53: Materialism and The Way

The wise project manager leads a quiet and meditative life. He does not seek to take more from the world than he needs. He takes the simplest path and his projects will be successful.

Lao Tzu tells us:

If I have even just a little sense,
I will walk on the main road and my only fear will be of straying from it.
Keeping to the main road is easy,
But people love to be sidetracked.

When the court is arrayed in splendour,
The fields are full of weeds,
And the granaries are bare.
Some wear gorgeous clothes,
Carry sharp swords,
And indulge themselves with food and drink;
They have more possessions than they can use.
They are robber barons.
This is certainly not the way of the Tao.

52: Learning Constancy

The wise project manager remains flexible and will therefore endure. He is not afraid of losing for he has nothing to lose. This is learning constancy and this is the way of the project manager.

The Tao
Lao Tzu tells us:

The beginning of the universe
Is the mother of all things.
Knowing the mother, one also knows the sons.
Knowing the sons, yet remaining in touch with the mother,
Brings freedom from the fear of death.

Keep your mouth shut.
Guard the senses,
And life is ever full.
Open your mouth,
Always be busy,
And life is beyond hope.

Seeing the small is insight;
Yielding to force is strength.
Using the outer light, return to insight,
And in this way be saved from harm.
This is learning constancy.

51: Principle and Process

For those who follow the Way everything is a process, including a project. A process emerges, it develops and eventually it decays and dies. This process is known as the single principle.

The Tao
Lao Tzu tells us:

All things arise from the Tao.
They are nourished by virtue.
They are formed from matter.
They are shaped by the environment.
Thus the ten thousand things all respect Tao and honour virtue.
Respect of Tao and honour of virtue are not demanded,
But they are in the nature of things.
Therefore all things arise from Tao.
By virtue they are nourished,
Developed, cared for,
Sheltered, comforted,
Grown and protected.
Creating without claiming,
Doing without taking credit,
Guiding without interfering,
This is primal virtue.

50: A Matter of Life and Death

The wise project manager knows that everything comes and goes so there is no point in grasping for or clinging to things. Why worry about what might or might not happen?

The Tao
Lao Tsu tells us:

Between birth and death,
Three in ten are followers of life,
Three in ten are followers of death,
And men just passing from birth to death also number three in ten.
Why is this so?
Because they live their lives on the gross level.

He who knows how to live can walk abroad
Without fear of rhinoceros or tiger.
He will not be wounded in battle.
For in him rhinoceroses can find no place to thrust their horn,
Tigers no place to use their claws,
And weapon no place to pierce.
Why is this so?
Because he has no place for death to enter.