How to Win Team Respect as a Leader? Find Answers in Hexagram 42 Nine in the Fifth Place

The fifth line of the Increase Hexagram is for every person in a leadership role. If you’re in management, you *must* read this line carefully — it lays bare what true leadership really is.

Ever run into this kind of leader?

Not a particularly high rank, but a massive ego to match,

barking orders all day and flying off the handle at the drop of a hat.

The people under them act all polite and deferential on the surface,

but behind their back? They’ve torn them apart a hundred times over.

When the leader says “go east,” the team heads west.

When the leader yells “charge ahead,” everyone hangs back.

Hey, if things go south, *you’re* the one in charge — you take the fall.

You think a leader like that isn’t exhausted?

Of course they are.

When you’re going head-to-head with a whole team, outwitting and outmaneuvering them every single day,

how could you *not* be worn out?

Then there’s the other kind of leader — the total opposite:

no yelling, no holier-than-thou attitude,

they just fit right in with the team.

And yet, their people respect them like crazy.

Whatever they say, everyone’s willing to listen.

Whatever task they assign, everyone’s happy to put in the work.

When the company hits a rough patch,

the team sticks around to weather the storm together,

instead of scattering like rats fleeing a sinking ship.

So what’s the difference here?

Why do some leaders earn the loyalty of thousands,

while others end up abandoned by everyone around them?

This exact question

is answered perfectly by the fifth line of the *I Ching*’s Increase Hexagram.

The Line Text says: 有孚惠心，勿问元吉。有孚惠我德。

What does that mean?

“有孚” — you have sincerity and trust; you mean every word of it.

“惠心” — you extend kindness and benefits in a way that truly touches people’s hearts.

“勿问元吉” — don’t even ask, this is supreme good fortune;

there’s no doubt how favorable this will be.

“有孚惠我德” — others will also sincerely,

wholeheartedly appreciate your kindness and repay your goodwill.

Put the whole line together, and it’s this:

Treat the people under you with genuine kindness,

deliver benefits that really resonate with them,

and you don’t even have to ask — this is guaranteed to be supremely auspicious.

How you treat others is how they’ll treat you right back.

If you’re truly good to your team,

they’ll truly support you in return.

It sounds simple enough,

but how many leaders actually pull it off?

Not many.

Why So Many Leaders Can’t Pull Off “惠心” (Kindness That Touches the Heart)

Why is the Nine in the Fifth Place of the Increase Hexagram so powerful?

Because it gets to the very root of leadership —

the hearts of the people.

But a lot of leaders don’t get this.

They think leadership is just power:

“I’m in charge, so you have to do what I say.”

Why do they think that way?

Three reasons.

First, they confuse their position with actual ability.

Once they land a leadership role, they think they’re better than everyone else.

Their tone of voice changes,

the way they look at people changes,

even the way they walk changes.

They forget one thing:

people are respecting the *position*, not *them* as a person.

Take that title away,

and who even knows who they are?

Second, they think everyone under them is just there for a paycheck.

“I pay your salary, so you owe me your best work” —

that’s the logic a lot of leaders operate on.

Fair enough — getting paid to do a job is how the world works.

But someone who’s only in it for the money

will only do exactly what you’re paying them to do,

not a single thing more.

A team that actually gets things done

runs on people who are willing to go the extra mile because they want to,

not because they’re counting every penny against every task.

Third, they only care about results, not the people behind them.

KPIs, metrics, spreadsheets —

every sentence out of their mouth is about targets, every other word is about performance.

Are employees burnt out? Are they struggling with something?

Is something going on at home?

They couldn’t care less.

With a leader like that,

the people on their team are just tools.

And what kind of bond do you have with a tool?

The second you don’t need them anymore,

they’re gone — no hesitation, no looking back.

Wen Laoshi put it this way:

Third-rate leaders manage people with power.

Second-rate leaders manage people with systems.

First-rate leaders bring people together by winning their hearts.

Power can control a person’s body,

but it can never control their heart.

The Leadership Mindset of the Nine in the Fifth Place of the Increase Hexagram

So how do you actually earn people’s wholehearted respect?

The Nine in the Fifth Place of the Increase Hexagram lays out three rules.

First: 有孚 — be genuine, no fake stuff.

When you’re good to your employees, it has to be real.

Not a performance, not a manipulation tactic,

not pretending to care just so they’ll work harder for you.

People can tell the difference between genuine kindness and an act.

Everyone has an internal scale for that.

Whether you actually care about me

or you’re just trying to use me —

I can feel it.

Hand out a small gift for holidays,

get a cake for an employee’s birthday,

step in to help when someone’s going through a tough time at home.

These little things don’t cost much,

but they warm people’s hearts.

And a warm heart?

That’s worth more than any raise you could give.

Second: 惠心 — deliver benefits the right way, so they actually land.

What does “惠心” really mean?

It’s not giving people what *you* think is good.

It’s giving them what *they* think is good, what *they* actually need.

That’s what “惠” — true kindness — is.

Someone wants an apple, and you insist on giving them a banana,

then go on and on about how nutritious bananas are.

That’s not kindness. That’s just patting yourself on the back.

So if you’re a leader,

you have to know what the people on your team actually want.

Some people want to make more money —

give them opportunities to earn more.

Some people want to learn new skills —

give them room to grow.

Some people want stability —

give them a sense of security.

Give people what they actually need, and you’ll warm their hearts for real.

Third: 勿问元吉 — stop overthinking it. If it’s good, it’s good.

A lot of leaders are nice to their employees

with an abacus in their head:

“I’m being so good to you, so you owe me more work.”

That’s not kindness. That’s a transaction.

Transactions come with a price tag.

And when the price doesn’t work out? The whole thing falls apart.

What does real, heartfelt kindness look like?

It’s just wanting the best for your team, plain and simple.

When your team does well, the team as a whole does well.

And when the team does well? You, as the leader, do well too.

That’s a positive cycle,

not a business deal.

The less you overthink and calculate,

the more you end up gaining.

有孚惠我德 — Sincerity Begets Sincerity

Finally, let’s talk about “有孚惠我德”.

These six characters are the real key.

If you’re truly good to your team,

they’ll be truly good to you right back.

If you look out for your team,

your team will look out for you.

If you treat everyone like family,

everyone will treat the company’s business like their own.

What does that feel like, exactly?

It’s like this:

When the company hits hard times,

you’re not carrying the weight alone —

everyone’s right there with you, weathering the storm.

When great opportunities come along,

no one bails to chase their own thing —

they stick around and build it with you.

That’s real leadership.

It’s not about how many people you manage.

It’s about how many people genuinely choose to follow you.

Wen Laoshi has a saying he repeats often:

The essence of leadership

is how many people want you to win.

The more people who are rooting for you,

the more you *will* win.

A Final Thought

When you’re a leader,

power is temporary.

Your position can change any day.

Only the loyalty of people’s hearts lasts.

有孚惠心，勿问元吉。有孚惠我德 —

Treat everyone with genuine kindness,

deliver benefits that truly resonate with them,

and you don’t even have to ask — this is guaranteed to be supremely auspicious.

How you treat others

is how they’ll treat you in return.

So here’s the thing:

stop obsessing over how to “manage” people.

Spend more time thinking about how to be good to them.

Be good to people,

and they’ll naturally listen to you.

The wisdom of the fifth line of the Increase Hexagram, put plainly, is this: the best kind of management isn’t about controlling people — it’s about winning their hearts. When people’s hearts are aligned, anything is possible.

These twelve characters from the fifth line of the Increase Hexagram are worth pondering again and again for any leader: 有孚惠心，勿问元吉。有孚惠我德。Sincerity begets sincerity — that is the very foundation of leadership.