Grassroots Dispatch | He Who Has No Soldiers in His Heart Should Not Lead Soldiers

On April 2, the PLA Daily's Grassroots Dispatch column published a piece titled "Pack Up Your Bedroll and Move into the Squads and Platoons," reporting on Yuan Peng, political instructor (教导员) of a battalion in a brigade of the 83rd Group Army, and his three years of persisting in "rotational billeting" (流动住宿)—packing up his bedroll and living among the squads and platoons. The report sparked widespread discussion in grassroots units.

Many grassroots troop leaders said that Yuan Peng's steadfast commitment had untangled their confusion over "the difficulty of leading soldiers and the difficulty of knowing soldiers," and provided a visible, learnable example for grassroots troop-leading work in the new era. One grassroots company political officer (指导员) said during a study exchange: "We rack our brains every day over how to close the distance with officers and soldiers. Instructor Yuan's persistence tells us that as long as you put down your airs and sink your body down into the ranks, understanding what officers and soldiers carry in their hearts and winning their trust is actually quite easy."

Yuan Peng's approach also drew the attention of organs at various levels. Some organ cadres made special trips to learn about his specific deeds, held themselves up against his example to identify shortcomings in their own work, and adjusted and improved their working methods. Some units drew on the concept of "rotational billeting" to promote "cadres billeting in squads, backbone personnel embedded in platoons," providing concrete help in resolving difficulties. Other units, in light of their actual mission conditions, refined their "heart-to-heart tea talks" (谈心茶话会) and "soldier-situation candid forums" (兵情恳谈会), building platforms for officers and soldiers to speak their minds.

Yuan Peng's approach also drove a cohort of troop leaders to transform their work style and innovate their methods of leading soldiers. During this period, Yuan Peng's phone has rung frequently, as troop-leading cadres from other units have come upon hearing the news to exchange and discuss with him the specifics of how to carry out "rotational billeting," how to resolve difficulties encountered, and the experience and techniques of leading and cultivating soldiers.

In this issue, we invite Instructor Yuan to be a guest on "Grassroots Appointment" (基层有约) to explore together how to exchange sincerity for sincerity and use solid work to rally the hearts of soldiers (聚兵心), offering experience that more grassroots troop leaders can draw on and be inspired by.

Host: What was your original motivation for persisting in "rotational billeting"? What formative experiences have shaped you?

Yuan Peng: The decision to do "rotational billeting" was not a momentary impulse. It grew out of deliberation step by step, one small spark of feeling at a time. Three years ago, when I was serving as acting political instructor, I felt that every company had its own hard book to read. I held quite a few meetings and had many heart-to-heart talks, yet my words never seemed to reach the hearts of the officers and soldiers. Everyone says you have to go among the soldiers, but when I thought about actually living in the squads and platoons, I hesitated—I was afraid people would say I was putting on a show, and at the time, as acting commanding officer, I also worried that the officers and soldiers wouldn't buy into it. Later I thought it through: if I genuinely wanted to do real things for the officers and soldiers, I couldn't be afraid of being talked about. So I made up my mind and declared my intention in front of all the officers and soldiers of the battalion. After formally assuming the position of commanding officer, I kept up this habit.

When I was a platoon leader, there was a soldier who was rather introverted and sensitive. Because of his unusual family situation, he was unwilling to communicate with others. I didn't deliberately seek him out for heart-to-heart talks; I simply stayed by his side, chatted with him for a few minutes during training breaks, and talked with him before lights out. Later he came to me on his own initiative to pour out his feelings. Once the knot in his heart was untied, he became more cheerful, trained harder and harder, and eventually competed in skills competitions and achieved good results. That experience made me understand: only by bending your body down and exchanging sincerity for sincerity can you hear the most genuine voices.

After moving into the squads and platoons, I did indeed hear many things I would never have heard back at the battalion headquarters. For example, during internal affairs inspections, one soldier muttered: "Some things have nowhere to be stored, so we have to hide them—every inspection has us on edge." Another soldier said the wardrobe layout was unreasonable and that reaching for equipment always knocked his elbows. In formal settings they would never say these things—they're afraid of causing trouble, afraid of being criticized. Yet it is precisely these trivial matters that affect the training and daily lives of officers and soldiers, and that is exactly the direction in which we need to improve our work.

Host: What difficulties have you encountered over these years of "rotational billeting"? What has kept you going?

Yuan Peng: In the early period it was genuinely taxing. During the day I was coordinating the battalion's overall work and interfacing with higher organs, sometimes also attending meetings and training sessions; at night I moved into the squads and platoons, which squeezed out the time I had for organizing materials. One year, from June to August, the tasks were especially heavy—assessments and summaries came one after another without pause, and I was exhausted in body and spirit. At one point I had the fleeting thought of giving up, feeling like I was pushing down one gourd only to have another pop up—all effort and no reward.

The turning point came that September, when the veteran soldiers were discharged. Several of them took hold of me and said that the reasoning we had talked through together in the platoon rooms stayed with them to this day, that it had untied many knots in their thinking, and that they felt the barracks were especially warm. One veteran, eyes reddening, said: "Serving in this battalion, we feel at ease—we feel a sense of gain." Hearing those words, all my exhaustion dissolved like smoke. From that point on, I thought about how to carry out "rotational billeting" in a substantive way without neglecting my primary duties and responsibilities.

Gradually I worked out a staggered-schedule work method (错峰工作法). When soldiers are resting they are most relaxed, so I put down my work and accompany them—playing ball, chatting, talking about things they're interested in. In the half hour after meals, people are most likely to open up, so I listen quietly and respond patiently, without interrupting or passing judgment. After the officers and soldiers have gone to drills or to sleep and the battalion quiets down, I return to the office to handle business in concentrated bursts, improving efficiency. If there is urgent work, I handle it first and then return to the squad or platoon. Sometimes after meals the soldiers want time to themselves, and I don't deliberately intrude—I just sit nearby. With these gradual adjustments, I have basically managed to keep both work and billeting on track.

To prevent superficial engagement (蜻蜓点水), I make every effort to be fully present once I enter the squads and platoons—when spending time with officers and soldiers, I absolutely (决不) allow myself to be distracted or absent-minded. At the same time, I do not give advance notice in the process: I decide on Sunday which platoon I will stay in, ensuring that I see the most authentic picture of the grassroots. This persistence stems from a promise I made to myself and to all the officers and soldiers of the battalion. Its weight is hidden in the everyday details—making every officer and soldier feel that I am genuinely helping them resolve difficulties, not going through the motions.

Host: Now that the battalion's training results have improved significantly and the atmosphere is getting better and better, what positive role do you think "rotational billeting" has played?

Yuan Peng: I believe there is definitely a causal relationship between "rotational billeting" and the changes in the battalion, and that it has played an important role. Its role lies not in the "billeting" itself, but in closing the distance between me and the officers and soldiers, gaining a clear picture of their ideological dynamics and actual needs, and consolidating the battalion's collective strength. By living in the squads and platoons, I can grasp the ideological dynamics of officers and soldiers at the first moment, coordinate and resolve difficulties in a timely manner, and thereby stimulate everyone's enthusiasm for training and their sense of collective honor.

On one occasion, I noticed that several soldiers liked to tinker with unmanned aerial vehicles (无人机) during their rest time. After learning more about the situation, I established a UAV interest group across the entire battalion, coordinating equipment and inviting instructors… allowing their interest to be converted into capability. Not long ago, a higher-level command organized a UAV skills competition. These several soldiers prepared with full effort and ultimately achieved good results.

I also strive to ensure that every demand raised by officers and soldiers receives a response. For example, when soldiers reported that the wardrobe layout was unreasonable, I kept it in mind and pushed forward the relevant work as quickly as possible. At the time, some people raised concerns about disrupting the uniformity of internal affairs, and others felt it wasn't worth the trouble. I first coordinated with the organ, then selected one platoon as a pilot; after the adjustment, soldiers all said it was more convenient, and within one week the change was rolled out across the entire battalion. This matter shows that as long as you are genuinely acting for the good of officers and soldiers, you need not be stumped by problems.

Yuan Peng: The greatest gain has been polishing the original aspiration (初心) of grassroots work and understanding that only by sinking down to the front line can you get a feel for the real situation. There are no shortcuts in grassroots management. Regardless of which method of leading soldiers you choose, as long as you hold the attitude of genuinely serving the soldiers and working with a sincere heart—sinking down, blending in, treating officers and soldiers as family, treating their affairs as your own—you can manage the unit well and lead soldiers well, and you can make the battalion's atmosphere increasingly upright and the relationships among officers and soldiers increasingly harmonious.

I place greater value on "work below the horizon" (地平线以下的工作)—the small things that are invisible and intangible yet can warm soldiers' hearts and rally soldiers' spirit (暖兵心聚兵气). In my mind, the political achievements (政绩) of Party member cadres are not numbers on a report form or slogans on a wall, but rather doing real things for officers and soldiers in a concrete way—making everyone aware that when they encounter difficulties there is an organization to turn to, that when they have something on their minds there is someone to listen, that when they have opinions and suggestions there is someone who takes them seriously—so that they feel they are growing and have something to look forward to.

Of course, living in the squads and platoons is not the only way to manage the grassroots, and still less is it a "prescribed movement" (规定动作) that must be performed. There are many methods of leading soldiers: some people are skilled at heart-to-heart talks, some are good at blending guidance into training, some can close the distance with officers and soldiers through everyday acts of care. As long as these methods are carried out with genuine sincerity and done in a solid manner, they are equally capable of managing the unit well and leading soldiers well.

Yuan Peng: I feel that leading soldiers requires passing through "three checkpoints" (三关). The first is the identity checkpoint (身份关): put down your official airs and regard yourself as a member of the squad or platoon. The second is the mindset checkpoint (心态关): listen to complaints without getting angry, and treat the opinions of officers and soldiers as opportunities for improvement. The third is the self-discipline checkpoint (自律关): do not let busyness and fatigue cause arbitrary interruptions—persist over the long term and influence and inspire officers and soldiers through your own words and deeds.

Flipping through the notebooks from these three years, I can see both the demands and the day-to-day details of officers and soldiers, and it also allows me to quietly review and reflect. If there is one most important lesson from leading soldiers, it is this: "Sincerity is always the ultimate weapon (真诚永远是必杀技)." Getting along with officers and soldiers requires no fancy techniques—as long as you treat people with genuine sincerity and handle matters in a concrete, down-to-earth way, they will trust you. I often tell my comrades: there is no true failure in life—you either gain success or you gain growth. The pursuit of those who lead soldiers should not be limited to their own political achievements, but should be to make more soldiers become more excellent and more confident because of our efforts. Every time I see them make progress, I am happier than when I myself receive commendation.