Reflecting on two new points in Directive No. 07-CT/TW dated July 13, 2026, of the Politburo.

In this directive, the Politburo assessed the results of 10 years of implementing Directive No. 05-CT/TW, dated May 15, 2016, of the Politburo: "The study and emulation of Ho Chi Minh's thought, morality, and style have achieved many important results, contributing to building and rectifying a clean and strong Party and political system; effectively preventing the decline in political ideology, morality, and lifestyle, and the manifestations of 'self-evolution' and 'self-transformation' within the Party; consolidating the people's trust in the Party, the State, and the regime; creating an important impetus contributing to the successful achievement of national development goals, building and firmly defending the Fatherland, and enhancing the country's international standing and prestige."

At the same time, the Politburo noted: "The study and emulation of President Ho Chi Minh's teachings are still superficial, lacking depth, and have not given sufficient attention to the practical application of Ho Chi Minh's methods; they have not created a real transformation from awareness to action; the responsibility of setting an example by a portion of cadres and Party members, especially those in leadership positions, has not been linked to resolving the pressing and urgent issues of the people."

Following this, the Politburo issued five directives outlining requirements for Party committees and organizations at all levels:

, strengthen leadership and guidance in studying and practicing Ho Chi Minh's ideology, ethics, methods, and style.

Studying and practicing Ho Chi Minh's ideology, ethics, methods, and style is linked to building a culture of leadership, a culture of public service, and a sense of responsibility in performing public duties and behaving in a cultured manner among cadres and Party members.

, strongly promote the role and responsibility of setting an example for cadres and Party members, especially those in leadership positions, first and foremost the members of the Politburo, the Secretariat, and the Central Committee of the Party.

Innovate research, dissemination, and education on Ho Chi Minh's ideology, ethics, methods, and style. Strongly apply digital technology and artificial intelligence in building digital data and learning materials systems.

This involves shifting the focus from inspecting and monitoring the planning and registration process to inspecting and monitoring the results of political tasks, the effectiveness of resolving prominent and pressing issues, the level of public satisfaction, and actual progress.

A parade and march commemorating the 80th anniversary of the successful August Revolution (August 19, 1945 / August 19, 2025) and the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (September 2, 1945 / September 2, 2025). Photo: qdnd.vn

In terms of implementation, the Directive also clearly outlines the responsibilities of the Party Committee of the National Assembly , the Party Committee of the Government, the Party Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, central mass organizations, the Central Organizing Committee, the Central Propaganda Department, the Ho Chi Minh National Political Academy, etc.

The most significant new point in the Directive requires every Party organization, cadre, and Party member to truly shift from "following" to "practicing Ho Chi Minh's thought, ethics, methods, and style" in the new development stage. This new point has been analyzed by many experts and scientists . In this article, the author would like to present his thoughts on two other new points: the Directive's emphasis on President Ho Chi Minh's "methods" and "style." So, what is the content of these two issues?

First of all, speaking of "Ho Chi Minh's method" is essentially speaking of President Ho Chi Minh's "methodology." We can approach the content of Ho Chi Minh's methodology from two aspects: firstly, based on his words and texts; secondly, based on his actions and deeds. Methodology is the theory of methods for understanding and transforming reality. Professor Song Thanh once stated that Ho Chi Minh's methodology is the methodology of a great man, a great revolutionary, an outstanding thinker and cultural figure. The glorious achievements in his revolutionary career demonstrate that they were consistently guided by a system of scientific and revolutionary principles, helping him to have correct perceptions and make wise decisions in an extremely sensitive and complex international political context, gradually steering the revolutionary ship through rapids to victory. These guiding principles are the methodological principles of Ho Chi Minh, bearing the distinctive mark of President Ho Chi Minh. In essence, Ho Chi Minh's methodology is the creative application of Marxist-Leninist methodology to the Vietnamese context; a skillful combination of Eastern and Western cultures.

Ho Chi Minh's methodology has several fundamental issues:

: A way of thinking based on practical experience, valuing practice and summarizing it into theory. For example, even at a very young age, after listening to his predecessors debate the path to national salvation, he formed the idea that to defeat French colonialism, he had to go to the enemy's stronghold to see how the "protectorate state" model was operating in its own homeland, and only then could he find the path to national and people salvation.

Applying creatively and skillfully combining Marxist materialist dialectics with the rational elements of Eastern philosophy. Eastern people tend to think empirically, while Western people tend to think rationally and analytically. President Ho Chi Minh was the one who skillfully combined the essence of these two traditional methods of human thought.

"Adapt to changing circumstances while maintaining core principles." This is a famous method of President Ho Chi Minh, as demonstrated in his advice to Mr. Huynh Thuc Khang when he delegated the presidency to him.

Whatever we do, we must win the people's hearts, using the people's hearts as the yardstick. Revolution is the undertaking of the masses, and the nation is founded on the people. This is the method that he demonstrated through his own life of service to the revolution.

Regarding Ho Chi Minh's methodology, many more issues could be discussed, but the four points above are fundamental.

The second key point is the content regarding Ho Chi Minh's style. Looking back at history, the Party's discussion of studying and practicing Ho Chi Minh's style is not new. From the Second Party Congress, the resolution already stated that the entire Party must study President Ho Chi Minh's style. At the Sixth Party Congress, the Party addressed the concept of studying Ho Chi Minh's style.

What is the Ho Chi Minh style? It can be understood as the distinctive values, deeply imprinted with Ho Chi Minh's character, closely linked to his noble personality, brilliant intellect, and impeccable morality as a great man and an outstanding cultural figure. It is a style that is both national and modern, scientific and revolutionary, noble yet simple, practical, and approachable.

The content of Ho Chi Minh's style is very rich and extremely practical for each person's self-cultivation. The author ventures to highlight a few fundamental points: Firstly, his thinking style: Dialectical materialism. This thinking is not at all contradictory to the progressive spirit of Confucianism, which he was exposed to from a young age, because Confucianism emphasizes the spirit of "directly approaching things to gain knowledge" - one must directly approach things to thoroughly understand them. Secondly, his leadership style: Leadership must follow the principle of democratic centralism; closeness to the masses. In just 10 years (1955-1965), he made 700 trips to grassroots levels, visiting people, which shows that "democratic centralism" was a principle he practiced throughout his life. Thirdly, his work style: Scientific; everything must be thoroughly investigated and researched, decisions must be based on data; everything must be done on time. Fourthly, his expression style: Speaking simply, adhering to the political line, and avoiding jokes; Writing concisely and simply; drawing clearly; presenting information clearly, with minimal transitions to other pages; speaking at length. Fifth, the style of conduct: Humble, polite, and courteous; sincere, warm, and natural; flexible, proactive, and adaptable. Sixth, the diplomatic style: Persuading with reason, winning with the heart; flexible yet firm; broad knowledge of the country, its people, and the individuals being addressed. Seventh, the lifestyle: Simple yet noble.

By practicing these principles, every Vietnamese person can walk the path of continuing the cultural traditions of their ancestors and create a path to happiness and humanity for themselves.