# Leadership through a receptive position: summary

Uses rivers and seas in a low position to describe leaders’ humility and avoiding burdens on people.

https://sakimyto.com/en/classics/laozi/chapter-66-leadership-through-a-receptive-position

## Source and summary

[Laozi · Dao De Jing · Leadership through a receptive position](https://zh.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%81%93%E5%BE%B7%E7%B6%93%20%28%E7%8E%8B%E5%BC%BC%E6%9C%AC%29&oldid=2354026#%E5%85%AD%E5%8D%81%E5%85%AD%E7%AB%A0)

> 江海所以能為百谷王者，以其善下之，故能為百谷王。是以欲上民，必以言下之。欲先民，必以身後之。是以聖人處上而民不重，處前而民不害。是以天下樂推而不厭，以其不爭，故天下莫能與之爭。

Uses rivers and seas in a low position to describe leaders’ humility and avoiding burdens on people.

## Editorial interpretation

The example below adapts this chapter’s questions to modern work. Evaluate it against the actual purpose and conditions; ancient politics, warfare or ethics do not establish business results.

## Business application

A leader should reduce approvals and unresolved questions holding up the team rather than merely expanding personal duties.

1. Choose one relevant case and record its objective, available resources, verified facts and unknowns.
2. Compare options using this chapter’s perspective; choose a limited trial, owner, deadline and a measure to assess the result.

Deliverable: A comparison using leadership through a receptive position, with conditions for acting or declining.

## Limits

The summary selects main points rather than translating every sentence. The example is not a demonstrated business method; check it against stakeholders’ conditions and actual evidence.

## Validation question

How does this chapter’s perspective change the selected option or priority, and what further evidence could change the decision?

[Laozi: a guide to the Dao De Jing](https://sakimyto.com/en/classics/laozi)

[This material](https://sakimyto.com/classics-data/entries/laozi/chapter-66-leadership-through-a-receptive-position.en.md)

Updated: 2026-10-13 · v1.0.0