慈不掌兵 A Kind Person Should Not Hold the Position of a Military Commander

Being kind and generous towards others is an excellent quality that everyone should possess. However, if this kindness is misused in the wrong situations, it may lead to a disaster.

A ruler should not be overly kind. This idiom was first seen in "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu. It means that if a person is overly kind, they are not suitable to lead an army in battle. On the battlefield, what is needed is strict discipline, all actions must be under command, and actions must be decisive. However, if one is kind to the soldiers, the army will become lax and not follow the command. How can such a team win a battle? A team needs strict discipline; without rules, nothing can be accomplished. Only by being strict can a team be forged that can win battles.

In the end, this is simply human nature.

If you are too kind to someone, gradually, they will no longer show such respect for you. This is called familarity breeds contempt. If parents are too indulgent and spoil their children, such children are destined to have no future and even become a social menace, committing all kinds of evil deeds and even abusing their parents. Because you are too kind to others, others will take it for granted and even become more insistent. Over time, they will no longer take you seriously and even oppose you. This saying is not without basis.

Kindness is a virtue, but your kindness should have a sharp edge. It should not be allowed to be obtained by others at a low price, nor should it be allowed to spread widely. Randomly giving kindness to others is not allowed. Things are more valuable when they are rare. Things that are easily obtained will not be cherished by anyone. So is kindness.

Combining punishment and kindness is more effective when dealing with soldiers. This "punishment" is the sharp edge of kindness, which is also what you receive when showing kindness.

Similarly, in the workplace, the good-natured person is also the same. As a manager, if you turn a blind eye to the violations of employees and do nothing, it gives the impression of being considerate and humane, but in essence, it ruins such a unit. Some employees are late or leave early, with various excuses - taking care of sick elders, sending children to daycare, needing to take traditional Chinese medicine for health maintenance, etc. At first, it was just a few people, but gradually, more and more people would be late or leave early, even frequently absent from work. There are all kinds of reasons. In the long run, who would still be willing to work and do their job seriously?

Being kind to some people is cruel to others. Tolerating the rule-breakers is being heartless to the rule-abiders. Only by treating everyone equally and using strict legal laws can a first-class team be formed, and there will be outstanding achievements.

待人宽厚仁慈，本是一个人应具有的优良品德，可若是这种仁慈用错了地方，带来的可能是一场灾难。

慈不掌兵，这个成语最早见于《孙子兵法》，意思是说一个人过于仁慈的话，他就不适合带兵打仗。战场上需要的是令行禁止，一切行动听指挥，行动要果决，可若是对士兵仁慈，军队就会松散，不听指挥，这样的队伍又怎能打胜仗？队伍需要严格的纪律，没有规矩不成方圆，唯有严格才能锻炼出一支能够打胜仗的队伍。 说到底，这就是人性使然。

你若对一个人太好，渐渐地，他就对你没有那样尊敬了，这就是熟则生慢。父母若是娇惯溺爱孩子，这样的孩子注定将来不会有什么出息，甚至成为社会的一个祸害，无恶不作，还会虐待父母。因为你对别人太好了，别人就会觉得理所当然，甚至变本加厉，久而久之，他就不再拿你当回事，甚至和你对着干。娇声惯养出逆子，这句话不是空穴来风。

仁慈是一种美德，但你的这种仁慈要带着锋芒，不能让他人便宜地得到，更不能造成泛滥，随意施舍给他人。物以稀为贵，容易得到的东西没有人会珍惜，仁慈也是一样的。

恩威并用，这在对待士兵上更为管用，这“威”就是仁慈带的那点锋芒，也是你付出仁慈时同时得到的东西。

同样，单位里的老好人也是如此，身为管理人员，对员工的违规行为视而不见，放任不管，表面上给人一种体贴、人性化的印象，而实质上毁坏了这样的一个单位。有的员工迟到早退，借口五花八门——照顾生病的老人、年幼的孩子入托需要接送、自己的身体需要中药调养等。最初是一两个人这样，渐渐地，有更多的人都会迟到早退，甚至经常不在岗，理由一大堆。长此以往，又有谁还会安心工作、认真工作呢？

对一部分人的仁慈，就是对另一部分人的残酷。对违规者的容忍，就是对守规者的无情。唯有一视同仁，采用严格的法律和制度，才能打造一流的团队，才会有骄人的成绩。