Tao Te Ching

There can be no doubt that the ancient author of the Tao Te Ching, Lao-Tzu, was a man of unique wisdom whose writings continue to influence people of different backgrounds and faiths.

Many leaders then and now get wrapped up in selfish ambition. They would do well to listen to what Lao-Tzu had to say on the subject of leadership.

There are several English translations of the Tao Te Ching available on-line. The following selections are from a translation by C. Ganson.

Leaders Work Humbly

Leaders should not seek power or status;

people will not then crave power or status.

If scarce goods are not valued highly,

people will have no need to steal them.

If there is nothing available to arouse passion,

people will remain content and satisfied.

The truly wise do lead

by instilling humility and open-mindedness,

by providing for fair livelihoods,

by discouraging personal ambition,

by strengthening the bone-structure of the people.

The wise avoid evil and radical reform;

thus the foolish do not obstruct them.

They work serenely, with inner quiet.

In my involvement in scouting, I have certainly observed humble leadership. Although some of us enjoy getting up in front of people and receiving occasional recognition for our efforts, there are many more people who prefer simply to stay in the background. Without such people, most scout units would not survive.

Unfortunately, humbleness is perhaps a little less common in the business world. Corporate managers should definitely take notice.

Also, I think it is good advice for leaders to avoid radical reform. This is especially true in an organization where the leadership tends to change fairly quickly. This is certainly true in Cub Scouts where the leadership tends to change whenever a new set of boys graduate into Boy Scouts and their parents move on too.

When new leaders take over, it is tempting to want to make radical changes to try to rectify past problems. However, this may create unexpected tension with other leaders who may not share the vision of the new people.

I have seen this situation in scouting and in my corporate experience as well. A new manager who immediately begins making changes before having established a raport with his/her employees will not garner a lot of respect.

The Best Leader

The best leaders, the people do not notice.

The next best, the people honor and praise.

The next, the people fear;

and the next, the people hate.

If you have no faith,

people will have no faith in you,

and you must resort to oaths.

When the best leader’s work is done

the people say: “We did it ourselves!”

Good leaders don’t try to do it all themselves. They delegate. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to get enough people who are willing to take on responsibilities of a leadership position, especially in volunteer organizations.

However, it is much easier to get people to agree to help with small things. There are many people who are willing to help, but just don’t want a long term commitment. Official leaders should not overlook the contribution that such people can make.

Furthermore, good leaders don’t try to take all the credit. Imagine if a scout leader took all the credit for everything their boy scouts or girl scouts did. It would be unthinkable! Although we may guide and assist them along in their activities and achievements, we want them to always proudly proclaim “We did it ourselves!”

So, why do some managers seem to want to take all the credit in the business world? Employees who have a strong sense of accomplishment will certainly be happier and more productive. As a result, the organization will thrive and so will the manager.

The author, Greg Bonney, has been a boy scout leader for the past several years. He is a professional software developer who has been webmaster of several personal and professional web sites. He currently maintains troop760.org and the Strength Training Wiki

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“There are three ways a leader can bring disasters to his own army:

• Ordering an advance — when he does not realize the army is in no position to advance; or ordering a retreat — not realizing the army is in no position to retreat.  This is called entangling the army.
• Interfering with the army’s administration, when he is unaware of how an army is managed.  This leads confusion to the officers and troops.
• Commanding the army, when he is unaware of how to change with changes of situation.  This will lead to hesitation of the officers and troops.

When the army is confused and hesitant, the enemies will take advantage.  A confused arm surrenders its victory to others.”

– Sun Tzu Chapter 3 (translated by Tekson)

 
While a leader can do a lot of good for the people he leads, he can equally doing a lot of harm to them without him knowing.

A good leader, therefore, must know when he should take the flag and run, and when he should stay in the background.

We mold clay into a pot,
but it is the emptiness inside
that makes the vessel useful.

                                     — Laozi Tao Te Ching 11

To appreciate the value of things around us, look beyond the surface.

A pot is useful not for its clay, but its emptiness.

For the same token, you as a person is useful not for what you look, but what you do. 

Money is useful not for its paper and denomination, but the happiness it can bring.   

A house is useful not for its pillars and wall, but the empty space in it where you can live in and build the family bonds you treasure.

Knowing the difference between the being and non-being in Tao makes your life more fulfilled.

Picture source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/steveleenow/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Thus, one gains by losing,
and loses by gaining.

                                                 – Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching 42

 A challenge of life is making choices.            

To buy a jacket, you have to part with money you meant for a book.  To lose a job, you set youself free to embark on a journey you could not have found time for ……

Making choices in life is difficult.  It is, nevertheless, better than not making one at all.

The trick is to appreciate what you lose for the things you gain, and what you gain for the things you lose.

This will help you to see serenity in life.  

This is the essense of ‘yingyang balance’.

Picture source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cosmic_bandita/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Embrace simplicity.
Put others first.
Desire little.

                                                Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching 19

One of the most powerful ways of getting an organzation to work is to make things simple.  Make your vision clear, easy to follow. 

And then, get everyone in the organization to think about customers and team work. 

Desire little, just do what’re right! 

If you can do so, your organization and people will transcend their limits in no time.   

Picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/inhalingsounds/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

… Tao of leadership …

If you are new in China, you may find it difficult to comprehend a commond line of reasoning there.   

The reasoning goes like this:  Everything can be right.  And yet, everything that is right is not completely right.

And you are left to figure out what exactly has been said.

While the way of reasoning is part of the Chinese culture, it can also be seen as a wisdom that will help you to truly understand the order of the universe.

Since we are limited by our knowledge and senses, whatever we think is right can be right — and for the same token, can be wrong.  Similarly, what we see it to be right cannot be completely right.

Only when we are broad minded enough to tolerate chaos and ambiguity, that we are ready to be dazzled and awed — by what we know and we do not know. 

“ Tao is intangible and evasive,
Although intangible and evasive, in it there is form;
Although evasive and intangible, in it there is shape.
Although obscure and dark, in it there is vitality;
Its vitality is very genuine.
Within it we can find order.”              -  Tao Te Ching 21 

Picture source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/the-g-uk/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

You will have to know what Chi (qi) is when performing Taoist excercises, from Tai Chi, chi kung to Taoist meditation.

Chi internal energy in our body. 

By practicing Taoist exercises, we learn to harness the chi, allowing it to circulate freely within our body and exercise our internal organs, from intestines to the liver and the lungs, making them healthier.   It also helps our mind to focus, become more alive and nimble, making us stronger inside out.

A simple way to feel the chi is to place your two palms against each other, before your lower abdomen.  Relax your palms, and you will feel a current moving between the palms.  This is the chi.

You can then play with it, as if an invisible ball, like what you see in the Taoisit Exercises video below.

Play With Chi of Tai Chi

Free video tutorial:

How to do Abdomen Breathing

 Abdomen breathing is used in Taoist exercises like Tai Chi and Qigong. 

Even if you do not practice Taoist exercises, it is good to know how the breathing is done.   

Most of us breathe in a way which is shallow and short, because we inhale the air to only the chest. Abdomen breathing, in contrast, inhales the air all the way to the belly.  It is a better way to breathe, as it allows more oxygen to work in our body.

To understand how breathing is conducted, lie down on your back at somewhere comfortable — in your bed or on the floor: 

1. Put your hands on your sides;
2. Breathe gently: 
3. Focus your attention on how the air move in your body.   Ask yourself, “where does the air go to?”
4. Let the air go to your belly, rather than your chest, when you inhale!
5. Feel the natural rise and fall of your belly.
6. Your belly expands when you inhale, and contracts when you exhale.

Congratulations!  You are doing the abdomen breathing!

When you are doing Taoist exercises, you could do your abdomen breathing in this way, or the reverse way.  When you are reversing the breathing, feel the belly contract when you inhale, and expand when you exhale.

Find out how this is done in the free video tutorial:

How to do Abdomen Breathing

Free video tutorial:

Play the Chi of Tai Chi like an Accordion

The moment you start learning Tao exercises like Taichi Chuan, qigong exercises and standing meditation, you’ll begin to hear about chi.

The Tao exercises can help us to stay healthy, very much of it is due to the regulation of chi in our body.  Without the process, the exercises are less effective.   Chi is, therefore, basic to the Tao exercises.

If you are taking up the Tao exercises, it is useful for you to feel the chi in your body.  This does not mean that without the feeling of chi, your Taoist exercises are not working.  What I am sure, nevertheless, is that w ith the feel of chi, you will definitely enjoy more of the exercises. 

Here, I’ll like to share with you a very simple way to feel the chi in your body.

What you’ll have to do is simply to place your two palms facing each another, leaving a distance between them, and hold them in front of you lower abdomen. and then, relaxed. If you can be truly relaxed, you will feel a current of energy between the two palms. The feeling varies from one individual to another. Some of you may feel warmth and strong sensation, other only mildly. In some cases, there’s a tingling feeling, or even numbness.

They are all signals that the chi in your two palms are interacting.

You can play with the chi between the two palms, as if playing with an invisible accordion. See how the chi exercises are conducted in my video tutorial:

Play the Chi of Tai Chi like an Accordion