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47Principle · Group 7

Unity of Leaders and People

Building trust in leadership

“When leaders and their people want the same thing and trust one another, a strength emerges that neither orders nor money can replace.”

A leader’s deepest source of strength is not their resources but people who come along out of conviction.

Group 7: People, Morale and PowerT2 Eastern Strategy
Go to the in-depth section ↓
A golden arc glides on a stream of many teal dots, all flowing in the same direction. When the arc turns against the current, the dots are thrown into mist-blue eddies; only when a golden dot moves from the arc into the stream and the direction is realigned does everything glide calmly again.
In short

When leaders and their people want the same thing and trust one another, a strength emerges that neither orders nor money can replace.

What it’s about: A leader’s deepest source of strength is not their resources but people who come along out of conviction. Unity of Leaders and People means that the leaders’ goals are also the people’s goals, and that the people trust their leaders to act in their interest. Followership of this kind does not have to be bought or forced.

In depth

The principle in detail

Three steps through the principle: grasp it, place it, put it to work. Open each topic on its own.

The core messageCore statement and 3 clarifications
In essence

Where leaders and their people want the same thing and trust one another, people give more than is asked of them, even when nobody is checking.

It does not say
That unity rules out dissent. Where criticism counts as betrayal, unity has turned into enforced conformity.
It does not say
That unity alone is enough. Without a viable foundation, even the best harmony will not carry you far.
It also says
Unity has to be earned. If you hand out burdens and carry none yourself, you lose it.
The explanationUnity cannot be proclaimed; it has to be earned.
  • Unity cannot be proclaimed; it has to be earned.
  • If you keep your own advantages while others are asked to do without, you lose it.
  • And unity is not enforced conformity: it can withstand criticism because it rests on trust, not on fear.
The question

Do your people want what you want, and do they trust that you want it for them, too?

The signs3 signs when you heed it · 3 when you overlook it
When you heed it
  • You speak openly about the situation, even when it is bad.
  • You share the burdens when others are asked to do without.
  • In a crisis, people stay and bring their own ideas.
When you overlook it
  • You announce unity instead of living it.
  • You treat criticism as disloyalty.
  • Nothing happens unless you order it or pay for it.
The backgroundFrom the first chapter of “The Art of War,” attributed to Sun Tzu (probably 5th or 4th century BC). · T2 Eastern Strategy
  1. 5th/4th c. BC
    OriginSun Tzu

    The Art of War,

  2. 1978
    SupplementedJames MacGregor Burns

    Leadership

  3. 2011
    SupplementedS. Alexander Haslam, Stephen D. Reicher and Michael J. Platow

    The New Psychology of Leadership

  4. Tradition T2
    TraditionEastern Strategy

    Sun Tzu, Kautilya, the Thirty-Six Stratagems, the Tao Te Ching, Miyamoto Musashi, François Jullien

    See the tradition on the Origin page
Read more: the full background

From the first chapter of “The Art of War,” attributed to Sun Tzu (probably 5th or 4th century BC). Supplemented by James MacGregor Burns (1978) and by S. Alexander Haslam, Stephen D. Reicher and Michael J. Platow (2011).

The research4 sources: 1 classic, 1 theory, 1 review, 1 case study · 1972–2011 · with limitations of the research
4 sources1972–2011 period1 classic1 case study1 theory1 review
Strength of evidence
  1. weak
  2. moderate
  3. strong

The social psychology of leadership supports the idea that people are more likely to follow those who stand for the shared group; the comparison with orders and money is a conclusion drawn from the classic.

  1. 5th/4th c. BCtrans. 1910
    Classic
    Sun Tzu

    “The Art of War,” Chapter 1: the Dao (“Moral Law”) is the first of five factors; it brings the people into accord with their ruler.

  2. 1972
    Case study
    Irving L. Janis

    “Victims of Groupthink”: very close-knit groups put pressure on doubters, censor themselves and take silence for agreement.

  3. 1978
    Theory
    James MacGregor Burns

    “Leadership”: distinguishes transactional from transforming leadership; the latter starts from the convictions, needs and values of those who are led.

  4. 2011
    Review
    S. Alexander Haslam, Stephen D. Reicher and Michael J. Platow

    “The New Psychology of Leadership”: leadership is effective when it is seen as part of the group and stands up for the group’s interests; it creates and embodies a shared identity.

Where the research reaches its limits
  • Unity can also be mobilized for the wrong goals.
  • Propaganda creates a united front without resting on trust.
  • Too much unity leads to groupthink, as Irving L. Janis described in his studies of foreign-policy fiascoes: doubts are suppressed, and mistakes are no longer seen.
  • Unity does not replace a viable foundation; Sun Tzu names the Dao as the first of five factors, not as the only one.
  • Leadership research supports followership, not its superiority over orders or money.
Read more: what research shows

In the first chapter of “The Art of War,” Sun Tzu names five factors to be examined before any war. The first is the Dao, which Lionel Giles translates as the “Moral Law”: it “causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler,” so that they follow him undismayed by any danger. When assessing the situation, Sun Tzu first asks which of the two rulers has it. In 1978, James MacGregor Burns described transforming leadership, which starts from the convictions, needs and values of those who are led. S. Alexander Haslam, Stephen D. Reicher and Michael J. Platow show that leadership is effective when it is seen as “one of us” and stands up for the shared group. None of the sources has measured whether this creates a strength that neither orders nor money can replace.

The related principles46 Moral Forces · 49 Fear and Love · 54 Soft Power · 55 Strategic Narrative
Soft PowerStrategic Narrative

To go deeper, see 54 Soft Power (agreement through example and attraction instead of mere obedience) and 55 Strategic Narrative (the shared story that connects leaders and people)

Moral Forces

46 Moral Forces shows what grows out of this unity

Fear and Love

49 Fear and Love asks what followership rests on

Read more: the full text

To go deeper, see 54 Soft Power (agreement through example and attraction instead of mere obedience) and 55 Strategic Narrative (the shared story that connects leaders and people). 46 Moral Forces shows what grows out of this unity; 49 Fear and Love asks what followership rests on.

The action steps5 action steps: Ask your people what matters to them about the shared task, and put it into your own words.

  1. Ask your people what matters to them about the shared task, and put it into your own words.

  2. Tell the truth about the situation before others tell it.

  3. Share burdens visibly. When others are asked to do without, do without first.
  4. Invite dissent explicitly and thank people for it. Where nobody disagrees, check whether it is agreement or fear that keeps silent.
  5. Keep your promises, especially the small ones. Trust grows out of experience, not announcements.
The reflection questions3 questions: How can you tell whether your people share your goals or merely carry them out?
  1. How can you tell whether your people share your goals or merely carry them out?
  2. What advantage are you holding on to while you expect others to do without?
  3. When did someone last openly disagree with you, and how did you react?

Take your time with one question. Write down your answer – or talk it over with someone you trust.

To finish
The picture to rememberThe animation once more, with an explanation
  1. A golden arc glides on a stream of many teal dots, all flowing in the same direction
  2. When the arc turns against the current, the dots are thrown into mist-blue eddies
  3. Only when a golden dot moves from the arc into the stream and the direction is realigned does everything glide calmly again
Strategy Check

Do your people want what you want?

Get your profile across all 12 groups in about 10 to 15 minutes.

Start the Strategy Check
In context

Group 7: People, Morale and Power

Guiding question: What moves people to go along or to resist?

Stage 4 of 5: Act with others

Where the 92 principles come from: eight traditions of strategy, from classical war theory to dealing with uncertainty.

More about the origin

Background: WEGVISOR’s own selection from the strategy literature · More about the origin

Examples

The principle in practice

From the different spheres of society.

Faith

John Paul II, Poland 1979 and the Unity of Leaders and People

In June 1979, Pope John Paul II visits his homeland, Poland. Millions come to his Masses, and the country sees for itself that church and people are one, while the communist leadership of the state stands on the sidelines. A little over a year later, the trade union Solidarity is born.

Unity of Leaders and People
Business

Aaron Feuerstein, Malden Mills and the Unity of Leaders and People

In December 1995, much of the Malden Mills textile plant in Massachusetts burns down. Owner Aaron Feuerstein keeps paying his roughly 3,000 employees and rebuilds. This creates a deep bond, but it does not save the company in the long run.

Unity of Leaders and People
Government

Winston Churchill in 1940 and the Unity of Leaders and People

In May and June 1940, Britain faces defeat. Winston Churchill prevails in the cabinet against negotiations with Hitler, and in his speeches he puts into words what many Britons feel. That summer, leaders and people stand together as rarely before.

Unity of Leaders and People
Government

Movie: Braveheart

William Wallace has no title and no army, yet he unites the Scots behind a common goal. The nobles, who have titles and troops, betray him, because they are not one with the people but with their own interests.

Unity of Leaders and People
FAQ

Questions about the Unity of Leaders and People

What does the principle of the Unity of Leaders and People say?

Leaders whose goals people share and whom they trust have the deepest source of strength. People who agree carry more than those who merely obey or are paid.

Where does the principle of the Unity of Leaders and People come from?

From the first chapter of “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu, who names the Dao as the first of five decisive factors. Modern leadership research, for example by James MacGregor Burns or S. Alexander Haslam, comes to related conclusions.

What are some examples of the Unity of Leaders and People?

Well-known examples are John Paul II’s visit to Poland in 1979, Aaron Feuerstein after the Malden Mills fire and Winston Churchill in the summer of 1940.

How well is the Unity of Leaders and People supported by research?

Evidence: moderate – the social psychology of leadership supports the idea that people are more likely to follow those who stand for the shared group; the comparison with orders and money is a conclusion drawn from the classic.

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