Hire the best or the purest?

The podcast explores the qualities of a good leader through the lens of an ancient story about Guan Zhong recommending a chancellor. It questions whether a leader should prioritize moral perfection and strict adherence to principles or value tolerance and emotional intelligence. The discussion highlights the importance of balancing high standards with empathy, referencing Mahatma Gandhi as an example of a leader who combined high ethical standards with tolerance. The co-hosts debate whether leaders should focus on making everyone happy or ensuring that everyone is doing their job effectively, with one arguing for the importance of emotional intelligence and the other emphasizing professional competence, referencing Steve Jobs as a demanding but successful leader. The conversation also touches on the importance of self-awareness in the workplace, using the story's character Bao Shuya as an example of someone who prioritized the needs of the state over personal gain.