# Guai (Breakthrough) Hexagram 9th Five: Why Top Leaders Struggle to Be Tough on Their Own People

1. What Does the Line Text Say?

The Nine in the Fifth Place of the Hexagram *Guai (Breakthrough)* states: "苋陆夬夬，中行无咎 (Xian lu guai guai, zhong xing wu jiu)." [Translation: "Like snapping purslane, act decisively; walk the central path, and there will be no blame."]

"Xian lu" refers to purslane, a wild vegetable with very brittle stems that snap the moment you bend them. "Guai guai" describes a manner of being decisive and straightforward.

The full line means: Cut things off cleanly and swiftly, just like snapping a purslane stem. Walk the path of centrality and correctness, and there will be no problems.

The Nine in the Fifth Place is the position of the ruler, the top leader. At this level, the greatest test of your decision-making ability is not dealing with enemies or handling difficult matters—it is whether you can take firm action against your own people, trusted aides close to you, and long-time subordinates who have followed you for years.

Outsiders are easy to handle; since you are not close to them, you just follow the rules. The hard part is dealing with your own people—brothers who have stood by you for years, subordinates you personally promoted, and comrades-in-arms who fought alongside you to build everything from scratch.

What do you do when they mess up?

2. Why Is It Hardest to Deal with Your Own People?

Because of emotional ties.

You have endured hardships together, weathered crises side by side, and shared drinks over countless nights. You cling to old affections, care about saving face, and cannot bear to be harsh.

But emotions are emotions, and rules are rules. If you let your own people get away with mistakes, the rules are broken; when the rules break, people’s trust dissolves; when trust dissolves, you can no longer lead the team.

Many teams collapse not because their competitors are too strong, but because they rot from within. And the root of internal decay is often that the top leader cannot bring themselves to act against their own inner circle.

When trusted aides get special treatment, everyone else feels disheartened; when long-time subordinates break rules and face no consequences, others follow their example; if people who are close to you get away with mistakes, the system becomes a laughingstock.

In the end, capable people leave, and only those who exploit loopholes stay. That is how a team falls apart.

That is why the Hexagram *Guai* says "苋陆夬夬"—you must be as clean, swift, and unhesitant as snapping a purslane stem.

Cut ties when you must, and take action when you should. The more you hesitate, the greater the harm.

3. What Makes a Decision "中行无咎 (Walking the Central Path, No Blame)"?

But "guai guai" does not mean making reckless decisions. There are three more words that follow: "中行无咎". Only when you walk the path of centrality and correctness will there be no problems.

What does "zhong xing (walking the central path)" mean? It means fairness, impartiality, and transparency.

You do not target someone just because you dislike them, nor do you punish someone just because they oppose you. You take action only because they have made a mistake, broken the rules, or harmed the interests of the group—so action is necessary.

When dealing with your own people, the biggest taboo is personal bias. If you act out of personal grudges, others will not accept it; if you cover for them out of personal affection, others will not accept it either.

There is only one standard: the rules. Whoever breaks the rules faces punishment. No matter who they are, everyone is treated the same.

When you discipline your own people this way, others will not call you cold-hearted—they will say you are fair. The team will not fall apart; instead, they will respect you even more.

True "walking the central path" is not muddling through and pleasing everyone—it is holding everyone to the same standard.

4. Three Reminders for Managers

1. Do Not Let "Your Own People" Become a Privileged Class

Many top leaders, when building their teams, like to divide people into "their own circle" and "outsiders". People in their own circle get away with mistakes, while outsiders face severe punishment for the same errors.

In the short term, you may feel that your own people are easy to work with, loyal, and trustworthy. But in the long run, this is digging a pit for yourself.

When your inner circle gains privilege, they become arrogant; when they are arrogant, they cause trouble; when they cause trouble, you have to clean up their mess. By the end of it all, you will fall into the pit yourself.

A good manager does not have "their own people"—they only have people who follow the rules. Those who follow the rules are part of the team; those who do not, no matter who they are, have no place.

2. Deal with Your Own People Swiftly, Accurately, and Openly

When your own people make a mistake, the worst thing you can do is delay. Every day you wait, rumors spread; every week you drag it out, morale drops further; if you wait too long, a small problem becomes a big one, and a big problem explodes.

Be swift—act immediately once you find out, do not wait, do not cover it up, and do not try to sweep it under the rug.

Be accurate—get the facts straight, assign responsibility exactly as it should be, neither too harsh nor too lenient.

Be open—let everyone know the result of the handling, do not do it in secret. If you handle it quietly, people will only speculate more.

Disciplining one person from your inner circle does more to establish the rules than punishing ten outsiders.

3. The Hardest Thing to Cut Off Is Your Own Personal Sentiment

The hardest part of "guai guai (being decisive)" is not cutting ties with others—it is letting go of your own personal feelings.

You have years of friendship with that person; every time you try to take action, you remember all the things you went through together. Your heart softens, you hesitate, you cannot bring yourself to do it.

But you have to think clearly: do you want to protect your personal bond with one person, or do you want to uphold the rules for everyone?

The position of top leader is not for you to indulge personal feelings—it is for you to uphold fairness. If you prioritize personal sentiment, you are letting down all the people who follow the rules and work hard.

**Being tough on your own people is not cold-heartedness—it is being responsible for the majority.**

5. Final Thoughts

The Nine in the Fifth Place of the Hexagram *Guai* speaks to the responsibility of a top leader.

Decisiveness is not just for dealing with outsiders—it is even more important for dealing with your own people. Those who cannot take firm action against their inner circle cannot hold onto the highest position for long.

苋陆夬夬，中行无咎. Be clean and swift, and hold fast to centrality and correctness.

Cut ties when you must. Do not hesitate. The longer you hesitate, the higher the price.