Two keys for sustainable success in this busy world of changes is recommended by Lao Zi. They are a strong foundation and taking frequent rest to ensure the actions follow from the foundation. They apply to our personal life and also to the businesses that we run.The world of increasing changes and competitions cause many people to be overly anxious and active. Being busy, or too busy, is perhaps their way to resolving their worry;giving no time to worry. They confuse busyness as productive activities. They should recall Parkinson's law that says "work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion". Distracted by their present successes to ignore the impending changes.
How then can we tell what are the meaningful and important activities ?
We must first have a set of foundational values or principles to be the measuring standards.
Then we just have to monitor all activities through the lens of our values and principles. Stephen covey principles centered leadership. Jim Collins uses level 5 leadership, hedgehog principles of sticking to the cause, the vision.
Here is the translation and interpretations of Dao De Jing 26 in a mind-map format:
Are you under great stress? Are you anxious and not knowing what to do? Are you miserable and angry?
Lao Zi suggests that you take a break, a rest to reflect on your values of life. What are the values you should hold on to and are you deviating from those values? If there be any deviations from your values, then take the actions to correct them. If there be not, then have the peace that you are doing the right things and continue on even though it may seems difficult. The best cure to worry and stress is to face them and examine your values and the facts.
Application 2 Corporation Renewal:
Businesses often fail when they leave their original values due to the busyness brought about by their success. Apple was built on elegance and simplicity of use. Over time, they just build lots and lots of products hoping to increase the revenues. They got into big problems that the original founder that they fired earlier, Steve Jobs, was brought back to save the company. Steve Jobs did the very thing that make Apple successful. He killed most of the products and go back the very busy of making Mac computer with translucent and sexy exterior and ease of use OS (based on Next).
What were the original values and value propositions that make your company successful?
How are you implementing and releasing those values in your products, services, solutions and branding? How are your making them?
Lim Liat (c) 4 July 2014
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