Governing a large state is like boiling a small fish.
Interpretation
Managing a complex organization requires careful handling and attention to detail.
This quote by Laozi suggests that governing or leading a large entity, such as a state, is akin to the delicate process of boiling a small fish; both require precision and caution. Just as overcooking a fish can ruin it, poor management or heavy-handedness in leadership can lead to failure or chaos within a large organization.
In practice
This quote can inspire a team leader to approach a project with care and thoughtfulness.
If you understand others you are smart._x000D_ If you understand yourself you are illuminated._x000D_ If you overcome others you are powerful._x000D_ If you overcome yourself you have strength._x000D_ If you know how to be satisfied you are rich._x000D_ If you can act with vigor, you have a will._x000D_ If you don't lose your objectives you can be long-lasting._x000D_ If you die without loss, you are eternal.
When nothing is done, nothing is left undone.
A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.
Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment.
In the world there is nothing more submissive and weak than water. Yet for attacking that which is hard and strong nothing can surpass it.
Rule your mind with serenity rather than with force and manipulation.
Union can achieve everything when sustained by gallant hearts and correct principles, while anarchy and insubordination must fail in the achievement of every thing beneficial and glorious to mankind.
If your employees are disengaged, and they don't take care of your customers, it doesn't matter how good your strategy is - your customers will still go somewhere else.
I used to say of Napoleon that his presence on the field made the difference of forty thousand men.
Where the stakes are the highest, in the war on terror, we cannot possibly succeed without extraordinary international cooperation. Effective international police actions require the highest degree of intelligence sharing, planning and collaborative enforcement.
This is the only leadership life I get, my one and only shot at following God the way I feel him prompting me to do so. This isn't some pre-game warm-up. It's the game, and the clock is ticking!
As the personal trajectories of Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi diverge, so too does the focus of their leadership. While Mr. Trump is obsessed with building walls, Mr. Xi is busy building bridges.
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