Obedience, Seeking Permission, and Reporting: Profound Lessons for an Excellent Subordinate

**SUMMARY:** In society, everyone sometimes assumes the role of both commander and subordinate. But how can one excel in any task? In his Dharma talk, Venerable Thích Chân Quang reveals three key principles: obedience, seeking permission, and reporting.

Have you ever received an instruction without knowing where to begin? For example, your boss tells you to "prepare a banquet for one thousand people" and then leaves without another word? Or your teacher assigns you to "ensure forty restrooms remain clean, unclogged, and without queues"? It may sound impossible... Yet these are precisely the familiar scenarios we encounter in life and work. In his talk on the skills of commanding and executing, Venerable Thích Chân Quang uncovers a secret that makes an excellent subordinate: obedience, seeking permission, and reporting.

**In Every Society, There Are Commanders and Subordinates**

From family to community, a natural hierarchy of those who give orders and those who follow them always forms. In a family, the father or mother is the commander, and the children are the subordinates. In a broader scope, there are village chiefs and elders. This is the natural order of society. Interestingly, the influence of a commander is related to the merit they possess.

A commander with limited merit leads a small community; a commander with great merit leads a great community.

But regardless of our position, each of us needs to fulfill our role well. Do not ponder whether you like it or not; look at your current conditions and perform your part completely.

**Do Not Think in Terms of Likes or Dislikes; Simply Fulfill Your Role**

When asked whether they prefer being a subordinate or a commander, many young people choose one or the other. However, Venerable Thích Chân Quang suggests that neither answer is quite correct. It is not a matter of preference, but of cause and effect, of karma and conditions from past lives. If your conditions place you as a subordinate, be an excellent subordinate; if as a commander, be a skilled commander. More importantly, when you excel as a subordinate, your merit will naturally guide you toward a commander's role.

If we are an excellent subordinate, that merit will one day elevate us to become a skilled commander.

Therefore, do not rush to desire the commander's position. Strive first to be an outstanding subordinate. This is the solid foundation for success.

**Orders Are Never Fully Detailed**

Commanders often give general, brief instructions. The task of an excellent subordinate is to know how to expand that order into a detailed plan. Venerable Thích Chân Quang gives an example: "Four of you cook for over one thousand people, provide three dishes, and the rice must be good." It sounds like an impossible mission, but an excellent subordinate will not complain. Instead, they break the work into many smaller parts, calculating resources, time, and methods of execution.

When a commander gives an order, the instructions are never fully detailed. You yourself must create a detailed plan.

For instance, with just the order to "protect forty restrooms so they remain clean, well-ventilated, and unclogged," you need to schedule shifts, prepare water, soap, cleaning supplies, and devise a fair way to distribute staff. An excellent subordinate is someone who transforms the unthinkable into reality.

**Obedience, Seeking Permission, Reporting: The Subordinate's Mantra**

These are the three golden principles that Venerable Thích Chân Quang calls the "mantra" one must remember for life. These three simple words contain a whole philosophy for living and working:

Obedience: When receiving an order, resolve to carry it out without hesitation.

Seeking Permission: When you see something that needs to be done but have not been ordered to do it, seek permission before acting.

Reporting: After completing the task, you must report back to the commander.

Obedience, seeking permission, reporting. Remember this mantra for your entire life.

In daily life, if we consistently practice these three things, we will earn everyone's trust and respect. At work, our boss will have confidence in us; at home, our parents will be pleased; within the community, others will hold us in esteem.

**Loyalty to the Nation and to the Commander**

Venerable Thích Chân Quang also warns against the temptations of personal gain, noting that once you become prominent, others may try to recruit or influence you. An excellent subordinate is not only skilled but also loyal, without divided allegiance. Be loyal to your nation, to your collective, and to your commander. It is precisely this spirit of loyalty and thorough obedience that has forged national heroes, ready to sacrifice for a great cause.

Be loyal to this nation. We live as our nation lives. We die as our nation dies.

That loyalty is the most important virtue. Those who know how to obey in small matters will stand firm in great undertakings, capable of bearing heavy responsibilities and building the nation.

**Begin Today**

This lesson applies not only to work but to all relationships. Practice obedience with your parents, practice seeking permission when you see a need, and practice reporting after you complete a task. When you become an excellent subordinate, conditions of merit will naturally come, guiding you toward a commander's role. Do not rush to seek it; devote yourself fully to your current role. Only then will you truly succeed and become a valuable person for society. Namo Shakyamuni Buddha.