Obedience is a quality, and it is an essential trait for becoming an excellent cadre

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Every government official enters with a commitment to obedience and leaves bearing that same commitment. Do whatever is asked of you; this doesn’t indicate incompetence, but rather quality ； When told to go east, you head west; what that reveals is stupidity, not courage. Obedience is a soldier's duty. As a military personnel, one should have a deep impression of and admiration for the standards of service and discipline among the soldiers at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. West Point has a long-standing tradition: whenever freshmen are questioned by seniors or officers, they can only choose from four standard answers: 1, “Report, sir, yes”” ； 2. “Report to the officer, it’s not”” ； 3. “Report to the commander, there are no excuses”” ； 4. “Report to the officer, I don’t know.” Besides that, if there are any additional words, the officer will immediately ask, “What are your four answers?” ”For example, a senior might ask a freshman, “Are your leather shoes polished like this?” ”New students naturally want to defend themselves, thinking, “My leather shoes were originally very clean; it’s possible that they got dirty by a classmate through carelessness.” ”But this can only be thought about in one’s mind; in reality, the recruit can only reply, “Reporting to you, sir, no.” ”If the senior asks why again, the only appropriate answer is: “Report to you, sir, there are no excuses.” ”These four standard answers may seem harsh, unreasonable, and even somewhat difficult for West Point freshmen, but in reality they are meant to foster a sense of obedience in them. The West Point philosophy holds that soldiers must regard obedience as their sacred duty; otherwise, they will not be able to stay in the military, let alone be qualified for senior leadership positions. Therefore, the West Point teaches obedience as the first step in training new recruits, considering it a virtue and the \"mother of leadership\". The reason why West Point places such great emphasis on cultivating a sense of obedience among its cadets is to strengthen their sense of identity and responsibility toward **, the military, and their superiors, as well as to enhance their sense of discipline and self-discipline. West Point believes that only those with a disposition to obey will, upon receiving orders, fully utilize their initiative to find ways to complete the task; even if they are unable to do so, they will have the courage to take responsibility rather than looking for various excuses to shirk it. If a trainee cannot even obey orders, how can they manage others after graduating, how can they lead soldiers into battle, and how can they properly handle conflicts between personal interests and those of the team? I’m not deliberately praising the Westerners; rather, I believe that the sense of obedience and self-discipline they uphold are qualities that our government officials should learn from. In an institutional environment, obedience seems to be somewhat diminished; it’s hard to find that meticulous sense of obedience that is expected from military personnel. Why do we have this feeling? I analyze that this might be related to there being too many people in the same position within the organization, with unclear hierarchies, but that’s not the main issue. The composition of civil service officials is rather complex: those with influence rely on it, those with talent depend on their skills, and those with neither influence nor talent resort to flattery. Therefore, officials who come from this civil service community more or less exhibit some shortcomings in terms of willingness to obey orders. This phenomenon is highly concerning. Although no one has conducted specific investigations or studies on this, I believe that to be an excellent government official, one must be highly vigilant regarding this phenomenon and constantly engage in self-reflection. Those who are able to develop a quality of \"resolute obedience\" in an environment where the sense of compliance is not very strong must possess exceptional qualities. In this agency, there are quite a few people who are arrogant because of their talent. These people might indeed be quite skilled. Their reason for being arrogant is, \"I’m talented; I make a living through my skills. Who can do anything to me?\" ”It can be said that there is nothing wrong with this idea per se, but it tends to lead people in the wrong direction: leaders are my opponents; I have real skills, so it’s no big deal to go against them, and I can also show off my character and abilities in front of my colleagues. What is not realized is that any organization must have a strict hierarchy; this is the foundation and necessary condition for its effective operation, and accordingly, leaders at various levels are essential. Regardless of how these leaders came to hold those positions, perhaps they truly possess outstanding abilities, perhaps they are good at organizing and coordinating things, or maybe... but in any case, there is one thing you must admit ； He has the authority to direct you, and will have a positive or negative impact on your development. Except for exceptionally outstanding or individual leaders, most leaders like to give orders to their subordinates. This is not only an inevitable requirement for hierarchical organizations but also a prerequisite for leaders to fulfill their duties and achieve set goals. Many leaders also believe they are superior to their subordinates, harboring a strong sense of superiority in their subconscious, and so on. In the minds of these leaders, their dignity is supreme, as well as being the most sensitive and fragile aspect of their character. If subordinates prevent them from maintaining their status or cause them to lose face, they will never tolerate or forgive such behavior. Confrontations with leaders generally lead to two outcomes: first, they hinder the progress of work. Lack of unity and coordination between superiors and subordinates will inevitably affect the smooth progress of work, and once problems arise at work, managers will take the opportunity to shift these responsibilities onto you. Secondly, it is extremely detrimental to an individual’s development. Your aggression or arrogance can cause leaders to feel that their dignity has been severely undermined, leading to great hostility; some leaders may be able to restrain themselves at the time, but they will later try every means possible to make things difficult for you. Even though you are talented, it will still be difficult to find a chance to use that talent. Geniuses are not buried, but there are many who are, especially those who become arrogant because of their talents. Why? First, those who are arrogant because of their talent often look down on their leaders’ abilities, are critical of their orders, and are unwilling to put in the effort to carry them out, opting instead to handle things perfunctorily. Such people exist within organizations; they inevitably demoralize others and undermine their fighting spirit. They are not tolerated by leaders, and because of their excessive intelligence and tendency to show off, leaders do not assign them important tasks. As a result, they often end up alone, believing that those outstanding civil servants are simply trying to build relationships with the leaders. Moreover, these individuals who possess some talent often fail to get the opportunity to showcase and hone their abilities due to their arrogance; instead, they end up involved in internal conflicts over office politics. Gradually, their dedication to their work diminishes, and their talents become neglected and unused. It’s good to be talented, but one must never ruin oneself because of that talent; there are many such examples in history. That’s why we say that knowing how to promote oneself and creating an environment in which one can showcase one’s talents is also an essential skill. When working at a workplace, one should try to see the good qualities in leaders and colleagues, and act with humility when interacting with others; only in this way will people be willing to help you ； Furthermore, regardless of the leadership, one should focus on tasks rather than individuals, and strive to do one’s job well. Even if the leaders are incompetent or make wrong decisions, one can express one’s opinions in an appropriate manner at the right time, putting the overall interests of the work ahead, rather than simply resisting or refusing to cooperate. Only in this way will your talents be recognized by leaders at all levels as well as your colleagues, allowing you to achieve success in your work. Of course, sometimes an overstrong sense of obedience means sacrifice and dedication, meaning giving up one’s own \"ideas\" or \"freedom\" in order to wholeheartedly carry out the instructions and demands of leaders. If obedience is viewed from the perspective of the relationship between individual interests and collective interests, it is essentially a matter of gains and losses. If a government official is able to prioritize the collective interest, they will willingly comply with the organization’s arrangements, and it will then be easier to establish communication between government officials and military officers. Otherwise, there will be a lack of willingness to follow orders; even if compliance is achieved, it is done out of reluctance, with apparent obedience but no genuine commitment. Therefore, compliance is not merely a matter of attitude; to a certain extent, it also reflects the strength of a government official’s political and organizational consciousness. In this sense, obedience is also a quality—a political quality, and a moral quality. This is precisely the quality that an excellent government official must possess.