Doctrine Political Work

Enhancing the Intrinsic Motivation (内生动力) of Grassroots Units to Independently Drive Their Own Development

提升基层自主抓建内生动力

PLA Daily (解放军报) 26 May 2026

Summary

A PLA political work commentary by Zeng Zhixin argues that higher-level institutional organs have over-managed grassroots units, leaving them dependent on top-down direction rather than capable of self-directed development (自主抓建), and calls for rebalancing toward cultivating grassroots Party organization leadership capacity and backbone personnel (骨干) who can identify and solve problems independently. The piece invokes Xi Jinping's remarks at the Central Military Commission Conference on Grassroots Development as its authorizing frame. This is standard political work content; its value is as a record of how the institution is currently framing the chronic tension between institutional control and grassroots initiative, not as evidence of a structural reform or policy change.

Translation

Enhancing the Intrinsic Motivation (内生动力) of Grassroots Units to Independently Drive Their Own Development

■ Zeng Zhixin

Independently identifying construction shortfalls, scientifically formulating corrective measures, pooling collective wisdom to study problems, and concentrating efforts to break through bottlenecks… In the course of guiding and assisting grassroots units, the Party committee of a certain unit has focused on cultivating and reinforcing the intrinsic motivation (内生动力) of grassroots units to independently drive their own development, thereby strengthening grassroots units' confidence and capacity for self-directed development (自主抓建).

Chairman Xi emphasized at the Central Military Commission Conference on Grassroots Development that "the focus of guidance and assistance should be placed on improving grassroots units' capacity for self-development." In the course of force development, institutional assistance is the external factor in grassroots development, while grassroots self-development is the internal factor. The level of a grassroots unit's capacity for self-development determines the quality of its development. At present, many units face conditions such as dynamically dispersed personnel and diversified missions. To develop grassroots units well, it is essential to enhance the intrinsic motivation (内生动力) of grassroots units to independently drive their own development. If grassroots units themselves lack the drive to pursue development—waiting for higher-level arrangements and deployments in all matters, passing contradictions up the chain, and retreating when difficulties arise—this will not only dampen the initiative and creativity of officers and soldiers, but will also retard unit development and ultimately affect the quality and effectiveness of combat readiness and warfighting.

To enhance the intrinsic motivation (内生动力) of grassroots units to independently drive their own development, the first priority is to give full play to the functions of grassroots Party organizations. Grassroots Party organizations are the strong "combat fortresses" (战斗堡垒) that unite and consolidate the force and accomplish all tasks. Only by improving the leadership capacity, organizational capacity, and execution capacity of grassroots Party organizations, putting higher-level decisions and deployments into practice, and maximizing the pooling of the wisdom and strength of officers and soldiers can the capacity of grassroots units for self-directed development be genuinely enhanced, steadily advancing grassroots development in the direction of all-around progress and all-around excellence.

The key to enhancing the intrinsic motivation (内生动力) of grassroots units to independently drive their own development lies in people. A backbone force (骨干队伍) of strong quality and solid work style is the critical support for activating intrinsic motivation. Those who lead soldiers must, if they wish to activate grassroots intrinsic motivation, place emphasis on developing grassroots backbone personnel (骨干), giving that work a position of importance. Those who lead soldiers must select and test backbone talent through day-to-day work and major tasks, assign responsibilities and tasks in accordance with actual post requirements, enhance the capabilities and qualities of grassroots backbone personnel, enable backbone personnel to learn to think independently and solve problems independently, and make them a new force (生力军) in grassroots development.

Officers and soldiers are the main body of grassroots development; every officer and soldier is a participant, practitioner, and beneficiary of grassroots development. They have the deepest experience of the difficulties, shortfalls, bottlenecks, and blockages in grassroots development, and they have the most right to speak, to offer suggestions, and to render judgment. To enhance the intrinsic motivation (内生动力) of grassroots units to independently drive their own development, those who lead soldiers must sincerely listen to the opinions and suggestions of officers and soldiers, aggregate the wisdom and strength of officers and soldiers, fully respect the principal status and pioneering spirit (首创精神) of officers and soldiers, and encourage officers and soldiers to actively participate in all aspects of grassroots development work. In this way, the wisdom of grassroots development can flow forth in abundance, and the vitality of strengthening and building the military (强军兴军) will surge forth in competition.

Of course, grassroots self-directed development absolutely does not mean that institutional organs can act as "hands-off proprietors" (甩手掌柜), still less does it mean permitting things to drift without guidance. On the contrary, this places higher demands on institutional organs for scientific guidance and law-based assistance. Institutional organs at all levels should place the focus of their assistance on improving grassroots units' capacity to independently carry out work and accomplish tasks—both "transfusing blood" (输血) and "generating blood" (造血), both solving difficult problems and teaching methods, providing more "targeted" (有的放矢) guidance and more "timely assistance" (雪中送炭) service, ensuring that assistance does not replace, that engagement does not overstep, and that letting go does not mean letting loose—ensuring that Party committees "maintain overall control" (统得住), institutional organs "coordinate well" (合得好), and grassroots units "get moving" (动起来), genuinely twisting "a thousand threads" into "a single rope" (把"千条线"拧成"一股绳"), and driving grassroots development to advance both well and rapidly.

Original Chinese

提升基层自主抓建内生动力 ■曾志新自主梳理建设短板、科学制订整改措施，集思广益研究问题、聚力攻坚突破瓶颈……某部党委在指导帮建基层的过程中，注重培育强化基层自主抓建的内生动力，以此增强基层自主抓建的底气和能力。习主席在中央军委基层建设会议上强调，“要把指导帮建的着力点放在提高基层自建能力上”。在部队建设中，机关帮建是基层发展的外因，基层自建是基层发展的内因。基层自建能力的高低，决定着基层建设的质量。当前，许多部队面临人员动态分散、任务多元等情况。要想搞好基层建设，必须提升基层自主抓建的内生动力。如果基层自身缺乏抓建动力，事事等着上级安排部署，遇到矛盾就上交，碰到难题就退缩，不仅会挫伤官兵的积极性和创造性，还会迟滞单位建设，最终影响备战打仗质效。提升基层自主抓建的内生动力，首先要发挥好基层党组织的功能。基层党组织是团结巩固部队、完成各项任务的坚强“战斗堡垒”。提高基层党组织的领导力、组织力、执行力，把上级决策部署落到实处，最大限度凝聚官兵智慧力量，才能切实提升基层自主抓建能力，推动基层建设朝着全面进步、全面过硬的方向稳步迈进。提升基层自主抓建的内生动力，关键在人。一支素质过硬、作风扎实的骨干队伍，是激活内生动力的关键支撑。带兵人想要激活基层内生动力，必须注重基层骨干的培养，把骨干培养工作摆在重要位置。带兵人要通过日常工作、大项任务挑选和检验骨干人才，结合岗位实际压担子、交任务，提升基层骨干能力素养，让骨干学会独立思考、独立解决问题，成为基层建设的生力军。官兵是基层建设的主体，每一名官兵都是基层建设的参与者、实践者和受益者。对基层建设中的难处短板、卡点堵点，他们体会最深，最有发言权、建议权和评判权。要提升基层自主抓建的内生动力，带兵人就要真心倾听官兵的意见建议，把官兵的智慧和力量汇聚起来，充分尊重官兵的主体地位和首创精神，鼓励官兵主动参与基层建设各项工作。这样一来，基层建设的智慧才能充分涌动，强军兴军的活力才会竞相迸发。当然，基层自主抓建，绝不意味着机关可以当“甩手掌柜”，更不意味着放任自流。相反，这对机关的科学指导和依法帮建提出了更高要求。各级机关应把帮建重心放在提高基层自主开展工作、完成任务的能力上，既要“输血”更要“造血”，既要解难题也要教方法，多做“有的放矢”式指导，多给“雪中送炭”式服务，做到帮带不替代、到位不越位、放手不撒手，确保党委“统得住”、机关“合得好”、基层“动起来”，切实把“千条线”拧成“一股绳”，推动基层建设又好又快发展。