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The Ruler’s Guide: China’s Greatest Emperor and His Timeless Secrets of Success PDF

109 Pages·2017·1.31 MB·English
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Thank you for downloading this Scribner eBook. Join our mailing list and get updates on new releases, deals, bonus content and other great books from Scribner and Simon & Schuster. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP or visit us online to sign up at eBookNews.SimonandSchuster.com Contents Introduction I CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN TANG TAIZONG AND HIS MINISTERS 1 On Being Emperor 2 On Human Resources 3 On Moral Character and Talent 4 On Management 5 On Remonstrance 6 On Virtues 7 On the Art of War 8 On Crime and Punishment 9 On Frugality 10 On the Rise and Fall of an Empire 11 On Parenting and Educating the Next Generation 12 On Being Well Remembered II THE AMAZING LIFE OF TANG TAIZONG Author’s Note Dynasties in Chinese History Acknowledgments About Chinghua Tang To my beloved parents, QINGAN TANG and EILEEN H. GE, who have dedicated their lives to teaching and who have fostered in me a habit of reading. Introduction The Tang dynasty, one of the longest dynasties in Chinese history (618–907), is hailed by historians as China’s golden age. It didn’t come about by chance. It owed much to the conscious efforts of its co-founder, Emperor Taizong. Tang TaizongI is one of history’s greatest rulers, ranking with Augustus, Genghis Khan, and Napoléon—and even, in some cases, exceeding their accomplishments. Under Taizong’s leadership, China became the world’s largest and strongest country. The emperor’s reign was marked by a number of savvy, innovative, and bold accomplishments, setting a high standard for all leaders who would come after. Among the feats that make Taizong extraordinary: · He assembled a team of advisers even before he assumed the throne at the age of twenty-eight. · He was a gifted administrator, presiding over all major policy and executive decision-making at his court. · He was a master military strategist, leading his armies to defeat the Turks—descendants of Attila the Hun—and reopening the Silk Road. · He slew a thousand enemy fighters by his own hand. · He was remarkably versatile: an archer, hunter, horseman, poet, composer, and calligrapher. · He allowed both Christianity and Islam into China for the first time and was, indirectly, the cause of Buddhism’s being planted in Tibet. · He was apparently expert at picking a wife: his empress was one of the wisest and most virtuous women in history. · He set out to build a strong, prosperous, and long-lasting empire and succeeded spectacularly. Tang Taizong and his circle of gifted ministers held many discussions regarding how best to run the government and achieve longevity for the dynasty. Most of their conversations were recorded and later compiled in an anthology entitled The Zhenguan Executive Guide. This book has since become a classic on leadership, management, and statecraft. It has been translated into Korean, Japanese, Mongolian, Khitan, Jurchen, and Tangut. It was eagerly read by rulers of China and other Asian countries—potentates such as the Mongol conqueror Kublai Khan, the Japanese shogun Tokugawa, and the Qing emperor Qianlong. Today, Taizong’s thinking is ardently studied by business executives and government leaders throughout Asia. And it is far past time that the emperor’s thoughts be shared with those in other parts of the world. Wittingly or unwittingly, today’s leaders—regardless of what organization they head—often assume the role of “ruler.” Politically, the emperor is a thing of the past. However, an elected leader in many cases enjoys much the same power as an emperor within his or her domain. And, of course, business leaders and corporate managers are rulers in their world. There are rulers in virtually every field. For example: II The president of a trade union is the ruler of his organization. The head of a philanthropy is the ruler of his institution. The headmaster is the ruler of his school. The teacher is the ruler of his class. The coach is the ruler of his sports team. The conductor is the ruler of his orchestra. The lieutenant is the ruler of his platoon. The priest is the ruler of his local church. Parents are the rulers of their family. The list goes on and on. You may be a ruler in one situation and ruled in another. You may be ruler and ruled simultaneously. You may be ruled and yet aspire to be the ruler. Whether running a country or a commercial enterprise, whether leading a team or serving as a role model, rulers wield enormous power over the people and the resources they command. They’re capable of exerting great influence over the society, environment, and community in which they operate. And they face many problems that are similar to those an ancient emperor would have faced. Many books have been written on leadership and management. This one is distinctive in that it is not a one-way stream of advice but, rather, an anthology of conversations between Tang Taizong and his ministers. And because the

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Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.