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What are leaders meant to do? What makes for a good leader?

In Confucianism, the leader receives the Mandate of Heaven in order to rule. His task in ruling is to maintain harmony in the realm. And in particular it is to maintain the proper balance between heaven and earth, and between heaven and mankind. The fundamental idea in Confucian leadership is one of maintaining balance and stability and harmony.

This is related to the key Confucian concept of zhong 中 which is often translated as ‘middle’ or ‘centre’. But in key Confucian works such as The Doctrine of the Mean (中庸) zhong means much more than that merely ‘centre’ in a geometric sense. In order to preserve the mandate of heaven, the ideal ruler must attain the virtue of zhong in their own person. It is the ability to avoid extremes, to be calm and dignified and measured in the midst of turmoil. And this virtue allows them to occupy the central territory as the ruler.

You must remember that Confucius taught during a time of great upheaval in China, when the different kingdoms were constantly at war with each other. His great desire was to bring about peace and harmony back to a land – and Confucius taught that it was the virtue of the ruler that influenced others around him – bringing propriety and harmony to the land.

And you can imagine the picture: government ministers are rushing to and fro, flustered and alarmed at the latest rumours that a neighbouring state has incited an uprising in their own territory. They speak in raised, shrill voices. Their decisions are reactive and impulsive. But in their midst is one who is calm and measured. He does not run or shout – he sits calmly. He is not consumed by worry or anger – he is measured. Ah! here is someone worthy of the title of ruler! Because, you see, he behaves like a ruler does. He understands the way of heaven, and the way of man. He has the virtue of zhong 中 – and he exudes that to others around him.

What then does the leader ‘do’? You can see then that in Confucianism leadership isn’t really about ‘doing’. Instead it’s about maintaining harmony and stability when everything is unsettled. And that’s achieved by maintaining a calm, moderate, dignified outlook.

Notice that this is quite different understanding of what the leader does, compared to the Western approach. Western leadership is all about the leader taking people from one place to a better place. Fundamental to the Western approach to leadership is change! movement! direction!

What does this mean for churches influenced by Confucianism – such as Chinese churches?

It means that the ideal pastor is thought of as someone who does not upset the boat. But rather mediates a stable and harmonious community. When there are distressing times, the pastor is the one who is expected to be level headed and calm and unperturbed – and exudes that calm to others. When people are upset he is able to go to them and appease them. When people have set the church in turmoil he can bring peace once again.

And it means that the pastor who intentionally generates change. who makes people have to now do something different. who disrupts harmony by unnecessarily raising issues from the past, who causes people to feel ‘bad’ – this is thought of as a bad pastor, because he does not fit the model of ideal rulership. He does not exhibit the virtue of zhong 中 or promote harmony.

As a result, some pastors conform themselves to this role, because this is also their image of an ideal ruler. And so they look to maintain the harmony of their church community – never being extreme, but always being measured. Never at the edge, but always with the majority. Never generating conflict, always maintaining harmony.

And once again, you can imagine the scene: the deacons are worried and troubled, they don’t know what to do. But in the centre, the pastor sits: calm, untroubled. “Why do you worry?” he asks calmly. “It will work itself out in time.” And the deacons feel themselves pause and step down a notch, because of his calm. Ah! here truly is someone worthy of the title of pastor!

Which explains why in Chinese churches, some pastors are loved, while others are despised. Yes, those despised ones may be called ‘pastor’ – and in fact they may be great leaders in the Western sense! But they are not thought of as truly fitting that title of ‘pastor’ – because what is fitting is someone who exemplifies zhong 中.