war resources for his five expeditions to northern Wei.
· Trusted advisor to Liu Bei – Liu Bei trusted Zhuge Liang’s military strategy advise, considering that he even allowed him to manage and deploy his group comprised of famous generals, including Zhang Fei, Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, Ma Zhao, Huang Zhong and Wei Yen. Also, Liu Bei gave Liang full authority in the control of the Shu Han army.
· Excellent military strategist - He would watch the enemy carefully and gather information before getting into a fight/battle with them.
· Righteous man - Riverland territory drought-suffering farmers were imposed no taxes for 2 years when Liu Bei conquered their land, following Zhuge Liang’s advise.
· Man of action – He believed a leader must walk with their team/know their people rather than sitting in a corporate office all the time.
Zhuge Liang’s benevolence and high morality were partly the reason those around him, both military and non-military, were ready to support his military excursions any possible way (i.e., via providing provisions).
“An enlightened ruler does not worry about people not knowing him; he worries about not knowing people.”
(Zhuge Liang)
The army general also stood by the importance of selecting intelligent officers, brave subordinates, and thoughtful advisors, to serve under the commands of a moral leader. How true this is today! If it weren’t for late Lee Kwan Yew’s (Formal Prime Minister of Singapore) decision to fill his cabinet with good and wise politicians while appointing the most intelligent individuals to manage his civil service, Singapore would most likely have not experienced the growth it did in the past 50 years or so. Also, a clueless leader and a demoralized team was, to him, a killer combination that could equal to an easy defeat in the battlefield.
However, I believe that Zhuge Liang was not as good as a battlefield tactician as he was as a statesman (and at governing and managing people), considering that he made 5 northern attempts to attack the State of Wei without winning any because he made careless tactical mistakes and had problems with logistics. And, many historians claimed that it was also Zhuge Liang’s failure to groom a good successor that brought the downfall of the Shu Han Dynasty.