The Integration of Collective Leadership and Individual Responsibility

An important principle of democratic centralism.

The mechanism of collective leadership and individual responsibility based on division of labor among the leaders are interrelated and are in a dialectical unity. On the one hand, in order to ensure the advancement of the cause of revolution and construction, we must exercise collective leadership, oppose decentralization and assertion of independence at the same time we should never unduly emphasize the role and personal authority of any individual. On the other hand, emphasizing collective leadership mechanism is not to deny the role and the authority of individuals within the collective leadership. Mao Zedong pointed out that individual responsibility is "totally different from individual dictatorship which violates the principle of collective leadership."

In March 1955, Mao Zedong said at the National Conference of the Communist Party of China: "In view of the various lessons of the past and the fact that only through being integrated with collective wisdom can individual wisdom be turned to better account so that fewer mistakes are made in our work, the Central Committee and the Party committees at all levels must adhere to the principle of collective leadership and continue to oppose two deviations, personal dictatorship and decentralism.” In 1958, Mao Zedong pointed out in his work “Sixty Points on Working Methods—A Draft Resolution”: "Concentrate important powers in one hand; Diffuse less important ones. Decisions are to be taken by party committees and to be carried out by all concerned. Implementation implies decision-making, but this must not deviate from the principles. As to inspecting work, Party committees have that responsibility”.

Adhering to the combination of collective leadership and individual responsibility is of great significance to the healthy development of the Party and for the realization of the State’s undertakings, and thus becomes one of the important institutional provisions of the Party Constitution: "The Party committees at all levels should implement the system of combining collective leadership with individual responsibility based on division of labor among the leaders.” This system has two interrelated aspects: on the one hand, decisions on all major issues—such as those related to the Party's line, principles and policies, the deployment of major tasks, the appointment and removal of important cadres, important issues of great concern for the masses, and those issues which require collective discussion and decision by Party committees at higher levels shall be made through discussion by the Party committee concerned in accordance with the principles of collective leadership, democratic centralism, pre-meeting contemplation, and meeting-based decision making. On the other hand, within the Party committees at all levels, the specific responsibilities of each leading member should be clearly and well defined, so that all and every task can be fulfilled and every leading member undertakes his/her specific responsibility, besides members of Party committees shall act in earnest to fulfill their respective obligations in accordance with the collective decisions made and in accordance with the division of work.

In the process of leading the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the CPC has established the principle of combining collective leadership with individual responsibility into the track of the Party's institutionalization, standardization and legalization, and has made it an important component part of the Party's political discipline.