What’s the Top Skill for Leaders? Hexagram Guan Line 95: "Guan Wo Sheng" — Know Yourself to Lead Others Well

What’s the most common mistake people in leadership positions make?

It’s not a lack of ability, nor a lack of experience. It’s losing sight of yourself once you rise to a high position.

Everyone below you flatters you and boosts your ego every day, saying only what you want to hear. Over time, you start to genuinely believe you’re capable of anything.

No matter what you say, people chime in in agreement; no matter what you do, people say you’re right. Gradually, you lose the ability to judge yourself accurately.

That’s the most dangerous thing of all.

This is exactly what the Nine in the Fifth Place of the Contemplation Hexagram speaks to. The Line Text says: “观我生，君子无咎” (Guan Wo Sheng, Junzi Wu Jiu / Contemplating one’s own conduct, the superior person incurs no blame).

The Nine in the Fifth Place is the ruler’s position, the position of a leader. “Guan Wo Sheng” means observing one’s own actions and conduct. “Junzi Wu Jiu” means only by doing this can one avoid major mistakes.

The Higher Your Position, the Harder It Is to See Yourself Clearly

Why is it harder for people in leadership roles to see themselves clearly?

The reason is simple: information gets filtered.

As the boss, the people below you won’t tell you everything. They rush to report good news and hide bad news. What you see is only what others want you to see.

Over time, you end up living in an information cocoon. You think everything is going well, when in reality there are piles of problems.

There’s another reason too: power makes people arrogant.

To put it bluntly, once people have power, they easily get carried away. They start thinking they’re always right, that they can do anything, and that everyone else is wrong.

This is normal—it’s human nature. But as a leader, you have to be aware of this issue, or you’ll stumble sooner or later.

There are countless examples of this in history. Wise and capable emperors often became muddle-headed in their later years. It’s not that their intelligence declined; it’s that their position was so high no one dared to tell them the truth.

Good Leaders All Have These Three Habits

Truly capable leaders aren’t people who never make mistakes. They’re people who have ways to see themselves clearly and correct their mistakes in time.

How do they do it? By developing these three habits.

First habit: actively seek out differing opinions.

Don’t wait for others to come tell you you’re wrong—go ask them proactively.

In meetings, don’t state your own ideas first. If you speak first, the people below won’t dare to speak up. Let everyone else speak first, and listen to different voices.

Pay extra attention to opposing views. Don’t get upset the second someone disagrees with you. If someone pushes back, it might mean there’s actually a flaw in your thinking.

A leader who can take opposing opinions in stride is a truly capable one.

Second habit: regularly conduct self-reviews.

Not reviewing others—reviewing yourself.

When something doesn’t go well, don’t just think “whose fault is this?” First ask yourself, “what did I do wrong?” Was it a bad decision, or did I pick the wrong person for the job? Was the direction wrong, or was the pace off?

Many leaders blame their subordinates whenever something goes wrong. But have you ever thought: you chose the people, you approved the plans—when problems arise, the biggest responsibility is yours.

Only by reflecting on yourself regularly can you grow. And only then can your team grow.

Third habit: stay in touch with the front line.

Don’t sit in your office all day listening to reports. Go out to the front line more often, talk to frontline employees, and engage with customers directly.

Information from the front line is the most authentic. Whether customers actually use your product, whether employees are happy at work, whether processes run smoothly—you can’t see any of these things from your office.

By spending more time on the front line, you can keep your finger on the pulse of what’s really going on, and avoid being fooled by the people below you.

Contemplate Your Conduct, Then Cultivate Yourself

Contemplating your own conduct is not the goal—it’s a means to an end.

Once you see your own problems, what comes next? You have to fix them.

A lot of people do reflect, and they know they have issues—but they just don’t change. There’s a world of difference between knowing something and doing it.

Why don’t they change? Because changing yourself is incredibly hard.

Fixing your own flaws is like cutting your own flesh with a knife. It hurts.

But if you don’t change, the problems will always be there. Small problems turn into big ones, and big problems turn into disasters.

That’s why truly capable people aren’t people with no problems—they’re people who dare to face their problems and are willing to fix them.

Contemplate your conduct, then cultivate yourself. That is the practice of a leader.

Final Thoughts

This line from the Nine in the Fifth Place of the Contemplation Hexagram is for everyone in a leadership role, and for everyone who wants to move up in their career:

“观我生，君子无咎” (Guan Wo Sheng, Junzi Wu Jiu / Contemplating one’s own conduct, the superior person incurs no blame).

How far you can go doesn’t depend on how smart or capable you are—it depends on whether you can see yourself clearly.

Don’t let your position go to your head. Don’t let applause blur your vision.

Stay clear-headed at all times, and keep examining yourself.

Only then can you walk steadily, and go far.