73: Freedom & Responsibility

The wise project manager knows that he has freedom of choice and must therefore take individual responsibility. No one else can make decisions for you, it is up to you, for this is the way of the project manager.

Lao Tsu tells us:

A brave and passionate man will kill or be killed.
A brave and calm man will always preserve life.
Of these two which is good and which is harmful?
Some things are not favoured by heaven. Who knows why?
Even the sage is unsure of this.

The Tao of heaven does not strive, and yet it overcomes.
It does not speak, and yet is answered.
It does not ask, yet is supplied with all its needs.
It seems at ease, and yet it follows a plan.

Heaven’s net casts wide.
Though its meshes are coarse, nothing slips through.

72: Spiritual Awareness

The wise project manager lives in harmony with spiritual values and demonstrates the power of selflessness and the unity of all creation, for this is the way of the project manager.

Lao Tzu tells us:

When men lack a sense of awe, there will be disaster.

Do not intrude in their homes.
Do not harass them at work.
If you do not interfere, they will not weary of you.

Therefore the sage knows himself but makes no show,
Has self-respect but is not arrogant.
He lets go of that and chooses this.

71: All the Answers

The wise project manager does not know all the answers and does not indulge in pretending. When he doesn't know he says so, for this is the way of the project manager.

Lao Tzu tells us:

Knowing ignorance is strength.
Ignoring knowledge is sickness.

If one is sick of sickness, then one is not sick.
The sage is not sick because he is sick of sickness.
Therefore he is not sick.

70: There is Nothing New

The way of the project manager is simple and easy to understand as it goes back to basic principles. The wise project manager stays with the single principle of how everything happens and does nothing new or original, for this is the way of the project manager.

Lao Tzu tells us:

My words are easy to understand and easy to perform,
Yet no man under heaven knows them or practices them.

My words have ancient beginnings.
My actions are disciplined.
Because men do not understand, they have no knowledge of me.

Those that know me are few;
Those that abuse me are honoured.
Therefore the sage wears rough clothing and holds the jewel in his heart.

69: Fight or Flight

The wise project manager has respect for any attacker. He advances only when there is no resistance. He knows the more compassionate will win, for this is the way of the project manager.

Lao Tzu tells us:

There is a saying among soldiers:
I dare not make the first move but would rather play the guest;
I dare not advance an inch but would rather withdraw a foot.

This is called marching without appearing to move,
Rolling up your sleeves without showing your arm,
Capturing the enemy without attacking,
Being armed without weapons.

There is no greater catastrophe than underestimating the enemy.
By underestimating the enemy, I almost loose what I value.

Therefore when the battle is joined,
The underdog will win.

68: Opportunities

Good leadership is about motivating people to achieve at the highest levels by offering them opportunities, not obligations. That is how things happen naturally, for this is the way of the project manager.

Lao Tzu tells us:

A good soldier is not violent.
A good fighter is not angry.
A good winner is not vengeful.
A good employer is humble.
This is known as the virtue of not striving.
This is known as the ability to deal with people.
This since ancient times has been known as the ultimate unity with heaven.

67: Three Qualities

The wise project manager knows that when he cares for the team members, he enhances the energy of the whole team, for this is the way of the project manager.

Lao Tsu tells us:

Everyone under heaven says that my Tao is great and beyond compare.
Because it is great, it seems different.
If it were not different, it would have vanished long ago.

I have three treasures which I hold and keep.
The first is mercy; the second is economy;
The third is daring not to be ahead of others.
From mercy comes courage; from economy comes generosity;
From humility comes leadership.

Nowadays men shun mercy, but try to be brave;
They abandon economy, but try to be generous;
They do not believe in humility, but always try to be first.
This is certain death.

Mercy brings victory in battle and strength in defence.
It is the means by which heaven saves and guards.

66: Open and Supportive

What we call leadership consists mainly of knowing how to follow. The wise project manager stays in the background and facilitates the work of the team, for this is the way of the project manager.

Lao Tsu tells us:

Why is the sea king of a hundred streams?
Because it lies below them.
Therefore it is the king of a hundred streams.

If the sage would guide the people, he must serve with humility.
If he would lead them, he must follow behind.
In this way when the sage rules, the people will not feel oppressed;
When he stands before them, they will not be harmed.
The whole world will support him and will not tire of him.

Because he does not compete,
He does not meet competition.

65: Theory and Practice

The wise project manager does not go for complex theories, he practices a way of life based on consciousness and wisdom. If you cooperate with the Tao, you will experience the power of universal harmony, for this is the way of the project manager.

Lao Tsu tells us:

In the beginning those who knew the Tao did not try to enlighten others,

But kept them in the dark.

Why is it so hard to rule?

Because people are so clever.

Rulers who try to use cleverness

Cheat the country.

Those who rule without cleverness

Are a blessing to the land.

These are the two alternatives.

Understand there is Primal Virtue.

Primal Virtue is deep and far.

It leads all things back

Towards the great oneness.

64: Beginning, Middle and End

The wise project manger doesn't do too much and does not worry about getting the credit for having done something. Because he has no expectations, no outcome can be called a failure.

Lao Tzu tells us:

Peace is easily maintained;

Trouble is easily overcome before it starts.

The brittle is easily shattered;

The small is easily scattered.

Deal with it before it happens.

See things in order before there is confusion.

A tree as great as a man’s embrace springs from a small shoot;

A terrace nine stories high begins with a pile of earth;

A journey of a thousand miles starts under one’s feet.

He who acts defeats his own purpose;

He who grasps looses.

The sage does not act, and so is not defeated.

He does not grasp and therefore does not loose.

People usually fail when they are on the verge of success.

So give as much care to the end as to the beginning;

Then there will be no failure.

Therefore the sage seeks freedom from desire.

He does not collect precious things.

He learns not to hold onto ideas.

He brings men back to what they have lost.

He helps the ten thousand things find their own nature,

But refrains from action.

63: Difficulties

All projects run into difficulties from time to time and the wise project manager knows that by expecting problems he will not suffer from them. He does not dismiss any problem as insignificant, but neither does he become anxious about it.

Lao Tzu tells us:

Practice non-action.

Work without doing.

Taste the tasteless.

Magnify the small, increase the few.

Reward bitterness with care.

See simplicity in the complicated.

Achieve greatness in little things.

In the universe the difficult things are done as if they are easy.

In the universe great acts are made up of small deeds.

The sage does not attempt anything very big,

And this achieves greatness.

Easy promises make for little trust.

Taking things lightly results in great difficulty.

Because the sage always confronts difficulties,

He never experiences them.

62: Whether You Know It or Not

The Project

I am now up to date (here) with my re-translation of Lao Tzu’s words of wisdom!  

The Way

The wise project manager is aware of how things happen and this makes their words more potent and their behaviour more effective. Sharing the way is the greatest gift they can give.

Lao Tsu tells us:

Tao is the source of the ten thousand things.

It is the treasure of the good man, and the refuge of the bad.

Sweet words cannot buy honour;

Good deeds can gain respect.

If a man is bad, do not abandon him.

Therefore on the day the emperor is crowned,

Or the three officers of state installed,

Do not send a gift of jade and a team of four horses,

But remain still and offer the Tao.

Why does everyone like the Tao so much at first?

Isn’t it because you find what you seek and are forgiven when you sin?

Therefore this is the greatest treasure of the universe.

61: Submission and Conquest

The Project

The new translation of the Tao Te Ching is going quite well and I’m up to chapter 56, so I’ve nearly caught up with these posts.  Meanwhile I’m still running with the translation by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English (1984) on these posts as I can’t publish my new translation on this blog as it would make it open source and invalidate my ability to publish on Amazon.

The Way

The wise project manager is prepared to be the servant of the team and will give way to the wishes of the team, for this is the way of the project manager.

Lao Tzu tells us:

A great country is like a low land.

It is the meeting ground of the universe,

The mother of the universe.

The female overcomes the male with stillness,

Lying low in stillness.

Therefore if a great country gives way to a smaller country,

It will conquer the smaller country.

And if a small country submits to a great country,

It can conquer the great country.

Therefore those that would conquer must yield,

And those who conquer do so because they yield.

A great nation needs more people;

A small country needs to serve.

Each gets what it wants.

It is fitting for a great nation to yield.

60: Stirring Things Up

In order to publish “The Way of the Project Manager” I can’t have any open source content in it. Hence I am working my way through producing a new translation of the Tao Te Ching using the excellent translation resource web site.  Coincidentally off to see “Mao’s Last Dancer” tonight, which might help my Chinese a little. 

The wise project manager has a light touch and faith in the way. 

Lao Tzu tells us:

Ruling the country is like cooking a small fish.

Approach the universe with Tao,

And evil will have no power.

Not that evil is not powerful,

But its power will not be used to harm others.

Not only will it do no harm to others,

But the sage himself will also be protected.

They do not hurt each other,

And the virtue in each one refreshes both.

59: Being Aware

I have just realized that I can’t use an existing translation of the Tao in my self-published book as that makes it open source. So now I have to work on my own translation. Bad news for work effort but good news for a deeper understanding of the way. Fortunately there is a great web site “the Translator’s Resource web site (www.taoteching.co.uk)” which seems to provides everything I need.

The project manager needs to be aware of what is happening and how things happen, so that he can act accordingly. The wise project manager learns to become increasingly conscious, for this is the way of the project manager.

Lao Tzu tells us:

In caring for others and serving heaven,

There is nothing like using restraint.

Restraint begins with giving up one’s own ideas.

This depends on Virtue gathered in the past.

If there is a good store of Virtue, then nothing is impossible.

If nothing is impossible, then there are no limits.

If a man knows no limits, then he is fit to be a ruler.

The mother principle of ruling holds good for a long time.

This is called having deep roots and a firm foundation,

The Tao of long life and eternal vision.

58: Facilitation

I'm currently working on revisions to the second draft of "The Way of the Project Manager" and will then be self-publishing it on Amazon. It's quite interesting going back over all the old topics again and trying to make sure they build on one another and aren't too repetitive. This topic is all about control.

The wise project manager learns to trust what is happening in the project team. He facilitates the unfolding team process. He knows how to have a profound influence without making things happen, for this is the way of the project manager.

Lao Tzu tells us:

When the country is ruled with a light hand,

The people are simple.

When the country is ruled with severity,

The people are cunning.

Happiness is rooted in misery.

Misery lurks beneath happiness.

Who knows what the future holds?

There is no honesty.

Honesty becomes dishonest.

Goodness becomes witchcraft.

Man’s bewitchment lasts for a long time.

Therefore the sage is sharp but not cutting,

Pointed but not piercing,

Straightforward but not unrestrained,

Brilliant but not blinding.

57: Doing Less and Being More

I have just finished the first draft of The Way of the Project Manager and it’s over to my proof-reader (a critical member of the team) to check. I have picked one of my photographs of Dartmoor, which shows a very ancient way, for the front cover.

Good leadership consists of doing less and being more, for this is the way of the project manager.

Lao Tzu tells us:

Rule a nation with justice.

Wage war with surprise moves.

Become master of the universe without striving.

How do I know that this is so?

Because of this!

The more laws and restrictions there are,

The poorer people become.

The sharper men’s weapons,

The more trouble is in the land.

The more ingenious and clever men are,

The more strange things happen.

The more rules and regulations,

The more thieves and robbers.

Therefore the sage says:

I take no action and people are reformed.

I enjoy peace and people become honest.

I do nothing and people become rich.

I have no desires and people return to the good and simple life.

56: Integrity

The wise project manager knows that words cannot capture the true nature of events so he does not try to use them. His integrity is not idealistic; it rests on a pragmatic knowledge of how things work. There are no obstacles on the way,  the obstacles are the way.

Lao Tzu tells us: 

Those who know do not talk.
Those who talk do not know. 

Keep your mouth closed. 
Guard your senses. 
Temper your sharpness. 
Simplify your problems. 
Mask your brightness. 
Be at one with the dust of the world. 
This is primal union. 

He who has achieved this state. 
Is unconcerned with friends and enemies. 
With good and harm, with honour and disgrace. 
This therefore is the highest state of man.

55: Vital Energy

The wise project manager builds commitment by influencing, delegating, negotiating, team building and creating ownership (the soft skills). 

Lao Tzu tells us:

He who is filled with virtue is like a new born child.
Wasps and serpents will not sting him;
Wild beasts will not pounce upon him;
He will not be attacked by birds of prey.
His bones are soft, his muscles are weak,
But his grip is firm.
He has not experienced the union of man and woman, but is whole.
His manhood is strong.
He screams all day without becoming hoarse.
This is perfect harmony.

Knowing harmony is constancy.
Knowing constancy is enlightenment.

It is not wise to rush about.
Controlling the breath causes strain.
If too much energy is used, exhaustion follows.
This is not the way of the Tao.
Whatever is contrary to the Tao will not last long. 
  

54: The Ripple Effect

The wise project manager first gets his own life in order. He grounds himself in the single principle so that his behaviour is wholesome and effective. This behaviour then influences the people he comes into contact with and ripples outwards. 

Lao Tzu tells us:

What is firmly established cannot be uprooted.
What is firmly grasped cannot slip away.
It will be honoured from generation to generation.

Cultivate virtue in yourself,
And virtue will be real.
Cultivate it in the family,
And virtue will abound.
Cultivate it in the village,
And virtue will grow.
Cultivate it in the nation,
And virtue will be abundant.
Cultivate it in the universe,
And virtue will be everywhere.

Therefore look at the body as body;
Look at the family as family;
Look at the village as village;
Look at the nation as nation;
Look at the universe as universe.

How do I know the universe is like this?
By looking.