2. A Leader Acts on Principle and at the Sacrifice of Himself

World Scripture

Confucius said: Those rulers whose measures are dictated by mere expediency will arouse continual discontent.
Analects 4.12 (Confucianism)

Duke Ching of Ch’i asked Confucius about government. Confucius replied saying, “Let the prince be a prince, the minister a minister, the father a father, and the son a son.” The Duke said, “How true! For indeed, when the prince is not a prince, the minister not a minister, the father not a father, the son not a son, one may have a dish of millet in front of one and yet not know if one will live to eat it.”⁵
Analects 12.11 (Confucianism)

The closest to Allah and most loved by Him in the hereafter is the just governor, and the farthest from Allah and most hated by Him is the aggressive and unjust governor.
Tuhafit al-Ahuazi 1327 (Islam)

Your Majesty, what is the point of mentioning the word ‘profit’? All that matters is that there should be benevolence and rightness. If Your Majesty says, “How can I profit my state?” and the counselors say, “How can I profit my family?” and the officials and commoners say, “How can I profit my person?” then those above and those below will be trying to profit at the expense of one another and the state will be imperiled. When regicide is committed in a state of ten thousand chariots, it is certain to be by a vassal with a thousand chariots, and when it is committed in a state of a thousand chariots, it is certain to be by a vassal with a hundred chariots. A share of a thousand in ten thousand or a hundred in a thousand is by no means insignificant, yet if profit is put before rightness, there is no satisfaction short of total usurpation. No benevolent man ever abandons his parents, and no dutiful man ever puts his prince last. Perhaps you will now endorse what I have said: “All that matters is that there should be benevolence and rightness. What is the point of mentioning the word ‘profit’?”
Mencius I.A.1 (Confucianism)

The king Wu Ting appointed Yueh prime minister. He gave Yueh his instructions: Morning and evening, send in your reprimands, and so help me to patch up my personal virtue. Imagine that I am a steel weapon; I will use you for a whetstone. Imagine I have to cross a big river; I will use you for a boat and oars. Imagine I am a year of record drought; I will use you as a copious rain… You, yes you, teach me what should be my aims. You be the malt that works up the brew. Imagine we are making a good soup, you be the salt and prunes.⁶
Book of History 4.8.1-3 (Confucianism)

Anyone who is to be prime minister must prepare his one heart and two eyes. When the eyes are clear then one can know the honest and the dishonest. When the heart is impartial then one can advance the honest and retire the dishonest.
Chu Hsi (Confucianism)

The gentleman weighs his abilities before entering office, rather than the other way around.
Chu Hsi (Confucianism)

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon

Who is a man of character? He is a man who can stand in the central position in society. When there is a man of character in the village, he plays the central role in the material and spiritual lives of the village people. For this reason he is an object of respect. A nation likewise centers on a man of character; he is its representative. Society forms as the people make mutual relationships centering on him. Likewise, the world also requires a man of character as the center.
(29:125, February 26, 1970)

The taller a tree grows, the deeper its roots go down into the soil. If its root is exposed, the tree will either wither away or be uprooted by a strong wind. A leader is like that root.
(Way of God’s Will 1.3)

Looking back on your life, you should be able to say, “I took responsibility for the most difficult problem in my church. I took responsibility for the most difficult problem in my nation. More than that, I took responsibility for the most difficult problem in the world.”
(113:111, May 1, 1981)

Those who sacrifice positively become central figures. Among the children in a family, the one who sacrifices the most is respected as the filial child. A nation chooses patriots for its leaders because they sacrifice more than ordinary citizens. Among saints also, the one who sacrifices more than others becomes the saint of saints. This is a heavenly principle.
(113:326, May 10, 1981)

Make up for your leader’s shortcomings and help him grow. He who judges his leader stands in the position of Cain. But he who conceals his leader’s faults and tries to take responsibility for him will stand in Abel’s position someday.⁷
(Way of God’s Will 1.3)

The biggest obstacle [to good government] is politics. Politicians should not misuse the political process to enrich themselves. They should submit to a system of management. They need to follow the rule of law. Mismanagement of public funds wreaks injustice in society. The fundamental problem is politicians’ desire for inordinate wealth. No one in a position of power should seek to be wealthier than ordinary people. Instead, they should give the best things to others for the sake of the whole. If leaders are content to live with a below-average income, then equalization will be come automatically. Otherwise, the misuse of public money is the biggest threat to a prosperous future.
The second problem is personnel management—to change people’s positions unfairly and arbitrarily. Democracies and other regimes as well divide into and perpetuate factions—ruling and opposition parties, and their leaders grant position and status based upon party loyalty. This causes tremendous damage. Experienced and capable people who were settled into their jobs are crushed and removed—or at least blocked from rising higher so they can offer greater service. Left out of favor, they flounder about and cannot improve their status. Such misuse of politics will have to disappear. A new management system must be instituted that provides equal opportunity to all and rewards people fairly based on their merit. Once again, this requires that public money is distributed fairly and equitably.
(324:253-54, June 24, 2000)