The Army Hexagram & Holding Together Hexagram: Are You a Leader or a Follower? — Misplacing Your Role Makes Every Effort Feel Awkward

Shi (The Army) and Bi (Holding Together) are the 7th and 8th of the 64 Hexagrams.

These two hexagrams share a fascinating common trait: each consists of five Yin Lines and one Yang Line.

The only difference lies in the position of that single Yang Line.

The Shi Hexagram is The Army (地水师), with its Yang Line at Nine in the Second Place — the lower position. Surrounded by five Yin Lines, this line represents the person chosen to take charge.

The Bi Hexagram is Holding Together (水地比), with its Yang Line at Nine in the Fifth Place — the uppermost position. With five Yin Lines gathered below to support him, this line represents the person others rely on.

Both are scenarios of "many stars surrounding the moon" — in one case, your subordinates lift you up; in the other, you support the person above you.

That’s why Shi is about leading people, and Bi is about following someone.

The Hexagram Judgment of Shi reads: Shi, Perseverance, the great man brings good fortune, No blame.

"Great man" here doesn’t refer to a father-in-law; it means a seasoned person of prestige and responsibility. Leading troops into battle only brings good fortune when entrusted to someone like this.

Pay attention to "the great man brings good fortune" — it doesn’t say a capable person brings good fortune, nor a smart person. It’s the great man.

What defines a great man? He has age and experience, people listen when he speaks, and he takes responsibility when things go wrong.

The six Lines of the Shi Hexagram lay out very practical lessons.

Six at the Beginning: 师出以律，否臧凶 (The army sets out with discipline; lack of discipline brings misfortune). Troops must have discipline — poor discipline leads to misfortune.

Nine in the Second Place: In the midst of the army, good fortune, no blame; the king bestows command three times. This is the ruling line of the hexagram: the commander sits at the helm of the army, and the sovereign grants him honors three times.

Six in the Third Place: The army may carry corpses back — misfortune. The army returns with bodies, a sign of misfortune.

Six in the Fourth Place: The army camps on the left — no blame. Retreating to set up camp on the left, that is, withdrawing; a correct withdrawal is no fault.

Six in the Fifth Place: Game in the field; it furthers to seize the word, no blame. The eldest son leads the army, the younger son carries corpses — perseverance brings misfortune.

Six at the Top: The great ruler issues commands, founding states and ennobling families; do not employ petty men.

Put together, these six lines form a complete handbook for leading people: discipline, command, defeat, retreat, personnel management, and rewarding merit.

The harshest line is the one at Six in the Fifth Place: "The eldest son leads the army, the younger son carries corpses."

You put a qualified person in charge of troops, then let an unqualified person meddle along the way — and in the end, you bring back bodies.

This is about poor personnel choices. The worst fear in leading people isn’t having no one to lead — it’s putting the wrong person in the role.

Now let’s look at the Bi Hexagram.

The Hexagram Judgment of Bi reads: Bi, good fortune. Original divination: sublime, enduring perseverance, no blame. Those who are not at ease come at last; the latecomer meets misfortune.

Bi means drawing close, aligning with others. It brings good fortune.

But there are two conditions.

First: "Original divination: sublime, enduring perseverance." "Original divination" means divining again to examine carefully. "Sublime, enduring perseverance" means lasting, upright, and steady. In other words, the person you choose to rely on must stand up to repeated scrutiny and be reliably steadfast over time.

Second: "The latecomer meets misfortune." The one who arrives late faces misfortune.

Many people don’t like hearing this, but it’s true. In any circle, the resources and trust gained by those who join early are nothing like what latecomers get.

The six Lines of the Bi Hexagram also expand on this theme.

Six at the Beginning: 有孚比之，无咎。有孚盈缶，终来有它，吉 (Holding to sincerity in alignment brings no blame. When sincerity fills a jar, unexpected good comes in the end). Align with others with a sincere heart; let that sincerity fill you like a full jar, and unexpected good will come in the end.

Six in the Second Place: Alignment from within — perseverance brings good fortune. Drawing close from the inside, upright and auspicious.

Six in the Third Place: Aligning with unworthy people. You’ve relied on the wrong person.

Six in the Fourth Place: Aligning outward — perseverance brings good fortune. Aligning with those outside, upright and auspicious.

Nine in the Fifth Place: Conspicuous alignment; the king uses three drives, lets the game ahead escape, and the townsfolk are not warned — good fortune. This is the ruling line of the hexagram: openly letting others rely on you, with freedom to come and go.

Six at the Top: Aligning without a head — misfortune. In the end, there’s no leader to align with — misfortune.

Six in the Third Place is the only line in the Bi Hexagram that directly names the problem: "Aligning with unworthy people." You’ve followed the wrong person.

This is two sides of the same coin as the Shi Hexagram’s "the younger son carries corpses." One is using the wrong person; the other is following the wrong person.

Now let’s put the two hexagrams side by side.

Shi is when you have responsibility and must lead.

Bi is when you have a need and must rely on others.

Apply either action to the wrong situation, and things will turn out badly.

Choosing to rely on others when you should be leading: a team is waiting for you to make the call, but you’re running around asking for instructions, looking for someone to cover for you. In the end, no one respects you, and nothing gets done. The Shi Hexagram makes it clear: "The army sets out with discipline" — if you can’t even establish discipline, your team will fall apart like loose sand.

Insisting on leading when you should be relying on others: you clearly lack the seniority and resources, but you force yourself to act like the boss, carrying everything on your own shoulders. The Bi Hexagram says "the latecomer meets misfortune" — if you don’t align with others when you should, by the time you want to, the spot will already be taken.

How do you tell whether you should be in the Shi role or the Bi role?

Look at who bears responsibility for the outcome of this matter.

If you’re the one on the hook for the result, you’re in the Shi role. At times like this, don’t count on someone else to cover for you, and don’t run around asking for permission. What you need to do is set up discipline, put the right people in the right roles, and withdraw when it’s time to withdraw.

If you’re not the one bearing the consequences, you’re in the Bi role. At times like this, don’t force yourself to carry more than you can. Carefully pick someone reliable and align with them early. "Original divination: sublime, enduring perseverance" — scrutinize thoroughly, and move quickly.

The Six at the Top of the Shi Hexagram says: "The great ruler issues commands, founding states and ennobling families; do not employ petty men."

After the battle is won, it’s time to distribute rewards. This is when employing petty people is the most dangerous mistake.

The ultimate test of leading people isn’t how many battles you can win — it’s whether you can distribute credit fairly.

The Six at the Top of the Bi Hexagram says: "Aligning without a head — misfortune."

In the end, if there’s no stable core to align with, that’s misfortune.

The ultimate test of following someone isn’t how loyal you are — it’s whether the person you’re following can hold their ground.

One is about rewarding the right people; the other is about following the right person.

At the end of the day, Shi and Bi are both about the same thing: among the people around you, are you the one who sets the direction, or the one who follows it?

There’s no hierarchy between these two roles — only whether they fit the situation.

Stand in the wrong position — wanting to be taken care of when you’re supposed to lead, or wanting to be the boss when you’re supposed to follow — and no matter how hard you try, things will feel off.