Collective democracy is at the forefront of Ho Chi Minh’s leadership style and our Party leadership principles. Nowadays, importance should be attached to instilling a democratic, collective leadership style into political cadres in grass-roots military units.

In grass-roots military units, political cadres play a key role in Party and political work by popularizing and directing the successful implementation of the Party’s line, the State’s policies and laws, resolutions and directives by all-level Party committees as well as assigned tasks. Being aware of this, over the past years, due attention has been paid to building a contingent of capable political cadres in grass-roots military units, particularly in terms of  democratic, collective leadership style. Many of them have garnered high praise and set good examples.

However, shortcomings remain among political cadres in grass-roots military units. Many of them have yet to play their full roles in leadership, supervision and inspection as well as Party and political work, particularly in terms of education of and consideration for their subordinates. Several political cadres in leadership positions have shown abuse of power and disrespect for collective opinions, and have yet to bring into full play democracy and collective strength in carrying out assigned tasks, etc. Against such a backdrop, instilling a democratic collective leadership style into political cadres in grass-roots military units is a matter of urgency. This article puts forward suggestions which Party committees and commanders in military units may find helpful.

First, Party committees’ leadership as well as political commissars and commanders’ roles should be strengthened in instilling a democratic, collective leadership style into political cadres. All-level Party committees and commanders, directly divisions and regiments’ upper-grassroots level ones, should thoroughly grasp and concretise the higher echelons’ resolutions and directives on personnel work as well as qualities of political cadres and “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” in the new revolutionary period, thereby popularizing Ho Chi Minh’s democratic, collective leadership style and the Party’s leadership principles for political cadres.

In the 2020 report on the Party and political work, the General Department of Politics emphasised the importance of enhancing Party organisations’ leadership capacity and combat capability, promoting the vanguard role of cadres and Party members, and stimulating the military youth’s creativity and devotion. To this end, the exercise of Party committees’ leadership should be focused on emulating Uncle Ho and promoting political cadres’ sense of exemplary responsibility in accordance with the Politburo’s Conclusion No.1 as well as on infusing Uncle Ho’s spirit of “putting the interests of the people first” into political cadres, thereby boosting their political morale and loyalty towards the Party, the Homeland and the people as well as granting them immunity from the materialistic seductions of the market mechanism and hostile forces’ intensified sabotage plots. At the same time, it is necessary to provide political cadres in grass-roots military units with favorable conditions so that they can maximise their spirit of self-reliance, self-resilience and devotion to building the Military and safeguarding the socialist Homeland. The work of inspection and supervision should also be intensified so as to preempt manifestations of degradation in political ideology, morality and lifestyle, “self-evolution”, “self-transformation” and individualism.

Second, it is necessary to stay unified in contents and flexible in forms and methods when it comes to instilling Ho Chi Minh’s democratic, collective leadership style into political cadres in grass-roots military units. In his lifetime, President Ho Chi Minh placed special emphasis on the exercise of democracy as a single panacea for all problems: “The masses can solve problems simply, quickly, and effectively while talented people and collectives can not”. He stressed the role of collectives: “No matter how talented and experienced an individual can be, he or she cannot understand all aspects of a problem”. Therefore, the more people there are, the more effectively a problem is solved. Collective leadership must always be in tandem with individual responsibility.

It is essential to popularise Ho Chi Minh’s democratic, collective leadership style for political cadres. Democracy is the most valuable asset of the people and the fruit of revolutionary struggle. The exercise of democracy generates huge internal strength in successfully fulfilling assigned tasks. Political cadres should be made aware of the role of collectives and especially Party committees and organisations, thereby heightening their sense of respect for collectives and their sense of compliance with the higher echelons’ orders. Measures should be proposed in a timely manner for bringing into full play democracy and collective strength. In addition to the Party’s resolutions and directives, lessons that the higher echelons have drawn should be shared with political cadres in exercising democracy and promoting collective strength. Moreover, assigned tasks should be closely linked with political cadres’ work responsibilities in order to put them to the test, thereby making them more capable.

Third, Party committees and commanders should localise the principle of “democratic centralism”, “collective leadership and individual responsibility”. Thoroughly grasping and strictly adhering to Party leadership principles is the determinant of the survival and combat capability of Party organisations, boosting military units’ performance and enabling cadres to perfect their leadership skills. In exercising his leadership over the Vietnamese revolution, President Ho Chi Minh always attached importance to feedback, leadership, management, and supervision from collectives and the masses. “Collective leadership is democratic. Individual responsibility is centralised. Failure to do so runs counter to democratic centralism”, he reiterated.

Imbued with his teaching, Party committees and commanders in grass-roots military units should stick to Party leadership principles with “democratic centralism” and “collective leadership and individual responsibility” as the centrepiece in instilling a democratic collective leadership style into political cadres. Regulations should be introduced, stipulating the powers and relations between political cadres and commanders as well as the powers and responsibilities of political commissars. A democratic working environment should be created in order to encourage political cadres to be enterprising, creative, and unafraid of hardships. Concerning the implementation of the principle of “democratic centralism”, “collective leadership and individual responsibility”, inspection should be intensified to improve political cadres’ performance, thereby opportunely identifying and addressing shortcomings as well as disciplining violators for their manifestations of degradation in political ideology, morality and lifestyle, “self-evolution”, and “self-transformation”.

Fourth, political cadres should be encouraged to promote their proactive roles in emulating democratic, collective leadership style. It is necessary to be full aware of President Ho Chi Minh’s teaching: “Emulating role models is one of the best ways to build the Party, revolutionary organisations, and new-style persons and life”. While thorough grasping the 13th Politburo’s Conclusion 01-KL/TW on the implementation of the 12th Politburo’s Directive 05-CT/TW on emulating Uncle Ho’s thought, morality, and lifestyle, political cadres in grass-roots military units should set good examples of exercising democracy, respecting collectives as well as strictly obeying the Party’s resolutions, directives, regulations and leadership principles, the State’s laws, and military discipline.

In order to better follow Ho Chi Minh’s democratic, collective leadership style, political cadres should submit themselves to collectives’ leadership, take the lead in emulating Uncle Ho by practical deeds and set good examples for subordinates and the masses to follow. At the same time, political cadres should conduct criticism and self-criticism and resolutely combat manifestations of wrongdoings, abuse of power, autocracy, snobbishness, aloofness from the masses, and disrespect for collectives, all of which impinge on individuals and collectives’ performance as well as honorable traditions of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” in the new revolutionary period.

Sr. Col. VU DINH DAC, PhD, Political Officers’ College