身先士卒

Pronunciation: shēn xiān shì zú Literal meaning: Self ahead of the soldiers

Origin & Usage

Self (身) ahead of (先) the soldiers (士卒). The phrase belongs to the historical literature of command and describes a specific and verifiable thing: the officer physically in front of the line, taking the first risk rather than directing from behind it. Chinese has kept it almost intact for modern management, where it is the standard praise for a manager who does the unpleasant part of the work personally, and the standard implied criticism of one who does not.

Examples

English: "The general always leads from the front, inspiring his troops to follow his bravery."

Chinese: 这位将军总是身先士卒，激励他的士兵们跟随他的勇气。