10 Chinese Idioms About Leadership & Management

Plan strategy carefully

Literal meaning: Plan behind curtain

Rooted in military strategy, this idiom describes making crucial decisions behind the curtains (帷幄) of a military command tent while planning (运筹) campaigns. It gained prominence through records of Liu Bang, founder of the Han Dynasty, who was praised for his strategic planning abilities within his ...

Extremely urgent

Literal meaning: Urgent as brow and lash

This visceral idiom describes urgency so pressing (迫) it's between (在) the eyebrows (眉) and eyelashes (睫). Its earliest recorded use comes from Tang Dynasty military dispatches, where commanders needed to convey the immediate nature of threats. The anatomical metaphor was chosen deliberately - the s...

Advance methodically with caution

Literal meaning: Each step make camp

This strategic approach emerged from Han Dynasty military manuals, describing armies that established (为) a secure camp (营) with each step (步步) of their advance. The tactic gained fame during the Three Kingdoms period when general Cao Cao used it to campaign through difficult terrain. Unlike rapid d...

Approach indirectly to achieve goal

Literal meaning: Knock side hit flank

This subtle approach describes knocking (敲) from the side (旁) and striking (击) from the flank (侧) rather than direct confrontation, originating from Tang Dynasty military strategy. It first appeared in texts discussing how to defeat superior forces through indirect attacks on vulnerabilities rather ...

Achieve secretly through misdirection

Literal meaning: Secretly cross Chencang

This strategic idiom refers to secretly (暗) crossing/passing (度) through Chencang (陈仓), originating from Han Xin's famous military maneuver during the Chu-Han contention (206-202 BCE). Historical records describe how Han Xin pretended to repair roads in one location while secretly moving troops thro...

Eliminate root cause of problem

Literal meaning: Remove firewood under pot

This practical idiom describes removing (抽) firewood (薪) from under (底) a cooking pot (釜), originating from Wei-Jin period practical wisdom. Unlike dramatic interventions, it emphasized solving problems by eliminating their underlying causes. The cooking metaphor resonated deeply in Chinese culture,...

Prioritize minor over fundamental matters

Literal meaning: Root branch reversed position

This organizational idiom criticizes reversing (倒置) the proper order of root/fundamental (本) and branch/peripheral matters (末), originating from Han Dynasty governance texts. It first appeared in discussions about administrative priorities, warning officials against focusing on secondary issues whil...

Ineffective indirect solution

Literal meaning: Scratch itch through boot

This frustrating idiom describes scratching (搔) an itch (痒) through (隔) a boot (靴), originating from Song Dynasty vernacular literature. It first appeared in stories illustrating the futility of indirect solutions to immediate problems. The image created a perfect metaphor for ineffective efforts th...

Valuing packaging over content

Literal meaning: Buy case, return pearl

This misguided idiom describes buying (买) a decorative box (椟) but returning (还) the pearl (珠) inside, originating from the Warring States period text 'Han Feizi.' It tells of a merchant from Chu who offered a valuable pearl in a beautifully carved box. The buyer from Zheng was so captivated by the ...

Moderation in all things

Literal meaning: Excess equals deficiency

This balanced idiom states that going too far (过) is just as (犹) problematic as not reaching far enough (不及), originating from Confucius's teachings in the Analects. The concept formed a cornerstone of Confucian moderation philosophy, where extremes in either direction were considered equally flawed...