Why Do Some People Respect You While Others Don’t? — The Army Hexagram: Leading Teams Relies on Qualifications, Not Just Skills

Have you ever met people like this?

They hold a fairly high position with an impressive title, and everyone nods along in meetings. But when it comes to real work, no one actually follows their lead wholeheartedly.

You’ve probably also met the opposite type: someone with no formal official title, but the moment they say “I’ll handle this,” everyone automatically falls in step behind them.

The difference between these two types of people doesn’t lie in ability—it lies in the “qualification” spoken of in the *I Ching (Book of Changes)*.

The Army Hexagram (地水师 / The Army) is exactly about this topic.

1. The Image of The Army Hexagram: Water Within the Earth

The Army Hexagram has Kun (The Receptive) as the upper trigram and Kan (The Abysmal) as the lower trigram. Kun is earth, and Kan is water.

Water is hidden beneath the earth. It cannot be seen, but it is alive and capable of gathering into a powerful force.

The *Xiang Commentary (Images)* states: “Water within the earth; this is the image of The Army.”

This image is wonderfully subtle: an army (a crowd, a collective force) is not flaunted openly—it gathers and builds beneath the surface.

What this means is: true power does not rely on display, but on accumulation.

2. The Six-Character Hexagram Judgment: Correct, the Aged Leader Brings Good Fortune, No Blame

The Hexagram Judgment of The Army is extremely concise:

“The Army: Perseverance / Correctness. The aged leader is auspicious. No blame.”

Zhen (贞 / Perseverance / Correctness) means uprightness.

The “aged leader” refers to a senior figure of high virtue and genuine capability.

The outcome is good fortune and no blame.

Among these six characters, there are two conditions and one result.

Condition one: Zhen (correctness). The cause you lead people to pursue must be upright. If the direction is crooked, the more capable you are, the worse things will turn out.

Condition two: the aged leader. The person in charge must have genuine qualification. This “qualification” is not granted by a job title—it is earned through virtue, ability, and life experience.

The result: good fortune, no blame.

Read in reverse: without correctness, there is misfortune. Without a qualified aged leader, there is misfortune.

3. Why the “Aged Leader” Is So Important

There is a crucial line in the commentaries on The Army Hexagram in the *I Ching*: “The army sets out with discipline; lack of discipline brings misfortune, even if the outcome seems good.”

An army must march with discipline. Without discipline, even a seemingly favorable result is ultimately inauspicious.

And where does discipline come from? It comes from the person leading the group.

The culture of a team is essentially a reflection of the person at its head.

If the leader is greedy, people below will follow suit and be greedy too.

If the leader shifts blame, no one below will dare take responsibility.

If the leader does not keep their word, no one below will take what they say seriously.

If the leader shrinks back when trouble arises, the whole team will fall apart.

So being an “aged leader” does not require you to be perfect—it requires you to hold steady and stand firm.

4. The Six Lines of The Army: Six Stages of Leading People

Six at the Beginning (初六): “The army sets out with discipline; lack of discipline brings misfortune.” — Troops must march with discipline; poor discipline leads to misfortune.

This is the first step, and also the most important one. Rules must be established right from the start.

Nine in the Second Place (九二): “In the midst of the army, good fortune, no blame. The king bestows his command three times.” — Standing in the midst of the troops and holding to the central way brings good fortune. The sovereign grants honors three times.

This line is the ruling line of The Army Hexagram. It teaches that a leader must be “in the midst of the army”—you are part of the team, not above it. You are not someone who only issues orders; you are someone who stands alongside everyone else.

Six in the Third Place (六三): “The army may carry back corpses; misfortune.” — The army might return with bodies, which is inauspicious.

This line is a warning: disunity in command will lead to major disaster. “Carrying back corpses” is a sign of defeat.

Six in the Fourth Place (六四): “The army retreats to the left; no blame.” — The army falls back and takes a defensive position, which is without fault.

This line teaches that retreating when the time calls for it is not a mistake. Preserving strength is more important than fighting recklessly.

Six in the Fifth Place (六五): “There are birds in the field; it is favorable to set forth orders, no blame. The eldest son leads the army, the younger son also leads (divided command); perseverance brings misfortune.” — When game appears in the fields, it is appropriate to issue commands. Letting the eldest son lead troops while also letting the younger son lead (creating divided command) leads to misfortune.

This line emphasizes once again: authority must be clear, and there cannot be multiple chains of command.

Six at the Top (上六): “The great sovereign issues his mandate, founding states and ennobling families; do not employ petty men.” — The sovereign issues decrees to reward meritorious officials. Petty, small-minded people must not be given positions of trust.

This line is the conclusion: after a task is completed, rewards and promotions must follow clear principles. Putting the wrong people in charge will undo all previous achievements.

5. Why Some People Hold High Positions But Earn No Real Respect

Looking at The Army Hexagram, we can clearly identify several typical problems:

First type: lack of “zhen (correctness).”

They themselves are not even convinced of the cause they are leading others to pursue. Or the direction may be right, but their methods are unethical. The people below see it clearly—they just don’t say it out loud.

Second type: not “in the midst of the army.”

They place themselves outside the team, or even above it. They take credit for successes, and push blame onto their subordinates for failures. People like this will never be followed with genuine loyalty.

Third type: no “discipline.”

Rules only apply to others, never to themselves. Or the rules change every day. People below have no idea what to do, so they just go through the motions.

Fourth type: not a true “aged leader.”

They lack ability, experience, and magnanimity, and got their position through connections. People like this cannot command respect, and can only maintain control by throwing tantrums.

Fifth type: employing “petty men.”

The top line specifically calls this out. They favor people who are good at schmoozing, sweet-talking, and flattering. These people may seem useful in the short term, but in the long run they will destroy the entire team’s culture.

6. How to Build Genuine “Qualification”

First, actually complete one tangible task with the team.

Authority is not built through speeches—it is built through action. Leading your team to win one small, concrete battle is more useful than giving a hundred lectures.

Second, apply the rules to yourself first.

If you require others not to be late, arrive early yourself. If you require others to take responsibility, take responsibility first yourself. Master this one rule, and you will already have half of your authority built.

Third, stand at the front during critical moments.

People who shrink back when trouble hits can never lead others. People who step forward when things go wrong will earn everyone’s trust, even if their abilities are only average.

Fourth, share the credit with others.

The top line speaks of “founding states and ennobling families”—meaning distributing rewards and recognition. If a leader hoards all the credit for themselves, the people below will have no motivation.

Fifth, judge people by their character, not by their cleverness.

The four characters “do not employ petty men” are a long-term reminder for everyone in a leadership role.

7. What The Army Hexagram Teaches Ordinary People

Even if you don’t lead a team, The Army Hexagram still holds value for you.

Are you an “aged leader” in your own family? When family issues arise, does everyone listen to you? Or does everyone just talk over each other?

Are you “zhen (upright)” among your friends? When you give advice, is it truly for the other person’s good, or is it driven by your own self-interest?

Is there “discipline” in your own life? Do your daily routine, your promises, and your plans follow a consistent, disciplined structure?

The ability to lead others is, at its core, an outward expression of the ability to lead oneself.

Someone who cannot even manage themselves will never earn genuine respect, no matter how high their position is.

Final Thoughts

“The Army: Perseverance / Correctness. The aged leader is auspicious. No blame.”

Six characters that sum up every key point of leading people:

The direction must be upright, and the leader must be worthy of the role.

Skills can be learned, but genuine qualification can only be cultivated through practice and character.