Analects 13.1 · Zi Lu
“Lead the way, take on the labor, and never grow weary.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
先之 勞之 無倦 (xiān zhī, láo zhī, wú juàn) means “Lead the way, take on the labor, and never grow weary.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 13 (Zi Lu), Chapter 1.
先之 勞之 無倦
- Pinyin
- xiān zhī, láo zhī, wú juàn
- Translation
- Lead the way, take on the labor, and never grow weary.
- Source
- Analects, Book 13 (Zi Lu), Chapter 1
What does this passage mean?
In the first chapter of Zi Lu, Zilu asks about government, and Confucius answers: lead the way and take on the labor. When Zilu asks for more, he adds: never grow weary. Zhu Xi read the first phrase as setting an example ahead of the people and the second as working hard on their behalf in person. Zilu was brave and capable of action but lacking in steadiness, which is likely why Confucius added the warning against weariness. Compressing the essence of government into six characters, this passage is among the oldest definitions of leadership.
How can we apply it today?
Books on leadership are endless, but Confucius’s answer has three parts: go first, share the labor, do not tire. The leader who orders overtime and leaves early, or who hands hard work down and takes the credit, has already failed the first two. The third is the hardest. Everyone sets an example at the start, but with time comes fatigue, and the moment a leader steps back in exhaustion, the first two collapse as well. Leaders who last are not those with special techniques but those who keep these three for a long time.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Where you lead, do you go first or give orders?
- ·Do you share the labor of those you lead?
- ·Has your initial example ever collapsed from fatigue?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 先 | xiān | first | 6 | 儿 (legs) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 勞 | láo | toil; labor | 12 | 力 (power) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 無 | wú | lack | 12 | 火 (fire) |
| 倦 | juàn | weary; tired | 10 | 人 (person) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “Lead the way, take on the labor, and never…” mean?
先之 勞之 無倦 (xiān zhī, láo zhī, wú juàn) means “Lead the way, take on the labor, and never grow weary.” It comes from the Analects, Book 13 (Zi Lu), Chapter 1.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 13.1: Book 13 (Zi Lu), Chapter 1.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
Books on leadership are endless, but Confucius’s answer has three parts: go first, share the labor, do not tire.